Though hers is perhaps one of the more satisfying character arcs in the MCU, Natasha Romanoff often finds herself overshadowed by her fellow Avengers. For as impressive as her skills as an assassin are, they just don't quite seem to stack up when compared to the incredible strength of the Hulk and Thor or the charismatic persona of the late, great Tony Stark. She still has her moments in the movies, but there's a lot more to the Black Widow character than first meets the eye.
Black Widow will no doubt do a much better job of highlighting Romanoff's strengths when it finally releases on July 9, although it's difficult to envisage the movie topping some of the many fantastic story arcs from the character's comic book past. Whether appearing as a guest in another hero's comics or starring in one of her very own, Black Widow has experienced some excellent adventures over the years, most of which have never been touched upon in the MCU.
10 Encircle
The vast majority of the best Black Widow comic book storylines are fairly heavy in tone, but Warren Ellis opts for a more light-hearted approach in Encircle and the end result is surprisingly refreshing. It still has its fair share of serious moments too, but the time travel elements are played off in such a zany fashion that it's a little difficult to get too bogged down by the death of the Secret Avengers. It doesn't drag on for too long either, despite retreading a lot of the same ground due to Romanoff being sent back to the past.
Naturally, the Beast from The X-Men makes an appearance in order to guide Romanoff through the intricacies of time travel and the resulting banter between the pair is pure comedy gold. With McCoy's guidance and by making a series of small, yet meaningful changes, she's able to prevent her new teammates from dying and bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. Short and sweet is probably the best way to describe it, although it would be doing Alex Maleev a bit of a disservice not to at least mention his excellent illustration.
9 Marvel Knights Black Widow
Marvel Knights Black Widow is a collection of stories that sees Romanoff travel all over the globe as she attempts to take down the sinister Taskmaster. Much like the villain, though, she too is being hunted by an old face from her past, which provides an extra layer of depth to the proceedings. Belova's training makes her a formidable foe and there are times when it really looks as though she has what it takes to get the best of her fellow Red Room graduate.
Many of the heroes and villains that Romanoff encounters throughout the events of Marvel Knights Black Widow will be making an appearance in the Black Widow movie, including both Belova and the Taskmaster himself. Whether the plot will play out exactly the same as it does in the comics remains to be seen, but if it's even half as exciting, movie-goers are in for a real treat. Even if the story's the same though, the comics are still worth reading too, if only for some of the stunning artwork that's on display.
8 The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
For readers, the idea that somebody other than Romanoff could ever be the Black Widow may be a little laughable at first. That all changes pretty quickly, however, when Yelena Belova shows up out of the blue and claims the title for her own. That she and Romanoff trained together in the Red Room makes the sudden conflict between the pair infinitely more compelling and ultimately leads to both readers and Romanoff questioning who the Black Widow really is.
Though not quite the best of Romanoff's story arcs, it's easy to see why the higher-ups at Marvel and Disney opted to use Belova in the Black Widow movie. Not only does she provide them with an avenue through which to explore Romanoff's past, but also a reason for the hero to truly doubt herself. This kind of self-reflection and the growth it usually triggers tends to play out really well on the silver screen, just as it does on the pages containing The Itsy-Bitsy Spider storyline.
7 The Valiant Also Die
The Valiant Also Die features in The Avengers comic book series and was released at a time when tensions between the US and Russia were at an all time high. The ever-present threat of nuclear war and the perceived threat of communism permeated through almost every aspect of life in the states and comic books were no exception. The story sees the Avengers take on the combined forces of General Brushov and Colonel Ling in an attempt to rescue Hawkeye and Black Widow. What they don't realize, however, is that Romanoff is actually on a special assignment from S.H.I.E.L.D.
The story has a little bit of everything, including appearances from Romanoff's presumed dead husband and her father figure, the Red Guardian. The Sino-Russian alliance paints an interesting picture of the times for those reading decades later and John Buscema's artwork is emblematic of the vintage Marvel style. They really don't make them like they used to anymore, and while some may prefer the more mature tone of modern day comic book series, it's still nice to look back at where it all began every once in a while.
6 Widowmaker
Black Widow and Hawkeye are shown to be incredibly close throughout the MCU, but the pair's best shared adventure arguably comes in the 2010 story arc, Widowmaker. They're also joined by Hawkeye's wife, Mockingbird, as they look to track down the person responsible for the deaths of a number of special agents all across the world. As events begin to play out, it's eventually revealed that both Romanoff and the good lady Barton are both on the killer's hit list, which makes finding them all the more imperative.
As with Romanoff, some may feel that the MCU has done Hawkeye dirty, so this arc is perhaps a great point of reference for those wanting to know what the pair are really all about. That the killer has adopted Hawkeye's former Ronin persona places him right at the center of the mystery and gives him the perfect stage on which to shine. Jim McCann and Duane Swierczynski's writing strikes a great balance of superhero and spy, which is then perfectly captured by the artwork provided by David Lopes, Manuel Garcia and Al Milgrom.
5 Homecoming
There comes a point in every hero's life when the time seems right to hang up their cape for good and return to a life of normality. Unfortunately, however, that point always seems to be immediately followed by a catastrophic event or villainous plot that forces them to come out of retirement and once again save the world or universe. Some might argue that it's an overused trope, but even if it is a bit cliche at this point, it's hard to dispute the excellence of Richard K. Morgan's Homecoming.
After several of her fellow Red Room graduates are murdered, Romanoff finds herself back in Russia and must put all of her skills to good use to figure out who's behind the killings. This leads to the hero having to look deep into her past, which in turn highlights her struggles as a woman in what is predominantly shown to be a man's world. The excellent artwork of Bill Sienkiewicz and Goran Parlov really brings the story to life, while the brevity of Morgan's writing ensures the pacing is always on point.
4 The Name Of The Rose
While there are times throughout the Avengers movies when Black Widow feels a little out of place, she has no such problem during the events of The Name of the Rose. Backed up by the likes of Iron Man, Wolverine and Bucky Barnes, Romanoff never once feels like she doesn't belong in what ends up being a memorable and mesmerizing mystery. In fact, if anything, it's the aforementioned heroes who find themselves cast into the shadows as the Black Widow demonstrates her efficiency for espionage.
The failed assassination attempt which sets events in motion is more than enough to get readers hooked, and each subsequent question only draws them in further. The near constant threat of another attack ensures the tension never gets a chance to unwind, while the action, despite being a little more reserved than in some of the character's other storylines, perfectly punctuates the fantastic writing. Daniel Acuña and Marjorie Liu make a fantastic team, combining masterfully here to create a wonderful story.
3 Deadly Origin
There have been a few retellings of the Black Widow origin story over the years, but none come close to the brilliance of Deadly Origin. Written by Paul Cornell, the arc covers Romanoff's training in the Red Room right up to her time with the avengers and is crammed full of expertly-woven narrative threads, larger than life characters and high-octane action. Most importantly, though, it tells readers exactly who Romanoff is as a person and how she came to be the way that she is.
Even if the story beats were not as captivating as they are, Deadly Origin would still be worth reading for the artwork alone. Despite the pair having vastly different styles, the illustration from Tom Raney and John Paul Leon throughout the story is up there with some of the medium's very best. With the latter tackling events in the past and the former covering the future, their distinct drawing techniques instantly betray the era in which the narrative is taking place at any given moment and perfectly compliment Cornell's spellbinding script.
2 The Finely Woven Thread
Romanoff has tried to leave her life as a KGB assassin behind her on numerous occasions since making her comic book debut, but despite several successful spells with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, things never quite seem to go to plan for her. Much like Michael Corleoni in the Godfather: Part 3, just when she thinks that she's out, someone, or something, always seems to drag her right back in. In this case, it's her unquenchable thirst for atonement and redemption that sets the arc's events into motion.
Through Romanoff's time in Russia, comic book readers are not only treated to some of the Black Widow's finest moments, but also provided with considerable insight into the character's backstory. Granted, the latter is something that the comic books arguably fall back on a little too often, but, in this case, at least, it's well worth the extra panels. Just for good measure, Romanoff also manages to uncover and bring an end to a potentially devastating plot, providing plenty of high-stakes moments as she does so.
1 S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted
Due to her former profession and incredibly dark past, Black Widow has found herself on the wrong side of the law on numerous occasions over the years. She's experienced her fair share of close shaves, but none have been quite as perilous as in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted. She's forced to go on the run when some of her secrets are made public and soon finds herself being pursued not only be her former employers, but also her fellow Avenger, Iron Man.
Eisner Award winners Mark Waid and Chris Samnee really do have the Midas touch when it comes to comic books and this entire arc serves as yet another example of the pair's excellence. The introduction of the Dark Room Academy and its psychotic founder the Recluse offers a nice nod to Romanoff's history, but also combines well with the ongoing pursuit to create the perfect storm for the hero to endure. It's an action-packed arc, and one that's well worth reading.