The Marvel’s Avengers hero roster is set to see some heavy-hitters joining the lineup soon, with both Black Panther and Spider-Man currently in development. The pairing will accompany other powerful heroes like The Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Ms. Marvel. With such fun playstyles, stylish costumes, and an existing popularity, it seems unlikely that they will fly under the radar in the same way that Black Widow has thus far.
In terms of sheer strength and physicality, Black Widow is the weakest character on the Marvel’s Avengers roster. Despite this, she is a blast to play as, with Crystal Dynamics giving her a varied moveset that keeps her on the same playing field as a super soldier and The God of Thunder. Beyond that, Black Widow’s story is well-told, with Crystal Dynamics portraying her in a great way. With a strong performance and more Black Widow story content on the way, this version of Natasha Romanoff deserves more appreciation.
Black Widow’s Arc After A-Day
After Captain America’s apparent death and the team’s failure on A-Day, The Avengers fell apart. Thor took a large amount of blame for the tragedy, going into hiding and volunteering to help as if he were any other regular human. Iron Man fell apart, losing his technology to AIM and witnessing his Stark Industries empire be taken away from him. As for The Hulk, he played a crucial part in The Avengers being broken apart, with Bruce Banner firmly believing that superheroes were far too dangerous to be left in any position of power. With most of the team giving up, it is even more impressive that Black Widow does not.
The only Avenger to keep fighting after A-Day, Black Widow goes undercover with AIM. Throughout the events of the main story, she helps Kamala Khan from a distance, keeping the future Avengers safe as the team struggles to regain its footing. This level of determination from Natasha is incredible, and it shows how strong her resolve is. Making her out to be a tougher character than the rest from a mental standpoint, it is plenty of fun to see Black Widow surpass the most powerful members of the The Avengers in any way. Further, before Steve Rogers is found to be alive, Black Widow briefly leads the reunited team — and she does a fine job of doing it.
Black Widow’s Iconic Mission chain is another highlight, as it shows the character being a hero in a unique way. Essentially ending with the hero robbing AIM, she returns the money to the families and Inhumans that suffered during A-Day. A touching moment that sees her owning up to the failure in a different way, the scene fits with what the character from the comics and the MCU would do. All of this works even better due to award-winning actress Laura Bailey playing the part of Natasha, as every scene is well-acted and makes Black Widow seem like a character worthy of her teammates’ respect.
Black Widow’s Playstyle
Since launch, Black Widow has proven to be one of the strongest Marvel's Avengers characters in terms of gameplay, too. While some characters have been nerfed and others have been buffed, Black Widow has remained consistent since the game made its debut last September. A well-rounded hero with a diverse play style, her kit allows players to have every style of combat at her fingertips. As a result, she is far more fun to play than one would expect given her lack of proper superpowers.
Black Widow’s three gun choices allow players to experience some of Marvel’s Avengers’ best ranged gameplay. Only challenged by Clint Barton and Kate Bishop when it comes to fighting from a distance, Black Widow’s hand cannon is a satisfying weapon that puts a huge dent in health bars with every shot. Her signature dual wield pistols allow for some quicker firing and a weapon that has no real negatives, while her dual SMGs stun enemies extremely fast. As a result, Black Widow can perform finishing moves easier than any other hero, letting her close-range combat skills shine.
Her melee combat is bettered by an awesome ultimate ability that allows her to equip a staff and tear through groups of enemies quickly. The ability to spec out her Widow’s Bite shock blasts in different ways makes her signature weapon a lot of fun, while Natasha’s invisibility allows players to lean into her skills as a spy. The best counter ability in the game sees Black Widow doing her iconic leg wrap takedown with a well-timed button press, and while her traversal in Marvel’s Avengers leaves something to be desired, it cannot keep her down. A strong character that is fun to play, Black Widow is one of the game's biggest accomplishments.
Black Widow’s Upcoming Content
It seems like Crystal Dynamics has realized Black Widow’s potential, as the hero will be the first launch character to receive a post-launch story. Revealed via Marvel’s Avengers’ content roadmap, the Red Room Takeover event will be launching next month. While it is exciting for the new HARM room challenges it will provide, as well as the long-awaited addition of the MCU suits, the Red Room Takeover event’s most appealing feature is a look into Black Widow’s backstory.
While Crystal Dynamics has kept many details under wraps about the Black Widow-focused story, its name suggests a look at her backstory. With Marvel’s Avengers’ HARM rooms being reworked into the Red Room where Black Widow was originally trained, players could get the chance to see what the tortured character went through as she was forged into a killer. Further, it has been confirmed that Yelena Belova has hacked into the HARM room to bring the Red Room simulation to life. While it is unclear what her motivation is, seeing the two Black Widows interact has the makings of a great story.
With the Red Room Takeover possibly making Black Widow an even better Marvel’s Avengers character, she deserves a bit more love from players next time they log into the game. Underrated from both a story and gameplay perspective, Crystal Dynamics’ take on Natasha Romanoff is spot-on. Stacking up well next to even the best versions of the character, Marvel’s Avengers shows why Black Widow deserves a spot next to gamma monsters and the armored Avenger. While she may not be the flashiest character, there are many strengths to Black Widow, all of which are shown off by the game.
Marvel’s Avengers is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.