Black Widow |
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Portrayed by Scarlett Johansson |
Statistics |
Full Name |
Natasha Romanoff |
Age |
28 (86) |
Height |
5'3" |
Build |
Small and athletic |
Eyes |
Blue |
Hair |
Red |
Factions |
Avengers | SHIELD |
Occupation |
SHIELD agent. |
Alignment |
Hero |
Claim to Fame
Woman with a thousand identities, master spy, assassin, and femme fatale.
Reputation
The Black Widow is a legendary figure in the intelligence community, though the name is thought to have been handed down from operative to operative over the years. Very few people realize the Black Widow today is the same Black Widow who first emerged during the Cold War 60+ years ago. Russian and US spymasters know the Widow defected to the US approximately 10 years ago. Few of them, however, know if the defection is genuine or not.
Biography
Born in Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in 1928, Natalia lost her parents when she was very young. They died in a blaze that broke out in their apartment building thanks to anti-Soviet attacks on the city. Her mother was able to pass her to a Soviet soldier through a broken window before she succumbed to smoke, herself. The solider took Natalia in, but was eventually forced to relinquish her to "Department X" and its Red Room program.
Midway through WW2, the adolescent Natalia wound up in Madripoor, where she had been brought by Nazis, who had kidnapped and subsequently given her to the Hand with the intention that she be brainwashed and trained as a master assassin and, perhaps, reinserted under Russian control as a sleeper agent. Ultimately, that didn't happen. She was rescued and returned to the Red Room by the same soldier that had taken her there in the first place. Indeed, the man would become a recurring character in her life for the length of his, sometimes even going so far as to 'assist' her on her missions, acting a chauffeur and bodyguard when she was masquerading as a woman of society on behalf of her superiors.
Regardless, by the time the War was over, she was well indoctrinated by her Russian masters, and already an expert in espionage, hand-to-hand, and countless weapons. She had been bio- and psycho-technologically enhanced by the Russian version of the super soldier serum (which wasn't quite as effective as the American version used at around the same time on Steve Rogers), and, consequently, was faster, stronger, and more resilient than most of the men she encountered. Further, she was trained in more subtle arts of psycho-, social- and sexual-manipulation, turning her into the perfect femme fatale — though it would be several years before she would exercise those skills to any great degree.
Indeed, her training was enhanced by rigorous training as a ballerina, which resulted in a position at the Bolshoi in the early-to-mid 50's. She retired from the ballet to become the wife of celebrated Soviet test pilot Alexi Shostakov in a state-arranged, but remarkably happy marriage. Indeed, when Shostakov apparently died in a rocket test several years later, Natasha was genuinely grief-stricken, as a result.
However, the whole thing was planned by the Red Room administrators to strengthen her loyalty, given her independent, intelligent nature did sometimes make it difficult to ensure the indoctrination they put her through held properly. Shostakov's death gave them the emotional leverage they needed to get Natasha "into the fight", as it were. It was remarkably successful…
For a time, anyway.
She spent much of her time from the late sixties to late nineties working as a corporate infiltrator and sleeper agent for Russia. This brought her into conflict time and time again with several counter-intelligence and espionage agencies in the West, including international organizations like the U.N. sanctioned S.H.I.E.L.D. and the C.I.A.'s "International Operations" initiative (which was eventually dissolved in favour of Stormwatch).
During this time, she went through a frequent cycle of missions, debriefs (some hostile), and subsequent re-education (i.e. brainwashing and memory adjustment), all orchestrated to keep her loyal to the Motherland — and all acerbated by the Russian spymasters' tendency to jar her out of one life and into another by sending her ex-husband after her to bring her home. (Discovering he hadn't died was one helluva shock, to be sure.) To this day, she can't honestly say which of her memories of anything prior to her defection and subsequent work for S.H.I.E.L.D. are truly hers. She fears very few of them may be.
It was, in fact, encounters with a couple of young S.H.I.E.L.D. field agents, and perhaps a choice encounter or two with a grizzled war vet in the same agency who was actually older than she, in the late eighties/early nineties that laid the groundwork for her eventual defection in the early-to-mid-2000's. Each encounter left her questioning her employers' motives a little more, making each cycle of debrief and consequent re-education that much more difficult. Eventually, enough was enough and she broke free and fled to America.
In America, she took up freelance work for S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as other agencies on the side. She became a gun for hire, sure, but a good one. The legend of the Black Widow was, by this point, long and storied, apocryphal, in some ways, but still impressive. (Who, after all, could really believe the twenty-something redhead with the tasers on her wrist was the same woman whispered about by vets of the Cold War, right?)
Eventually, however, she was brought into the S.H.I.E.L.D. fold. She's spent much of the last 10 years doing extensive field ops for them, handing highly sensitive operations the Director really couldn't trust to 'regular' agents. And her operational parameters have been so wide, her discretionary authority is positively impressive. Few, other than director-level operatives can counter her and her personnel file and history is locked down against everyone except a scant handful the Director has personally cleared.
Thus, even in that agency, she's still largely a mystery to everyone except a select few. Less than a handful of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel really know who she is and what she does; most agents only know her code name, at best, and have only heard rumours of her exploits. Her mission reports are almost always Level 7 security and above. Indeed, she's one of less than a handful of agents that actually merits a Level 10 security clearance rating, which is higher than most Regional and Special Directors. What is known about her, however, is this: If the Black Widow's been called in, Things Just Got Real.
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Character Details
The Black Widow is a chameleon. She alters her appearance and her personality to suit those she's trying to impress… or intimidate, depending on the situation. Regardless, some things about her are sure: She's typically gracious, charming, and intelligent, perhaps even a little beguiling. She can set someone at ease with a smile, or threaten them with a single arch of her brow. She can be incredibly subtle, when she wants to be, and is exceptionally observant and meticulous in her attention to detail. Very, very few people know who she really is behind the mask.
When left to her own devices, with no one around to impress or manipulate, she tends to be faintly self-deprecating with a dry sense of humour. Even she's not entirely sure who she is, when she's alone with herself. Too many years of brainwashing, indoctrination, deprogramming, and lies have made her own mind the one thing she can never know with any true certainty.
Enhanced Physiology |
Natasha's physiology has been enhanced via the Russian super-solider programs of the same era as those that forged Captain America in the States. Although the Russian program wasn't quite as effective as the American, it has still left her with physical abilities that qualify as superhuman because they surpass those of all but the fittest human specimens. Specifically, the results of the Red Room treatments on her are:
Peak Human Strength: She can lift approximately a quarter ton — i.e. a small motorcycle — without exceptional effort, though much more than that is beyond her.
Peak Human Speed: She can beat Olympians in a footrace without really trying, though it's technically not fast enough to be considered 'superspeed'.
Superhuman Agility and Reflexes: She has perfect balance and coordination, and can react fast enough to dodge a bullet, if she needs to — as long as there's not hundreds of them flying at her, anyway.
Exceptional Durability and Stamina: Natasha's physical tissues are more resistant to damage than most people's. An impact that would knock out a normal person may simply only daze her. She can still be injured in the same way a normal person can; it simply takes about twice as much force to do so.
Enhanced Senses: Natasha has perfect eyesight, remarkable hearing, a precise sense of smell, and remarkably subtle senses of touch and taste. She doesn't perceive things outside of human range, but she does perceive things within the very upper and lower ranges of human capability. Consequently, while she won't be tracking people like a bloodhound and can't see microorganisms with her bare eyes, she can absolutely catch a soft whisper from across a moderately noisy room and notice the faint trace of an illicit substance spiked into her coffee. |
Exceptional Health And Longevi |
The super-soldier treatments Natasha received have slowed her ageing remarkably. She's nearly 90, but appears to be a young woman a third of that age. She heals about twice as fast as normal and is remarkably resistant to disease. In fact, she simply never gets sick. While poison can work on her, it has to be a remarkably potent and significantly sized dose. Although it's still possible, even getting drunk is difficult for her.
However, she is also entirely infertile — something she discovered when she was still married to Shostakov. Whether or not this is a result of the super-soldier treatments is debatable (but the general consensus is that it is, given the attitudes of the era and the reality an infertile woman isn't going to become pregnant and lose her active field status as a result). |
Gifted Intellect |
Whether the result of the Red Room's treatments or an innate gift she's had since birth, Natasha is exceptionally intelligent, perceptive, and intuitive. Certainly, some of this has been enhanced by her training, but a lot of it simply appears natural. (Indeed, arguably, her Russian spymasters wouldn't have had nearly the amount of difficulty with her continually breaking indoctrination as they did were she less gifted.) She can process multiple information streams simultaneously, very quickly, making her exceptionally good at threat assessment. Add that to her remarkable reflexes and expert martial training, and it's no wonder she's considered one of the deadliest people in the world.
More than that, however, it makes her exceptionally good at psychological manipulation. She can read people incredibly well, often guessing both what they're hiding and how to get them to reveal it. Though, some of that comes from her training, a lot of it comes from her sharp perception. |
Enhanced Mental Resistance |
With the exception of the biotechnology that allows her to be easily manipulated by Red Room-related programming, Natasha is extremely resistant to torture, mental and emotional coercion, and psychological conditioning. She's been trained to withstand remarkably inhumane treatment for exceptionally long periods of time, and to come out the other side more or less in one piece — psychologically, at least. Consequently, she really is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s go-to girl for the Worst Hell Hole On Earth assignments. (Lucky her.) |
Expert Tactician And Strategis |
In addition to her gifted intellect, Natasha has had 80 years of training and experience in field tactics, battle strategy, and unit command. She is capable of leading organizations like the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D., though she prefers to be in the field on her own, rather than in a group. Her preferences, however, are always secondary to the needs of the mission. Mission always comes first. |
Expert Combatant |
Natasha is a master martial artist in several disciplines, including such arts as aikido, various forms of boxing, judo, karate, muay thai, ninjutsu, savate, and several styles of kung fu. She's an expert with all sorts of improvised weapons and straight out street brawling. If it's in the environment around her, it can become a weapon in her hands. Heck, sometimes, it doesn't even have to touch her hands to become a weapon. Further, melee weapons ranging from blades to staves to clubs and more are as deadly in her hands as her hands themselves. |
Expert Marksman |
If it can be fired, Natasha can fire it. She's an expert sniper and blade thrower (and a real shark with a dart board in a bar), and can dual-weild pistols so accurately she could paint pointillism pictures with the bullets. She's considered a high-level weapons specialist, familiar with even obscure or highly advanced firearms technology and well able to extrapolate the "proper care and feeding" of entirely unfamiliar models. The woman has been trained since pre-adolescence to kill and use weapons, and she's very, very good at it. |
Master Superspy |
Natasha has been a spy for more decades than some spy agencies have actually been around. (The CIA wasn't formed until 1947, for instance, and she'd had a good 10 years of Red Room training… okay, indoctrination, by that point.) She came into her own during the Cold War, when the use of spies was in its heyday, and she survived the transitions of each subsequent generation with relative ease, thanks in part to her intelligence and in part to her experience.
She knows tradecraft inside and out — the technical aspects of playing the Great Game, from dead drops to tails to falsified information, smoke-screening, misdirection, redirection, cold-blooded assassination, execution, and the 'arrangement of accidents'. You name it, she's done it, and she continues to do it. She's a certified demolitions expert and she's considered a master at stealth techniques, infiltration, and disguise. More, she recognizes when such techniques are being used against her, too. Most of the time, anyway. (Nobody's perfect, but you do have to be really good to put one over on her for very long.)
It's a Game. Not necessarily an enjoyable one (though, really, she does enjoy aspects of it), but a Game nonetheless. And one that's played all over the world. Indeed, she's been at it so long, and played on so many sides of so many fences, that she knows that far better than most.
Consequently, she knows who the key players have been in the past, who they are in the present, and can make remarkably astute guesses about who they'll be in the future. She understands the politicking inherent in spycraft, too. She knows how government politics (especially the dirty, secret, underhanded kind) affect the Game. And there are very, very few that can beat her at her own Game. |
Athletic Training |
Natasha is an exceptionally skilled aerialist, acrobat, gymnast, and Olympic-class athlete. She's had decades of training and experience to perfect the skills and she's got the enhanced physiology to make it easy.
She's also had decades of ballet training and was once even a prima ballerina for the Bolshoi Ballet. She can still compete with some of the best dancers in the world, if she chooses. |
Psychological Manipulation |
Natasha is a chameleon. She can change her personality, at whim and purposely, to suit whatever situation she's in and manipulate her mark. She can mask her real emotions perfectly and appear genuine, no matter how counter to her own natural inclinations that may be. (Of course, given she'd be hard pressed to tell you what her "natural" inclinations are, that probably has something to do with it.) She can go from the pretty girl-next door sitting at a coffee shop, to skilled high-level business woman, to ruthless killer in flickering moments. Add in her skill at disguise and she can take on any role she needs to, giving performances worthy of an Oscar and more.
As she says, "The truth isn't all things, to all people, all of the time. And neither am I."
Nevertheless, between her years of experience, training, and personal education, she could, in fact, write serious papers on human psychology and get them published in serious academic journals as worthy material. She may not actually have doctorates in psychology, sociology, and human behavioural sciences, but it's not because she doesn't have the expertise. |
Seductress |
There's a reason Natasha's called the Black Widow. She was trained at a very young age in the arts of seduction and manipulating people. While this has traditionally meant men, she's not above doing the same to women if it serves her purpose. And it's not about sex, either. In fact, that's the least of it. It's much more about knowing what makes someone tick and playing to it. She knows how to make herself appealing and, thus, will.
Her experience, however, is definitely with the male of the species. The Black Widow has a reputation for seducing powerful and influential men, getting what she wants out of them — money, influence, power, state secrets — and discarding them… in pretty much the same way as her namesake. The number of men — marks, really — who survive the Widow's attentions are… very, very few. Maybe two or three in her whole history, and most of them are dead simply due to the due course of time, anyway.
That said, when her heart's truly invested in the relationship, it all falls apart… which probably explains the two or three that got away. |
Talented Technologist |
Natasha isn't an inventor or creator of technology. But, she's one helluvan expert user of technology. She can hack all but the most advanced security and computer systems with ease. Thus, while super-hackers like Oracle can far surpass her, and hardware experts like Tony Stark will always have a better understanding of systems than she ever will, when it comes to circumventing the sorts of systems she's pitted against in the field, she knows her stuff. Very few are the systems that will stop her, or the hackers (below Oracle's level) that can out think her. |
Multilingual |
Natasha has had decades to learn dozens of languages across the globe, and has been highly motivated to do so, given the nature of her work. The languages she knows represent a cross-section of the various international threats the world has faced over the last 75 or so years, ranging from her native Russian and languages connected to the slavic states adjoining it (Ukrainian, Belarusian, Latvian, Hungarian, Polish, etc.) to the languages of Western Europe (French, Italian, Spanish, German), as well as dialects of Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. And, of course, English. As a result of this polyglot of languages, she can usually pick up new languages quickly, or at least create a reasonable pidgin that will allow her to be understood. |
Experienced Pilot |
Natasha can drive just about anything with wheels and fly just about anything that can be flown. She prefers fast cars, motorcycles, and jets, but she can handle anything. She's not quite as good as someone like Agent May, but she's a very close second. Most race drivers can learn a thing or two from her, given she can drive at speed and handle weapons at the same time without missing a shot. |
The Widow Suit |
Originally provided by the Red Room, and adapted and enhanced by S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Widow wears a dark catsuit made of a sophisticated microfiber with considerable protective qualities. Although light-weight and flexible, about the same weight as leather and the same flexibility as spandex, it is capable of absorbing small arms fire with the stopping-power of traditional kevlar, and can survive most extreme temperature/high-pressure environments on Earth without ill effect. It is fire resistant, ice resistant, and damage resistant — but not infallible, if temperatures or damage is extreme enough.
It also has micro suction cups on its hands and feet that allow her to cling to standard building materials and some advanced materials as well. Extraordinarily slick materials, such as oiled surfaces, can defeat this ability, but for the most part, she can crawl across vertical and suspended horizontal surfaces as if she were crawling across a floor. The clinging ability is activated by electrostatic charge triggered by her own body.
Light enough to be worn under regular clothing, it is still fairly conspicuous because of the unique nature of the fabric and cut of the design. |
The Widow's Gauntlets |
A pair of sophisticated, technologically robust bracelets she wears her wrists, the gauntlets are triggered by galvanic sensors attuned to Natasha's physiology. They can perform several functions including:
* Radio transmission — the bracelets can be her primary communications device, when necessary;
* Widow's Line — the bracelets can launch sophisticated microfilament wires attached to advanced grappling hooks that act as swinglines and ziplines as necessary;
* Tear gas launcher — the bracelets contain tear gas pellets that can be used to incapacitate foes;
* Widow's Kiss — the braclets can launch an aerosol spray, to which Natasha is immune, that acts as an instant knockout gas against most foes, and a stun agent against many others;
* Widows Bite — the bracelets can discharge an electrostatic bolt up to 30,000 volts, capable of subduing most superhumans, nevermind regular joes, within a range of about 20-30 feet.
The Widow's Bite is directional (and, thus, dodgeable), and requires time to recharge between shots. Generally, she can discharge half a dozen bolts before the recharge cycle begins. The cycle doesn't last long, only a few minutes, but those can be crucial minutes, if she doesn't plan things well. Likewise, the Widow's kiss and the tear gas pellets are limited to about six shots each, before their cartridges need to be replaced. |
Utility Belt |
The Widow wears a belt, with a red hourglass buckle, that is made out of a series of connected disks. Within these disks are small compartments for useful items, ranging from taser-disks that act like micro-mine versions of her gauntlet's Bite technology, to explosives, to extra gas pellets, bugs, or other small objects useful to her trade and mission. Nothing placed in the disc compartments can be larger than the palm of her hand. However, the belt is shielded from normal detection systems, allowing her to smuggle such objects past most security scanners and sensors. |
Personal Weaponry |
Natasha has an old pair of Makarovs she's kept in serviceable condition for decades, simply for sentimental reasons. Beyond that, however, she has access, whether through S.H.I.E.L.D. or other contacts, to just about any form of weapon she could need. She favours pistols and sniper rifles, alongside combat knives and throwing blades, but can get her hands on just about anything in a pinch. |
Transportation |
Although Natasha frequently uses her Widow's Line to swing through the city like any self-respecting wallcrawler might, she also has access to any S.H.I.E.L.D. or Avengers (once they're established — and if she's part of the team) vehicle, such as quinjets, jumpcycles, and other advanced technology. Beyond that, she has the contacts to get other vehicles, if she needs them. Finally, she can hot-wire just about anything else she might need in a pinch.
Personally, however, she owns a black, not-quite-street-legal (though it sure looks like it is) Corvette Stingray and customized Suzuki Hayabusa (that's also not-not-quite-street-legal, but sure looks like it is). |
Contingencies |
Natasha is too smart a woman, too experienced a spy, not to have contingencies in place. She's seen colleagues 'burned' too often, and come too close to it, herself, on too many occasions not to have put measures in place to protect herself from eventual 'forced retirement'. She's had decades, three-quarters of a century, to squirrel away investments, cash, aliases, passports, blackmail material, weapons, and other such useful things in diverse places, under diverse names, within diverse holdings, all over the world. She's got personal safehouses, sometimes no more than a locker in a bus station, across the globe, including at least a couple (or so) in the Tri-Cities area.
Of course, the real problem is she's not always aware she has as much as she does, because her memories have been overwritten so many times. Nevertheless, in a pinch, she'll survive. |
Lifestyle |
Between her freelance work, the reality of some of her more cleverly hidden and invested 'inheritances' from some of her marks, 'danger pay', and simple savings over a lifetime of work, Natasha is well-off. She may not be billionaire level of well-off, but she doesn't usually have to think twice about purchases she wants to make. (Hence the really nice vehicles she owns.) She maintains a penthouse in Upper Manhattan as a place of residence. The place is comfortable, well-appointed, and extremely well-secured. It even includes a panic room, though it's never seen use. (She's not the panicking type.)
A lot of her recognized assets are highly liquidable, mind. While she does have a modest bank account, she's a big fan of cash and disposables (precious metals, semi-precious and precious stones, jewellery, etc.), just in case. Those are kept in various safes and safe-deposit boxes throughout the city and in her condo. |
Contacts |
75+ years of secret ops later, Natasha's got contacts all over the world, in high and low places, that she can exert influence on, trade favours with, toss money at, or otherwise get to help her out, when she needs it. Of course, they're mostly somewhat shady (or worse) people with their own agendas and missions — so it can sometimes be like making a deal with the devil, when she approaches any one of them — but, generally, she knows how far she can trust each one, and how much risk each one is willing to tolerate. She knows how to play (or pay) them well enough to make sure giving her what she wants is typically more profitable than screwing her over. |
S H I E L D |
Since defecting to the US, Natasha has mostly "gone straight". Or, at least, she's traded in the lies of the "bad guys" for the lies of the "good guys". In her mind, there's not a huge difference, other than the scope of personal freedoms in one region over another… and the fact S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't screw with her head quite as physically as the Red Room did. Too, she likes to think her current employers have the world's best interests at heart, though she's too much of a pragmatist not to take that idea with a few grains of salt.
Regardless, being a top S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent has lent her a new legitimacy she's not really had before — not to mention a badge and some international authority to go with it. (That's new!) True, she doesn't often take overt advantage of it. (You don't wanna be carrying a badge when you're undercover.) But she can. And that's nice.
It's also enabled her to take advantage of their resources and, more surprisingly, given her occasional partners she can actually trust to watch her back. That's not just nice, that's an absolute luxury. (Too bad she doesn't fully trust it.) |
Security Clearance |
Natasha's UN/S.H.I.E.L.D. security clearance rating actually goes above that of some heads of states — including, oftentimes, the US President. The only person in S.H.I.E.L.D. with a higher security clearance than her is the Director himself… and he's the guy that gave her that clearance. (There are, of course, others who share the same level of clearance as she.)
That doesn't mean absolutely everything is an open book to her, however. There are still plenty of need-to-know projects that require the Director's specific authority and/or permission to access. And, doubtlessly, there are things the Oversight Committee has put under wraps, too. But, none of that changes the fact that there are very, very few secrets Natasha can't access. |
The Red Room |
The Red Room defined Natasha's life for… well, most of it, really. And even now, its influence on her is unmistakable. Although, technically, the program shut down sometime in the 70's or 80's and she was transferred to KGB handlers instead, the reality is, the technology keeps resurfacing and the program wasn't so much shut down as it was repurposed or redefined. At one point, it was even sold off to private industry, only to be reappropriated, later, by new government ministries once the USSR dissolved.
Natasha is at once the Red Room's greatest success, and their greatest failure. She's a fantastic agent, a living weapon that proved, with the right candidate, their technology was both viable and practical. She's also survived longer than any other agent, against worse odds than any other agent. It's no wonder her name is legendar. However, there's that annoying habit she has of breaking her programming because 'things do not compute'. As a result, she's a huge liability to them — a rogue agent with intimate knowledge of their operations, which, while nominally suppressed, could resurface at any time and damn them completely. Indeed, the only reason their efforts to eliminate the threat she poses haven't been greater is because a) they still have access to the control technology that can be used to reprogram her and keep hoping maybe the next improvement they make to it will be the one to permanently ensure her loyalty, and b) they've been exceptionally unsuccessful when it comes to finding agents anywhere near Natasha's caliber to send after her. Short of resurrecting Shostakov (always a possibility), there's not really anyone else under their direct control they can use.
The thing is, they're still out there. And she's still their greatest weapon. They could still control her, wipe all her memories and reprogram her if they wanted, if they caught her. |
Nanites |
One of the technologies the Red Room uses to control its agents is a system of nanites. Natasha's body is lousy with them, although she doesn't know it. Indeed, no one knows it, because they're currently inert, and they don't turn up on normal medical scans because they're that tiny.
When activated, however, they can be made to do one of two things. Either, they can be used to subdue her, prepping her for reprogramming, or they can be made to infect anyone with whom she comes into contact, thus allowing the nanites to control them.
The big problem, of course, is that when the nanites infect other people, those other people don't have Natasha's conditioning or any of the other biotechnical checks and balances the Red Room masters worked into their agents. Thus, the effect of the nanites' control is extremely detrimental to those other people. At first, the people can be made to do the controller's bidding. But, ultimately, that control breaks down and the victim becomes psychotically homicidal, killing until physically stopped… one way or another.
While this has actually never happened, and Natasha knows nothing about the nanites at all, the potential is there, nonetheless. (Plot hook!) And the greater Natasha's contact with a person, the more likely that person is to be infected. Further, the higher the concentration of nanites, the faster that person will turn psychotic. That means that her closest friends and colleagues are actually at the greatest risk, and liable to become the greatest threats. Given who she associates with, that would be bad. Very, very bad. |
Once A Traitor |
Officially, Natasha is a traitor to Russia and a defector to the United States. This puts her in a rather precarious position, really. Russia really isn't happy that one of their once-favoured daughters, an agent with knowledge of decades of intelligence, is now "working for the other guys". That's just not a good thing. It makes returning to the Motherland somewhat problematic for her — though she certainly has ways to accomplish it. However, government authorities have orders to detain her at the very least, those that haven't been given kill orders.
It keeps life interesting abroad, certainly.
That's not the only consequence of her decision to defect, however. There's also the fact that being branded a traitor makes it really, really hard for other Powers That Be to trust her. The Americans aren't entirely charmed by her, either; they just can't deny she's a particularly valuable asset. Well, that, and the Director can be very persuasive.
However, some of her fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents also don't trust her — particularly given all the secrecy and redacted reports surrounding her. For all that S.H.I.E.L.D. is an international organization, sanctioned by the UN and filled with agents from UN-member nations from all around the world, the fact that she betrayed her homeland makes many of them question what else she'd betray, if given a better opportunity. (And the Russian agents really don't like her.) Between that and her lethal reputation, not everyone's convinced she'd have their back when the chips are down.
As a result, she's actually fairly isolated. She can count on one hand the number of people at S.H.I.E.L.D. she'd even begin consider calling an ally, nevermind friend. |
Tumultu Memoriae |
Natasha has no idea how much of her memories are her own, and how much is implanted. She knows her head has been put through the wringer on more than one occasion, but she seriously has no idea how many. Truthfully, she actually has no clue as to the depths of depravity the Red Room stooped to in their quest to turn her into the perfect super agent. Were she to find out… it would make her question her very existence in a very non-philosophical way. (It would also be very, very bad, since it would probably shatter her iron control… at least for a time.)
Beyond that, however, there are secrets buried in her head that could still topple governments after all these years — American, Russian, Chinese, countries in Europe… she knows all sorts of dirty secrets. She just doesn't remember them. But there are people who'd happily torture and maim her, if they thought they could help jog her memory.
The most personally troublesome aspect of those fractured memories, however, is twofold. In the first place, she really doesn't know who she actually is. She hides it well, becoming whomever it is she needs to be in the moment. But, at her core… she really doesn't know who she is. Either she can't remember, or, worse, she doubts what little she does know. It's easier to play a role than to be herself.
In the second place, however, sometimes her suppressed memories resurface in the form of dreams. Well, nightmares, actually. It's not a regular thing; it mostly happens after particularly stressful ops. But, it does happen. And when it does, she really has no defense against it. Most people, after all, can usually make sense of the dream in the morning. She's got too much history, too much of it hidden or suppressed, to do that easily. All she's got to sort through are disjointed, time-displaced, half-imagined speculation.
Her usual response to that is to simply stop sleeping — which isn't quite as crazy as it sounds, since she only needs about half the amount of sleep anyone else does. Give her a week or two of insomnia or a new mission, and she's right as rain.
Sort of. |
Enemies |
Natasha has no shortage of enemies, given how long she's been around and the types of things she's done. They range from the grief stricken families of people she's killed to rival agents to whole factions — from international criminal organizations like Hydra or the Hand to various governmental spy agencies such as Russia's FSB (the current successor to the old KGB) and China's MSS. And that doesn't touch on the various bounty hunters set on her by those enemies or the opposition she encounters when working an op. |
Extended Visa |
Currently, Natasha is a US Resident on an extended visa. She maintains that visa with the indulgence of certain members of government, and the influence of the Director. If something goes wrong with any of that, however, she could find herself demoted to "Illegal Alien" and having to dodge Homeland Security and the INS as much as anyone else. That'd suck. |
Relationships
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Character Gallery
Logs
Changing Socks
March 24, 2015: Black Widow has a word with Nick Fury about a… problematic agent.
(log: 20150324-changing-socks | tags: black_widow nick_fury | posted: 25 Mar 2015 03:00)
Buck Hunting
March 22, 2015: The Invaders and friends go after one of their own. It doesn't work out how they expect. * NOTE: This scene will be pushed forward in the timeline to help it be congruent with Peggy and Howard's World On Fire plot
(log: 20150322-the-search-for-buck | tags: black_widow captain_america fenris fracture howard_stark namor spitfire winter_soldier | posted: 22 Mar 2015 14:22)
About Bucky
March 21, 2015: About Bucky
(log: 20150321-about-bucky | tags: black_widow captain_america | posted: 21 Mar 2015 20:13)
The Short Artificially Lit Tea Time Of The SHIELD
March 13, 2015: Various SHIELD agents come and go, talking about various things over coffee and tea. There are no pastries or cucumber sandwiches.
(log: 20150313-the-short-artificially-lit-tea-time-of-the-shie | tags: black_widow emmett_argyle fitz paul_manning shield simmons the_cavalry witchblade | posted: 14 Mar 2015 15:50)
Piercing The Haze
February 23, 2015: Acting on old intel from his last days as a Russian agent, the Winter Soldier seeks out the deep cover Russian operative known to a very few as 'Keeper'— aka S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Emmett Argyle.
(log: 20150223-piercing-the-haze | tags: black_widow emmett_argyle who_is_james_buchanan_barnes? winter_soldier | posted: 25 Mar 2015 20:10)
Snakes on a Boat
February 19, 2015: Midnighter and Black Widow discover they have some similar interests.
(log: 20150219-23:45-snakes-on-a-boat | tags: black_widow midnighter | posted: 07 Mar 2015 04:49)
He flipped a dumpster on me
February 27, 2015: In which Lunair infodumps some of her latest HYDRA-related mishaps, including that she totally got dumpstowned.
(log: 20150217-he-flipped-a-dumpster-on-me | tags: black_widow lunair rp the_cavalry | posted: 09 Mar 2015 22:32)
Howard's 11: Situational Reasoning
February 09, 2015: Following a less than smooth discussion with Howard Stark, Natasha Romanoff shares some insight with Maria Hill. (Minor language)
(log: 20150209-howard-s-11:situational-reasoning | tags: black_widow maria_hill shield | posted: 12 Feb 2015 02:00)
Howard's 11: Party Busters
February 09, 2015: SHIELD operatives close in on some wanted individuals connected to the theft of Howard Stark's old inventions. (Some language)
(log: 20150209-howard-s-11:party-busters | tags: black_widow fitz hawkeye howard_stark maria_hill shield | posted: 10 Feb 2015 19:59)
Howard's 11: Theoretical Betrayal
February 08, 2015: Hill's team makes final plans for the sting, and Howard's loyalties come into question.
(log: 20150208-howard-s-11:theoretical-betrayal | tags: black_widow fitz howard_stark maria_hill shield | posted: 09 Feb 2015 00:59)
Howard's 11: A Matter of Mistrust
February 7, 2015: The Black Widow follows RoboStark out onto the dark streets of the French Quarter
(log: 20150207-howard-s-11:a-matter-of-mistrust | tags: black_widow howard_stark shield | posted: 07 Feb 2015 16:59)
Howard's 11: Portalbusters
February 02, 2015: Hill and Widow discuss their strategy with Howard, while Fitz shows off his shiny new 'Portal Buster'.
(log: 20150202-howard-s-11:portalbusters | tags: black_widow fitz howard_stark maria_hill shield | posted: 03 Feb 2015 16:17)
Howard's 11: Triple Play
February 1, 2015: SHIELD agents try to get some information out of the three lowlifes they apprehended in New Jersey.
(log: 20150201-howard-s-11:triple-play | tags: black_widow captain_america maria_hill shield | posted: 01 Feb 2015 22:57)
Howard's 11: Express Service to New Orleans
February 1, 2015: SHIELD agents pick up Howard Stark en route to Louisiana to track down arms dealers.
(log: 20150201-howard-s-11:express-service-to-new-orleans | tags: black_widow fitz howard_stark maria_hill shield simmons | posted: 02 Feb 2015 22:28)
Howard's 11: In Darkest Jersey
January 31, 2015: SHIELD agents investigate a weapons deal involving stolen tech.
(log: 20150131-howard-s-11:in-darkest-jersey | tags: black_widow captain_america firestorm maria_hill shield | posted: 01 Feb 2015 02:15)
Pizza League Initiative
January 28, 2015: Some SHIELDies and an ally come together to talk about the forming of the Justice League.
(log: 20150128-pizza-league-initiative | tags: black_widow falcon hawkeye jla maria_hill mockingbird shield | posted: 29 Jan 2015 03:36)
Off the Reservation
January 26, 2015: May is more than angry enough to want to distance herself from all things SHIELD. Where is an ideal place to do that? Gotham. It helps that she already has a contact here by the name of Oracle. SHIELD — or one of May's fellow agents — tries to follow.
(log: 20150126-off-the-reservation | tags: black_widow oracle shield the_cavalry | posted: 27 Jan 2015 05:32)
Elijah's Mantle, Part 5
January 24, 2015: SHIELD races to the Arctic to attempt to catch HYDRA before they take Skull's body
(log: 20150124-elijah-s-mantle-part-5 | tags: beast black_widow captain_america emmett_argyle maria_hill midnighter shift witchblade | posted: 25 Jan 2015 02:17)
Elijah's Mantle, Part 4
January 23, 2015: Alpha and Bravo Team get together to discuss what they believe HYDRA will be up to.
(log: 20150123-elijah-s-mantle-part-4 | tags: beast black_panther black_widow captain_america darce elijahs_mantle emmett_argyle fitz midnighter witchblade | posted: 24 Jan 2015 04:05)
Tree Farts
January 22, 2015: The SHIELD team in Maui unravels the mystery.
(log: 20150122-tree-farts | tags: black_widow hawkeye hawkeye_ii maria_hill maui mockingbird shield | posted: 23 Jan 2015 03:23)
Intel Op a Go
Nov 08, 2014: <Fury meets with Agents Romanoff, May and Triplett for a briefing about Mikhail Rasputin and the 'Project'. Intel is passed on and orders are given. >
(log: 20141108-intel-op-a-go | tags: antoine_triplett black_widow nick_fury shield the_cavalry | posted: 11 Nov 2014 01:08)
Norilisk Extraction
November 5, 2014: A SHIELD extraction team goes to retrieve Jessica Drew from a remote Russian mining town after her cover is compromised.
(log: 20141106-norilisk-extraction | tags: antoine_triplett black_widow falcon hunter shield spider-woman the_cavalry | posted: 06 Nov 2014 08:41)
Two spies and a hacker
November 03 2014: Natasha Romanoff and Melinda May catch up with one Jericho Trent to ask some questions.
(log: 20141103-two-spies-and-a-hacker | tags: aspect black_widow shield the_cavalry | posted: 06 Nov 2014 08:07)
Another Day in SHIELD Medical
October 13, 2014: Another day in SHIELD Medical means yet more unexpectedly funny hi-jinks.
(log: 20141013-another-day-in-shield-medical | tags: antoine_triplett black_widow darce fitz hawkeye shield simmons the_cavalary | posted: 16 Oct 2014 00:21)
The True Vine, Part 1
October 11, 2014: A mysterious fire leads to an unlikely team up among wary strangers.
(log: 20141011-the-true-vine-part-1 | tags: black_widow gotham hawkeye ibn_al_xu_ffasch poison-ivy | posted: 11 Oct 2014 21:53)
Quick Catchup
October 9, 2014: Natasha Romanoff and Melinda May catch up on recent events over their respective meals.
(log: 20141009-quick-catchup | tags: black_widow shield the_cavalry | posted: 02 Nov 2014 07:33)
Taking Initiative
July 23, 2014: Hawkeye and Widow finally get a chance for downtime and talk.
(log: 20140723-taking-initiative | tags: black_widow hawkeye shield | posted: 24 Jul 2014 22:16)
Opportunistic Butt-Dialer
July 22, 2014: As Flash pops by the local Starbucks, Aspect accidentally butt-dials Melinda May (through his computer, the silly man!), who drags Natasha Romanoff along to rub his nose in it. The Russian then presents the hacker with an offer he really can't refuse.
(log: 20140722-opportunistic-butt-dialer | tags: aspect black_widow flash the_calvary | posted: 23 Jul 2014 18:23)
The SHIELD and the Snake
July 14 2014: An information exchange meeting between SHIELD and a hacker is interrupted by an extremely well armed kill team.
(log: 20140714-the-shield-and-the-snake | tags: aspect black_widow captain_america hydra shield the_cavalry | posted: 16 Jul 2014 12:06)
Helluland 3 - Betrayal
June 30, 2014: The Baffin Island expedition faces foes both supernatural and natural.
(log: 20140630-helluland-3-betrayal | tags: arsenal black_widow daredevil domino hawkeye lara_croft | posted: 17 Jul 2014 03:46)
Helluland 2 - Discovery
June 30, 2014: The Croft Expedition finds evidence of the Viking presence, and why they decided not to stay on Baffin. Welcome to the Jaws of Winter.
(log: 20140630-helluland-2-discovery | tags: arsenal black_widow daredevil domino hawkeye lara_croft | posted: 04 Jul 2014 20:31)
Delegation Regulation
June 27, 2014: Maria Hill calls Melinda May to her office, who then calls Natasha Romanova and Clint Barton into her office. (Mild language.)
(log: 20140627-delegation-regulation | tags: black_widow hawkeye maria_hill shield the_cavalry | posted: 28 Jun 2014 13:46)
Helluland 1 - Journey
June 29, 2014: The Croft Expedition arrives on Baffin Island, and heads out to the Barnes Ice Cap in search of what drove the Vikings off. They learn that there may be scarier things out there than polar bears and wolves.
(log: 20140626-helluland-2-journey | tags: arsenal black_widow daredevil domino hawkeye lara_croft | posted: 27 Jun 2014 03:44)
Helluland - Black Widow
June 13, 2014: Lara Croft hires the legendary Black Widow to join her on her Helluland expedition.
(log: 20140613-helluland-black-widow | tags: black_widow lara_croft | posted: 14 Jun 2014 02:11)
Luck Won't Last
June 11, 2014: Clint and Natasha discuss an albino thorn in their side.
(log: 20140611-luck-won-t-last | tags: black_widow hawkeye shield | posted: 13 Jun 2014 14:54)
Making It Right
June 7, 2014: The NYPD has some questions for SHIELD.
(log: 20140607-making-it-right | tags: black_widow paul_manning shield the_cavalry witchblade | posted: 08 Jun 2014 18:51)
Bitter Welcome
June 06, 2014: There's gonna be hotheads in the old Triskelion tonight. (Language warning.)
(log: 20140606-bitter-welcome | tags: black_widow hawkeye maria_hill shield the_cavalry | posted: 07 Jun 2014 02:32)
The War: Virulent Pursuit
June 01, 2014: The initial battle of the war takes place in Napata, Kush. The Mission: To take Ibrahim al-Tawhid, preferably alive.
(log: 20140601-the-war:virulent-pursuit | tags: arsenal aspect black_widow captain_america deadzone evelyn hawkeye jericho lunair partisan paul_manning shield shift the_cavalry witchblade | posted: 04 Jun 2014 23:44)
Shift's Debriefing
June 01, 2014: Following the operation in Napata, Black Widow and Captain America debrief the mutant known as 'Shift'.
(log: 20140601-shift-s-debriefing | tags: black_widow captain_america shift | posted: 08 Jun 2014 12:37)
Post Mortem
June 01 2014: Shift, Natasha, Melinda, Paul, Roy, Sara and Jericho talk of cabbages and kings following the incursion into Kush.
(log: 20140601-post-mortem | tags: arsenal aspect black_widow paul_manning shield shift the_cavalry witchblade | posted: 03 Jun 2014 17:50)
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