In the world of superheroes and Marvel Comics, Black Widow (real name: Natalia Alianovna “Natasha” Romanova) is one of the most iconic female characters. This Russian spy possesses high intelligence, beauty, and combat skills that rival any male superhero. Generally speaking, she embodies the alluring essence of a perfect, strong, and independent woman.
In addition to her unique qualities, Black Widow is also a prominent character in many romantic storylines. Below, we will take a closer look at some of the most famous romantic relationships of this superhero with various other Marvel superheroes:
1. Red Guardian/Alexi Shostakov
Black Widow’s first relationship was with her partner, Shostakov, who was under the surveillance of the KGB. Many years after their marriage, the KGB orchestrated Shostakov’s death, leading Romanova to lose faith in normal societal life, ultimately pushing her towards becoming a more independent operative.
2. Hawkeye/Clint Barton
Black Widow first met Hawkeye during a training session, and this chance encounter led her to join the KGB. Their connection deepened, and the two even teamed up to take down Iron Man on two occasions.
Hawkeye was also very enamored with their relationship, proposing to Natasha, but was left devastated when she declined, as she chose to pursue her own path of independence, avoiding the emotional pain of further entanglement.
3. Daredevil/Matt Murdock
This relationship is one of the most passionate and intense in the Marvel universe. Black Widow and Daredevil developed feelings for each other while working together in issues #81 – 124 of Daredevil, where they battled against formidable foes like The Owl, Gladiator, Electro, and Purple Man.
During this time, Matt Murdock had just broken up with Karen Page to maintain his relationship with Natasha. However, this romance also faced challenges as Natasha felt limited in her role as a sidekick and returned to her solo path.
4. The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes
Unlike her dynamics with Steve Rogers or Hulk in the cinematic universe, Black Widow’s most meaningful relationship in comics is with her best friend, Bucky Barnes. In fact, Bucky was one of the central figures in the assassination training program that Black Widow went through. In the Civil War comic series, Bucky took Steve’s place as Captain America to combat Tony Stark’s overwhelming power, giving him a chance to rekindle romantic feelings with Natasha.
5. Iron Man/Tony Stark
Ultimately, Natasha’s relationship with Iron Man was one of the most complicated in Marvel comics, occurring in the Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610). In this storyline, the two developed a passionate relationship, leading to an intense bond as Tony Stark created a special Iron Suit just for her.
However, the relationship also faced challenges due to the “sex tape” scandal between the two that became widely circulated on the internet, causing other Avengers to become aware of their encounters. Eventually, this relationship took a dark turn when Natasha revealed that she was being pursued by Tony, just after they had both expressed their feelings for each other.
According to Moviepilot
