Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Discuss chronologies for characters in the main "Marvel Universe"

Moderators: Col_Fury, michel, Arthur, Somebody, StrayLamb

Post Reply
intp
Big Bad
Big Bad
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:52 pm

Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Post by intp »

I just re-read Black Widow: Homecoming and The Things They Say About Her (which reprint BW4 1-6 and BW5 1-6).

At the end of that storyline, Black Widow (Romanoff) and Daredevil are both stranded in Cuba, under Belova's protection, and are persona non grata in the U.S. (due to Natasha's recent assassination of a well-connected businessman, and Matt's running into trouble with a shadowy branch of the federal government). Nick Fury is also in federal prison. Yet, they all return without any explanation shortly thereafter:

BLACK WIDOW III/NATALIA ALIANOVNA ROMANOVA/"NATASHA ROMANOFF"
...
* BW5 6
* M/TU3 6
CAPU/DD-BTS
HOM 6-BTS
NA 45-BTS
W:O 8
W:O 9
* DD2 77
DD2 78
DD2 79
DD2 80
...

FURY, COL. NICHOLAS "NICK" JOSEPH
...
* BW5 6
SPECSM3 15
SPECSM3 16
SPECSM3 17
SPECSM3 18
SPECSM3 19
SPECSM3 20
SECWAR:FNF (40 - 41)-FB-VO
HERCULES 1-FB
M/TU3 5-BTS
* M/TU3 6
CDPOOL 7
CDPOOL 8
CDPOOL 9
CDPOOL 10
CDPOOL 11
CDPOOL 12 (21:4 - 22)
NA 14 (10 - 11)-FB
...

I haven't read all of the relevant issues, but I have read M/TU3 6, which is listed as Natasha's next appearance after BW5 6. There, she is with Nick Fury, who is fully in charge of SHIELD again, and neither seems to be having any legal problems at all. So I assume that how they got out of the trouble that they were in, at the end of BW5 6, was just something that was unexplained?

Anyway, my real question has to do with the other Black Widow (Belova). I came across the following on a search, which explains that Belova, who attacked the New Avengers and seemingly died as a Super-Adaptoid, was actually a Skrull:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4127&p=25969&hilit ... ova#p25969

The Skrull explanation works for me, but the 2011 handbook, v.2, under Natasha's entry, as well as Marvel's website (http://marvel.com/universe/Black_Widow_ ... omanova%29) states as follows:

Shortly after the Scarlet Witch’s insanity seemingly killed Hawkeye and again disbanded the Avengers, Natasha, weary of espionage and adventure, retired to Arizona but was targeted, as were other survivors of the Black Widow Program, by the North Institute on behalf of the corporation Gynacon. Natasha’s investigations led her back to Russia, where she was appalled to learn the previously unimagined extent of her past manipulation, and she discovered the Widows were being hunted because Gynacon, having purchased Russian biotechnology from Red Room’s successor agency 2R, wanted all prior users of the technology dead. After killing Gynacon CEO Ian McMasters, she clashed with operatives of multiple governments to help Sally Anne Carter, a girl Natasha had befriended in her investigations, whom she rescued with help from Daredevil and Yelena Belova. She soon returned the favor for Daredevil by reluctantly working with Elektra Natchios to protect his new wife, Milla Donovan, from the FBI and others, although Yelena proved beyond help when she agreed to be transformed into the new Super-Adaptoid by A.I.M. and Hydra.
[end block quote]

Is the situation with Yelena ever explained/reconciled in subsequent stories? Personally, I prefer the version where the Adaptoid version that died was a Skrull, and the 'real' Yelena was okay after helping out Natasha in Cuba.
intp
Big Bad
Big Bad
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:52 pm

Re: Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Post by intp »

Sorry, just to clarify, Yelena's present entry is as follows:

BLACK WIDOW IV/YELENA BELOVA


BW3 3-FB
BW 1
BW 2
BW 3
{INHUMANS2 5}
BW2 1
BW2 2
BW2 3 (1 - 19:1)
BW:DO 4-FB
BW2 3 (19:2 - 22)
BW3 1
BW3 2
BW3 3
BW5 1
BW5 5
* BW5 6
M/CP2 5-FB
M/CP2 5-VO
M/CP2 6-VO
M/CP2 7
M/CP2 8
M/CP2 9
M/CP2 10
M/CP2 11
M/CP2 12
TB 136

BLACK WIDOW IV IMPOSTER

NA 5
NA 6
NA@ 1

As noted, I prefer this explanation to the one in which Yelena somehow died then miraculously returned to life after NA@ 1.
intp
Big Bad
Big Bad
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:52 pm

Re: Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Post by intp »

I'm wondering if this is just a mistake by Marvel (or maybe the Marvel entries for BW just haven't been updated yet), since the Yelena Belova entry also lists her as having died as the Super Adaptoid, which fails to explain her subsequent appearances. Disclaimer: I haven't read the Marvel Comics Presents stories where she is listed as appearing.
User avatar
Russ Chappell
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5667
Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2004 5:40 pm
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Contact:

Re: Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Post by Russ Chappell »

intp wrote:I haven't read the Marvel Comics Presents stories where she is listed as appearing.
Would it surprise you if I told you
Spoiler:
she dies there
?
.
I can't promise you that things will improve, if we make changes;
I can promise you that they won't improve, if we don't.

Image
Adventures in the Marvelous Zone! A Girl's View of the Marvel Universe
intp
Big Bad
Big Bad
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:52 pm

Re: Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Post by intp »

Wow, okay. I couldn't help myself and read the spoiler. So I guess it probably doesn't matter much one way or the other.
User avatar
Col_Fury
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 7754
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 3:37 am
Location: on a Helicarrier, above Illinois
Contact:

Re: Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Post by Col_Fury »

intp wrote:At the end of that storyline, Black Widow (Romanoff) and Daredevil are both stranded in Cuba, under Belova's protection, and are persona non grata in the U.S. (due to Natasha's recent assassination of a well-connected businessman, and Matt's running into trouble with a shadowy branch of the federal government). Nick Fury is also in federal prison. Yet, they all return without any explanation shortly thereafter
They just never published a comic that resolved these stories. The assumption is that everything worked out just fine off-panel.
-Daron Jensen
intp
Big Bad
Big Bad
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:52 pm

Re: Black Widow (Romanoff and Belova) after BW5 6

Post by intp »

I appreciate the info; I kind of suspected as much but haven't read all of their subsequent appearances. I miss the days when editorial was tighter and such things tended to actually get an explanation; I kind of wish Marvel would return to that approach.
Post Reply