Black Widow: The Many Loves of the Marvel Character

The love life of an international superspy can be passionate yet tulmultious. The Black Widow - Natalia Romanova - has broken many hearts but had hers broken a few times in return. The following fellows make up some of the highlights of Black Widow's tangled web of love.

The Red Guardian

Alexei Shostakov was the first love of Natalia Romanova. She met the Soviet test pilot and the two of them fell in love and were married. The two became agents for the KGB. The KGB faked Shostakov's death, leading Natalia to believe he had perished. She soon became disallusioned with the Soviet government and this lead to her eventual defection. Alexei would surface again years later as an enemy of the Avengers. In their battle, he gave his life to save that of his former wife's.

Hawkeye

Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye was once a circus performer turned villain. He met the Black Widow and she coerced him into helping her steal technology from Stark Enterprises. The two of them had an affair that lasted very briefly, but they're paths would always be intertwined. The two costumed adventurers would abandon the criminal ways and work together as members of the Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Daredevil

After the Black Widow turned a new leaf, she moved to New York City and set up a base of operations. Soon, she found herself involved in entanglements with the local crime syndicate. Her confrontations with the organization brought her into contact with Daredevil, the Man Without Fear. The two of them began working together to battle the threats of New York, and when Natalia decided to move to the West Coast, Daredevil went with her. Their romance ended when Daredevil returned to New York.

Hercules

While living in California, the Black Widow joined a super-powered group named The Champions. This group included Hercules, Angel, Ice Man, and Ghost Rider. As their adventures numbered, Natalia began a not-so-serious affair with Hercules. The Champions lasted only a little over a year and once the team parted ways, so did Hercules and the Black Widow.

Captain America (James "Bucky" Barnes)

James "Bucky" Barnes was the sidekick of Captain America during World War II. He was believed to have been killed while dismantling a missle, but the blast dropped him into the ocean. There he was picked up by the Russians and brought to their secret agent training program. Brainwashed, he was trained as a Russian assassin along beside the Black Widow. The two of them had an affair at that time. Years later, when James took the place of his recently deceased former partner, Captain America, the romance between he and the Black Widow was renewed. As of this writing, James is Natalia's current love.