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The Star Section: Lifestyle Ad Value: RM 47,105 3-Aug-2021 Size : 936cm2 PR Value: RM 141,315

A window to the Widow

WORLDS OF WONDER A window to the Widow By ANDREW A. SMITH The Malaysian release of the Black Widow film may have been delayed again, but THE saga of Natalia Alianovna Romanova, aka Natasha Romanoff； while waiting, here are 10 things to know about Natasha Romanoff. has come to its bittersweet end wifli the Black Widow movie. Probably. But here are 10 Fun Facts to AOPEP wju. e MT «OP.PiEC» V MAT TEH pt co VW/ST- Y I 6FFKGT1V6 I Know and Tell about Marvel's MY PPWEJ» Z Superspy Avenger from the comics that spawned her. AN^THIN^! 1. Romanova wasn't Marvel's first Black Widow Back in 1940, when Marvel was called Timely Comics, it trotted out a character named Black Widow, who appeared a total of five times. Her story begins when she is still mortal, a medium called Claire Voyant (let's be kind and assume it's a stage name). After she puts a curse on some nonbelievers, she is murdered and goes to hell. And Satan is fiiere to greet her! “Come,“ he says, "Let me show you my kingdom of eternal pain!" It isn't really clear why Claire is bad enough to be damned for eter­ nity, nor why the devil takes such a Natasha finally got her trademark leather catsuit in 1967. personal interest in her. But he gives her a costume (basically a black onesie, severe eye makeup and boots) and sends her back to Earth. 等 “On the upper world are mortal creatures whose hearts are black­ ened with wickedness and corrup­ tion. You, the Black Wido/ will bring their evil souls to me!" As origins go, that one kinda sucks. 2. She was a honey trap In recent press interviews, star Scarlett Johansson discussed how The original Black Widow costume Natasha has hooked up with Romanova - going by “Natalie was not exactly made for action quite a number of Marvel's Rushman” - was just a sex object in movies. heroes before, including her introduction in 2 and Winter Soldier. (2010) before growing as a charac­ ter. The 2010 Black Widow was so hyper-sexualized, said Salon.com's Melanie McFarland, that she was "some version of a honey trap". I doubt even the would want to be tangled up in Black Widow's That was how the character start­ web, — Photos: ed in the comics, too. When "Madame Natasha" was returning Hawkeye's ardour, but and crime-fighting partner. And introduced in the Iron Man strip renouncing her ' Communist mas­ even today, while they are no longer way back in 1964, she wasn't just a ters? a couple, they still occasionally hook version of a honey (rap. She was Unfortunately those Slavic mean­ up. sent from the to ies her to keep working for For example, there's a scene them by threaten喩 the lives of her seduce Tony Stark, dressed to kill where Matt ^Daredevil" Murdock Black Widow (literally) in a tight green evening parents. (I hey are never seen drops by the Widows apartment in gown, short black hair, opera again.) They invent various spi­ 1999 was killed gloves, a fur stole and, of course, a der-gimmicks to mimic a black ^ell, you're looking particularly during 2016's veil. widow and grant her her very first lovely today“ says the blind lawyer, Secret '"What a beauty she is!" thinks the costume. “rd imagine." Empire arc. smitten Stark, who is fooled right Ifs a black swimsuit affair with She assumes ifs a booty call, and up to the climax of the story, blue fishnet nylon on legs, arms, she's right. up with more than one origin - if, Well, almost everything about because he is a shallow homdog. front, back well pretty much every­ "Back for a litfle more couch or for no other reason, to explain how that story was a lie. She even weasels back on his arm where the swimsuit and her head roof action?" she asks. the/ve been around for so long. It's true he was married to in the very next issue, despite weren't. [ can only assume that WtuaUy, I was thinking along the Hie first we heard of Natalia's Romanova, but that was for espio­ betraying him in the previous one. “fishnet" said "spiderweb" to that lines of counters and throw rugs,“ past, she was a ballerina with the nage purposes, not romance. And issue's artist, . Or maybe he replies. Bolshoi whose husband, Alexei he didn't die; the Soviets instead 3. She seduced Clint Barton he just Liked the stockings. Comics usually tippy-toe around Shostakov, was a Russian test pilot trained and juiced him to become Romanova next sinks her claws Truth to tell, it was kinda ugly. casual sex. Matt and Nat don't. whose death she was trying to hon­ the , the USSR's into Hawkeye, in the Avenging She got the black leather catsuit our by turning spy. Turns out that answer to . Archer's . (and red hair) two years later and 7. She was a team player wasn!t true. Unlike his movie counterpart 'It is fortunate that he is taken never looked back. Black Widow and Daredevil are In 1972, a new or鹼 established (played by David Harbour), the with my beauty!” she thinks. "I will asked to join the in 1973. that baby Nat's dying mother threw comics Red Guardian actually did be able to twist him around my lit­ 5. She defected to S.H.I.E.L.D. DD declines (he would join several her out of the window of a burning fight Captain America, in a two-part tle finger! But he must not learn I When Hawkeye reforms and decades later), bin BW jumps at the building in 1942 Stalingrad, into the Avengers story in 1967. He died at am really a Red spy!” joins Marvel's premier chance. arms of a soldier named Ivan the end of that stoiy but this being Yeah, that would kinda kill the team, Black Widow follows her She wasn't a charter member in Petrovltch, who raised her as a spy comics, got better. deal. romantic partner to Avengers, the comics like in the movies, but Turns out that wasn't true, either. They become something of a becoming almost a supporting char­ she'd been around for more than 10 Starting in the late 1990s, various 10. She died team, thouu^i not an equal one. acter in that book. But in 1967, just years. And she was at least as usehd miniseries revealed that what was Romanova died in the ZQ17 Secret Hawkeye is reluctant to break the before being offered Avengers as Hawkeye, who keeps bringing a raised in the Red Room, which used Empire story, an event too 10ng and law, but Madame Natasha vamps membership, she gets a phone call bow and arrows to gunfights. drugs and psyctio-ccmditionmg to tedious to get into here. But of the infatuated archer into all kinds from and signs up with She also founded and led a group implant a couple of fake back­ course she got better. of dumb things, like attacking Iron S.H.IXLD. called the from 1975 to grounds (thus explaining the earlier After Secret Empire ended, the Man with a bow and arrows. That was it. That was her whole 1978. That was in addition to origins). She also received phero­ Widow was cloned, with all of her “He believes any lie I tell him," defection story. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avengers missions, monal inhibitors (like in the movie), memories (somehow) downloaded Nat thinks a few issues later. and frequent guest appearances, in performance-enhancing drugs and into her (new) brain. So ifs like she “Strong as he is, he is putty in the 6. She's hot for the devil various books in the 1980s and some sort of treatment that has never died. hands of the Black Widow!” I don't remember exactly when 1490s. For a hard-bitten loner spy allowed her to stay young and gor­ So could the currently dead Black Nat ends the relationship with she had a lot of firiends. geous for umpty-ump years. Widow of the movies return the 4. She was a supervillain Hawkeye, but in 1971 she hooks up same way? I don't know but you The modern Black Widow begins with Daredevil, in more ways than 8. She has a complicated past 9. She married the Red Guardian can bet Marvel Studios mastermind to take shape in 1965. She finally one. She co-stars in his book for A character who's been around Say, you remember that test Kevin Feige has read that story.- develops a conscience, not only four years as both significant other as long as Black Widow often ends pilot who died? Tribune News Service