Black Widow – Definitive Collecting Guide and Reading Order

The definitive, chronological, and up-to-date guide and trade reading order for collecting Black Widow comic books via omnibuses, hardcovers, and trade paperback graphic novels. Part of Crushing Krisis’s Crushing Comics. Last updated November 2017 with titles scheduled for release through April 2019.

Collecting Black Widow

No Marvel character has been so important to the company’s rich continuity yet so on the fringe as Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. She has been a villain and a spy, a symbol of the Cold War and of the triumph of democracy, a love interest and a superhero. Yet, for the first few decades of her publishing history it wasn’t uncommon for her to disappear from view for years at a time. It took over 40 years for her to merit her own ongoing title, and over 50 for one to last longer than a year!

Black Widow began as one of the first femme fatales of Marvel’s superhero era when she was introduced as a Russian spy in the Iron Man title Tales of Suspense in 1964 by Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck. She was unique not only as a female villain but as a non-costumed antagonist to start in an era where mutants, machines, and Asgardian gods were dominating the villain line-ups. In fact, she was Russia’s answer to Captain America – a super-spy rather than a super-soldier, who is resistant to the effects of disease and time.
Soon thereafter, she became one of Marvel’s earliest character to flip from villain to hero, following suit of her early collaborator Hawkeye and the mutant twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. She followed in their footsteps to appear regularly in The Avengers beginning with #29 in 1966, though she was not recognized as a member until #111 in 1976.

Black Widow continued to serve as a female sidekick or team member for another three decades, notably in Daredevil, Captain America,The Avengers, and The Champions. Still, she was a supporting player even as she was voted a full-time member of the Avengers in #329 in 1991. From there she finally had her first series of headline releases, albeit as one-shot graphic novels rather than ongoing series. She still was not considered a core Avenger enough in 1996, when she did not join her teammates in the Heroes Reborn universe. Because of the fleeting nature of her appearances, collecting her is a challenge – aside from a few collections of her anthology stories and her run in Daredevil, there aren’t a lot of major Black Widow runs before the 90s.

It wasn’t until 1999 that Black Widow finally attained her own headline title (still: a limited series) as part of the more adult-oriented Marvel Knights line. Ironically, it came while defending her codename from a usurper and villain named  Yelena Belova. However, from that point forward she increasingly became part of the core fabric of the Marvel Universe, appearing in several limited series, playing a major role in Civil War, co-starring in Iron Man, and taking over Captain America along with Bucky Barnes while Steve Rodgers was presumed dead.

Who can say if it was her Iron Man origins or this resurgence that lead to Black Widow being written into Iron Man 2 in 2010 and cast with the hugely popular Scarlett Johansson. Even if Johansson wasn’t the best fit for the femme fatale, her casting was definitely the best thing that ever happened to Natasha in the comic books. She was finally granted her own ongoing series that same year. Even though that ended after eight issues, Black Widow had clearly received a promotion to featured player, appearing regularly across the full range of Avengers titles even before she subsequently found her way into The Avengers movie in 2012 in lieu of several other famous female team members.

Since 2010 every year features Black Widow in more stories and starring turns than the one before. 2014 was inarguable Natasha Romanoff’s best year yet. In film, she shared top billing with Chris Evans’s Captain America in The Winter Soldier. At the same time, she launched another solo series drawn by fan and critical favorite Phil Noto. This one lasted as long as possible – 20 issues before being shut down by Marvel’s linewide re-launch in the fall of 2015 – and then relaunched by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid in 2016!

• Tales of Suspense & The Avengers (1964 – 1965 & 1965 – 1970)
• Amazing Adventures & Daredevil (1970 – 1975)
• The Champions (1975 – 1978)
• Guest Star (1978 – 1989)
• in The Avengers & Guest Star (1990 – 1996 & 1996 – 1999)
• Black Widow Volumes 1-3 (limited series) (1999 – 2004)
• Black Widow Volumes 4-5 (limited series) and Civil War  (2005 – 2007)
• in Captain America (2007 – 2010)
• Heroic Age: Vol. 6 (ongoing) plus co-starring w/Hawkeye, Winter Soldier, & Captain America (2010 – 2012)
• Marvel Now: Avengers, Secret Avengers, and Vol. 7 (ongoing) by Edmondson & Noto (2012 – 2015)
• All-New, All-Different Marvel: Vol. 8 by Chris Samnee & Mark Waid and Secret Empire (2016 – 2017)
• Marvel Legacy (2017 – 2018)
• Marvel Fresh Start (2018 – present)

Join the Crushing On Crushing Krisis mailing list for a notice whenever this page is updated with new collections – plus, a not-more-than weekly ping about new comics content.

Name: Email address:

Before Black Widow

As with several of Marvel’s early heroes, Black Widow’s origin and pre-superhero life have been told and retconned on several occasions. At this point, Natasha’s age is a bit unclear, as her USSR origins are preclude her being aged down to less than her mid-30s by Marvel’s sliding time scale.

Black Widow: Deadly Origin #1-6
Although the in-continuity aspects of this story happen around the time of Captain America Reborn, these are some of Widow’s earliest flashbacks and they continue through the timeframe of the other issues, below. Available in hardcover.

Uncanny X-Men #268: Features appearances by Natasha as a child. See Uncanny X-Men.

Daredevil #88: Features a brief flashback to Black Widow’s origins as told by a third party, which she quickly interrupts. Collection information below.

Marvel Fanfare #10: Presumably contains brief flashbacks similar to those in Daredevil, as this also involves Widow’s companion Ivan. Collected below with Web of Intrigue.

Captain America: Theatre of War – America First: I need to check this flashback series to determine its placement.

Wolverine #-1: See Wolverine

Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm & Logan #1-3: Not collected

Iron Man: Enter Mandarin
Black Widow appears briefly in the same timeframe as her debut in TOS #52.

Tales of Suspense (1964 – 1965) & The Avengers (1965 – 1970)

Black Widow debuted in the pages of Tales of Suspense when it was effectively Iron Man’s title (later shared with Captain America, once he was unthawed).

Tales of Suspense #52-53 & 57: #52 is collected in The Sting of the Widow, below. Otherwise, see Iron Man.

Black Widow appears in the retcon story Untold Tales of Spider-Man #17 after TOS #57.

Tales of Suspense #60 & 64: See Iron Man

Black Widow is considered in one of the first big Avengers line-up changes in 1965, but doesn’t sign on to the team. However, she continues to appear in the book throughout the sixties.

Avengers #16: See The Avengers. This is a brief appearance as a new roster is considered.

Avengers #29-47 & King-Sized Special: See The Avengers. Black Widow does not appear in #31 and 34

Avengers #52 & 57: See The Avengers

Captain Marvel #12: See Captain Marvel

Avengers #63-64 & 76: See The Avengers.

Amazing Spider-Man #86: This introduces Black Widow’s customary sleek look. Collected with Sting of the Widow, below. Also, see Spider-Man.

Amazing Adventures & Daredevil (1970 – 1975)

Black Widow headlined this anthology adventure series when it launched, splitting each issue with The Inhumans, before joining Daredevil as a co-star.

Amazing Adventures #1-8: Black Widow: The Sting of the Widow
Collects a sequence of early Black Widow tales, including Tales of Suspense #52, Amazing Spider-Man #86, Amazing Adventures #1-8, and Daredevil #81.

Amazing Adventures #1-8: Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil, Vol. 8
Black Widow’s first starring turn! Collected alongside Daredevil #85-84.

Avengers #83: See Avengers. This appearance falls between Amazing Adventures #4-5.

Following her run in Amazing Adventures, Black Widow appeared in back-up stories in Daredevil.

Daredevil #81-88: Collected in MMW Vol. 8, above. See Daredevil for other options.

Daredevil #84-96: Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil, Vol. 9. See Daredevil for other options.

After Daredevil #88: Hulk #152

Daredevil #97-99: See Daredevil

Avengers #111-112: Black Widow officially joins the team only to leave it an issue later. See Avengers #105-226.

Defenders #7: See Defenders. I need to check this appearance and it’s continuity.

Daredevil #101-124: See Daredevil

After #107: Man-Thing #1
After #109: Marvel Two-in-One #3
After #117: Code of Honor #2 (a flashback series)
After #123: Avengers #137, Marvel Two-in-One #10

The Champions (1975 – 1977)

Black Widow joins this team of unlikely allies, originally conceived as a buddy title for ex-X-Men Iceman and Angel.

#1-17: Marvel Masterworks: The Champions
A monstrous MMW collecting Champions (1975) #1-17; Iron Man Annual #4, Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17-18, and Hulk Annual 7

#1-11: The Champions Classic, Vol. 1

#12-17: The Champions Classic, Vol. 2
Also collects Iron Man Annual #4, Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14 and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17-18.

Black Widow makes a several other appearances during her run in The Champions:

After #4: Ghost Rider #17
After #6: Avengers #151 and Tales from the Marvel Vault: Gambit & The Champions
After #10: Marvel Treasury Edition #13
After #13: Ghost Rider #23 and Marvel Team-Up #57
After #14: Godzilla #3, Iron Man Annual 4, Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14
After #16: Giant-Size Hulk, Vol. 2 #1
After #17: The story of The Champions concludes in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #17-18

Black Widow, Guest Star (1978 – 1989)

Black Widow was without a home in this period. She was an occasional Avengers and supporting character in Daredevil.

The Avengers #173-177: See Avengers #105-226 for this and further Avengers appearances of this period.

Daredevil #155-158: See Daredevil for this and further Daredevil appearances.

Avengers #181

Marvel Team-Up #82-85: See Spider-Man (this was effectively a Spider-Man supporting title)

Daredevil #159-165

Bizarre Adventures #25: In Web of Intrigue, below

Marvel Treasury Edition #25

Marvel Fanfare #10-13: Black Widow: Web of Intrigue
Collects the story from Marvel Fanfare (1983) #10-13 which later came to be known as Web of Intrigue, plus Bizarre Adventures #25, and Black Widow: The Coldest War GN. Reprinted in paperback in 2016.

Marvel Team-Up #98

Avengers #211

Marvel Graphic Novel #1: The Death of Captain Marvel – See Captain Marvel

Avengers #221

Contest of Champions #1: See Marvel Universe Events: Contest of Champions

Daredevil #187-190 & 200-201

Avengers #239: See Avengers #227-402 for this and further Avengers appearances of this period.

Marvel Team-Up #140-141

Black Widow appears in flashback in Code of Honor during that MTU story.

Daredevil #207-208, 217, 222

West Coast Avengers Annual 1: See West Coast Avengers

Daredevil #236-237 & 239

Daredevil / Black Widow: Abattoir OGN (1993) (ISBN 0871359944)
Despite its 1993 release, this graphic novel was set in continuity here.

Daredevil #247 & 252

Black Widow: The Coldest War OGN (1990) (ISBN 0871356430)
After twenty-five years, Black Widow gets her own headlining title! Granted, it’s for a one-shot original graphic novel, but it’s still a major moment. Also collected in Web of Intrigue, above.

Solo Avengers #7: Collected in Solo Avengers Classic, Vol. 1

Daredevil #262

Solo Avengers #14-16

Avengers #305

Atlantis Attacks: Black Widow appears in Avengers Annual 18 and Fantastic Four Annual 22. See Marvel Universe Events: Atlantis Attacks

Punisher War Journal #9

Avengers Spotlight #27

Black Widow, Avenger (1990 – 1996) and Guest Star (1996 – 1999)

Black Widow joins the team full-time for her longest sustained run to date starting from issue #329 in 1991 through the cancellation of the book in 1996. For much of this run she was the team’s Chairman – the de facto decision-maker according to the by-laws. (Seriously.)

Avengers #313: See Avengers #227-402 for this and further Avengers appearances of this period.

Uncanny X-Men #268: This single classic Uncanny X-Men appearance drawn by Jim Lee causes Black Widow continuity issues for years to come by making her as old as Captain America and Wolverine – sans the freezing or healing factor! See Uncanny X-Men.

Marvel Comics Presents #53

Captain America #373-374, 376-377, & 383: See Captain America for this and further Captain America appearances of this period.

After Captain America #377, Black Widow appears in Namor Annual 1 and Marvel Comics Presents #70.

Avengers #329-333

After Avengers #331: Avengers West Coast #69
After Avengers #333: Alpha Flight #98-100

Subterranean Wars: Not collected. Black Widow appears in Avengers Annual 20 & Avengers West Coast Annual 6. See Marvel Universe Events: 1991 Annual Crossovers.

After Annual #20: Amazing Spider-Man #348

Avengers #334-339

After Avengers #339: Iron Man #269, 271-273, 276-277

Infinity Gauntlet #2-3: See Marvel Universe Events: Infinity Gauntlet

Marvel Comics Presents #93 – A one-shot Black Widow and Daredevil story by future Spider-Man writer Dan Slott!

Avengers #341-344:

Galactic Storm: Black Widow appears in Avengers #345 and Captain America #401-402. See Avengers for collection information.

The second story in Avengers #350 fits here.

Infinity War: Black Widow appears in #1-2, Fantastic Four #367, Moon Knight #41, Fantastic Four #368, #3, Fantastic Four #370, Infinity War #6, and Moon Knight #44. See Marvel Universe Events: Infinity War.

Citizen Kang: Black Widow appears in Thor Annual 17 and Fantastic Four Annal 25 (but not Avengers Annual 21). See Marvel Universe Events: 1992 Annual Crossovers

Punisher / Black Widow: Spinning Doomsday’s Web OGN (1992) (ISBN 0871357364)

The third story in Captain America #408 fits here

Avengers# 348-349

After Avengers #349: Quasar #41-44. The full team of Avengers appear in #41, but Black Widow may not be in #42-43.

Avengers #350-351, 355-366

After #356:  Moon Knight #50
After #357: Mys-Tech Wars (1993) #1-3: This was an event book for the Marvel UK line.
After #366: Marvel Comics Presents #125-130 & 135

Starblast: In this cosmic crossover, Black Widow appears in #1 and Quasar #54, as well as epilogue issue #60.

Avengers Annual 22

After Avengers Annual 22: Sleepwalker #26-27, Darkhawk #33

Avengers #367

Avengers: #368-369: Avengers/X-Men: Bloodties
Black Widow appears throughout this story. See Avengers.

After Avengers #369: Hulk #411, Avengers West Coast #102, Warlock & The Infinity Watch #26-28

Avengers #370 & 372-375

After Avengers #370: Captain America #422 & 424-425, Daredevil Annual 10 (2nd story), Daredevil #326-329, Silver Surfer #93

After Avengers #375: Captain America #430, Force Works #1-2, ThunderStrike #10, Captain America #431, Daredevil #332, ThunderStrike #13

Avengers #378-382

After Avengers #382: Thunderstrike #19-20, Force Works #10 (2nd story)

Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty OGN (1995) (ISBN 978-0785101567)

After Death Duty: Captain America #434, Iron Man #315-317, Spider-Man: The Power of Terror #3

Avengers #384-385

Avengers #386-388: Taking Aim
A crossover between Avengers #386-388 and Captain America #440-441.  See Avengers.

After Avengers #388: Fantastic Four Unlimited #11, Force Works #13-14, Thunderstrike #23-24, Ghost Rider #64-65

Avengers #389

After #389: Captain America #443, Avengers Unplugged #1, Starmasters #2, Captain America #444, Hulk #434, Captain America #445, Avengers Unplugged #3, Fantastic Four Unplugged #4

Avengers #391, 393, 395: Avengers: The Crossing
Black Widow appears in issues throughout this story.  See Avengers.

After Avengers #395: Spider-Man Team-Up #4, Punisher, Vol. 3 #1, Hulk #440, Thor #495

Black Widow does not appear in the First Sign crossover.

Avengers #397-400

After Avengers #397: Avengers Unplugged #4, New Warriors #72

Onslaught: Black Widow appears in Avengers #401, Fantastic Four #415, X-Men #55, and Avengers #402. See Marvel Universe Events: Onslaught

Black Widow does not join The Avengers in their pocket Heroes Reborn universe, making her one of the few remaining Avengers-related heroes to remain in the 616 universe in this period.

Black Widow appears in Hulk: Hercules Unleashed, Daredevil #361, Punisher, Vol. 3 #17, Thunderbolts #1 & 3, Daredevil #368-370, Thunderbolts #9, Daredevil #371, Shadows & Light #1

 

After Heroes Reborn, Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor all relaunch with a 3rd volume in 1998. Black Widow appears sporadically across several titles, but is primarily back to being a supporting player in Daredevil’s 1998 relaunch.

Avengers, Vol. 3 #1-3: See Avengers

After Avengers #3: Captain America, Vol. 3 #3, Daredevil #375

Journey Into Mystery (1996) #517-519: Not collected. Black Widow is the star of “The Fire Next time” arc.

After Journey Into Mystery: Wolverine #125-126, Iron Man #5-6 & 8-11, Daredevil, Vol. 2 #2 & 4

X-Force / The Champions Annual ’98 – As a member of The Champions

After Annual: Daredevil #8-9, Wolverine #134, Daredevil, Vol. 2: #14-15, Daredevil/Spider-Man: Unusual Suspects #2-4, Ant-Man Big Christmas

Black Widow, Vol. 1, 2, & 3 (1999 – 2004)

It’s hard to believe it took almost forty years for Black Widow to get her own limited series! This marked not only her first multi-issue starring title, but also the beginning of her higher profile in the Marvel Universe.

all three series are collected in a single paperback…

Marvel Knights Black Widow by Grayson & Rucka: The Complete Collection
Collects Black Widow (1999) #1-3, Black Widow (2001) #1-3, Black Widow (2002) #1-3

as collected prior to 2018 (including guest appearances)…

Black Widow (1999) #1-3: Black Widow: The Itsy-Bitsy Spider Hardcover
Previously collected in a TPB – in this case, the Hardcover version is more common. A 2016 TPB collects both this and the 2001 series.

Contest of Champions II #3-5: See Marvel Universe Events: Contest of Champions II

Fantastic Four (1998) #27

Black Widow (2001) #1-3: Black Widow: The Itsy-Bitsy Spider Hardcover.
Previously collected in a TPB – in this case, the Hardcover version is more common. A 2016 TPB collects both this and the 1999 series.

Black Widow (2002) #1-3: Not collected except in Grayson & Rucka, above. This Max story stars Yelena Belova and is titled “Pale Little Spider.”

Avengers (1998) #32-34 & Thunderbolts #43-44: See Avengers

Marvel Knights #1-15: Black Widow was a starring member of this impromptu team.

Avengers (1998) #43-44: See Avengers

Daredevil #21: See Daredevil for this and further appearances in this period.

Thunderbolts #57-58

Captain America, Vol. 3 #50

Marvel Knights, Vol. 2 #1-6

Marvel Knights Double-Shot #4

Iron Man, Vol. 3 #50

Daredevil, Vol. 2 #33 (in flashback)

Avengers (1988) #55: See Avengers

Alias #15

Secret War: Black Widow appears throughout this limited series event. See Marvel Universe Events: Secret War

X-Statix #26 (flashback)

Hawkeye, Vol. 4 #7-8

War Machine, Vol. 3 #5 (flashback)

Daredevil, Vol. 2 #61-64

Avengers Disassembled: Black Widow stars in Avengers #501-503. See Marvel Universe Events: Avengers Disassembled

Black Widow, Vol. 4 & Vol. 5 and Civil War (2005 – 2007)

Black Widow, Vol. 4 #1-6: Homecoming

Black Widow, Vol. 5 #1-6: The Things They Say About Her

After Vol. 4 & 5: Marvel Team-Up, Vol. 3 #6, Wolverine: Origins #8-9, Daredevil, Vol. 2 #77-80, White Tiger (2007) #1, 3, & 6

 

Civil War #3, 6-7: See Marvel Universe Events: Civil War

Mighty Avengers – Though Black Widow was not a regular star of New Avengers, in the post-Civil War world her affiliation with SHIELD means that she is a dedicated member of the government-sanctioned Mighty Avengers team. She appears through the beginning of Secret Invasion in issue #15. See Mighty Avengers.

Black Widow appears briefly in Irredeemable Ant-Man #7 during Mighty Avengers #1
During Mighty Avengers #8: New Avengers #34-36

Black Widow in Captain America (2007 – 2010)

During the Death of Captain America saga, Black Widow takes over as one of the stars of the series alongside Winter Soldier, Falcon, and Sharon Carter.

Captain America #27-50: See Captain America

After #27: Silent War #5, New Warriors, Vol. 4 2, Avengers: Initiative #3, Giant-Size Avengers, Vol. 2 #1, Hulk, Vol. 3 #112, Hercules, Vol. 5 #114, Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1, New Avengers #38

After CA #33: Cable & Deadpool #50

After #42: Captain Marvel, Vol. #7 1, Marvel Apes #1 (may not be in continuity), Fantastic Four #556 & 562, Avengers/Invaders #4-8, Secret Invasion

Thunderbolts #128, 130, 132, 134-136: See Thunderbolts

Invincible Iron Man (2008) #14-22 – Black Widow turns in a memorable co-starring arc alongside Pepper Potts and Maria Hill. See Iron Man

Captain America #600, Reborn #1-6, and Who Will Wear The Shield: See Captain America: See Captain America

Nomad: Girl Without A World #1-4

After Nomad: Wolverine: Weapon X #10

Captain America #607-619: See Captain America

Black Widow: Deadly Origin #1-6
Available in hardcover

Black Widow and the Marvel Girls – May not be in continuity.

Heroic Age: Ongoing Series and Co-Star (2010 – 2012)

Black Widow began to assume a more prominent role in the Heroic Age, due in part to her rising star in Marvel Films. She stars in her first ongoing series, even if it is brief, plus continues her co-starring role in Captain America and Winter Soldier.

#1-5: Black Widow: The Name of the Rose
Available in hardcover.

#6-8: Black Widow: Kiss or Kill
Also includes material from Iron Man: Kiss and Kill

Chaos War (2011) – See Marvel Universe Events: Chaos War

Hawkeye & Mockingbird / Black Widow: Widowmaker #1-4
Also collected in the larger Hawkeye: Avenging Archer trade.

Avengers, Vol. 4 (2010) – See Avengers. Black Widow is a regular team member in #10-12 & #18-24

Secret Avengers – See Secret Avengers. Black Widow is one of the stars of this book throughout its run. Issues #? and ? are both Black Widow solo stories.

Onslaught Unleashed (2011) Hardcover
Black Widow is one of several supporting Avengers in this book.

Fear Itself (2011): Black Widow doesn’t figure strongly into the main series, but she is the main character of the Secret Avengers tie-ins and is connected to one of the major outcomes of the event. Her one-shot is in Fear Itself: Secret Avengers. See Marvel Universe Events: Fear Itself

Battle Scars (2012): See Fear Itself. A Fear Itself wrap-up series starring the new Nick Fury.

Fear Itself: The Fearless (2011-12): See Fear Itself. Another Fear Itself wrap-up series, primarily starring Valkyrie, but with supporting appearances by Black Widow. Not an essential Black Widow read.

Winter Soldier #1-19: Black Widow is the featured co-star of this book:

#1-14: Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker, The Complete Collection – Also includes Fear Itself #7.1: Captain America

#1-5: Vol. 1: The Longest Winter 

#6-9: Vol. 2: Broken Arrow

#10-14: Vol. 3: Black Widow Hunt

#15-19: Vol. 4: The Electric Ghost

Amazing Spider-Man: The Ends of the Earth: See Spider-Man.

Avengers Assemble (2012) #1-8: Black Widow is a primary cast member. See Avengers Assemble.

Captain America and Black Widow #636-640

Punisher War Zone, Vol. 3 #1-5: Enter The War Zone

Avengers vs. X-Men: Black Widow appears throughout this event. Her main action is in a satisfying knock-down, drag-out fight with Magik in Vs. #3 series. See Marvel Universe Events: Avengers vs. X-Men.

Avengers #29-37

Secret Avengers #29-32 & 34-37

Marvel Now: Avengers, Secret Avengers, & by Edmondson & Noto (2014 – 2015)

Black Widow is a regular character in Marvel Now titles. She is a consistent presence in Avengers and New Avengers, one of the headliners of Secret Avengers and Avengers Aseemble, and she even turns up in Hawkeye from time to time. This lists her major story appearances outside of Avengers and New Avengers – not necessarily including minor or non-speaking roles. [ED NOTE: Continuity order is approximate.]

Avengers Assemble #9-13: See Avengers Assemble

Secret Avengers, Vol. 2 #1-5: See Secret Avengers

Age of Ultron: Black Widow is a major character in Age of Ultron’s first half, as well as in a spectacular-but-depressing tie-in issue. See Age of Ultron. Avengers Assemble #14-15 are part of this event.

Fearless Defenders #5-6: A minor appearance. See Defenders

Superior Spider-Man #7-8

Avengers Assemble: #16-17: Part of The Enemy Within crossover with Captain Marvel. See Avengers Assemble

Secret Avengers #7-9: These are pre-Infinity. See Secret Avengers

Infinity: Black Widow appears throughout this event and its tie-ins in Avengers and Avengers Assemble, as well as Wolverine & The X-Men (2011) Annual 01. See Marvel Universe Events: Infinity. Avengers Assemble #18-19 are part of this event.

Inhumanity: Black Widow appears in #1. See Marvel Universe Events: Inhumanity. Avengers Assemble #21-25 are part of Inhumanity but stand alone as an arc. Black Widow is a featured character.See Avengers Assemble

Secret Avengers #12-16: This arc is post-Inhumanity. See Secret Avengers.

Superior Spider-Man #24-26 & 30-31: A brief appearance that does include some specific character interaction with Spider-Man.

Daredevil (2011) #36

Hawkeye (2012) #8-9, 13, 15, & 22: Due to the relatively short time elapsed in the story compared to the lengthy release window, I’m still not sure where to place Fraction’s Hawkeye series.

Black Widow earns only her second ongoing series with beautiful art from Phil Noto. She continues to appear in Avengers, Avengers World, and is one of the featured characters in Secret Avengers. Individual issues of those titles will not be listed below.

All-New Marvel Now! Point One (2014) #1: Collected with Vol. 1, below.

#1-6: Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread

Early ANMN Appearances: Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014) #1, Wolverine (2014) #1, Marvel Knights: Hulk (2014) #4, Daredevil (2014) #1.50, Deadpool (2013) #27 (cameo)

Original Sin: Black Widow is a featured character in this event. She also appears in issue #3.1. See Marvel Universe Events: Original Sin.

Avengers: Millenium
Black Widow is a featured character in this digital-first series.

Avengers & X-Men: Axis: Black Widow appears throughout this event, though she is not a lead character. See Marvel Universe Events: Axis

Then: Avengers Undercover #10, Thunderbolts #28

#7-12: Vol. 2: The Tightly Tangled Web
Collects a crossover to Punisher #9

Then: Punisher #11

#13-20: Vol. 3: Last Days
#19-20 are also collected in Secret Wars: Last Days of the Marvel Universe oversize hardcover.

Prior to “Time Runs Out” by unknown in relation to her own series – Captain America #25, Daredevil #11, Nova #25, Avengers: No More Bullying (2015) #1, Guardians Team-Up #1-2, Avengers: Ultron Forever (2015) #1, Free Comic Book Day 2015 (Secret Wars) (2015) #1, Wolverines (2015) #13, Thor (2014) #7-8, Captain America & the Mighty Avengers (2015) #8, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015) #7, Spider-Woman (2015) #10

Avengers: Time Runs Out – Black Widow is an active character in this “eight months later” closing arc of Avengers and New Avengers.

Secret Wars 2015: Ultimate End (2015) #1 & 3-4 and other titles to be determined! See Marvel Universe Events: Secret Wars (2015)

All-New, All-Different Marvel: Black Widow by Samnee & Waid (2016 – Present)

Natasha scores one of the biggest blockbuster re-debuts with the departed team of Daredevil – Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, but with Samnee plotting the series as well as illustrating it!

#1-6: Vol. 1: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Most Wanted

#7-12: Vol. 2: No More Secrets

Secret Empire: See Marvel Universe Events. Natasha is an increasingly major player in this story and it’s tie-ins.

Marvel Legacy (2017 – 2018)

Natasha headlines a series with her absence with Matt Rosenberg’s Tales of Suspense, which follows up on her disappearance at the end of Secret Empire.

Tales of Suspense #100-104: Tales of Suspense: Hawkeye & the Winter Soldier

Marvel Fresh Start (2018 – present)

Near the start of this Marvel Era, Wolverine returns and hands an Infinity Stone over to Natasha – making her a sudden major player in the entire Marvel Universe. Then, after Infinity Wars, she returns in a new series.

Infinity Countdown: Black Widow: See Marvel Universe Events for Countdown collections.

Infinity Wars: Black Widow appears as a supporting character throughout. See Marvel Universe Events for Countdown collections.

#1-6: Seeing Red (2019 paperback, ISBN 9781302916732)

Didn’t find what you were looking for?
Check Amazon for Marvel’s newest Black Widow titles.

Back to Crushing Comics