Black Widow

Black Widow is a veteran ex-Soviet spy, having worked with the KGB, NKVD, and GRU. She now serves S.H.I.E.L.D. as a Deputy Director. After the Heroes Crisis, she fully joined the Avengers as an official member.

Natalia Romanova was an ex-girlfriend of Tony Stark back in the day, when the Soviet was still around. Since then, she has kept a low profile.

Background

 * Natalia "Natasha" Alianovna Romanova was raised by a Veteran of the Tsarist Armies and of the Eastern Front of the First World War, Ivan Petrovich Bezukhov. Born in the Ukraine region as the Russian Civil War fizzled to an end with the victory of the Red Armies. Born a peasant girl, as the Soviet Five Year Plans expanded the cultural horizons of the Glorious Soviet People's Republic, in the nineteen thirties she joined the Communist Russian Ballet.


 * Over World War Two, as Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, Natasha was caught in the Battle of Stalingrad. Over the course of the battle, she was captured by agents of Baron Von Strucker along with many other children taken for their athletic capabilities, and were taken to Madripoor to be trained as Master Assassins for Hydra. Luckily, this would be broken up by Captain America, the man who would later become known as the Wolverine, and Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos. Natasha would later in her life encounter all of these men again, and have a heavy debt to repay them.


 * After her return to the Soviet Union during the course of the war, her lifelong friend who had raised her, Ivan, was critically injured in a battle. To save his life, the woman already noted for her stunning athleticism volunteered to join 'The Red Room', a segment of the NKVD (the Soviet Army Intelligence Service) which was working at the preliminary stages of making super soldiers, to counter the Nazi and American programs. These programs would not come to fruition until after the end of the war.


 * As an initiate of the Red Room, Natasha continued with her life, maturing into an adult and a beautiful woman. The experiments of the Red Room would lead to her vastly increased agility and other abilities. Trained as an operative of the GRU and KGB, but continuing her 'ordinary' life as a cover, Natasha fell in love with Alexi Shostakov, a heroic Soviet Test Pilot, and their marriage was a propaganda event. Alexi would eventually become involved in the same program Natasha was.


 * At this point, Alexi seemingly 'died' in a test accident as the Soviet Union inducted him fully over into their experimental super soldier program. Natasha was devastated, having little else to live for, giving herself fully to the training regimen. She was conditioned as a soldier, an intelligence asset, and the archetypal 'Femme Fatale' seductress.


 * Natasha operated under the Soviet Intelligence Apparatus for decades as one of it's most highly respected field agents, often working with and against those who had allied with the Soviet Union over the war during the Cold War. A veteran field agent, among her first field operations were trying to hunt down many of the Nazis whom had fled abroad at the end of World War 2, which she admittedly had a lack of success with.


 * But all good things must end, and so her world came toppling down, when the Soviet Union fell and with it the purpose of Natasha. The successor agency to which her loyalties were transferred, the GRU, was woefully underfunded and corrupt. Many of it's missions were simply mercenary styled operations, engaging in corporate espionage or unsanctioned activities abroad at the behest of a corrupt supervisor. Natasha despaired, but did as she was told.


 * One of her early ops in the newly rechristened GRU was a mission to America to attempt to seduce Tony Stark for purposes of industrial espionage. On this, Natasha's cover was blown as well as she failed to accomplish her mission. A massive embarrassment for the GRU as Natasha was officially deported from the US, much less for an agent of her caliber, she was declared persona non grata by the GRU and upon her return to 'Mother Russia' her decades-long services were terminated, her pension dissolved, and all of her personal income lost. Still having to care for the now elderly Ivan, her loyalties to the old regime terminated.. She had to make a new course in life.


 * And then at this point, her old 'rescuer' from the Second World War when she was but a teen, with whom she had allied with and clashed over the Cold War, Nicholas J. Fury, came swooping in to her rescue with such timing one might have thought he had been waiting for it. With her old ties to the regime and it's intelligence services severed, a free agent with decades of field experience, and a trust and faith in Fury for his rescue of her as a child, Natasha immediately accepted the offer.


 * Within SHIELD, Natasha became a Special Operative with loyalties directly to Nick Fury rather than the system. Known as his personal 'Hound' whom he would send to do errands and contacts in the field, Natasha being somewhere would be as if Fury was there himself, observing in person. While not a highly ranked agent, and not adept at playing off the SHIELD bureaucracy, Natasha's expertise allowed her access to much of SHIELD's information and arsenal.


 * Even as the bureaucracy of SHIELD shifted, and the agency went public, Natasha's loyalties were always to Nick himself. As SHIELD engaged in a series of shadow wars with groups such as AIM, Hydra, and The Zodiac, even when not in the field Natasha would be acting as an adjunct for Fury and arranging information for his personal analysis. While her grasp of SHIELD operations and safehouses was nowhere near as extensive as Director Fury's, she had a grasp of the organization far greater than her rank would entail.


 * As SHIELD was seemingly taken over by Delties, advanced Artificial Intelligence Decoys, and Fury was removed from his position, Natasha left the organization with him and returned later on.


 * As SHIELD becomes more proactive on dealing with mutants, and Captain America leaves it for personal regions, Natasha remains constantly loyal to Fury. Even as Fury cuts off many of his former comrades and allies, and attempts to patch things up at least to rely on them in a professional capacity, Natasha is there. Natasha, even when things are strained over with others, has always been predominantly loyal to Fury, and does whatever she is ordered to do regardless of her personal feelings or what her other comrades might feel. For Natasha tells herself, like on a mission where she engaged and incapacitated a runaway SHIELD was after designate: C.A.T., that she understands the difference between duty and necessity. And that she shall always do what she has to.

Personality
Natasha is, first and foremost, a soldier, and has a soldier's view of the world. While a consummate professional, her decades of experience as a spy and field agent have hardened her objectivity so this is the lens in which she sees things. She does not let people get close, but keeps herself emotionally distant from them. She has few, if any friends, and while she trusts others and works well with them, she does not let them get close. Natasha is a focused, dispassionate, and seemingly frigid woman.

Her long decades of experience have taught her (in her own viewpoint) that there is always another conflict beyond the horizon. One successful battle does not win a war, one won war does not mean there is not another creeping along the horizon. Life is but a series of such things on a grander scale, all that changes is the methodologies and the scale of things. It has been this way since before she was born, and it will be this way after she dies. Natasha is not cynical, or hardened, merely accepting. There will always be something beyond the next horizon, so one had best prepare for it and conserve assets.

Natasha has been raised in a life of focus and dedication, but not quite hardship, though she is vastly aware of how hard most people on the planet live, of the poorest and most desperate. She has a much more cynical view of humanity from her time, of the monsters formed merely by desperation to get out of squalor. She has seen the worst of people and the best of people, but she tends not to view life over in idealized terms as many heroes do of what they fight for. Her life has been forged, first by the invasion of the Soviet Union and it's propaganda, then by decades of service as a spy to the USSR and then the Russian Republic, before being discarded for one failed mission. Natasha's then rescue by Nick Fury has solidified her service to him, and she sees things very much in the terms she thinks he does.

The world is a very nasty place, and things are not cut and dried in dealing with them. While it does not always necessitate one become monsters to fight monsters, she thinks many of the heroes have a woefully naive view of things. Natasha sees herself as helping to make the world a better place, and doing the dirty work. She would rather she do it rather than someone else, and she will obey her orders as she sees them as giving herself a way of using her talents and making things better. She does what she is told, and plays her part in things, whether large or small. She sees and says she is working as part of 'the bigger picture' and playing her small role as a cog getting things turning in the right direction.

NPC'ed Logs

 * 2011-06-25 - Damn That Fury! - Going after rumored government information on Mutants, C.A.T. and Logan both end up with some very unpleasent surprises sprung by no other than our beloved Nick Fury.

Player Logs

 * 2011-11-13 - Acts of Vengeance: Bullseye Misses His Mark - Tony's ex meets his current as Natasha goes to the Stark Expo and there's a chill in the air! All this and it's interrupted by everyone's favorite assassin who never misses what he's aiming for, Bullseye! (MTV: 2011-11-13 - Stark Expo Attacked)
 * 2011-12-04 - Mardi Gras - The Sensational She-Hulk, Sawyer, and Natasha Romanoff go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Booze, Beads, and more Booze goes out as the girls have a good time! (MRM: 2011-12-05 - Is Stark's Lady Friend Stepping Out On Him?)
 * 2012-01-22 - Acts of Vengeance: Blast from the Past - Just who is attacking the old S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ? Is it C.A.T. or...is that Winter Soldier?!
 * 2012-03-04 - Acts of Vengeance: Finale - The Finale to The Chess Board's plans, the Avengers and X-Men have a climactic brawl with the U-Foes over the steps of the New York Public Library! (MTV: 2012-03-04 - Time for a Hammering)
 * 2012-05-25 - Heroes Crisis: Beware the Jabberwock - Supergirl, Havok, Jellybean, Natasha and Lady Blackhawk find themselves in Wonderland, fighting with card guards, the Jabberwocky, and each other!
 * 2012-06-10 - Heroes Crisis: Final Battle, Round 2 - The Crisis comes to a head as a collection of two universe's heroes face off against Time Trapper and the Labyrinth itself!
 * 2012-08-17 - The Winter Sheathe - The Black Widow and Lady Blackhawk go to play blasts and ladders at an AIM Base, and clash with the Winter Soldier.
 * 2012-09-07 - Invader Skrull: Sexual Harassment - Tron a.k.a. Agent 86 is introduced to his new position at S.H.I.E.L.D. But there is more going on than just a simple orientation.
 * 2012-09-15 - Invader Skrull: Invaders Assemble - The Avengers, having been ambushed by different Skrulls, scramble back to the Mansion where they have to face one of their own that's been replaced.
 * 2012-09-26 - Invader Skrull: Getting Green - The Avengers work on a method of detecting Skrull impostors. Meanwhile, Captain America and the Black Widow clash on how to treat the Skrull prisoners.
 * 2012-09-27 - Cutscene: Invader Skrull - Long Live Insanity! - Heroes Vs. Space Ship, Stay Tuned!
 * 2012-09-27 - Cutscene: Invader Skrull - Reporting In - Black Widow reports in to the Director with some good news.
 * 2012-10-06 - Invader Skrull: The Invaders Get Invaded 2 - Avengers - During the distraction, Team 2 (Avengers) enter the ship to stop the Skrulls and free the hostages!
 * 2012-10-16 - Invader Skrull: Just Do It - Black Widow contacts the Director to report in the new information.
 * 2012-10-24 - Cutscene: Invader Skrull - The Exchange - A solution has been found, Colony-R-Skrull.
 * 2012-11-13 - Cutscene: Invader Skrull - S.H.I.E.L.D. in Space - How does The Black Widow spend her time during the final dying breathes of the Skrull invasion?
 * 2012-11-16 - Invader Skrull: Taking Back What's Ours - The teams come together, and perform some major kickass on the Skrull for daring to try and settle on their Helicarrier.
 * 2012-11-30 - Cutscene: Invader Skrull - The Never End - S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up to claim the Skrull and to leave a notice with Senator Kelly, before they move on to more important things - securing Earth from invasion.
 * 2012-12-19 - Eric be a Thor Tonight - Thor returns! But is it really Thor?
 * 2012-12-20 - Social Warfare 201 - Dressing the Part - Jean-Phillipe takes the girls that are part of his Social Warfare class out shopping, and makes a point to drag a suffering Alex with him.
 * 2012-12-30 - The Avengers Christmas Party - Stark actually throws a Christmas party for the Avengers and Avenger party, and each moment gives him a little more joy to face the new year. Go Team!
 * 2013-01-13 - Cutscene: Promotion - Natasha gets a leg up, or is that held down while she drowns?
 * 2013-03-28 - Free Tropical Getaway: Day 11 - Finally, C.A.T. and Captain America get saved! Where the hell have you guys been?!