RED WIDOWRED WIDOW
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human (Russian)
Occupation: Assassin, Russian agent
Group Membership: Winter Guard (Chernobog, Crimson
Dynamo/Dmitri Bukharin, Darkstar/Laynia Krylenko, Perun, Ursa
Major/Mikhail Ursus, Vanguard/Nikolai Krylenko, Vostok)
Affiliations: The Executive Security Committee, the Winter Guard
Enemies: The Avengers (Black
Panther/T'Challa, Blade/Eric Brooks, Captain America/Steve Rogers,
Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider/Robbie
Reyes, Iron Man/Tony Stark, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Thor/Thor
Odinson), Defenders of the Deep (Andromeda/Andromeda
Attumasen,
Bloodtide,
Echidna,
King Crab,
Namor/Namor McKenzie, Orka, the Piranhas,
Tiger
Shark/Todd Arliss), Dracula
(Vlad Tepes Dracula), the Legion of the Unliving (Baroness
Blood/Lily Cromwell, Boy-Thing, the Carpathian, the Rat Bomber,
Sarge, Shadow
Colonel/Xarus, Snowsnake)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Moscow, Russia
First Appearance: Avengers VII#10 (January,
2019)
Powers/Abilities: The Red Widow has not displayed any superhuman powers but she is a highly-trained assassin, skilled in the killing arts as well as several fighting techniques. She is also a skilled espionage agent.
In battle, Red Widow wields daggers that can be
charged with an unidentified energy. When charged, the daggers can
pierce even the supernatural body of Ghost Rider. She also carried
technology that would allow her to detonate the Crimson Dynamo armor if
her teammate got out of line.
Height: 6'0" (by approximation)
Weight: 155 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed
History: (Avengers VII#10 (fb) - BTS) - The
Red Widow originated out of Russia's Red Room assassin training
program. When past Russian agents Darkstar and Vanguard went to recruit
their former ally Dmitri Bukharin into the newly-reorganized Winter
Guard, Russia's Executive Security Committee requested that the Red
Widow accompany them.
(Avengers VII#10) - Red Widow accompanied Darkstar
and Vanguard as they visited the former Crimson Dynamo, Dmitri
Bukharin, and attempted to recruit him for the reorganized Winter Guard
group. Dmitri declined to join but Vanguard pressed the matter,
explaining how Russia was prepared to make Dmitri the Minister of
Superhuman Defense and have him lead the new Winter Guard, prompting
Dmitri to ask what the Red Widow had to say about his recruitment on
behalf of the Red Room. Vanguard explained that the Red Widow rarely
spoke and that her presence there was a request from the Executive
Security Committee. Dmitri responded by suggesting Red Widow's presence
was more likely so that she could slit his throat should he get out of
line. Regardless, Dmitri ultimately agreed to suit up as the Crimson
Dynamo alongside Red Widow, Darkstar and Vanguard as part of the Winter
Guard. Once fully assembled, the Winter Guard were sent to handle a
situation at the Hydropolis research facility involving the Avengers
and Defenders of the Deep. While the other Winter Guard members
assisted the Avengers against the Defenders of the Deep, Red Widow sat
down unnoticed, observing her teammates in action and noting their
performance in battle. When the Crimson Dynamo noticed Red Widow
sitting there not participating in the battle, he demanded to know what
she was doing before a fight broke out between Winter Guard members
Chernobog and Perun, forcing Crimson Dynamo to focus his attention
elsewhere. After a fight broke out between the Avengers and Winter
Guard, Ghost Rider noticed Red Widow sitting up on a ledge and opted to
join her outside the battle, only to be stabbed by an energy-charged
dagger wielded by Red Widow. She then regrouped with the Winter Guard
and before the fight could continue, Red Widow announced the Winter
Guard's operations ended, angering team leader Crimson Dynamo, who had
not ordered the end of operations. When Crimson Dynamo tried to further
argue, Red Widow ordered him to return to Moscow lest she detonate his
armor. Red Widow and the Winter Guard then teleported away via
Darkstar's Darkforce powers.
Unaware America's General "Thunderbolt" Ross was reviewing photos of the earlier threeway battle, Red Widow later reported her observations about the battle and the performance of the Winter Guard to her superiors, noting that the Winter Guard was not ready but promising that she could get them ready. She then suggested being allowed to kill one or two of her teammates to keep the others in order. When Red Widow informed her superiors that she could list those she wished to kill in order of personal preference, her superiors said they would see about allowing killings and released her.
(Avengers VII#11 - BTS) - During an international
superhuman summit in which Ursa Major, representing Russia, attacked
the Black Panther and was teleported to Siberia in response, China's
Collective Man remarked on how he heard the Winter Guard's Red Widow
was calling the Winter Guard's shots.
(Avengers VII#14 - BTS) - After Ursa Major and the Red Widow caught a pack of vampires trying to cross the Russia/Ukraine border, Darkstar and Vanguard were placed on guard duty at the border to watch for any more vampires attempting to venture into Russia.
(Avengers VII#15 - BTS) - Iron Man infiltrated the
Russian prison holding the vampire lord Dracula and, following a
Dracula-incited riot, Crimson Dynamo punched Iron Man in the stomach
when Iron Man acted arrogant regarding the Winter Guard's comments on
arresting him. Leaving Iron Man on the floor, Crimson Dynamo remarked
that Iron Man was lucky Ursa Major or the Red Widow were not there, or
punched in the stomach would have only been the beginning.
(Avengers VII#16) - After Dracula requested to speak to the man in charge of his prison, the Winter Guard brought him to meet with the Red Widow. Remarking that he did not ask for a meeting with Red Widow but rather, the man in charge, Dracula was informed by the Widow that his status as former Lord of Transylvania meant that he dealt with the Red Widow instead. Killing vampires right in front of Dracula, the Red Widow explained that she was providing "asylum" to the vampires that had fled into Russia and asked why she should give Dracula anything different. Dracula insisted that his knowledge was worth far with him alive and when the Widow suggested he prove it, Dracula revealed knowledge of who within the Russian government claimed allegiance to him. When the Red Widow replied that they had their own informants, Dracula further revealed that he knew what the Red Widow's masters truly desired and also promised to bring the Red Widow the Avengers. The Red Widow then asked Dracula what he wanted in return for his knowledge and when Dracula asked only for a safe place to be alone for the remainder of his life, the Red Widow seemingly considered his offer. Moments later, the Red Widow had Dracula's vampire consorts brought in and viciously killed one as Dracula watched. The Red Widow then demanded Dracula reveal every bit of valuable knowledge he possessed in exchange for the Widow killing his former consorts quickly. She then informed Dracula that once he had done so, they could talk about the rest of his "reward." Dracula was then remanded to the Red Widow's custody.
(Avengers VII#17) - The Red Widow killed Dracula's
former consorts one by one, leaving a huge bloody mess on the floors,
and by the end of the interrogation, Dracula claimed to have revealed
every dark secret he had acquired in the last 500 years. Dracula then
asked to be led away to somewhere else, not wishing to see anymore
blood, and the Red Widow remarked that Moscow had accepted his offer of
information in exchange for a safe place to live. She then ordered
Dracula taken away and as he was wheeled away by Vostok, the Red Widow
asked Ursa Major if he disapproved of her methods. Ursa Major replied
that he had no problem with the Red Widow's methods but felt as if
Dracula had turned out to be a big disappointment. The Red Widow then
asked where one would put a monster so that the world would never have
to look upon them again and, when Ursa Major asked if the Widow wished
for him to eat Dracula, the Red Widow replied that Moscow wanted
Dracula to remain alive in case he might ever prove useful again. The
Widow then asked Ursa Major what he felt was a quiet place to send
Dracula and soon after, Dracula was deposited in the Ukraine's
Chernobyl exclusion zone.
Not long after, the Shadow Colonel's Legion of the
Unliving transformed nearly an entire Russian prison into vampires and
the Winter Guard was called in to quell the riots. During the
subsequent battle, nearly all of the Winter Guard was incapacitated in
some way but the Red Widow stood silent until approached by the Shadow
Colonel himself. The Red Widow then offered Dracula but asked for
something in exchange and the Shadow Colonel asked if sparing her life
was not enough. Ever stern, the Red Widow suggested the Shadow Colonel
stick to killing vampires, as he was out of his league with her. The
Shadow Colonel then asked what sort of deal the Red Widow could offer
him but their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the
Avengers.
(Avengers VII#19 (fb) - BTS) - The Red Widow began
keeping Ursa Major close to her, leading Ursa Major to think that the
Red Widow did not fully trust him.
(Avengers VII#19 - BTS) - The Black Panther's agent,
Gorilla-Man, met with the Winter Guard's Ursa Major to discuss
information Ursa Major was to share with the Avengers. When Ursa Major
remarked on how he must be a fool to betray his country, Gorilla-Man
reminded Ursa Major that they both knew the Red Widow did not have the
Russian people's best interests in mind. Ursa Major then explained how
the Red Widow had recently been keeping him very close, remarking that
perhaps the Widow did not trust him. Admitting that getting kicked out
of Avengers Mansion helped him build trust with the Red Widow, Ursa
Major continued, informing Gorilla-Man that he still was not sure what
exactly the Red Widow was after.
Comments: Created by Jason Aaron, David Marquez, Ed McGuinness, Frazer Irving, Adam Kubert and Andrea Sorrentino.
Red Widow's eye & hair color were impossible to determine, as she was never seen without her mask/hood.
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Red Widow has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Avengers VII#16, p9, pan2 (Red Widow, main image)
Avengers VII#10, p21-22, pan6 (Red Widow, headshot)
Avengers VII#10, p4, pan1 (Red Widow, walking)
Avengers VII#10, p19-20, pan1 (Red Widow leaping)
Avengers VII#10, p28, pan4 (Red Widow standing in water next to Ghost
Rider)
Appearances:
Avengers VII#10 (January, 2019) - Jason
Aaron (writer), David Marquez, Ed McGuinness, Frazer Irving, Adam
Kubert, Andrea Sorrentino (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#11 (February, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness,
Cory Smith (pencils), Mark Morales, Scott Hanna, Karl Kesel (inks), Tom
Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#14 (April, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez
(art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#15 (April, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez
(art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#16 (May, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez
(art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#17 (May, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez
(art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#19 (July, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness
(pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 01/29/2020
Last updated: 01/29/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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