Comic-Con Cosplay: Black Widow
Black Widow doesn't need superpowers to impress -- she possesses a set of skills from gunplay to martial arts that will have any mouth dropping to the floor (as long as her swift kicks aren't putting them there in the first place). Check out this assemblage of lady Avenger goodness!
I'm Starting with the Black Widow in the Mirror
I imagine this is how Natalia Alianovna Romanova a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow starts her morning. Fluff up the crimson do, make sure the leather battle suit is snug and take an iPhone shot for posterity. No harm in wanting to look good (and remembering the good looks) after a long day of kicking ass.
From Russia with Love
Natasha Romanoff is like the Evelyn Salt of the Marvel Universe. She was born in Russia, brainwashed by the KGB and, later, goes on the run in an effort to do good in the world. Her training in the "Red Room" gives her near-superhuman fighting abilities. She's also trained in the art of wall-clinging, demonstrated here by this nice Black Widow cosplayer.
No Rash Can Stop Her
In a rare Marvel/DC Comics crossover, Black Widow takes on another one of the deadliest women in comics: Poison Ivy. Hopefully she packed plenty of S.H.I.E.L.D.-grade ointment.
The Black Widow Pin-Up
How the Walmart photographer must have felt when this Black Widow cosplayer strutted into his studio...
The high quality picture features the faux-Natasha Romanoff doing what the Russian assassin does best: bending. Be jealous of the geeky male on the receiving end of this photo.
The New and Improved Natasha Romanoff
Now that the Marvel Movie U has become its own distinct and acceptable universe, movie cosplayers are being embraced by the more traditional comic-based groups. Yes, we live in a world where movie Black Widow can stand proudly alongside comic Black Widow without a cat (er, arachnid) fight breaking out.
Black Widows come in all shapes and sizes, but as long as you can rock the slim, black onesie, the signature pistol and a bracelet full of "Widow's Bite" electro-static energy blasts, then you'll be an equal to all of them. I wouldn't mess with this woman.
Most superheroes rely on their high-tech weaponry or brute strength to ward off foes, but Black Widow is different -- she's all about stealth. The catsuit is an asset all year round, but Romanoff is in her prime during the fall, when her bright red hair matches the changing leaves. Avoid cool, Connecticut weekends when Black Widow is in town.
Letting Loose
The Black Widow costume design is one of exceptional practicality and comfortability. During the day, zip it all the way up for maximum karate chopping and high kicking action. When you come back home for a rest, just unzip and let it all hang out. It's like a vacation in your body armor.
F for Fake
There are a lot of suspicious things going on in this picture: orange end cap for the barrel of the gun, pink trigger, wedding ring -- something doesn't add up. Last time I checked, Black Widow was sleeping around with Daredevil, not tying the knot.
Widow. Black Widow.
This Black Widow proves Natasha Romanoff is a modern day Bond girl. She'll run, jump, kick, slap, and let bullets fly, but at the end of the day, it's all class. You might have your own dreams, but after Black Widow wipes the table with her feeble cosplaying opponents, the only thing she'll be blowing is the end of her pistol.
Put Your Hand in the Air
Master of acrobatics, Black Widow is always ready to spring (literally) into action. Here, a cosplayer pulls off one of Widow's deadliest moves: the bend and snap. Or was that Legally Blonde? Either way, it's working.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Initiative Is H.O.T.
I'm not exactly sure who the other gal standing next to Black Widow is supposed to be, but I'd be down if she were cosplaying as Agent Coulson. The female version.
Assume this picture's background is blurry because whoever snapped the photo caught Black Widow zipping around the showroom floor. The next unseen frame is her punching two guys in the face and then dropping down into a tarantula stance.
Don't let your old cosplay costumes go to waste. That dusty Catwoman suit from a few years back? Rip of the ears, dye your hair red, add a few accessories and you have the perfect Black Widow getup. Fret not: the ghosts of the DCU won't haunt your leather jumpsuit.
Avengers Assemble
Two perks of cosplaying as Black Widow:
1. You get to pal around with all the macho Marvel characters without being "arm candy."
2. You're automatically everyone's favorite because you look hot in character, especially when standing next to raggedy Captain America.
Point Blank
The last thing you want to do is cross a Natasha Romanoff. Even in the fun-loving setting of Comic-Con, a Black Widow cosplayer will own your ass (even if it's only a blast of water from a squirt gun). She may smile when you ask to take her picture, but beware -- one wrong move and you'll be on the ground begging for Thor to save you.
If you're really going to match the Natasha Romanoff of the comic book, you can't rely on your already-Ginger look, however adorable that may be. What Black Widow has going up on her head isn't red, it's RED. This lady gets it and she went all the way: a full dye job of a color you only see on firetrucks and the surface of Mars.
Nick Fury and His Furies
When Nick Fury needs a job done, he calls Black Widow. Or is that Widows?
The world can never have enough hot, female assassins and it's as easy as a logic-less cloning arc in such-and-such Avengers book to act as incentive for doubling up on Romanoffs. If they make a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie, doubling Scarlett Johansson is the only requirement.
Spending a weekend in character as Black Widow requires a lot more than nailing the look. A lady cosplayer must act the part, and that requires practice.
This girl found the perfect regiment, creating her own "Red Room" at home using a trampoline. Emulating Romanoff's moves is a piece of cake when gravity isn't an issue.
What's this!? Mingling with a Batwoman?!
Rest easy -- this Black Widow shoots us a glance that says, "Can't you see I'm infiltrating enemy territory?" Go get'em, Natasha!
Times are tough for superheroes. Even saving the world doesn't bring in the cash that it did years ago.
That's why Black Widow had to resort to picking pennies out of her local mall fountain. But her spy training keeps her out of trouble, striking just the right pose when caught by cameras.
A Black Widow comes locked and loaded, ready for battle, but a smart cosplayer equips herself with a firearm just fantastical enough to not be taken seriously. Smart move -- you don't want to be bum rushed by authorities and have to show off your fighting skills.
Oh, Tony Stark, you creep. We can't blame you for checking out your smoking hot teammate (or notary, in the case of Iron Man 2), but maybe you could take a slightly subtler approach?
She can shoot a target from a mile away, break bones with her pinky finger, but since most of her adversaries are of the male gender, Black Widow's greatest weapon may be her femininity. Distraction is an assassin's greatest asset, and Widow certainly has that base covered. In this case, unsuspecting guys will have two bullets in their head before they can even make eye contact.
No discrimination here: Black Widow is a badass and this guy knows it. If you already own the red wig, why not?