The End is Near with Avengers: Infinity War! See the official trailer, motion poster & screen shots!

The Avengers: Infinity War takes place two years after the Avengers were torn apart during the events of Captain America: Civil War, Thanos arrives on Earth to collect the Infinity Stones for a gauntlet that will allow him to bend reality to his will. The Avengers must join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him before his onslaught of destruction puts an end to the universe.

The Avengers: Infinity War takes place two years after the Avengers were torn apart during the events of Captain America: Civil War, Thanos arrives on Earth to collect the Infinity Stones for a gauntlet that will allow him to bend reality to his will. The Avengers must join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him before his onslaught of destruction puts an end to the universe.

Avengers: Infinity War is scheduled to have its world premiere on April 23, 2018 in Los Angeles, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 27, 2018, in IMAX and 3D. The sequel is set to be released on May 3, 2019.

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

Iron man dies in avengers infinity war

iron man dies in avengers infinity war

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

is black panther in avengers infinity war?

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos
Looks like Cap brought the whole crew to Wakanda!

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

hulkbuster in avengers infinity war
Hulkbuster suit in Wakanda

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos
Thanos and a very young Gamora
the black order in avengers infinity war
Thanos’ Black Order,  Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, Black Dwarf and Supergiant (not pictured) surrounds Loki.

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

thor dies in avengers infinity war

captain america dies in infinity war

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

doctor strange dies in infinity war avengers

ebony maw in avengers infinity war

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

avengers infinity war chris pratt talks to robert downey jr.
“Let’s talk about this plan of yours… I think it’s good, except it sucks.  So let me do the plan and that way, it might be really good.”

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

captain america dies in avengers infinity war

Avengers Infinity War Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos

captain america dies in avengers infinity war

Marvel unlocks the secret of the Infinity Stones and their current owners. (Infinity Countdown #1)

In Infinity Countdown #1 (2018) it looks like Marvel has changed the colors of the Infinity Stones to match their MCU counter parts and tweaked how they work.

The Infinity Stones in the MCU

In Infinity Countdown #1 (2018) it looks like Marvel has changed the colors of the Infinity Stones to match their MCU counter parts and tweaked how they work. The stones (formerly called Gems) form a circuit when combined with each other forming a positive feedback loop unlocking their full potential and releasing the INFINITE power stored inside. The gems true potential lie within the users mastery of them individually.

The stones have always been mysterious and a subject of debate and discussion for years so it’s fun to see them fleshed out a bit more. I prefer the still have a twinge of mystery, but that’s just me.

Here are the new owners and new descriptions of the stones:

• The Soul Stone is powered by the user’s mastery of Reality. It can preserve the soul to allow for life after death.

Current owner: Ultron

Location: Ego The Living Planet (mobile)

Read More: Thanos steals the Soul Gem from The In-Betweener.

• The Mind Stone is powered by the user’s mastery of Soul. It can grant telepathy, or intelligence.

Current Owner: Turk Barrett

Location: Earth (mobile), most likely New York City

Read More: Thanos steals the The Mind Gem from The Grandmaster.

• The Power Stone is powered by the user’s mastery of Mind. It can make a person more physically powerful.

Current “Owners”: Nova Corps & The Guardians of the Galaxy

Location: The desert planet of Xitaung.

Read More: Thanos takes the Power Gem from The Champion of the Universe.

• The Space Stone is powered by the user’s mastery of Power. It can allow teleportation through space.

Current Owner: Wolverine

Location: Somewhere in the wilds of Canada

Wolverine space infinity stone

Read more: Thanos takes the Space Gem from The Runner.

• The Time Stone is powered by the user’s masteryof Space. It can allow a person to travel through time.

Current Owner: KL’RT

Location: Sakaar

Read More: Thanos takes the Time Gem from The Gardner.

• The Reality Stone is powered by the user’s mastery of Time. It can allow a person access to the Multiverse.

Current Owner: Captain Marvel (alternate reality Captain Marvels)

Location: Unknown ~ Multiple realities

Read More: Thanos takes the Reality Gem from The Collector.

UPDATE:

The current owner of THE SPACE GEM is Black Widow

Location: Madripoor (probably not for long)

Read even more!

Captain America: Civil War TV Spot #30- More Spider-Man!


 

Captain America Civil War Spider-Man
Spidey effortlessly stops Bucky’s Punch
Captain America Civil War Spider-Man
“You have a metal arm? That is awesome dude!”
Captain America Civil War Spider-man Winter Soldier
Note the web-shooters worn on the outside of the costume.

We are just 10 days away from the worldwide premier of Captain America Civil War and it looks like Marvel is pulling out all the stops.  In this latest trailer we are treated to more Spider-Man and from what it sounds like, he will be the wise-cracking, quick-witted web slinger we know from the comics. From what I hear his appearance in the film is not very long 10-20 minutes or so, but what is there is glorious. Makes me really excited to see Spider-Man:Homecoming.

Cant wait!  What do you think of this trailer? Or are you on media blackout until the movie comes out?

Synopsis

One year after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, another international incident involving the Avengers resulting in collateral damage occurs, prompting politicians to form a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to call in the team. When Steve Rogers attempts to protect his friend Bucky Barnes from this act, he is brought into conflict with Tony Stark. This results in the fracturing of the Avengers into two opposing factions—one led by Rogers, who wishes to operate without regulation, and the other by Stark, who supports government oversight—while the world is threatened by a new enemy.

 

Characters

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:

captain america civil war

The leader of a faction of Avengers against regulation and a World War II veteran who was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum and frozen in suspended animation before waking up in the modern world Evans costume in the film received “subtle changes to all the details and cut” as well as its color, becoming a combination of the stealth suit from Winter Soldier and the Avengers: Age of Ultron suit. According to Joe Russo, Rogers does not become a disillusioned antihero stating, “his morality is part of his superpower,” and adding, “…there’s an inspirational quality to his character. So it’s nice to have characters around him that he can inspire. Leadership is also a key component of his, and you can’t lead unless you have other characters around. But he’s also got an expanding universe—Winter Soldier, Agent 13, the Falcon—so there’s already a universe that’s expanding around him.” Describing his role in the plot, Evans said, “Tony [Stark] actually thinks we should be signing these accords and reporting to somebody and Cap, who’s always been a company man and has always been a soldier, actually doesn’t trust anymore. Given what happened in Cap 2, I think he kind of feels the safest hands are his own.” Anthony Russo said Captain America’s character arc in the film is taking “him from the most ra-ra company man” to someone who is “a somewhat willing propagandist, and by the end of the third film he’s an insurgent.” Evans added, “It’s exciting to see a guy who’s as optimistic and as selfless as Steve be met with letdown, betrayal, frustration, and selfishness. There are events and people in his life that test him — that challenge him and force him to reevaluate who he is and what he wants out of life.” On Rogers’ romantic life, Joe Russo said, “we can only keep Cap romantically uninvolved for so long. At some point, something has to happen with that character, so we are very aware of his lack of romantic life. We want to keep dimensionalizing his character so maybe something interesting will happen.”

Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:

Iron Man Captain America Civil War

The leader of a faction of Avengers in support of regulation, and self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with electromechanical suits of armor of his own invention. On how the character evolves in the film over previous portrayals of the character, Downey said, “[I]t’s natural to change your views. The main thing to me is… what sort of incident could occur and what sort of framework could we find Tony in? The clues are in [Avengers: Age of Ultron] about where we might find him next.” Anthony Russo added that Stark’s egomania allowed the writers “to bring him to a point in his life where he was willing to submit to an authority, where he felt it was the right thing to do.” Joe Russo added that because of the visions Stark saw in Age of Ultron, he now has a “guilty complex” which “drives him to make very specific decisions,” calling his emotional arc “very complicated”. Marvel initially wanted Downey’s part to be smaller; however “Downey wanted Stark to have a more substantial role in the film’s plot.” Variety noted that Downey would receive $40 million plus backend for his participation, as well as an additional payout if the film outperforms The Winter Soldier, as Marvel would feel the success of this film would be attributed to Downey. Downey’s personal trainer Eric Oram stated that the trick to pitting Rogers against Stark “is to show Iron Man using the ‘minimum force’ necessary to win the fight, and not to look like he’s trying to go wild and kill somebody.”

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:

captain america civil war black widow

An Avenger allied with Stark who formerly worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. as a highly trained spy. Anthony Russo noted her torn allegiances in the film, saying “her head is with Tony’s side of things, but her heart is with Cap in a lot of ways. It’s a really awesome spot for her as a character in the film.” Johansson added in the film, Romanoff is “looking to strategize her position, putting herself in a place where she is able to let the powers that be fight it out or whatever amongst themselves” in order for her to “have a better perspective of what’s really going on.” Describing her character’s situation after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Johansson said, “I think that the Widow’s past will always haunt her. She’s trying to move forward, she’s trying to pick up the pieces of her life. I think we’ll see parts of that in Cap 3 when we find her. And certainly she has a greater purpose, and I think that greater purpose is charged by this need to escape her past. So, it’s always kind of right there, kind of looming over her shoulders.” She also said that Romanoff is at a point in her life where she can make choices herself, without having others have a hand in the decision process. On the continuation of the relationship between Romanoff and Rogers from The Winter Soldier, Joe Russo said that they wanted to “test it” by having Romanoff point out to Rogers the mistakes the team have made and convince him “that it might not be as black and white as he sees it” and that the Avengers must “find a way to work within the system so that [they] aren’t disbanded.”

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier:

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Nick Fury is apparently killed by the Winter Soldier, who is later revealed to be Bucky Barnes. Rogers, Black Widow, and new ally Sam Wilson (Falcon) discover and thwart a Hydra plot to kill thousands of potential threats. Rogers and Wilson leave to search for Barnes, whom Rogers believes may still be good.

An enhanced brainwashed assassin allied with Rogers, and his best friend who reemerged after being thought killed in action during World War II. Stan stated that his character in Civil War is an amalgam of his experiences as Barnes and the Winter Soldier, saying, “You know, here’s the guy when you merge the two. This is what came out. To me, he’s never really going to be Bucky Barnes again. There’s going to be recognizable things about him, but his path through the [experiences of] Winter Soldier is always going to be there, haunting him. He recognizes his past, but at the same time he’s sort of a new character, too.” Stan stated he had more lines in the film over his appearance in Winter Soldier, and how that applied to the development of the character, he said, “The look of the Winter Soldier is a very specific look. There was something very specific in how the guy looked and behaved and I felt like the more I stepped back and I just kind of let that do the work, the better it was gonna be. In a situation like that, you’re trying to guess where the guy’s at in his mind, and that certainly continues in the Civil War movie. You’re always trying to guess what side is he on or … because he can go both ways.”

Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon:

captain america civil war falcon

An Avenger allied with Rogers, and a former para-rescueman trained by the military in aerial combat using a specially designed wing pack. Wilson is aided by a robotic drone named Redwing. Discussing the relationship between Wilson and Rogers, Mackie said, “With Falcon and Cap, what’s so great is there’s a mutual respect. There’s a soldier respect. What’s great about… [Captain America: Civil War] is you get to see their relationship grow,” adding, “He respects and admires Cap because Cap earned his rank as opposed to sitting in an office and just delegating orders.” Joe Russo stated that the inclusion of Barnes to Rogers’ side forces Wilson to question the dynamic and relationship he has with Rogers going forward.

Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine:

captain america civil war iron man war machine

An Avenger allied with Stark, and an officer in the U.S. Air Force who operates the War Machine armor. Cheadle called Rhodes’ appearance in the film a “bit more intense and pivotal” compared to his previous appearances.

Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye:

Captain America Civil War Hawkeye

A master archer allied with Rogers, who previously worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. On Barton’s reasons for joining Rogers’ side, Renner said, “Cap was the first guy who called. Let’s just get the job done so I can get home to the family.” On how he and Barton fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Renner said, “I’m happy to be the ensemble. I’m not scratching or clawing to do a solo movie by any means…I think [Barton’s] a utility guy that can bounce around into other people’s universes a little bit, especially like Cap 3.”

Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther:

captain america civil war black panther

The prince of the African nation of Wakanda allied with Stark. On including the character in the film, Feige said, “The reason we introduced him in Civil War is because we needed a third party. We needed fresh eyes who weren’t embedded with the Avengers and who has a very different point of view than either Tony or Steve. We said, ‘We need somebody like Black Panther… why don’t we just use Black Panther?’” Feige also said that T’Challa would be in the “beginning phases of taking on” the Black Panther mantle. He also added that his appearance in Civil War is more than a cameo, giving him a full arc and character journey with “his own conflict and his own people that he’s looking out for.” Joe Russo said that T’Challa is “there for a very different reason which brings him into conflict with Cap and his team.” Executive producer Nate Moore added that T’Challa is “the undecided voter”, whose agenda does not exactly align with either Rogers’ or Stark’s. The Black Panther costume is a combination of a practical costume and visual effects, featuring a vibranium mesh weave similar to chainmail. On landing the role, Boseman said, “It wasn’t really an audition process. It was more of a discussion about what they wanted to do and how I saw it and what I wanted to do. It was more of a feeling out process”. Describing T’Challa, Boseman said, “You never quite know where he stands. There’s always a bit of concealing and mystery.”[41] He added that T’Challa is torn between needing to live up to traditions, his father and nation of Wakanda’s legacy and the way things were done in the past and how things need to happen in the present. Boseman has a five picture deal with Marvel.

Paul Bettany as Vision:

Captain America Civil War Vision

An android and Avenger allied with Stark, that was created using the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone. As the Vision has the ability to create a projected disguise, he chooses to dress similarly to Howard Stark’s attaché, Edwin Jarvis. Describing his preparation for the role, Bettany said, “I was given comics. I also was looking to think about what could be edifying for me to learn. I took the opportunity – you see my character get born… He must be both omnipotent and yet totally naive at the same time. And experiencing the world in real time and his place in it. Is he going to be a force of good or a force of evil? It was really interesting, fun to play with, because he’s dangerous, you don’t know if he’s going to go one way or another. I’m continuing that theme in Captain America 3.” Bettany also said he was interested in exploring “what it means to be human and what love is” with the character, as “The only way one can guarantee one’s loyalty is love.”

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch:

Captain America Civil War Scarlet Witch

An Avenger allied with Rogers, who can harness magic and engage in hypnosis and telekinesis. Describing Maximoff’s role in the film, Olsen said, “She’s doing alright. She’s confused, she’s conflicted. She’s found some people she thinks she connects with, but she’s doing alright. They released images of Team Cap and Team Iron Man. She wasn’t there. She’s always the wild card. I like being the wild card.” According to Olsen, the character is “coming into her own and starting to understand and have conflict with how she wants to use her abilities. It’s a dramatic conflict within her and obviously there’s conflict within the [Avengers] as well.” When asked about the relationship between her character and the Vision compared to the comics, Olsen said, “You learn a little bit more about what connects [Scarlet and Vision] in this film. And I think there are some really sweet moments between Paul and I, and it’s more about how they relate to one another and their similarities just based on their superpowers.”

Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man / Giant-Man:

Captain America Civil War Ant Man

A former petty criminal allied with Rogers, who acquired a suit that allows him to shrink or grow in scale, while also increasing in strength. Rudd’s suit “is streamlined and more high-tech” from the one seen in Ant-Man. Ant-Man director Peyton Reed revealed that he had discussed the character and the way that the Ant-Man production had shot certain sequences with the Russo brothers, saying, “As we were doing the movie and we were in post and they were getting ready to head out to Atlanta to do Civil War, we had a lot of conversations. And I actually wanted those guys to come in and look at our stuff, because there’s gotta be a lot of sort of crossover. I found myself getting extremely protective over the character of Scott Lang and talking to the guys, the writers, the Russo’s about, ‘He wouldn’t do that.’ It’s important because there’s this continuity that has to happen in this universe.”

Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Agent 13:

Captain America Civil War Agent 13

A former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., who now works for the CIA, allied with Rogers. VanCamp stated that her character sides with Rogers because they both have “similar moral compasses”. On a potential relationship between Rogers and Carter as in the comics, Evans said, “he’s certainly open to it. Sharon is obviously relevant, but … we don’t have to tie it up in one movie. So they have time.” VanCamp added, “We get to explore… I can’t say we are going to that extent of it, but they are certainly getting to know each other.”

Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man:

Tom Holland Spider-Man

A teenager allied with Stark, who received spider-like abilities after being bitten by a genetically altered spider. Feige said that Parker would be torn between superhero ideologies, saying, “Does he want to be like these other characters? Does he want nothing to do with these other characters? How does that impact his experience, being this grounded but super powerful hero? Those are all the things that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko played with in the first 10 years of his comics, and that now we can play with for the first time in a movie.” On aligning with Stark, Anthony Russo said that, despite entering the conflict after the two factions have formed and not having much political investment, Parker’s choice comes from “a very personal relationship” he develops with Stark. The Russo’s hoped “to take a very logical and realistic and naturalistic approach to the character” compared to the previous film portrayals. Anthony Russo added that the character’s introduction had to fit “that specific tonal stylistic world” of the MCU, as well as the tone established by the directors in Winter Soldier, saying, “It’s a little more grounded and a little more hard-core contemporary.” That was “coloring our choices a lot” with Parker. On the Spider-Man suit, Joe Russo described it as “a slightly more traditional, Steve Ditko influenced suit,” and that the film would explore the way the suit operates, particularly the mechanical eyes. Holland chose not to read the whole Civil War script in order to avoid potentially leaking plot information publicly. He is signed on for at least three films, not including his Civil War appearance.

Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones:

Captain America Civil War Crossbones

Former commander of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s counter-terrorism S.T.R.I.K.E. team, who was revealed to be an agent of Hydra. On returning to the character, Grillo said “He’s a badass. He is just vicious. I like the idea that it’s no holds barred. I was 15 pounds bigger when I did Cap 2, and I’ll put another 15 pounds on to do Cap 3. I love the physicality. It changes the way you look; it changes the way you feel.” However, he cautioned that “This movie is such a big movie with a lot of people in it, so you don’t get as much of the time that you’d like to have. But, it’s all good. We’ll see what happens.” On if Rumlow would kill Captain America in the film, as he does in the comic “Civil War” storyline, Grillo said, “The thing with Marvel is they don’t always follow to the tee what the character did in the comic books… we’re probably not gonna see that happen. I’m not gonna kill him yet.” Grillo also stated that Rumlow’s main objective in the film is to seek revenge adding, “Whatever Rumlow was feeling as far as being torn between which side he should be on, which I think he was, is gone now.”

William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross:

The United States Secretary of State and former U.S. Army general dedicated to capturing the Hulk. Hurt, on returning to the MCU, said, “I don’t think it’s a reprise, I think it’s a new iteration completely,” adding, “what [the writers have] done is they’ve taken a character who was the Ross from [The Incredible Hulk] and made a new version… a more modernized style.” Joe Russo added that Ross was the perfect character to use because he has “a fanatical anti-superhero point of view” and has “become much savvier and more political and has put himself in a position of power, not unlike a Colin Powell. He’s cornering the Avengers politically now, he’s out-maneuvering them.” Joe also added that Ross was included because the Russo’s felt it was important to make The Incredible Hulk “relevant again within the [MCU]” since it “may have been forgotten about a little bit”.

Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo:

Zemo, who goes by multiple names in the film, does not wear his signature mask from the comics. Brühl said the version appearing in the film is “loosely connected” to the character from the comics and that was a reason he liked Marvel, as “some of the characters and things they’re dealing with always reference to current events so my character is from a different area than you would think.” Joe Russo added that the character in the film would be a “fresh and exciting” take on the character not tied to the mythology from the comic books. Feige described the character as “very much a product of the [Marvel] Cinematic Universe and all that has occurred within that universe up to this point.” Brühl, who was cast due to his German accent, did not feel the role was a stereotype, saying, “It’s not a guy who’s mean and sinister, but he’s actually very clever – a very smart guy who does everything out of a very understandable reason and motivation.” Brühl also stated that Zemo may also appear in future MCU films with Moore adding that, while Zemo has a purpose in this film, it is more to set up a future film.

Additionally, John Slattery reprises his role as Howard Stark, from previous MCU films. Martin Freeman is introduced as Everett Ross, a member of the Joint Counter Terrorism Center, and a character associated with Black Panther in the comics. Freeman described Ross as someone who “works for the American government…[and] works in conjunction with the superheroes, and certain agencies that help to tame the superheroes’ power”. In terms of whether Ross would side with Stark or Rogers in the film, Freeman said that Ross is “ambiguous” and “you don’t know whether he’s good or bad” so “you’re not quite sure which side he’s on. It looks a little bit like he’s playing one game when actually he’s playing another.” Feige added that Ross would appear briefly in the film, with the intent being to expand on the character’s role in future films. Alfre Woodard, who portrays Mariah Dillard in the MCU TV series Luke Cage, appears in the film as Miriam Sharpe, the mother of an American citizen killed in the battle of Sokovia. Woodard was suggested for the role by Downey, before Marvel Studios learned of her casting in Luke Cage. Marisa Tomei appears as May Parker, Peter Parker’s aunt; while Hope Davis and Jim Rash are cast in undisclosed roles. Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance. John Kani appears as T’Chaka, father of T’Challa.

The Winter Soldier vs. Black Widow – The Battle for Captain America’s Shield (Civil War Epilogue)

bucky vs. black widow bucky vs. black widow bucky vs. black widow bucky vs. black widow bucky vs. black widow bucky vs. black widow bucky vs. black widow

From: The Initiative: Captain America v.5 #27

The superhuman civil war is over and Captain America is dead. While on his way to be arraigned at a New York City courthouse; Steve Rogers was shot, and died en route to the hospital.  Witnesses to the horrific crime included former partners the Winter Soldier, Falcon and Sharon Carter, Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Working behind the scenes are Cap’s old enemies, the Red Skull – secretly alive inside the body of ex-Soviet general Aleksander Lukin – Doctor Faustus, and mad scientist Arnim Zola.

After losing the man she loves, things become worse for Sharon Carter when she realizes that she has been brainwashed… and that she is the one who delivered the fatal shot that killed Steve Rogers.  Stuck in a downward emotional spiral, Sharon has quit S.H.I.E.L.D.  Meanwhile, as heroes around the country mourn the loss of Captain America and villains step up their schemes, the Winter Soldier goes off the grid, this time with a new mission: to kill Tony Stark, the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Captain America III – Civil War Official Trailer #2 

Be still my heart…

Black Widow escapes S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. (Black Widow #1)

     
    
   

From: Black Widow #1

Marvel’s Hip Hop Variant Covers

Natasha Romanoff – The Black Widow

Natasha was born in Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Russia. The first and best-known Black Widow is a Russian agent trained as a spy, martial artist, and sniper, and outfitted with an arsenal of high-tech weaponry, including a pair of wrist-mounted energy weapons dubbed her “Widow’s Bite”.

Black Widow (Natalia Alianovna “Natasha” Romanova, also known as Natasha Romanoff) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Don Rico, and artist Don Heck, the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense No. 52 (April 1964). The character was first introduced as a Russian spy, an antagonist of the superhero Iron Man. She later defected to the United States, becoming an agent of the fictional spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and a member of the superhero team the Avengers.

deadly origin

Natasha was born in Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Russia. The first and best-known Black Widow is a Russian agent trained as a spy, martial artist, and sniper, and outfitted with an arsenal of high-tech weaponry, including a pair of wrist-mounted energy weapons dubbed her “Widow’s Bite”. She wears no costume during her first few appearances but simply evening wear and a veil. Romanova eventually defects to the U.S. for reasons that include her love for the reluctant-criminal turned superhero archer, Hawkeye.

The Black Widow’s first appearances were as a recurring, non-costumed, Russian-spy antagonist in the feature “Iron Man”, beginning in Tales of Suspense No. 52 (April 1964). Five issues later, she recruited the besotted costumed archer and later superhero Hawkeye to her cause. Her government later supplied her with her first Black Widow costume and high-tech weaponry, but she eventually defected to the United States after appearing, temporarily brainwashed against the U.S., in the superhero-team series The Avengers No. 29 (July 1966). The Widow later became a recurring ally of the team before officially becoming its sixteenth member many years later.

TOS052_05 TOS052_06 TOS052_11

 

 

The Black Widow was visually updated in 1970: The Amazing Spider-Man No. 86 (July 1970) reintroduced her with shoulder-length red hair (instead of her former short black hair), a skintight black costume, and wristbands which fired spider threads. This would become the appearance most commonly associated with the character.

AmazingSpiderman086-01 AmazingSpiderman086-02 AmazingSpiderman086-03 AmazingSpiderman086-04 AmazingSpiderman086-05

Later that day…

AmazingSpiderman086-08 AmazingSpiderman086-09 AmazingSpiderman086-10 AmazingSpiderman086-11 AmazingSpiderman086-15 AmazingSpiderman086-16 AmazingSpiderman086-17 AmazingSpiderman086-18 AmazingSpiderman086-19

First hints to Natasha Romanova’s childhood come by Ivan Petrovich, who is introduced as her middle-aged chauffeur and confidant in the Black Widow’s 1970s Amazing Adventures. The man tells Matt Murdock how he had been given custody of little Natasha by a woman just before her death during the Battle of Stalingrad in autumn 1942. He had consequently felt committed to raise the orphan as a surrogate father and she had eventually trained as a Soviet spy, being eager to help her homeland. In another flashback, set in the fictional island of Madripoor in 1941, Petrovich helps Captain America and the mutant Logan, who would later become the Canadian super-agent and costumed hero Wolverine, to rescue Natasha from Nazis.

daredevil 088 p_013 daredevil 088 p_014 daredevil 088 p_016 daredevil 088 p_017

A revised, retconned origin establishes her as being raised from very early childhood by the U.S.S.R.’s “Black Widow Ops” program, rather than solely by Ivan Petrovitch. Petrovitch had taken her to Department X, with other young female orphans, where she was brainwashed, and trained in combat and espionage at the covert “Red Room” facility. There, she is biotechnologically and psycho-technologically enhanced—an accounting that provides a rationale for her unusually long and youthful lifespan.

Black Widow 005-015 Black Widow 005-016 Black Widow 005-017 Black Widow 005-018

During that time she had some training under Winter Soldier, and the pair even had a short romance. Each Black Widow is deployed with false memories to help ensure her loyalty. Romanova eventually discovers this, including the fact that she had never, as she had believed, been a ballerina. She further discovers that the Red Room is still active as “2R”.

Black Widow 004-002 Black Widow 004-003

During the incursion event between Earth 616 and Earth 1610, Natasha is involved in the final battle between the Marvel Universe’s superheroes and the Ultimate Universe’s Children of Tomorrow. She pilots a ship holding a handpicked few to restart humanity after the universe ends, copiloted by Jessica Drew. Her ship is shot down during the battle though, and she is killed in the ensuing explosion.

image

 

Additional Black Widow files:

BlackWidow-01-029 BlackWidow-01-030 BlackWidow-01-031 BlackWidow-01-032 BlackWidow-01-033 BlackWidow-01-028

 

Black Widow Cover Art – Phil Noto

These are the covers from Black Widow (2014) from artist Phil Noto.  Phil Noto was an artist at Disney feature animation for 10 years before moving on to work with both Marvel and DC.  You can see more of his work here at his Tumblr page.    I am quickly becoming a huge fan of his work, especially his Black Widow covers.  (and the work inside too!)  Here are all of the Black Widow covers from 2014 to the most recent issue of Black Widow #20.  Enjoy!

Black Widow vs. Crossbones

Black Widow vs. Crossbones 1

Continue reading “Black Widow vs. Crossbones”

Cap’s epic speech to Spider-Man during Civil War. 

Feeling the pressures of challenging the government and fighting for whats right, Peter asks Captain America how he handles the pressure. Cap gives an epic, epic answer.

Civil War Part 6 of 7: The War At Home

Feeling the pressures of challenging the government and fighting for whats right, Peter asks Captain America how he handles the pressure.  Cap gives an epic, epic answer.

captain america speech to spiderman   Continue reading “Cap’s epic speech to Spider-Man during Civil War. “

If you know my name… Then you should know I don’t play by anyone’s rules. 

black widow, natasha romanova, avengers,  scarlet johanssen Continue reading “If you know my name… Then you should know I don’t play by anyone’s rules. “