The Origins of Iron Man 2's Black Widow

With the latest trailer for Iron Man 2 keeping the pulses racing of every fanboy, comic nerd and certified, card-carrying geek, there's no doubt that the sequel is aiming to draw audiences deeper into the Marvel universe. And while some of you reading this might wield an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Iron Man - or, for that matter, Thor, Captain America, Hulk and The Avengers - others might be scratching their heads and wondering just who the hell is that hot red-head who seems to be stirring Tony Stark's passions?

Other than Scarlett Johansson, we mean...

Meet Natalia Romanova, or Natasha Romanoff, commonly known as Black Widow. As usual, her comic-book history is long and rather complicated, dating back to her rescue in Russia from invading Nazis during the Second World War. Raised as a prominent ballet dancer, Natasha soon fell in love with a Soviet test pilot whose mysterious death inspired her to train with the KGB where she was given the codename "Black Widow." Tasked with infiltrating Stark Industries, Natasha enacted a romance with Tony Stark in order to obtain some top-secret technology, a ruse that she later utilized with fellow Marvel alum, Hawkeye. 

Black Widow's loyalties are constantly shifting, and though she's worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. it's only ever been in a freelance capacity. Natasha has appeared alongside countless icons in the Marvel universe, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Daredevil, The Punisher, and the individual members of The Avengers. Her skin-tight black uniform and long, red hair - not to mention the advanced weapons training and balletic combat style - make her not only an efficient seductress, but a nearly unstoppable agent.

We would imagine that much won't change in the upcoming film except the character's age...with some minor adjustments to her origin. It certainly seems like the crimson-curled temptress will come in-between Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts and will be just as likely to save Iron Man than screw him. . .literally or figuratively. In their first meeting in the comics canon, Black Widow is sent to assassinate Iron Man, but with Whiplash, Justin Hammer, War Machine and a few dozen rouge-robots in the mix, it's difficult to say outright whether the film will introduce Natasha in the middle of an assassination plot.

Click here to see more of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in Iron Man 2.