Yelena Belova

Yelena Belova is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Devin Grayson and artist J. G. Jones, the character appeared as a sketch in Marvel Knights: Wave 2 Sketchbook #1 (January 1998) before debuting a year later in the second volume of Inhumans #5 (January 1999) by writer Paul Jenkins and artist Jae Lee.

Trained as an assassin in the Russian-based Red Room, Belova became the second modern-era character to use the Black Widow moniker, after Natasha Romanova. Originally sent to kill Romanova, the two became allies and have since worked together. Belova also became a version of Super-Adaptoid as a member of Hydra and A.I.M., before being freed and adopting the codename White Widow. Belova has been part of various teams and organisations including S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Thunderbolts.

Florence Pugh portrays the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the films Black Widow (2021), Thunderbolts* (2025), and the Disney+ miniseries Hawkeye (2021) and television series Marvel Zombies (2025). Pugh's version is depicted as the adopted sister of Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, and the adopted daughter of Alexei Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff.

Publication history

Yelena Belova first appeared as a sketch in Marvel Knights: Wave 2 Sketchbook #1 (January 1998) by writer Devin Grayson and artist J.G. Jones.[1] She debuted in Inhumans (Vol. 2) #5 (March 1999) by writer Paul Jenkins and artist Jae Lee.[2] Belova starred in and was full introduced in the mini-series Black Widow (1999) by Grayson and Jones, as part of the Marvel Knights imprint.[3] Belova was introduced as the second incarnation of the Black Widow after Natasha Romanova (Natasha Romanoff), her obsession turned rival.[3]

Belova went on to star alongside Romanova and Daredevil in a second miniseries titled Black Widow (2001).[4] The next year, she starred in her first solo three-issue miniseries, Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) by writer Greg Rucka and artist Igor Kordey, under the mature audience Marvel MAX imprint,[3]

Fictional character biography

Yelena Belova was born in Moscow in Soviet times and later recruited into the Russian Federation (GRU).[5] She was trained to be an assassin in the Red Room by the spymasters who trained Natasha Romanova, the first Black Widow later turned Avenger.

After the death of her trainer, she is activated and deployed to investigate his death. She tracks down and kills the killer, unaware that the task was a ploy to get Belova to assert herself as the new Black Widow.[6] Believing herself the rightful successor to the title, Belova volunteers to eliminate Romanova. During their confrontation, Romanova calls Belova "little one", encourages her to explore her personal identity rather than blindly devote herself to her nation, and subjects her to a cruel manipulation to teach her the reality of the espionage industry.[7] Belova remains loyal to the GRU[8] but retires to Cuba, where she becomes a successful businesswoman and model.[9]

Belova is recruited by the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and becomes involved in the agency's vibranium mining in the Antarctic Savage Land.[10] Shortly afterward, she barely survives an attack by Sauron, receiving severe burns and disfiguring injuries. She is later approached by a man working for the terrorist organization Hydra who offers her revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D. and the New Avengers.[11] Belova is experimented on and genetically altered by Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) scientists working for Hydra, who transform her into a version of the Super-Adaptoid. With this body, Belova gains the ability to copy the Avengers' powers. She is eventually defeated by a combination of Iron Man's armors and the Sentry's Void persona; in which the latter she absorbs along with the Sentry's powers. After her defeat, Hydra disables her with an implanted remote fail-safe mechanism.[12]

At some point, Romanova assumes Belova's identity on behalf of Nick Fury and works with a vigilante group named the Vanguard.[13] During the Dark Reign event, she joins Norman Osborn's incarnation of the Thunderbolts.[14][15] Osborn reveals to Scourge that he has the real body of Belova in stasis, warning her that she could be his replacement on the team.[16] Belova is later freed by A.I.M. who elect her as a member on their High Council alongside Andrew Forson, Graviton, Mentallo, Superia, and an undercover Taskmaster.[17] S.H.I.E.L.D. soon targets A.I.M. and deploys agents Romanova, Hawkeye and Mockingbird to execute Forson. Belova attacks Romanova but is later shot by an A.I.M. agent after being mistaken for Mockingbird.[18]

After the events of Secret Empire, Belova was revived in a clone body and assumed the Black Widow identity once again in Romanova's honor (who she believes is dead). She travels around the world to destroy Hydra's remnants, attracting the attention of Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier.[19][20] Belova later assumed the White Widow monika.[21] She is recruited as a member of the Winter Soldier's Thunderbolts team alongside Romanova, Valentina de Fontaine, Sharon Carter, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent and Shang-Chi, who were assembled to take down the real Red Skull.[22]

Powers and abilities

Belova is a trained spy and assassin with extensive training in hand-to-hand combat,[23] gymnastics and martial arts.[24] She has often been described to be in "peak athletic condition".[25]

As the Super-Adaptoid, Belova could mimic the abilities of other superheroes and absorb power from those around her.[12][26][27]

Reception

In other media

Collected editions

External links

• Yelena Belova at the Marvel Directory
• Yelena Belova at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe