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
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]
