The Black Widow Strikes Again!

Tony Stark has been working on an anti-gravity device for the military. Unable to crack the secret he blindly puts together a device that works. However, Happy Hogan has to save him from a heavy safe lifted by the device. In doing so, the safe falls on the device causing all of the circuits to fuse, making it impossible for examination to figure out how it works. Still, word leaks out and Tony is forced to make a demonstration of the device at the Pentagon. During this presentation, a reporter manages to snap a photo. Tony figures it won’t mean much since he hasn’t been able to figure out how to recreate his invention.

When the leader of Russia reads about this in the news and wishes he was still in contact with the Black Widow to steal the device, however, she has been in hiding since she failed his last mission.[1] The Black Widow also reads about the discovery and begins plotting how to steal it in the hopes of winning favor with her masters back in Russia. She writes a letter to Tony Stark asking to meet with him so she can explain everything, thinking she can still seduce Stark. When Tony receives the letter he arranges to meet her. When Natasha shows up at Stark Industries to talk, neither Pepper nor Happy likes the idea of the Black Widow being back after the last time she was around.

When she meets with Tony, Natasha puts on the waterworks making it sound as though she was tricked into being a spy. Stark buys her story and when he shows her his new anti-gravity device, she unleashes knock-out gas from her purse so she can steal it. After Natasha absconds with the device, Pepper goes in to check on her boss and finds Tony passed out on the floor. Recovering from the gas, Tony excuses himself so he can change into Iron Man and begin searching for the Black Widow.

Meanwhile, Natasha contacts her handlers in Moscow and offers to hand over the anti-gravity device in exchange for her life. However, the leader of Russia has other plans and tells her what to do with the device. Meanwhile, Tony Stark has not been able to track down his missing device and has to tell Senator Byrd the truth. Worse, the papers have found out and have begun questioning if Tony Stark is disloyal to his country. Tony is working himself to the bone and only stops to recharge the chest plate that keeps his heart beating. He pauses his work to go out as Iron Man again and hunt for the Black Widow. Radio reports lead him to a munitions plant where the Black Widow is using the anti-gravity device to wreck equipment and terrorize the staff. However, when Iron Man arrives the Black Widow is long gone.

Back at her hotel room, the Black Widow is visited by a group of Russian spies who begin playing around with the anti-gravity device. Seeing a car floating in the air allows Iron Man to locate his stolen device. However, when Iron Man tries to take the weapon back, the Black Widow uses it to drop a building on Iron Man. Later, Natasha and her fellow spies attempt to attack Fort Knox to steal the gold reserves. This time when Iron Man arrives he has a device that disables the anti-gravity device. However, he is forced to let the Black Widow escape when he has to save two of her fellow spies from a mountain she raised into the air earlier.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Black Widow, Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, Harrington Byrd (voice)

Continuity Notes

1. The Black Widow was sent to eliminate Ivan Vanko, Tony Stark, and Iron Man last issue. Although Vanko was killed she failed to eliminate Stark and Iron Man and has been on the run ever since.

Topical References

• This story has a lot of dated Cold War references: Nikita Khrushchev is depicted as the leader of Russia, Russia is referred to as the “Iron Curtain” and Russians are referred to as “Reds”.

• The secret to Stark tech in this story is: Transistors, which have since gone on to become the most common component found in all electronics.

The Way it Began

The Watcher observes a delicate surgery being conducted on Earth. He knows what is needed to save the life of the patient. Unfortunately, the Watcher is allowed to watch but is duty-bound to an oath of non-interference. This is forever his curse, but it was not always this way and Uatu thinks back to when the lives of the Watchers was changed forever.

The Watchers were an ancient race even eons before the birth of humanity. They were a highly technological society that had abolished all war and crime and focused on the pursuit of knowledge. They had conquered every illness known to their people and unlocked the keys to immortality. In those long-ago days, Uatu and his father Ikor were part of the Watcher’s world government. They debated with Emnu, one of their colleagues on if they should share their scientific secrets with other worlds. Emnu disagreed, but Uatu voted in favor of his father. They then underwent a process that allowed them to change into living energy and travel to another world.

They soon arrived on the planet Prosilicus where they shared the secret of atomic energy to a grateful population. The Watchers then left to observe a multidimensional eclipse, an event that only happens once every billion years. While they were gone, the Prosilians developed nuclear technology to make war with one another. When the Watchers returned to check on the Porsilians they only to discover the world to be a wastelad. The surviving aliens accused the Watchers of bringing destruction down upon them. Ikor soon realized that while they had the best intentions, they could not account for other races abusing the knowledge they have imprarted. From then on, the Watchers vowed to never interfere in the lives of the various races they were charged to watch.[1]

Recurring Characters

The Watcher, Ikor, Prosilians

Continuity Notes

1. The Watcher’s folly with the Porsilians was expanded upon in Original Sin #0.