Hawkeye and the New Black Widow Strike Again!

As Tony Stark makes improvements to his Iron Man armor intended to prolong his life, the Black Widow is back in America and testing out her new costume and equipment. She then returns to her partner, Hawkeye, who has just finished testing out his new acid-tipped arrows. Hawkeye is pleased to see her, as he thought he lost her forever.

She explains to him what happened when she was forced to return to Russia by some spies.[1] She was brought before the leader of the country who threatened Natasha's family in order to force her continued subservience.[2] She was given a new costume and equipment to assist her in her continued assignment to eliminate Tony Stark and Iron Man. This included gloves and boots equipped with suction cups allowing her to climb walls and ceilings as well as a wrist launcher that can fire a nylon line that she can use to swing across distances. Natasha explains that she outfitted this new costume with a mask that resembles the one that Hawkeye wears as they are partners. Although Hawkeye is not willing to betray his country, he pledges to work with the Widow to destroy Iron Man.

Later that evening, Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts are out on a date. It’s there that Happy asks Pepper to marry him, but she tells him that she needs more time.[3] This is an awkward moment for both as they both know that Pepper is still attracted to Tony Stark. That’s when they are ambushed by the Black Widow and Hawkeye and taken prisoner. The couple are taken to a secluded mansion on the north shore of Long Island. There, the Black Widow calls Tony Stark to tell him that she has Happy and Pepper hostage and to send Iron Man to get them. Fifty minutes later, the Widow and Hawkeye take Happy and Pepper to the meeting place, a nearby railyard. There, they and a bunch of Russian spies wait for Iron Man to show up.

Tony Stark shows up instead and offers to hand over some new designs to the Russians in exchange for Happy and Pepper’s release. The Black Widow accepts and orders one of her men to go over the designs in a nearby shed to confirm their authenticity. As Stark is directed toward the shed, he drops a smoke bomb and uses the cover provided to change into Iron Man. He takes the Russian spies by surprise and quickly trounces them. He then goes after the Black Widow and Hawkeye. However, he is unprepared for Hawkeye’s new sonic arrow which unleashes deafening noise. Quick thinking, Iron Man electrifies the rail that Hawkeye is standing on, stunning him momentarily.

Iron Man then rushes to the building where Happy and Pepper are being kept as prisoners. Hawkeye has recovered by this time and begins shooting Iron Man with his acid tipped arrows. With the acid melting through his armor, Iron Man has to deal with his two foes. In the ensuing battle, the Black Widow is stunned by one of Iron Man’s repulsor blasts. Worried that she is hurt, Hawkeye grabs Natasha and the pair flee in a car. With Happy and Pepper free, Iron Man then takes off before his armor completely dissolves and his secret identity is compromised. He returns moments later as Tony Stark. Pepper is happy to see him and when she hugs Tony, it makes Happy believe he has no chance with her because she still loves Tony.

Recurring Characters

Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts

Continuity Notes

1. Natasha was forced to return to her homeland for her many failures to destroy Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #60.

2. These are not Natasha’s parent’s real parents. Per Daredevil #88, Natasha was an orphan that was found and raised by Ivan Petrovitch. Black Widow: Deadly Origins #1-4 reveals that she was found by Petrovitch circa 1928. There are unconfirmed rumors that she may have been a member of the Russian aristocracy that was disposed of during the Russian Revolution. As Deadly Origins and Black Widow (vol. 3) #5 reveal, Natasha underwent training in the Red Room’s Black Widow Ops Program. She was trained to be an assassin and given a derivative of the Super-Soldier Serum that slowed her aging process. She was regularly brainwashed in order to maintain her loyalty. As such, if the flashback is taken at face value, one could assume that these are actors pretending to be Natasha’s parents.

3. Although Pepper refuses Happy’s proposal here the couple does get married eventually. See Tales of Suspense #91.

Topical References

• The leader of Russia is identified as Nikita Khrushchev. It is also stated here that he was recently removed as leader of the country. At the time this story was published, Khrushchev had recently retired as the leader of Russia and was succeeded by Leonid Brezhnev.

• Likewise, all Cold War references in this story should be considered topical such as Russia being referred to as the “Iron Curtain” and Russians being called “Reds”.

Among Us, Wreckers Dwell!

In the early days of World War II, the United States still has not entered the war, but it still looms over the everyday lives of Americans. During this time, a local theater is packed each night as people flock to see Sando and Omar, two men who have been able to predict the future. During their latest performance, Sando instructs Omar to project images of the future into a massive crystal ball for the audience to see. This time, the image is a battalion of American tanks at Fort Lehigh will be destroyed.

When this comes to pass, Sando and Omar’s predictions become front-page news. The following morning, while Steve Rogers is on kitchen duty peeling potatoes, he’s told all about it by his friend Bucky Barnes. Their conversation is interrupted by Sargeant Mike Duffy who orders the pair to stop gabbing and keep peeling. However, when Duffy trips over the bucket of potatoes, he is so furious he dismisses the pair for the night. Steve planned this situation so that he and Bucky can go and see Sando and Omar in action.

The pair sneak in backstage and after witnessing a woman duck into Sando’s dressing room, the pair decide to change into Captain America and Bucky to look into things further. This time, Sando and Omar predict that a bridge that links Camp Kosgrove to the mainland will be destroyed next. However, Captain America and Bucky discover that these “visions” are really doctored film reels projected into the crystal ball by a Nazi spy. After tying up the spy, Captain America and Bucky storm the stage and expose Sando’s operation. As a fight breaks out, Omar flees the stage with Bucky not far behind.

When Sando is on the ropes, Cap suddenly hears a woman screaming and races backstage to the dressing room. There he finds that Bucky and the woman they saw earlier are being held hostage by Nazi spies. Captain America attacks and frees Bucky, and the pair smash the spies. In the aftermath of the battle, the woman explains that Sando is a helpless victim. She also reveals that she is an operative from the Women’s Auxillary Force. When Cap asks for her name, the woman will only tell him that she is Agent Thirteen.[1] With that, Cap and Bucky take off so they can change back to their civilian guise and return to camp before they suffer the wraith of Sargent Duffy.

Recurring Characters

Captain America, Bucky, Betsy Ross, Sando, Omar, Mike Duffy

Continuity Notes

This story was adapted from the 2nd story in Captain America Comics #2 (titled “Case No. 2”).

This differs from Captain America Comics #2, wherein the woman involved in that story identifies herself as Betsy Ross who was then employed by the FBI. The Agent Thirteen becomes ever-present in later Captain America stories in Tales of Suspense and the first volume of Captain America is later identified as Peggy Carter in Captain America #162. Since Betsy Ross was a recurring character in Captain America Comics and distinct from Peggy Carter, the “Agent Thirteen” reference in this story should be ignored as an error.