YELENA BELOVA'S MOST TRAUMATIC MOMENTS
As a product of the Red Room, Yelena Belova never led an easy life. From her upbringing as a child assassin to her crushing conflict with Natasha Romanova, Yelena experienced more than her fair share of trauma throughout her time as Black Widow and, later, White Widow. Here are some of the most traumatic moments from Yelena's checkered past.
A Violent Life
In Black Widow (1999) #1
In her first encounter with Natasha Romanova, AKA Black Widow, Yelena compares their training in the Red Room—a brutal experience that forged her into a world-class martial artist and a zealous true believer in the cause.
In Black Widow (2001) #1
To deprogram Yelena, Natasha swaps lives with the younger Widow, leading Yelena to experience a mental breakdown over her shattered identity and sense of self. Ultimately, she learns an important lesson about herself—and the way the Red Room views her.
In New Avengers (2004) #6
While working for S.H.I.E.L.D., Yelena encounters the villainous Sauron in the Savage Land, where she suffers a terrible injury.
In New Avengers Annual (2006) #1
In an effort to exact revenge on the New Avengers, Yelena teams up with Hydra to become an Adaptoid with the power to replicate the abilities of any nearby superhuman. Her battle against Sentry leaves a mark, with a deadly assist by Hydra.
In Secret Avengers (2013) #15
With her Adaptoid abilities, Yelena starts to work for A.I.M. and goes toe-to-toe with Mockingbird. As a result, her undercover mission goes terribly wrong.
In Tales of Suspense (2017) #103
Natasha gives Yelena a second lease on life, but not before the Red Room runs them both through the gamut using clones.
In Black Widow (2020) #8
As part of an investigation with Black Widow, Yelena—now using the codename White Widow—allows herself to be captured, leading to another close call.
In White Widow (2023) #1
After moving to a town called Idylhaven to figure out her life, Yelena finds herself drawn violently back into action by a ghost of her past. This series sets her on her journey towards the Thunderbolts.
In Blood Hunters (2024) #2
When vampires block out the sun and launch an all-out assault on humanity in BLOOD HUNT, Yelena succumbs to a bite and becomes a creature of the night, pitting her against monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone and Dagger.