15 surprising facts you didn’t know about Black Widow

She’s had a few different costumes in the comics

In the MCU, Black Widow is almost always clad in a black leather suit — albeit one that’s evolved a bit since her introduction in Iron Man 2. This costume does come from the comics, but it wasn’t the first outfit the character wore. In fact, Black Widow went through quite a few different looks before landing on the one used in the films.

Perhaps the strangest — and most unrealistic — costume for Black Widow is from her earlier days in the comics, when she would wear a fancy gown in order to spy on characters like Iron Man. Although going undercover does necessitate a good disguise, it’s hard to believe she could actually fight or defend herself in formalwear.

Black Widow has also had different color bodysuits in the comics, including a grey one and a white one. The white one, which was designed for colder settings where her black suit would be too discrete, may have served as the inspiration for the costume she wears in Black Widow. A blue armor suit also appeared in the 1998 comic Journey to Mystery, but that one never stuck.

Whatever other costumes she cycled through, Natasha’s black suit has become the most recognizable look for her character. And despite its use in the films, there is something about it moviegoers wouldn’t know about it: In the comics, both the suit and Natasha’s weaponry were actually inspired by Spider-Man. That’s a relationship that doesn’t really exist in the MCU, but it’s one that shows up a few times on the page.