Warning: Spoilers for Marvel Zombies: Black, White, & Blood #1!
More horrifying than her death in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow sufferd a truly gruesome fate at the hands of another hero in Marvel Zombies: Black, White & Blood. Among the casualties of Avengers: Endgame was Black Widow, who dropped to her death on planet Vormir, so that Hawkeye could retrieve the Soul Stone. Her sacrifice was brutal – but it was tame compared to her death at the hands of an undead Daredevil.
Marvel Zombies: Black, White & Blood #1 featured a truly horrifying fate for Black Widow, as she briefly appeared in the story “Undefeated” – by Garth Ennis, Rachael Stott, and VC’s Clayton Cowles – where she is forced into a fight with the zombified Man Without Fear, Daredevil. Unfortunately, Natasha comes out on the losing end in the worst way.
Black Widow does not survive the encounter – with the death absolutely ranking as the worst in her history, far surpassing the suffering of her Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart, and lacking any of that death’s nobility and purpose, simply standing as a tragic cameo.
Zombie Daredevil Kills Black Widow
The story of Marvel Zombies: Black, White & Blood #1 focuses on a zombified Daredevil in a world that is not only overrun by zombies, but many of these same mindless creatures have been forced into an underground fight club by the surviving humans. Daredevil is one of these creatures enslaved to engage in combat for sport and entertainment. His opponent in this issue is someone who’s proven to be a combat specialist in both life and death, Black Widow. Despite the skills she garnered in life, it proves of no use as a zombie when Daredevil gifts her a permanent death after tearing her face off.
As is the case with the majority of heroes within the Marvel Universe, especially when considering its vast multiverse, Black Widow is no stranger to dying. She’s died at the hands of fellow Avenger Captain America, and even at the hands of her frequent ally Hawkeye, but she has a very different relationship with Daredevil, historically. While she has shared the page with Cap and Clint merely as platonic partners, Daredevil and Black Widow were at one time one of Marvel’s best couples. That is one reason why this death is so heartbreaking, in addition to the sheer unpleasant bruality of its violence.
The Worst Death Any Version Of Black Widow Ever Suffered
Of course, it is naturally gruesome given the nature of this death, but gruesome doesn’t leave as strong of an impression without some kind of connection. Knowing that Black Widow and Daredevil once loved each other dearly in life is what makes their confrontation in Black, White & Blood #1 even more brutal than it already appears on the surface. Daredevil didn’t just rip off the face of a fellow hero, but a face belonging to the best lover (and liar) he’s ever known. Black Widow has suffered many unfortunate deaths in the past, but this one, in particular, is arguably her most personal and cold-blooded to date.
Marvel Zombies: Black, White & Blood #1 is available now from Marvel.
