Marvel’s Ultimate Universe Officially Reboots an Iconic Avengers Hero… As Wolverine’s Next Fling?

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Ultimate Wolverine is about to come into conflict with his world’s Black Widow, but if Logan is this continuity’s Winter Solider, then his relationship with Natasha Romanova could be more than simply platonic. If this turns out to be the case, as Marvel Comics readers have begun to speculate, it will mean something far more significant, if, or perhaps when, the two come to blows.

The preview for Ultimate Wolverine #3 – written by Chris Condon, with art by Alessandro Cappuccio – has revealed the existence of Ultimate Black Widow, which raises some major questions about her relationship to Logan in this world.

In this universe, Logan is the Winter Soldier, brainwashed by the Eurasian Republic, formerly Russia, to act as an assassin against his former allies in the mutant resistance. Of course then, the Republic would have another classic Russian hero on side in Black Widow. However, as the preview reveals, Black Widow has betrayed the Republic to the mutant resistance. The question is now why.

Marvel’s “Ultimate Wolverine” Series Introduces Black Widow, And Fans Are Already Shipping The Characters

Ultimate Wolverine #3 – Written By Chris Condon; Art By Alessandro Cappuccio; Color By Bryan Valenza; Lettering By Corey Petit

One possible reason for Widow’s defection is because of her relationship with Logan. In the mainstream Marvel Universe, Natasha has a romance with Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier, and some fans think she could have something similar with Logan, who has been turned into the Ultimate version of the Winter Solider. This would set up an exciting dynamic, but also open the door to many questions. Ultimate Wolverine’s current brainwashed state is a fascinating entry-point for the series, but it also leaves much of his backstory to be explored.

Natasha’s existence in the Ultimate Universe is notable, because this world was shaped by the despotic Maker, who used time travel to stop the emergence of superheroes. This included delegating the problem of mutants to his pawns, the evil counterparts of X-Men heroes Magik and Colossus, who rule ‘Russia’ as a mutant concentration camp. This implies the Maker might have had a plan for Black Widow. His time travel couldn’t go as far back as WWII, so he couldn’t stop her origin, but maybe he ensured that she’d fall under his control regardless and never break her original assassin programming.

The First Incarnation Of Ultimate Black Widow Wasn’t A Hero

A Villainous Natasha Variant

This isn’t the first version of Ultimate Black Widow that readers have encountered before. The original 2000s Ultimate Universe had its own version of Natasha, and in that world, she was also a traitor, but it was the heroes she turned against. Her starring role came in writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch’s Ultimates 2. In that series, Natasha originally appears very similar to her mainstream Marvel counterpart, but eventually betrays the heroes to the Liberators, a collection of supervillains from countries allied against the United States of America, including, as her betrayal reveals, Russia.

Considering how radically different the current Ultimate Universe is from the original, a repeat of this arc is unlikely. Mark Millar’s conception of Ultimates 2 was based on the US’s arrogance at not expecting that the nations they’d declared enemies would come together to turn on the US. While this new incarnation of the continuity has its own sociopolitical commentary, it is very different from Millar’s, and consequently, if Black Widow betrayed her masters, only for it to be a double-cross, there wouldn’t be much of a thematic reason behind it.

Marvel Comics Readers Are On The Edge Of Their Seats Waiting To Find Out What Happens When Natasha Meets Logan

Tragedy Or Redemption, It Could Be Either/Or

The introduction of Ultimate Black Widow has Marvel Comics readers buzzing with speculation. If she betrayed her masters because of her feelings for Logan, then maybe she has a plan to bring him back from his brainwashed state. Readers don’t know how involved with the regime Black Widow was, so maybe she knows the details of their technology, or has stolen something that can be used to turn Logan back into the man she presumably knew. Or maybe this a double-feint, some piece of espionage to distract the Republic from whatever the resistance’s real goal is.

Finally, if Black Widow goes up against Logan, one of them might have to make a horrific choice to kill the other, or at least try. If Wolverine and Black Widow’s story is a classic spy story, then it’d be very genre-appropriate to have their tale end in tragedy. Spiescan’tbe happy in the end; their victories are hard-won and come with moral compromises and personal sacrifices. Black Widow might be about to be put in a tough spot, but if readers know anything, it’s never to count her, or Wolverine for that matter, out.

Ultimate Wolverine #3 will be available March 26, 2025 from Marvel Comics.

“}]] Ultimate Wolverine, meet Black Widow.  Read More