As Marvel Studios has once again postponed Black Widow‘s release, it gives us some time to brush up on our comic history. The film will focus on Natasha Romanoff’s history with the Red Room. It is a top-secret Soviet institute that turned young women into elite assassins. Of course, Natasha was once a member before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. at an unknown point. The upcoming film will dive deep into the various characters from her past who all may have deep ties with the secret organization. So, let’s use this opportunity to dive deep into the various characters in 400 words or less.
Melina Vostokoff is more famous as the assassin Iron Maiden. She made her initial appearance in Marvel Fanfare #11 in 1983. Her name is due to her flexible metal costume that covers her entire body. She was a Russian agent who lived in the shadow of Black Widow during her time working for the government. At one point, she broke off from Russia to work as a freelancer. In one mission, she had the chance to assassinate her once hated rival. She worked alongside others but was the only one able to keep with Natasha only to get interrupted by a S.H.I.E.L.D. team. She would often return to take on the Avengers multiple times. At one point, she joined the female super-criminal army Femizons. Melina also was captured by Thunderbolt’s Joystick during the Superhuman Registration Act.
Rachel Weisz will portray the character in the upcoming Black Widow film. This version of the character will have close ties to the Red Room. She acts as a mother-figure to Natasha alongside David Harbour‘s Alexei Shostakov. It is unsure what her role in the story would be. The character’s villainous nature could point to her betraying the family at some point in the story. It sadly would be a rather dramatic turn given how much Natasha seems to be focusing on reuniting them. There could also be ties to Taskmaster, who currently has taken over control of the Red Room. Sadly, we won’t see her iconic Iron Maid outfit, but maybe they’ll add a tribute to her comic design.
