Natasha Romanova, also known as Black Widow, is a skilled agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a key ally to Hawkeye. After a terrorist attack on Tony Stark's satellite launch by Ezekiel Stane, she was dispatched to track down and escort Tony Stark to the Helicarrier for a debriefing with Nick Fury, though Stark ultimately escaped. When intelligence revealed that Iron Man had allied with the Punisher in Karachi, Nick Fury assigned Natasha and Hawkeye to apprehend Stark, giving them less than one hour to complete the mission. During the pursuit, the Punisher created a diversion that enabled both himself and Iron Man to evade capture, and he commandeered Natasha and Hawkeye’s vehicle to aid his escape. Later, when Iron Man confronted Ezekiel Stane in Shanghai, Natasha and Hawkeye moved to capture both. While transporting them on the Helicarrier, Ezekiel Stane deployed his techno-organic weapons, targeting Natasha directly. Hawkeye intervened to shield her from the assault. Natasha, together with Hawkeye, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill, then received a transmission in which Ezekiel Stane threatened to destroy humanity. Earlier in her life, Natasha was involved in a romantic relationship with a man named Elihas Starr.