The heroine Black Widow has been a loner for much of her early life. The Red Room in Russia trained her as a master assassin, and working as a spy meant she could trust no one. While she switched sides early in her Marvel appearances, she was still someone who didn’t trust many people and kept to herself more often than not.
However, Black Widow was also someone who was a fiercely faithful friend to those she allowed in her inner circle. While those friends were rare, when she found a trusted ally, it was someone she would fight to the death to defend. From the Avengers to her spy circles and from comics to the movies, Black Widow has some powerful allies that she trusts with her life.
Iron Man
When Black Widow first appeared in Marvel Comics, she was an Iron Man villain along with other Russian agents like Crimson Dynamo and Red Guardian.
However, Widow wanted to defect, and she switched sides and came to America to serve as a hero. In both the comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of her first allies was Iron Man. The two worked together over the years, although things ended up strained in the movies.
Red Widow
Black Widow saved Ava Orlova when the future Red Widow was a child. The Russian mafia held her captive, and Black Widow rescued her and trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. to bring the young girl to America.
However, at first, she hated Black Widow for not coming back to help her and she remained locked up by S.H.I.E.L.D. for years before escaping and taking on the Red Widow identity. Over time, she began patterning her career after Black Widow and tried to follow in her footsteps.
Captain Marvel
Black Widow and Captain Marvel were close allies and friends even before Carol Danvers took on the role of Ms. Marvel and gained her superpowers.
The two worked together very early on, along with Nick Fury, to rescue Wolverine from Hydra operatives early in his Weapon X existence. In modern times, the two still team up when needed, and their years-long partnership helped create a trusted ally for the Black Widow.
Daredevil
Black Widow and Daredevil were more than just allies in the superhero game. They were lovers, and she was with Matt Murdock longer than anyone other than Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. It was an odd-couple pairing, as Widow was a spy and Murdock an attorney.
They ended up living together and working as a team in San Francisco, but their relationship didn’t last. They broke up and Daredevil went back to the East Coast. However, they are still friends and have a flirtatious relationship to this day.
Nick Fury
The relationship between Black Widow and Nick Fury was strong in both the comics and the MCU, although it was with different versions of the Fury character. In the comics, it was the original Nick Fury that brought Black Widow into America and became one of her closest allies.
The new Nick Fury is the original’s son but does not share the same relationship with Black Widow. However, this new Fury pays homage to the Ultimates version, which itself influenced Samuel L. Jackson’s MCU portrayal.
Maria Hill
In the MCU, there is not much known about the personal relationship between Black Widow and Maria Hill. However, in the comics, the relationship is strong.
Maria Hill took over as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. after Nick Fury and she remained close with Black Widow through the transition. In the 2021 Taskmaster miniseries by Jed MacKay and Alessandro Vitti, Maria Hill faked her own death, framing Taskmaster. Black Widow set out for vengeance to avenge her ally’s death.
Winter Soldier
Black Widow received her training in the Russian Red Room organization while the Winter Soldier received his training and brainwashing by Russian agents in the comics. During the time they were both there, Winter Soldier and Black Widow fell in love.
However, with both working as assassins for the Russian government, the forces in charge tore them apart. They ended up reuniting in modern times and had another brief relationship, although Widow’s memories of Bucky had been erased. Black Widow and Winter Soldier remain firm allies to this day.
Yelena Belova
The two main Black Widow characters in Marvel Comics are Natalia Romanova and Yelena Belova. They had a love-hate relationship that goes back to Natalia defecting and Yelena becoming the Red Room’s deadliest assassin.
However, while they fought several times in the past, the two are now allies. Yelena came to her aid recently when Natalia had her mind altered, arriving to ensure that Natalia gained her revenge. In 2021’s Black Widow movie, the two shared an even closer bond.
Captain America
Black Widow and Captain America have been powerful allies in the movies and comics. The two actually have a long history, with Captain America saving her in World War II and the two later worked together to save Wolverine.
In modern times, they worked together in the Avengers and on Cap’s solo missions. In the MCU, they are even closer. Black Widow took Captain America’s side in both the war with S.H.I.E.L.D. in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and against Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War.
Hawkeye
Black Widow’s most trusted ally in the MCU is also one of her most trusted allies in Marvel Comics. In the movies, it was Hawkeye who aided Black Widow with the Budapest mission, securing her defection.
Black Widow sacrificed her life to save Hawkeye in Avengers: Endgame, something that might come back to haunt him in his upcoming Disney+ series. In the comics, they are also close allies and he has been there to back her up anytime she needs help.