be_compromised | Meta: Celebrating the Black Widow

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Meta: Celebrating the Black Widow

halfamoon is a community that dedicates a fortnight to celebrating female characters. I didn’t get all my ducks in a row this year and I'm not as ready as I'd like to be.

I intended to make a post to celebrate all things Natasha Romanoff (movie canon) and I have about a half-dozen gen or Natasha-centric fic recs but I would love more of your favourites. I would also love any meta people have written that I can link to (or quote, with your permission).

I think Natasha is extremely undervalued by large parts of fandom/movie critics/the 'average' male fan who see her as pretty eye candy. I think this ignores how large a role she played in the Avengers. She's not flashy, she's not looking for the spotlight or leadership role, so it's understandable that people wouldn't call her the 'star', but she certainly is the person who pushes the plot forward the most.

Badass Things Natasha Did in The Avengers:

- she has herself purposefully 'captured' in order to lower the defences of her captors so they will reveal information to her. She shows that she could've broken free at any moment and was only there because she needed something from them.

- she tracks down Bruce, lures him out to the outskirts of town and convinces him to come in to SHIELD, showing an impressive level of calm considering the situation and her knowledge of what he can become. We see that she is not unflappable. That she is scared of certain things (yet is not scared of Loki).

- she is able to joke and put both Steve and Bruce at ease, starting up an easy camaraderie that will be essential for team dynamics later

- she subverts Loki's expectations, coming to him first, before the torture he expects. He had her cast in the role of good cop, someone to arrive as a false spectre of salvation to get him to confide in her when he is weak - he underestimates her and Natasha uses this assumption against him, she uses what he believes he knows about her relationship with Clint against him (by acting upset and desperate, by intimating that she might consider trading the world for one man)

- she purposefully allows herself to look weak, broken and scared. When she is at her most 'vulnerable' is when Loki is at his most confident and he lets slip that unleashing the Hulk is his plan

- when Natasha hears that Barton is on board, she knows that she has to step up and go after him because no one else can. She does this despite having recently been chased down by the Hulk and hearing from Loki how he plans for Barton to kill her 'in every way she fears most', she shows incredible courage when she moves from where she's huddled and stands up

- Natasha single-handedly kicks Loki out of Barton's brain

- Natasha hitches a ride on an alien flying ship, steering it to the top of Stark Tower where she then uses the sceptre to close the portal and SAVING THE DAY

Conclusion: Natasha is the real hero of this film, the unsung hero - just the way she likes it.

Okay, but what about her characterization? With such a large ensemble cast we only get glimpses of Natasha's character (perhaps because it's all she's willing to show us). We know that she is a person who plays things close to the chest (but is not robotic or awkward, she is a social chameleon, adapting to any situation and able to joke with strangers easily) we get a hint of her motives, of her past and an explanation for WHY she fights to save the world.

She has just as tragic back-story as any of the Avengers, but it will never be explored in more depth (unless we get a Black Widow movie) because while Natasha uses her vulnerabilities to manipulate or extract information from others (friends and foes alike), she is a very liquid character and it’s hard to know what to believe.

We know that she started as a young girl, that she made a name for herself with unsavoury means, that SHIELD wanted her dead, but Barton made a different call. But by the time of The Avengers, she seems to hold Fury’s complete trust and seems to be doing her best at hiding her distress at Barton’s disappearance.

We learn that she has also suffered from mind-control/brainwashing and has survived, although it has become something that is now always part of her now.

So send me links to your Natasha-love! Meta, speculation, fic recs is all welcome and I will do my best to properly attribute everything to it's source.

Oh, and check out

halfamoon if you have the time!

[Mods, let me know if you want me to edit the tags for this post, I wasn't sure what to use]

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Recently, a friend came over and we watched The Avengers. Said friend asked me who my favorite Avenger was. I hesitated to answer and gave the "real fan" answer of "that depends." (It's a personal theory that you know you're talking to a fan of something, rather than just a casual viewer, if the answer to just about any question regarding said thing is "that depends.") But after a moment, I clarified:

"In the context of this movie, Black Widow."

And I meant it. To me, Widow is the central character. She is in nearly every scene and is, in many ways, the narrator. It's difficult to sell me on female characters in generals. I have high standards for them. But for this movie? Natasha-freaking-Romanov. End of story.

I agree. Perhaps not the main character in terms of personality (Tony is much more of a star in that respect), but I think she prefers to fade into the background and doesn't begrudge Tony his fans or Steve being seen as the 'leader' of the team. It's hard to do a spy's work in the spot-light. But she certainly is the person who does the most to direct the plot in this film.

Exactly.

To me, Natasha's strength as a female icon is that she refuses to let herself be defined by the expectations of others. She makes her own choices and stands by them - escaping the Red Room (that's comic-verse, but her "You know that I do" line brings that in); joining S.H.I.E.L.D. and doing the work she does even if "normal" people would shake their heads at her willingness to be beaten for her interrogations; releasing Clint from restraints; deciding to go to war even though she's just been told by her partner that she's "a spy, not a soldier". That ledger is hers to clear, and she will do so, on her own terms.

That ledger is hers to clear, and she will do so, on her own terms

that is Natasha, perfectly and precisely stated.

Natasha's strength as a female icon is that she refuses to let herself be defined by the expectations of others. She makes her own choices and stands by them
I agree. In fact, she takes those expectations and either subverts or manipulates them to get what she wants. When people think they already have a label for you, you can use that to your advantage and surprise them or get them to underestimate you.

That ledger is hers to clear, and she will do so, on her own terms.
Perfection. She does EVERYTHING on her own terms.

Celebrating Natasha is an excellent idea!

My worry for Natasha isn't that she's undervalued or underappreciated (although that's true), because that's exactly how the Black Widow would like it, and it's almost poetic in a sense. My worry is that she is constantly misused, in both canon and fanon. She's the best spy in the wold, and people forget that in favor of turning her into an emotionless assassin (or in the case of canon male writers, their fantasy, whatever it happens to be). I want to see a Black Widow movie that celebrates the sneaky ways in which a spy can be a superhero. I want to see Natasha pulling a Batman Gambit in fanfic more often...

But by the time of The Avengers, she seems to hold Fury’s complete trust

Good catch on that, and also true in Iron Man 2. My headcanon is that as two kindred spirits they have a father-daughter type relationship.

You know that scene in IM2 where Fury and Natasha talk to Tony? Fury is pretty much proud of Natasha there, or that's at least how I remember this scene (I watched IM2 just once, might have to rewatch it). But yes, agreeing here - Natasha has Fury's trust, she is the superspy, she is efficient, skilled and extremely professional. Fic tends to forget that, and it remains to be seen how she'll be treated in following movies. I know I LOVED her in Avengers and I would like to see more of that Natasha, please.

You know that scene in IM2 where Fury and Natasha talk to Tony? Fury is pretty much proud of Natasha there, or that's at least how I remember this scene

Yes- I've seen the movie a few times (and by that I mean I watched it once and have watched the Black Widow parts more times) and that's my impression there.

I know I LOVED her in Avengers and I would like to see more of that Natasha, please.

Yes! I hope her role in Cap 2 is up to the Avengers standard.

I want to see a Black Widow movie that celebrates the sneaky ways in which a spy can be a superhero. I want to see Natasha pulling a Batman Gambit in fanfic more often.
Oooh, I would LOVE that, maybe where she plays a double-agent or something and has to solve a crime to clear her name.

Yes! Also, have you read Name of the Rose by Marjorie Liu? It might be right up your alley (other than a couple of the covers, the art is pretty good).

YAY, NATASHA FOR

halfamoon!

Okay, there is so much fic out there that I'm gonna keep quiet on that for now, but yell if you feel short *grins*, but I can you help you out on meta links:

workerbee73 has some brilliant meta here and here which cover both Natasha and Clint, but seperately as well as together with some fascinating insights.

Black Widow meta from gyzym on tumblr - ties in with what you were saying in your post, and gyzym's thoughts always have an impact on me.

some thoughts from marinarusalka on dreamwidth, focus on emotional vulnterability.

I did some thinky thoughts of my own at one point *grins*: Some Thoughts On Black Widow, Remaking, And Reclaiming. Influenced a lot and quotes from the links I've just given you.

From hellotailer The costumes and characters of The Avengers: Black Widow and Hawkeye - they're always an interesting read.

Why Natasha Matters from scifigrl47 on tumblr, enough said.

fuckyeahblackwidow is focussed on Natasha in comics, but the essays and thoughts there are made of win.

There is of course wikipedia and marvel wiki to help with illustrating points, clarifying those niggling bits of info, kicking off thoughts, etc.

I'm also going to link you to some vids, because sometimes I find that the rearrangement of scenes or what have you can make me see something I've been missing. And also because NATASHA VIDS *grins*:

we are a hurricane by sheryloh, short and punchy.

In the Bullpen by genusshrike, not the best footage in the world but one of my favourite Natasha vids for what it says.

Do It Like A Dude by angelwings4191. I have...issues with the idea of Natasha needing to be like a 'dude' to be kickass, but if I watch it as sarcastic it works. Depends on your viewing eye.

One Girl Revolution by hisGrLfriday, the anthem for halfamoon for me, heh.

'Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red' by ElleKatey1, Natasha: past and present.

Because I'm Awesome by taliakarn, punchy.

Black Widow Trailer by katalizi, enough said.

And because reasons:

So What by kaydeefalls, a marvel ladies vid.

Wonderland by TatyanaOracle, one of my favourite Clint/Natasha vids, looking at them through Natasha's eyes.

Okay, I'm gonna shut up and go away now, but recs ^ :D

PS tags beem a-okay to me, just added a few more for good luck and finding later reasons :)

Edited 2013-02-06 16:03 (UTC)

OH GOSH, THIS COMMENT IS MADE OF WIN! I'm not friends with many vid-makers so I'm kinda separated from that part of fandom, but I still love them. I just don't know where to look to find good ones - so mega thanks for all of the recs!!!! I can't wait to watch them and read all that meta.

Recs = <3 Enjoy! For vids mostly I just trawl YouTube or check my favourite vidders every so often *shrugs*.

Looking forward to your

halfamoon post of Natasha wonderfulness :D

Awesome recs! I've spent hours on the FYBW blog.

I haven't seen half of those videos *goes to explore*

Hours and hours *nods in agreement*. Enjoy! :D

I think it's pretty hard to make movies like "Avengers" and do them well, because one of the things you should do as a writer/director/creator is give everyone a chance to shine, without using the strategy of ... how to put it? Diminishing one person's strengths so that other one could appear stronger, better, more skilled, more something. I find that Avengers managed to avoid this pitfall (that's my opinion, my own personal feeling about it) and presented us with a group of characters who are all majestic, heroic and effed up at the same time. They all have strengths and weakness and good sides as well as bad ones. Natasha is my favorite Avenger for many reasons; there is a constant struggle going on around and within her, and yet she stands up, makes her choices, does things which affect and further the plot, save and help people.

I love her scene with Loki. How do you lie to master liar? By offering a bit of truth, Natasha knows this, so she bares a vulnerable part of herself and offers it as a bait to Loki, who takes a bite and it hurts, but still Natasha gets the information she needs - Loki plans to unleash Hulk. It's sort of divide and conquer type of plan, where he counts on weaknesses among Avengers to divide them (which actually happens). I love how there's a price to pay for this fallout and all the emotional damage Loki did, and not counting Thor, I think he did most to Natasha and Clint. When Clint asks her why she wants to go into war, and she gets all sad and quiet (and openly shows emotion, so NO, she is not unemotional or cold or lacking conscience; I don't think so!) all we get is her reply that she was compromised and wants to wipe away all the red from her ledger. All through the movie we are given this Natasha, one who has courage, skill, intelligence, emotions, fears, loyalty. She is complex and imperfect and not easy to get to know, but she is intriguing and amazing.

Some recs? One of my favorite Natasha - fics is Congratulations on your birthday (http://archiveofourown.org/works/432805/chapters/733302) by

ashen_key. Summary: Between an ordinary little Russian girl living with her parents and an ex-Soviet assassin-turned-Avenger living in America are thirty-one birthdays, each celebrated (or not) a different way. and warnings for: assassination, child abuse, child death, brainwashing. Beautifully written, with so much insight into Natasha, we get to see her as a little girl in both happy and unhappy times of her life, as a sister, friend, lover. Written by the same author; As a badge of a beating heart (http://archiveofourown.org/works/476375) is a wonderful fic about Natasha and colors and how she creates her experience of the world and herself through the clothes she chooses to wear. Wonderful read. (No warnings for this fic).

Another among my favorites is The Child takers (http://inkvoices.livejournal.com/81245.html) by

inkvoices, a very poetic and somewhat darker take on Natasha, the little girl who was taken, brought up to be a means to an end, a sort of killing-puppet who unleashes death when her owners pull her strings. And yet all through this very had part of her life she is trying to find and define who she herself is. WARNINGS for this fic, as author lists them, include: child abuse, murder, violent murder, murder of children, things that explode out of people (aliens), implied rape, implied underage sex, implied sex as a means to get close and kill someone, vampires, possible desire to commit suicide, massacre.

To me, Natasha is pretty much endless inspiration, and I could talk more, but I'm deciding to take a pause here, for the time being. I am loving this post. <3!

*sneaks in* I love your love of that fic, and squeee, rec! *twirls you* Also, there might just be an email of dancing in your inbox x *sneaks back out*

I wish to hell I could find the tumblr post that supports everything you say with similar itemizing and summarizes it with, "Hey guys! Remember when The Black Widow formed the Avengers and saved the world?" Because that's exactly how you can take the whole movie.
FOUUUUND IIIIIT:

Guys, hey, guys. Do you remember (http://rachaelsrambles.tumblr.com/post/30861020269/guys-hey-guys-do-you-remember-that-time-that)

The other tumblr post I don't think I'm going to be able to find and credit displays the moment of, "Natasha. Barton's been compromised," and says (paraphrasing), "And thus begins the movie of 'Natasha Romanoff Goes To Get Back Her Man.'"

ETA: Also, one of the conclusions I've come to after seeing the film multiple times: my first impression in the "Natasha outsmarts Loki" scene was that she was faking all her vulnerability and emotion to fool Loki. Now my thought on it is that she wasn't faking. She allowed it to emerge because she knew Loki would be best fooled by genuine emotion. She's just able to swallow it back when she's got what she needs from Loki, because she's just that badass.

Edited 2013-02-06 17:36 (UTC)

Bless this post. You have perfectly encapsulated just how awesome Natasha is, and why I like her so much. Thanks for sharing this!

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Meta: Celebrating the Black Widow

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