Black Widow Comics: The Complete Collector's Guide

Black Widow is a Silver Age creation: Stan Lee (plot), Don Rico (script/dialogue, under the pseudonym "N. Korok"), and Don Heck (art) introduced her in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) as a Soviet spy tasked with eliminating Tony Stark. She is not yet in the black costume — that look does not arrive until 1970. The next key issue involving her, Tales of Suspense #57 (January 1965), marks the first appearance of Clint Barton as Hawkeye, whom she recruits to fight Iron Man. In 1970, The Amazing Spider-Man #86 gives her the black costume for the first time. She then co-headlines Daredevil starting with issue #81 (November 1971). The first true solo — Black Widow #1 (1999, Marvel Knights, Devin Grayson and J.G. Jones) — was followed by multiple relaunches, including the acclaimed 2016 run by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee.

This guide sticks to the verifiable. One methodological note: our eBay estimator does not cover Tales of Suspense (it returns invalid parameters for that series) or the Black Widow solo runs. Silver Age valuations come exclusively from documented web sources (sellmycomicbooks.com, Heritage Auctions, Metropolis Comics). By contrast, Amazing Spider-Man and Daredevil are fully covered by the estimator — eBay medians cited in this guide come from real live data (30 to 47 listings per issue). Where no public record exists, we stay qualitative.

Black Widow key issue ranking (real documented data)

Tales of Suspense values come from web sources (eBay estimator unavailable for this series). Amazing Spider-Man and Daredevil eBay medians come from the real-time estimator (data as of June 26, 2026).

Sources: sellmycomicbooks.com, Metropolis Comics / ourquadcities.com (Dec. 2024), mycomicscollection.com eBay estimator (live data, June 26, 2026).

Tales of Suspense #52 (1964): the Silver Age grail

Published in April 1964, Tales of Suspense #52 is the definitive Black Widow key. Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck introduce Natasha Romanova as a KGB operative sent to destroy Tony Stark — an antagonist, not yet a hero. The black costume and iconic accessories (Widow's Line, electro-sting gauntlets) do not arrive for several years; yet this original version, glamorous and deadly, is precisely what Silver Age collectors pursue. Our eBay estimator does not cover Tales of Suspense: all figures here come from specialist sources. The documented record is $15,000 (CGC 9.6 Pacific Coast Pedigree, Heritage Auctions, 2014) — a CGC 9.4 trades below this record (no major public 9.4 sale documented). A CGC 7.5 was listed at $2,099 at DaleRobertsComics in early 2025. Ungraded raw copies in VG condition trade around $150 and FN around $400. Liquidity is real — Heritage Auctions and GoCollect document several dozen recorded sales.

Tales of Suspense #57 (1965): first Hawkeye, Black Widow returns

Tales of Suspense #57 (January 1965) is a double key: the first appearance of Clint Barton as Hawkeye, recruited by Black Widow to fight Iron Man. In December 2024, Metropolis Comics set a new record when a CGC 9.8 Curator pedigree copy sold for $210,000 — doubling the previous record of $102,000 set in June 2022. This issue attracts both Black Widow and Hawkeye collectors simultaneously; lower-grade copies remain more accessible, but high-grade examples have reached spectacular levels.

Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970): the black costume debut

The Amazing Spider-Man #86 (July 1970) is the Bronze Age issue where Natasha Romanova first wears her full black costume — the look that defines every subsequent adaptation, including the MCU. Roy Thomas scripts and John Romita draws. This issue appeals to two collector bases at once: Spider-Man collectors and Black Widow collectors. Our eBay estimator covers this title with 30 listings: blended median across all grades at €13, with the high end reaching €93. That spread reflects the wide range of grades on the market — a well-preserved copy can trade considerably above the blended median. It is an accessible issue that retains genuine upside in high grade.

The Daredevil era (1971–1975): Black Widow as co-headliner

Starting with Daredevil #81 (November 1971), Black Widow joins Matt Murdock as the title's official co-star — her name appears on the cover. This run, lasting through approximately issue #107, marks the first time she leads a shared series. Our estimator covers Daredevil well: issue #81 shows an eBay median of €9 across 47 listings (high: €19), issue #90 a median of €9 across 38 listings, and the centennial issue #100 reaches a median of €15 across 42 listings (high: €28). These issues are financially accessible and represent a coherent entry point for building the Bronze Age chapter of a Black Widow collection without significant financial exposure.

Modern solos: a matter of readability and accessibility

Black Widow's first true solo series is Black Widow #1 (1999, Marvel Knights), written by Devin Grayson and drawn by J.G. Jones in a style influenced by European graphic novels. Further relaunches followed in 2004, 2010, and then the critically acclaimed 2016 run by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee — praised for balancing spy action with psychological depth. Kelly Thompson relaunched the title in 2020. These modern series are widely available today and make an excellent entry point for new collectors. Our estimator does not cover the Black Widow solo series; prices for modern issues in good condition are generally modest, though signed copies, variants, or debut issues can trade well above the typical range. The 2021 MCU film Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) grossed $379.8 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo — a solid popularity signal that supports sustained collector demand for the Silver Age keys.