Black Widow: Bronze Age key issues

Black Widow is a Silver Age creation: Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck introduced her in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) as a Soviet spy sent to eliminate Tony Stark. That founding issue is not covered by our eBay estimator, but documented data shows a record of $15,000 in CGC 9.6 (Pacific Coast Pedigree, 2014); a CGC 9.4 trades below this record (no major public 9.4 sale documented); and approximately $9,000 in CGC 9.0 — it is a Silver Age key in a class of its own. The Bronze Age, by contrast, redefines the character both visually and narratively: it is the era that transformed Natasha from antagonist into a full-fledged heroine.

This guide sticks to the verifiable: eBay medians from our estimator (data as of 2026-06-26) and records documented by specialist sources. Where no public figure exists, we stay qualitative. Medians cover all conditions and printings (blended); high-grade CGC copies command substantially higher prices on the US market.

Black Widow Bronze Age key issues (real data)

eBay medians from our estimator (all conditions and printings combined); supplemented by documented records on the US market.

Sources: mycomicscollection.com eBay estimator (30–47 listings per title, updated 2026-06-26). Medians cover all conditions and printings; high-grade CGC copies trade substantially higher on the US market.

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

Published in July 1970, Amazing Spider-Man #86 is the issue that gave Black Widow her definitive look. Stan Lee wrote the script; John Romita Sr. pencilled the new form-fitting black costume, reportedly inspired by the 1940s Miss Fury comic strip. The story retells Natasha Romanoff's origin: she discards her old outfit and dons this new costume as a symbolic rebirth. Spider-Man crosses paths with her, a brief fight follows, and the iconic silhouette that would carry through to the MCU is established. Our eBay estimator records a median of €13 across 30 sales (low €9, high €93 for better-preserved copies). On the US CGC market, available data shows a CGC 7.5 copy selling at $135 and a CGC 9.2 copy passing through Heritage Auctions. This issue is the natural Bronze Age entry point for any Black Widow collector: it is the visual foundation of the character's entire modern identity.

Daredevil #81 (1971): Natasha joins Matt Murdock's series

Daredevil #81 (November 1971, titled "And Death is a Woman Called Widow") marks Black Widow's official entry into the Daredevil series. Gerry Conway wrote the script, Gene Colan provided the art. Conway introduced Natasha as co-star in order to "re-energize the title" — in his own words — by building a romantic dynamic between her and Matt Murdock. The gambit worked: the series was renamed Daredevil and the Black Widow starting with issue #92, running through #107. For that sixteen-issue stretch (1972–1974), Black Widow was a full co-headliner in both cover credits and storyline. Our estimator records a median of €9 across 47 sales for #81 (low €6, high €19). A CGC 9.6 copy sold for $1,200 in December 2021 according to available data; CGC 9.0 copies are currently listed around $170. This is a jumbo-sized squarebound issue, notoriously difficult to find in high grade with the spine intact.

Daredevil #92 (1972): the title changes its name

From Daredevil #92 (October 1972) onward, the cover officially reads "Daredevil and the Black Widow" — a clear signal that Natasha is no longer a guest star but a co-protagonist. This sixteen-issue run is often cited as the first true co-starring series for Black Widow in Marvel history. Our estimator records a median of €9 across 40 sales (low €9, high €19). These issues remain accessible and make a coherent foundation for building a complete Bronze Age Black Widow run.

Silver Age context: Tales of Suspense #52 and #57

To place the Bronze Age keys in their proper lineage: Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) is Black Widow's first appearance, created by Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck. It is a major Silver Age key — our estimator does not cover this series, but documented data shows a record of $15,000 in CGC 9.6 (Pacific Coast Pedigree, 2014); a CGC 9.4 trades below this record (no major public 9.4 sale documented); and approximately $9,000 in CGC 9.0. Tales of Suspense #57 (September 1964) introduces Hawkeye — recruited by Natasha in that very issue — and reached $210,000 in CGC 9.8 (Curator Collection, Metropolis Comics), doubling the previous record of $102,000 set in June 2022. Both issues belong to a fundamentally different collecting tier from the Bronze Age keys: they target collectors prepared to invest several thousand dollars, whereas Amazing Spider-Man #86 and Daredevil #81 remain genuinely accessible.

Black Widow in the MCU: the effect on key issue values

Scarlett Johansson first played Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2 (2010) and remained central to the MCU through Avengers: Endgame (2019). The standalone Black Widow film (2021) grossed $379.8 million at the worldwide box office, confirming the character's commercial reach. That sustained MCU presence supports collector interest in Bronze Age keys — Amazing Spider-Man #86 in particular, whose black costume is the direct visual source for every on-screen iteration of the character.