Black Widow Modern Key Issues: #1 (1999), Waid/Samnee, Thompson

Natasha Romanova, born Natalia Romanoff, was created by Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck, making her first appearance in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) as a Soviet spy dispatched against Iron Man. For twenty-five years she remained essentially a supporting character: she recruits Hawkeye in Tales of Suspense #57, dons her iconic black costume in Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970), and co-headlined Daredevil starting with issue #81 (1971). It was not until 1999 that Marvel finally gave her a solo series worthy of the name.

This guide focuses on modern keys: the 1999, 2016, and 2020 solo series. Methodology note: eBay values for Amazing Spider-Man #86 and Daredevil come from our estimator tool (30 and 47 listings respectively: sufficient coverage). Records for Tales of Suspense #52 and #57, and high-grade Amazing Spider-Man #86 sales, come exclusively from documented web sources (sellmycomicbooks.com, Heritage Auctions). For the modern solo series, no high-grade CGC sales are publicly documented in the databases surveyed; we stay qualitative where data is absent.

Black Widow modern key issues at a glance

All eBay data comes from our estimator tool (real completed sales, all conditions and printings blended). Silver/Bronze Age records are sourced from sellmycomicbooks.com and Heritage Auctions.

Sources: sellmycomicbooks.com, Heritage Auctions, mycomicscollection.com eBay estimator (30 listings ASM #86; 47 listings Daredevil). Data as of June 26, 2026.

Black Widow #1 (1999, Marvel Knights): the first solo series and Yelena Belova

Published in May 1999 under the Marvel Knights imprint, this three-issue miniseries written by Devin Grayson and drawn by J.G. Jones represents a milestone: for the first time in thirty-five years of publication history, Natasha Romanova had a series bearing her name. The story, two Black Widow program graduates racing to acquire the same bioweapon, pits Natasha against Yelena Belova, a younger, more malleable recruit determined to claim the title for herself. Black Widow #1 (1999) carries a double key designation: it is the first solo series in the character's history and the first full appearance of Yelena Belova, a character who has since become central to the MCU (Hawkeye series, Thunderbolts). Note that Yelena appears briefly in Inhumans #5 (March 1999); the #1 of this miniseries remains the standard reference for first full appearance. Raw NM copies trade regularly on eBay; CGC 9.8 copies are listed but no high-grade sale is publicly documented in the databases surveyed. Collector demand increased after Florence Pugh's breakthrough in the Black Widow film (2021, $379.8M worldwide) and the Hawkeye Disney+ series.

Black Widow #1 (2016, Waid & Samnee): the definitive modern run

Published in March 2016, this Black Widow #1 written by Mark Waid and drawn by Chris Samnee (also providing colors alongside Matthew Wilson) is widely regarded as the character's finest solo run. From the opening page, Natasha breaking out of the Triskelion with classified secrets, the series operates as a relentless narrative chase. The complete twelve-issue run achieves a visual and storytelling consistency rare in mainstream Marvel publishing; Samnee's deliberately cinematic line recalls the great tradition of espionage comics art. For collectors, the #1 is straightforwardly available in NM condition on the secondary market for under €20. Speculation on CGC 9.8 copies has remained moderate: the title did not receive a direct MCU adaptation that would have triggered a demand spike, which is exactly what makes it an intelligent collecting choice: a landmark book, exceptionally well crafted, available at a fair price.

Black Widow #1 (2020, Kelly Thompson): the most recent solo series

Launched in June 2020 by Kelly Thompson (writer) and Elena Casagrande (artist), this series takes a deliberate tonal departure: Natasha finds herself living what appears to be a normal life in San Francisco, complete with a husband and a child she has no memory of acquiring. The disorientation is the point. Thompson: known for her runs on Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) and Mr. & Mrs. X: delivers a psychologically driven story that broadens the character's emotional range beyond pure espionage thriller. The #1 is available raw at modest prices; J. Scott Campbell variant covers have attracted a share of the speculative market. The run benefited from the release of the Black Widow film in July 2021, which temporarily renewed interest across all solo series. No high-grade CGC sale data is publicly documented in the sources surveyed: remain qualitative on this title until auction house records are established.

Black Widow in the MCU: how film and television move comic prices

Portrayed by Scarlett Johansson from Iron Man 2 (2010) through Black Widow (2021), via The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), Natasha Romanova is one of the MCU's longest-serving characters. The solo Black Widow film (July 2021) grossed $379.8 million worldwide, released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access, according to Box Office Mojo. Every announcement of a returning character, particularly Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), renews demand for solo series keys, especially the 1999 #1 (first full Yelena). Silver Age keys like Tales of Suspense #52 remain out of reach for most collectors but stand as the character's absolute value benchmark. Modern keys offer the realistic alternative for building a meaningful Black Widow collection today.

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