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.