While the MCU’s version of Black Widow prepares to do battle alongside her “sisters” in her first solo feature film, Widow in the comics is defending Marvel’s women from galactic-sized threats. In Avengers #30, Natasha has donned the impressive War Widow armor as she and her fellow teammates defended a pregnant woman who received the Starbrand. In light of the previous bearer of the Starbrand going mad and causing devastation across the cosmos, Gladiator and the Heralds of Galactus sought to kill the woman, Suzanne Shelby, and her child before they could do the same.

Because of this, Gladiator, Silver Surfer, Firelord, and Terrax found themselves in a situation where they had to justify how killing Suzanne and her unborn child would be in the best interest of the universe’s safety. Despite the chaos and destruction the previous Starbrand had inflicted in his madness, to say that Suzanne and her baby would be a threat on par with her predecessor was flimsy, to say the least. And Black Widow pointed out one other glaringly obvious fact; the former Heralds are all men.

As Black Widow literally fought to protect this woman whom she had never met, she’s on the front-line of the philosophical battlefield as well. What she saw was four men who each had immense power, some granted to them by the planet-eater Galactus, and had decided to take on the roles of judge, jury, and executioners themselves. It’s a point that isn’t totally lost on Silver Surfer, who at the end of the day believes in hope above all else. While the Heralds and Gladiator have valid points about the “potential” damage one can do with the Starbrand, it doesn’t mean Suzanne or her daughter will.

After all, most of the Starbrands in the past have been some of Marvel’s most powerful heroes. The Starbrand power gives the user god-like powers and almost limitless abilities. So the fact that most of the time those entrusted with the power have fought on the side of good is rather remarkable. If Black Widow hadn’t been there to get through to Silver Surfer about the absurdity of their actions, who knows how the battle might have turned out? One thing that is for sure is that Suzanne died in childbirth and now her infant daughter bares the Starbrand. How these events will play out, and what happens when a newborn is granted the powers of a god, remains to be seen. But you can bet Black Widow will always stand up for oppressed women everywhere.

Avengers #30 is available now.

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