Name: Jenny Age: 25 Contact Info:cephalopods Other Characters: Fiona (Borderlands) and Tifa (Final Fantasy VII)
Character Information
Name: Natasha Romanov Canon: Marvel 616 Age: Looks to be late 20s, is actually about 80. Gender: Female Canon Point: Captain America vol 5 #35 (for reference this is immediately post Civil War, when Bucky becomes Captain America) Background Link:Here! Inventory: - a black catsuit and gloves made out of a strong, protective kevlar-like mesh. - a pair of black boots and socks - her belt (some of the segments are compartments to store things, while others are tiny discs that she can throw to electrocute enemies, but these will be removed, if that's okay)
Her weapons and fancy spy gauntlets will be confiscated!
Personality: Natasha was born in former Stalingard (now Volgograd) around 1928 as Natalia Romanova. Her history has changed over decades of comics retconning and revising, but the gist of it basically stays the same: She was orphaned and rescued by a man called Ivan Petrovich. By the late 1930s, she had attracted the interest of the Soviet government, who began to train her in espionage. This would chart the course for the rest of Natasha's life.
She witnessed the worst of Soviet Russia and World War II, and has undergone an incredible amount of hardships in her life, as well as sometimes brutal training. For a long time, this is all Natasha knew. Her loyalty was to Russia, made perhaps unavoidable by KGB brainwashing. When Natasha entered the Black Widow program following World War II, she rose quickly through the ranks to become the best operative in the program's history.
This means, of course, that Natasha has a bloody past. She started off as something of a villain, and after escaping KGB control with the help of Clint Barton, really struggled with how to reclaim her life. She's gone through years and years of figuring out how to come to terms with her past and who she is, and this has shaped her heavily.
Natasha is a very private person. She has secrets, and there are parts of herself and her life that she will never, ever share with anyone. None of the people she knows, even her closest friends and lovers, know everything about her, and that's how she likes it. For all her difficulty, though, she has come to accept her past and doesn't regret most of it. Unlike similar characters with such backstories, she's moved past her guilt and made the decision to atone by becoming better. Natasha wants to be a hero, and wants to be "one of the good guys", but she is fully aware that the only reason she can help the Avengers, or SHIELD, or any number of people is because of her spy training and the serum that the Red Room gave her. This leaves her in a grey area, and she is aware of this and accepts it. She admits to being a killer, but says that this is distinct from being a murderer. Natasha will kill, or torture, or threaten, but never without reason. It's important to note that Natasha never wanted to be a spy—she was manipulated into it. She didn't grow up dreaming of it like Sharon Carter or Yelena Belova. In fact, she actively discourages young woman from pursuing the career, and is always very up front about what it means, or at least what it means to her: becoming a tool to be used.
Killing is something Natasha has an interesting relationship with. She's witnessed a lot of death in her life, from growing up in Russia during World War II to working for the KGB. As she says, she's walked hand in hand with it since she was a child, but far from making Natasha view life as disposable, she views it as precious. She doesn't take killing lightly, but she is willing to make difficult decisions. At one point, she tells Clint that killing isn't always murder, but sometimes refusing to kill someone dangerous makes you responsible for their deeds through your inaction. This view sometimes keeps her distant from her teammates, and sometimes even scares them. She knows, however, that she's not a hero in the same way Steve Rogers or Matt Murdock are. She's willing to get her hands dirty, to do the terrible things they won't. Despite this, she grieves unnecessary loss of life deeply. In one instance, Natasha is threatening a man to get information out of him, but once she gets it, plans to let him go. Her enemies break in and murder him, and Natasha actually cries for the man's senseless death. Natasha is also the type who would die in an instant if it meant saving innocent lives.
This is a clear example of Natasha's compassion. It's one of her biggest traits, the thing that keeps her from just being a ruthless, thoughtless tool to be used. Natasha loves people very, very deeply, even if she always keeps at least some distance from them. She mentions multiple times that she doesn't view life as worth living if she doesn't let herself care for others. This love can sometimes translate into ruthlessness when the people she cares for are in danger. Natasha buries a woman alive for shooting Pepper Potts, and this sort of reaction is often an easy thing for her enemies to manipulate. Back in her KGB days, Natasha was married to a man named Alexi Shostakov. The Soviets faked his death, both so that they could make him into their own agent, and so that Natasha would be pushed to work harder against the Americans in a bid for revenge. It worked, of course. This love Natasha has for those closest to her sometimes pushes her to keep them at a distance, working by herself when she's in her most dangerous spots, because she knows her life is brutal and violent and is afraid of someone getting hurt because of her.
Much of Natasha's life has also given her an interesting view of trust. She does allow herself to trust people, although it often takes a while. Despite this, she is always intimately aware that someone she trusts might prove themselves to be untrustworthy in the future. She's gone through enough heel turns with her friends and fellow Avengers. In a way, Natasha is always expecting the worst as a survival mechanism. It drives her to do things like keep a chip in her stomach, filled with information on her fellow Avengers' and friends' deepest secrets as collateral in case they ever betrayed her, even if she never planned to use it otherwise.
Natasha always has back up plan upon back up plan. She's incredibly pragmatic, keeping a network of safe houses all over the world in case things go wrong. She's also always looking to be better, even if that means diverting from her orders or her mission, or decide it's not worth doing. She plans things meticulously, doing ridiculous amounts of research on situations or people. She's also incredibly tough; she tends to work through injuries, often brushing off concern or downplaying the seriousness of her wounds.
She also has a very dry and sometimes dark sense of humor. Natasha can be playful with people she cares about, but also sarcastic and teasing, too. She's an absolute flirt with people she's interested in, and throws herself into romantic relationships. She also plays a mentor role to certain characters with similar backstories, such as Bucky Barnes or Laura Kinney. On missions, though, or in dangerous circumstances, Natasha is often all business. She has a job to do, and rarely falls for distractions of any kind. She can be incredibly fearless in the face of danger, and often incredibly cruel when she speaks to her enemies. Her years as a spy have taught her to "belong everywhere and nowhere". She can slip into different roles as easily as breathing, and is a great liar and manipulator. She can read people, and knows how to play off of their expectations and desires. Natasha is often unflinchingly confident, as well, but is also a definite realist. She won't barge into a situation just because she knows she's skilled. It isn't uncommon for her to play a grounding role in most of her team ups, keeping her friends and coworkers from running into situations without a plan, or encouraging others to keep their emotions in check.
Flavor Abilities: Natasha was given a serum when she was young that boosts her immune system and prevents her from aging, but these abilities will be taken away from her. Other than that, Natasha is very athletic and strong, and is in the peak physical condition for someone her size. She is relatively small, though, so it's not like she has a lot of weight to throw around.
Suitability: Natasha has a lot of extensive training, and is an expert at using most types of weaponry, including explosives, firearms, knives, etc. She also has extensive martial arts training, and was trained as a ballerina and gymnast. The Red Room also trained her in hacking and taught her a variety of languages, as well as strategy and survival. She can handle harsh conditions and improvise, working with few supplies. Natasha is also great at working with people, and has been the leader of a few superhero teams in the past as well. Natasha was raised by a unit of soldiers during World War II in Russia, which was an exceptionally brutal time. She's used to living very lean and surviving despite all odds being against her.
She'll definitely do everything she can to help people, but the setting will also naturally put her on edge. She won't really trust many of the people in Norfinbury, and she'll try to compile information on as much as possible, both the town and the people in it. Another interesting thing to note about Natasha is that she really wants to be good and wants to be a hero. She can handle a lot, but when she reaches emotional breaking points, she has a tendency to isolate herself and slip back into a lot of old, brutal habits from her time with the KGB. It'll be interesting to see if the setting pushes her to that point.
Natasha Romanov | Marvel 616 | Reserved
Name: Jenny
Age: 25
Contact Info:
Other Characters: Fiona (Borderlands) and Tifa (Final Fantasy VII)
Character Information
Name: Natasha Romanov
Canon: Marvel 616
Age: Looks to be late 20s, is actually about 80.
Gender: Female
Canon Point: Captain America vol 5 #35 (for reference this is immediately post Civil War, when Bucky becomes Captain America)
Background Link: Here!
Inventory:
- a black catsuit and gloves made out of a strong, protective kevlar-like mesh.
- a pair of black boots and socks
- her belt (some of the segments are compartments to store things, while others are tiny discs that she can throw to electrocute enemies, but these will be removed, if that's okay)
Her weapons and fancy spy gauntlets will be confiscated!
Personality:
Natasha was born in former Stalingard (now Volgograd) around 1928 as Natalia Romanova. Her history has changed over decades of comics retconning and revising, but the gist of it basically stays the same: She was orphaned and rescued by a man called Ivan Petrovich. By the late 1930s, she had attracted the interest of the Soviet government, who began to train her in espionage. This would chart the course for the rest of Natasha's life.
She witnessed the worst of Soviet Russia and World War II, and has undergone an incredible amount of hardships in her life, as well as sometimes brutal training. For a long time, this is all Natasha knew. Her loyalty was to Russia, made perhaps unavoidable by KGB brainwashing. When Natasha entered the Black Widow program following World War II, she rose quickly through the ranks to become the best operative in the program's history.
This means, of course, that Natasha has a bloody past. She started off as something of a villain, and after escaping KGB control with the help of Clint Barton, really struggled with how to reclaim her life. She's gone through years and years of figuring out how to come to terms with her past and who she is, and this has shaped her heavily.
Natasha is a very private person. She has secrets, and there are parts of herself and her life that she will never, ever share with anyone. None of the people she knows, even her closest friends and lovers, know everything about her, and that's how she likes it. For all her difficulty, though, she has come to accept her past and doesn't regret most of it. Unlike similar characters with such backstories, she's moved past her guilt and made the decision to atone by becoming better. Natasha wants to be a hero, and wants to be "one of the good guys", but she is fully aware that the only reason she can help the Avengers, or SHIELD, or any number of people is because of her spy training and the serum that the Red Room gave her. This leaves her in a grey area, and she is aware of this and accepts it. She admits to being a killer, but says that this is distinct from being a murderer. Natasha will kill, or torture, or threaten, but never without reason. It's important to note that Natasha never wanted to be a spy—she was manipulated into it. She didn't grow up dreaming of it like Sharon Carter or Yelena Belova. In fact, she actively discourages young woman from pursuing the career, and is always very up front about what it means, or at least what it means to her: becoming a tool to be used.
Killing is something Natasha has an interesting relationship with. She's witnessed a lot of death in her life, from growing up in Russia during World War II to working for the KGB. As she says, she's walked hand in hand with it since she was a child, but far from making Natasha view life as disposable, she views it as precious. She doesn't take killing lightly, but she is willing to make difficult decisions. At one point, she tells Clint that killing isn't always murder, but sometimes refusing to kill someone dangerous makes you responsible for their deeds through your inaction. This view sometimes keeps her distant from her teammates, and sometimes even scares them. She knows, however, that she's not a hero in the same way Steve Rogers or Matt Murdock are. She's willing to get her hands dirty, to do the terrible things they won't. Despite this, she grieves unnecessary loss of life deeply. In one instance, Natasha is threatening a man to get information out of him, but once she gets it, plans to let him go. Her enemies break in and murder him, and Natasha actually cries for the man's senseless death. Natasha is also the type who would die in an instant if it meant saving innocent lives.
This is a clear example of Natasha's compassion. It's one of her biggest traits, the thing that keeps her from just being a ruthless, thoughtless tool to be used. Natasha loves people very, very deeply, even if she always keeps at least some distance from them. She mentions multiple times that she doesn't view life as worth living if she doesn't let herself care for others. This love can sometimes translate into ruthlessness when the people she cares for are in danger. Natasha buries a woman alive for shooting Pepper Potts, and this sort of reaction is often an easy thing for her enemies to manipulate. Back in her KGB days, Natasha was married to a man named Alexi Shostakov. The Soviets faked his death, both so that they could make him into their own agent, and so that Natasha would be pushed to work harder against the Americans in a bid for revenge. It worked, of course. This love Natasha has for those closest to her sometimes pushes her to keep them at a distance, working by herself when she's in her most dangerous spots, because she knows her life is brutal and violent and is afraid of someone getting hurt because of her.
Much of Natasha's life has also given her an interesting view of trust. She does allow herself to trust people, although it often takes a while. Despite this, she is always intimately aware that someone she trusts might prove themselves to be untrustworthy in the future. She's gone through enough heel turns with her friends and fellow Avengers. In a way, Natasha is always expecting the worst as a survival mechanism. It drives her to do things like keep a chip in her stomach, filled with information on her fellow Avengers' and friends' deepest secrets as collateral in case they ever betrayed her, even if she never planned to use it otherwise.
Natasha always has back up plan upon back up plan. She's incredibly pragmatic, keeping a network of safe houses all over the world in case things go wrong. She's also always looking to be better, even if that means diverting from her orders or her mission, or decide it's not worth doing. She plans things meticulously, doing ridiculous amounts of research on situations or people. She's also incredibly tough; she tends to work through injuries, often brushing off concern or downplaying the seriousness of her wounds.
She also has a very dry and sometimes dark sense of humor. Natasha can be playful with people she cares about, but also sarcastic and teasing, too. She's an absolute flirt with people she's interested in, and throws herself into romantic relationships. She also plays a mentor role to certain characters with similar backstories, such as Bucky Barnes or Laura Kinney. On missions, though, or in dangerous circumstances, Natasha is often all business. She has a job to do, and rarely falls for distractions of any kind. She can be incredibly fearless in the face of danger, and often incredibly cruel when she speaks to her enemies. Her years as a spy have taught her to "belong everywhere and nowhere". She can slip into different roles as easily as breathing, and is a great liar and manipulator. She can read people, and knows how to play off of their expectations and desires. Natasha is often unflinchingly confident, as well, but is also a definite realist. She won't barge into a situation just because she knows she's skilled. It isn't uncommon for her to play a grounding role in most of her team ups, keeping her friends and coworkers from running into situations without a plan, or encouraging others to keep their emotions in check.
Flavor Abilities:
Natasha was given a serum when she was young that boosts her immune system and prevents her from aging, but these abilities will be taken away from her. Other than that, Natasha is very athletic and strong, and is in the peak physical condition for someone her size. She is relatively small, though, so it's not like she has a lot of weight to throw around.
Suitability:
Natasha has a lot of extensive training, and is an expert at using most types of weaponry, including explosives, firearms, knives, etc. She also has extensive martial arts training, and was trained as a ballerina and gymnast. The Red Room also trained her in hacking and taught her a variety of languages, as well as strategy and survival. She can handle harsh conditions and improvise, working with few supplies. Natasha is also great at working with people, and has been the leader of a few superhero teams in the past as well. Natasha was raised by a unit of soldiers during World War II in Russia, which was an exceptionally brutal time. She's used to living very lean and surviving despite all odds being against her.
She'll definitely do everything she can to help people, but the setting will also naturally put her on edge. She won't really trust many of the people in Norfinbury, and she'll try to compile information on as much as possible, both the town and the people in it. Another interesting thing to note about Natasha is that she really wants to be good and wants to be a hero. She can handle a lot, but when she reaches emotional breaking points, she has a tendency to isolate herself and slip back into a lot of old, brutal habits from her time with the KGB. It'll be interesting to see if the setting pushes her to that point.
RP Samples:
TDM toplevel
Another action thread
Network sample