Black widow has hit the theatres and our favorite streaming service. Fans all over the world are enjoying the badass characterization of Natasha Romanoff. The action in the movie is also exceptional. The story is still considered to be lackluster. One of the major reveals in the movie was the addition of other widows to the MCU ethos. We met Yelena and the Red Guardian, all the comrades of Natasha we had never seen before. All the horrors of The Red Room were on full display. The Soviet Program was a Brutal gauntlet of never-ending torture. Natasha escaped this place with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s help but Natasha did not save Yelena from that place.
Natasha Romanoff is not a very emotional character. Even in the comics, every move that Black Widow makes is very calculated and precise. She doesn’t mince her words often unless she gets a strategic advantage from doing so. Ever since a young age, the widows have been taught the perfect way to conduct their profession of killing. The Red Room took 28 orphans and trained them into killers in the comics. Black Widow movie does not specify the number of orphan girls in The Red Room but we are interested in Yelena today.
Yelena was Natasha’s adopted sister, it was this closeness that is explored in much of the movie. Actually, it’s the fallout of this bond. You see, when these estranged sisters meet after years of separation Yelena can’t help but ask for an explanation. She wants to know why her sworn sister would abandon her locked in a proverbial torture room for decades. Natasha escaped with Agent Barton and never came back to get Yelena. She tells her she thought Yelena was dead. But Yelena very quickly labels this bullsh*t.
The Real Reason
The Black Widow may be a very reserved character but she also has a softcore. We see these rare moments of love and affection with The Hulk and Hawkeye and even Captain America in The Winter Soldier. She doesn’t betray a lot of her true feelings. This also seems to be the case when she tries explaining to Yelena her reason for not attempting a rescue. Natasha argues that she thought that Yelena had perished along with The Red Room and there was nothing to save. But we think this is nothing but classic Widow subterfuge.
We believe that Natasha had escaped into her own justifications when she defected to S.H.I.E.L.D. Her escape with Agent Barton marked the start of her repressing her memories. She knew in her heart that the Red Room was not completely destroyed and that Yelena might still be waiting for her. But when she ran from the torture herself she no longer had the courage to look back upon that part of her life. The act of running combined with memory suppression was her downfall.
It is theorized that Black widow ended up in a constant loop of flashbacks and denials. Some part of the blame can also be ascribed to the horrific nature of The Budapest incident. The demise of Dreykov’s daughter was an unfortunate incident of collateral damage that contributed to Natasha’s mental damage. In all honesty, we don’t really understand how she managed to maintain her sanity. We are not actually sure that she did maintain it.
The consequences
The Black Widow is not a hero. She is not even someone who craves redemption. She has never viewed herself as a crusader for justice. In fact, she is just as human as the rest of us but she stands toe to toe with Gods and geniuses. It is not because of her moral compass but her unparalleled courage. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s super-agent is normally in control of any and all situations she comes across. But with Yelena, her mind could not take the mental trauma of leaving the person she loved behind.
So Natasha invented a narrative for herself where Yelena had perished and never needed rescue. It is unfortunate but we strongly believe it to be true. There is no other plausible explanation for the actions of the widow, and we really cannot endorse the lie she feeds Yelena. So what do you think about this theory?
Do you believe we have hit the nail on its head or have we missed something? Let us know your concerns in the comments below. Soon Phase 4 of MCU will progress beyond the initial days and we will get our much-awaited multiversal war. So keep watching this place for everything Marvel.
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