Marvel’s ‘John Wick’ Is Even More Terrifying Than The Original

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Black Widow #14

While John Wick is easily one of the deadliest characters in modern fiction, Marvel Comics’ version of the character is even more terrifyingly deadly. Black Widow’s arch nemesis has been revealed as an assassin who is somehow even more skilled than Black Widow herself, a hero who can hold her own against Avengers-level threats. In Black Widow’s latest issue, Natasha’s enemy proves himself to not only be an impressive killer in his own right, but perhaps an even better one than the actual John Wick. 

In Black Widow #14 by Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande, Black Widow and her team of spies, including White Widow and Winter Soldier, have infiltrated the party of an international crime lord. The mob boss has captured a number of superheroes, including Hawkeye, and Black Widow is attempting to free them all before they are shipped off to the highest bidder. While her plan is initially going off without a hitch, Black Widow soon discovers that the assassin known as The Living Blade has been hired to personally oversee the transaction, and when she comes face-to-face with him, things don’t end well for Black Widow. 

When the Living Blade and Black Widow finally go head-to-head at the end of the issue, Black Widow suffers a debilitating blow by the assassin’s hand. As the two cross blades, the Living Blade gets the upper hand and disarms Black Widow, followed by the assassin swiftly slicing off her right arm just below the shoulder. The issue ends before readers know Black Widow’s fate, but a devastating blow of this caliber landed against a hero as skilled as Black Widow is a truly impressive feat. While John Wick has killed some formidable targets throughout his career, he has never gone up against someone like Black Widow, and he especially has never beaten someone on her level so quickly and brutally. The fact that The Living Blade can do what John Wick has never been shown doing makes him both a more impressive killer and an absolutely terrifying nemesis.

The similarities between John Wick and the Living Blade – the unbeatable, near-mythic, impeccably-dressed assassins of their respective universes – were immediately apparent to fans upon his introduction in the previous issue of Black Widow. In that issue, Black Widow describes the Living Blade as “the Boogeyman,” which is John Wick’s menacing nickname throughout his film franchise. Plus, the Living Blade looks and acts a lot like John Wick, with a level of killing expertise that matches John’s to a tee. 

With this latest issue of Black Widow, The Living Blade has become more than just John Wick’s equal. After defeating an Avenger with such efficiency and brutality as is shown with his dismemberment of Black Widow, the Living Blade has proven that MarvelComics’ ‘John Wick‘is an even better “Boogeyman” than the original.

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