The X-Men’s [SPOILER] Showed Black Widow The True Meaning Of Hell

The X-Men’s Magik showed Black Widow the true meaning of Hell. Back in 2012, Marvel Comics brought the X-Men and the Avengers into head-on collision over the fate of the mutant race. The Phoenix Force was coming for Earth; the Avengers feared it, and the X-Men welcomed it. Naturally, rival superhero teams proved incapable of resolving their differences peacefully, and the resulting conflict was understandably called “Avengers Vs. X-Men.”

In addition to the core title, Marvel published a spin-off miniseries called Avengers Vs. X-Men: Versus. An anthology series, each issue featured two short stories by a writer in which an X-Man and an Avenger went head-to-head. These were loosely incorporated into the main story, but in truth, they were just an opportunity for writers and artists to relax and have fun pitting superheroes against one another.

One of the coolest stories was told in Avengers Vs. X-Men: Versus #3, and it saw Black Widow take on Magik. The two Russian superheroes confronted one another in the Blue Area of the Moon (because, comics), and initially traded smack-talk in their native language. Magik thought she’d brought matters to an early conclusion when she simply teleported Black Widow into the Hellish dimension of Limbo, which she ruled at the time, but she failed to factor in Natasha’s stubbornness. Black Widow snagged her with a grapple-line, and tugged her through the portal too, thus continuing the battle in one of Marvel’s Hell dimensions. Black Widow wasn’t impressed. “I’ve been to Hell before, little girl,” she snarled. “It was called the Red Room.“

The fight between Black Widow and Magik is easily one of the most fascinating in the entire event. In theory, Magik should have been able to overpower Black Widow with ease; after all, she’s a sorceress with a demonic army at her back, as well as a skilled teleporter. In reality, however, Black Widow’s superior combat skills meant she killed a flood of these demons, and then proceeded to beat Magik up, refusing to allow her the time to weave a spell. Black Widow was quite happy to die in her cause, but she rightly deduced Magik wasn’t so committed; she pulled a gun on the sorceress, forcing her to transport them back to the Blue Area of the Moon.

And then things took one last turn because Black Widow – confident she’d won – turned her back on Magik in order to track down her next opponent. Her overconfidence was her weakness, because Magik struck hard and fast, summoning the Soulsword – a powerful mystical weapon forged from a fragment of her own soul – and slamming it through Natasha’s back. Had Black Widow been just a little more wary, had she taken the time to knock out Magik rather than rub her victory in by turning her back on her, then she would never have been beaten. Black Widow had once again survived Hell, only to be defeated on the Moon.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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