Fuck Yeah, Black Widow

AVX: VS #3 (of 6) JEPH LOEB & CHRIS YOST (w)
ED MCGUINESS & TERRY DODSON (a)
COVER BY ED MCGUINESS
• All fights, All the time!
• Black Widow vs. Magik!
• Colossus vs. Thing!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I guess this will give them plenty of Romanov/Rasputin jokes to play with!!

Seriously, the thematic similarity here is that Natasha and Illyana are both Russian and I’m struggling to find any other connection between the two, and yes, taken at face-value this is ridiculously one-sided. On the other hand, Loeb and McGunness won’t be on the part of the book I care about.

Source: comicbookresources.com

Marvel just announced a tie-in to their yearly event— this one’s called Versus.

The editors described “AvX: Versus” as the “anti-‘Front Line.’” “We just wanted more fights,” said Lowe.

The first issue will contain a Magneto vs Iron Man fight by Adam Kubert and Jason Aaron, and a Namor vs Thing fight by Kathryn and Stuart Immonen. Since Natasha’s on this cover, it seems mildly likely she’ll show up at some point, but I don’t think they’ll ever be able to top her showing in Contest of Champions II, where she single-handedly took out both Wonder Man and all of X-force. Thanks, Chris Claremont!

Source: comicbookresources.com

And here’s the highest quality version of that Jim Cheung spread I could find.

What is FEAR?

In recent issues of Marvel comics, you might have seen the teaser ads with famous quotes about fear, and a April 2011 date. (There’s one in Widowmaker: “If fear is not cultivated it will become stronger.”) Here’s a teaser video Marvel released, featuring more FEAR and some character portraits flashing. Natasha is in there twice. Other characters featured are Hawkeye, Magneto, Emma Frost, Rogue, Colossus, Mettle, Thing, Thor, and Spider-woman.