Ahh hello! Welcome to Black Widow Fest 2026. 5(!) years ago it came out and every year we have had a black widow fest where I write some fic. This year, we are a bit late so to a personal shit show, but I am hopeful that we can squeak it in amongst everything.
To start with we will be rewatching Black Widow (of which I am excited, as I don’t do it too often). The links for past BWF are below in case this is of interest as well. I think I will be rebooting some of the ones I have enjoyed and enjoyed watching.
As for what fic is coming up, I’m not quite committing to anything sooooo it will be a surprise. I will make a master post and try and pin it so if you’re interested it’s there.
To everyone who encouraged and interacted with the poll, thanks <3 it’s fun that this isn’t me yelling into the void.
Black Widow Fest 2021
Black Widow Fest 2022
Black Widow Fest 2023
Black Widow Fest 2024
Black Widow Fest 2025
And now, let’s do it! (Buckle in this is long)
Black Widow 2021: Rewatch
Part One: Ohio.
This movie man.
I often wonder if Natasha and Yelena attended school. Or like what were their social lives were like. Did Natasha have friends? Did they encourage friends? Or was it keep it all in the family.
Clearly Natasha knows that this can all stop in a moment, and I think she’s always prepared a go bag, so like I get the photos and taking the photo album. Something tangible.
Yelena being so little but also not, like she knows what to do at the plane, like they’ve practiced this. I do wonder how Yelena got chosen. Orphaned? Intelligence?
Ugh Alexei. Why does Alexei wear glasses if he’s a super soldier? For show perhaps, but wouldn’t you take them off when you get home?
Heh shield trucks. I wonder if it’s Coulson. What a twist that would’ve been.
The plane and Natasha flying it with Melina shot always makes me wonder if Nat then hated flying the quinjet, or if it gave her a sense of power in getting people out of sticky situations like she did in Ohio.
I wonder how long from Ohio to Cuba. Hmm - apparently 5-7 hours for those playing at home. Imagine being in that plane for that long. Panic for Melina and Alexei being a shit human. (No I don’t like him, no nothing will change my mind).
Poor Nat in her red converse being pushed away from Melina when Yelena has been able to hug her, and then the ensuing panic of Yelena being manhandled.
Alexei looks like such a predator. Dreykov looks like he’s on a Cuban holiday, and also a predator.
Oh man. The opening credits. One of my fucking favourite scenes in all the movies. I don’t think they were the only pairs to be torn away. Dreykov choosing as well.
Everyone just looking shellshocked. :(
Poor Nat. Stuck in the car. And all the flashbacks. Surgery, death, training, craft, conflict, corruption. Who runs the world? The social elites with billions of dollars.
Part Two: On the run
I mean I’ll take this opportunity to say man I love her. In every version of her, from comics to movies. She’s just so special.
The way she watches Ross. Taunts him. And the way she plays him, and he was a
I love her face when he mentions everyone. The way she looks when he mentions Clint :( (and the others).
Camerawork here is a+ with the transitions. Man poor Nat. Tracked by the red room and then the avengers. The scenery is so beautiful.
Yelena!
Morocco. Do we think that Dreykov was hunting widows or this one specifically because of the serum?
I always love her facial expressions. The sheer anger and brutality in her face. And then the realisation of what she’s done.
Taskmaster gets sent out for the deserters quickly. How often do we think this happens? Perhaps often enough that the other girls tell Taskmaster to smile when they send her out?
Norway Nat.
I forget that Nat and Steve were the only two not to be captured but also I don’t care for Civil War. Man I want to go to Norway. If I do, then watch out, there will be fic lol.
Heh who’s trailer? It’s very neat inside. I like the idea that Natasha has a whole lot of contacts outside of the avengers.
“I have friends.” “People who have friends don’t call me.”
Budapest safe house. I wonder how often she visits it. Someone else in the flat now. Ahh the questions. What is this safe house? Who owns it!
Yelena knowing about it and knowing to send shit there(
Also can I just say I called Nat watching Bond way before the movie came out?
Yay for special interests and rewatching comfort movies. Nice to know spies do too.
The car accident - like fuck that’s a force to be hit with. How does Taskmaster know? Is she tracking the package? Like I assume so? The slow walk to Natasha is ominous. Nat thinking it’s Ross and then readjusting. Ah what a spy, heh it’s so creepy the way she tracks her and then just leaves her. How do you defeat someone like that? By doing unpredictable shit.
Fuck being kicked into a river. Ughh that would be cold. At least Yelena had the sense to wrap them all up together.
“Oh shit.” Is a great reaction.
The train station! I love it. All the shots in these scenes. Especially Natasha disturbing the pigeons. @broken--bow lol I’ll meet you there.
Omg I forgot that Yelena already knew knew Natasha was there. How long had she been waiting for her? Days? “I know you’re out there.”
“I don’t know if I can trust you.”
Okay, so here is a thought. What if Natasha had tried to find her but because of the chemicals Yelena had tried to kill her every time. Which may account for the “oh shit.” And the severe distrust of this encounter.
The fight is like fucking fantastic. The pacing of this movie is so excellent. Poor Nat has just been beaten by Taskmaster and is probs running on no sleep and now this. lol life is all about okay, now this, but this seems hard.
Do you know how hard it is to fight hard and not hurt someone? I do. They make it look easy. Because genuinely I think Natasha and Yelena don’t want to hurt each other.
Okay, I believe my headcannon above, because when Nat and Yelena are strangling each other, Natasha looks into her eyes and calls a truce - she knows she’s not under drugged control.
:( the way she rests her head on the floor and just looks. I wonder if they’ve had other encounters like this.
And they immediately both start moving. And arguing lol. Though how does one react to a fight and reunion and fear of getting caught all at once?
Natasha taking her top off and being covered in bruises whilst Yelena tells her that she’s the only superhero person that she knows is simultaneously brilliant and heart breaking. Thanks screen writers.
Natasha’s shock at Yelena’s flippant statement of “Captain America bringing down the red room” is also painful. “It’s been gone for years, dreykovs dead.”
Yelena knowing the story of the supposed downfall of shield makes me think that all of the widows got punished for it. And there was probably more control.
“You’re forgetting Dreykovs daughter.”
The widows finding the safehouse must be a blow.
Yelena having an exit plan and Natasha just following it.
Natasha dropping out of a building. Like fuck. She must be more black and blue but then literally just going and being like “I can help you” to the other widow, is next level.
Dreykov being able to terminate them at will, sucks. Esp as she’s like “I don’t want to do this.” Does the chemical subjugation only last as long as he wishes? Like can he take them in and out if it? Yelena having a vial ready for the girl too. :( was she the same one on the roof in Morocco as Yelena? I think so.
Oh and the headcannon that Natasha was the one to make the widow bites? And then the girls all having them? I’m not sure how I feel about this.
Guys, we’re literally only 40 mins in.
lol taskmaster barreling in a tank. International incident if I ever heard of one. Alongside stealing a dudes car. What different rules they have. Clint wouldn’t care. Steve would.
This scene of them being in the car fighting verbally juxtaposed later with the scene of them being in the car peacefully is so fun.
Interestingly that Yelena thinks taskmaster is a man.
Seatbelts on kids.
This is Natasha’s second car accident.
No wonder she wants the seatbelt on.
Love that everyone in the train station is like well shit.
Solid plan. Go up and make Taskmaster look down.
I wonder why Yelena gets so stuck on Natasha killing Dreykovs daughter. Like yeah yeah I know, but in terms of all the things they did, is it because that was the catalyst? Or like, just that she omitted it.
Flashbacks are fun.
Antonia is also so little. Decisions. decisions. It makes me want to re-read travel through the shadows where I deep dive after that. Ahhh.
“I got out.”
The little gas station scene. “I can’t believe he could stay off my radar.” Do we take this to mean he was as scared of what she could do to him as she was of him?
lol Nat being like “what are the big ones?” Like she’s disbelieving of any of the avengers being better than the others, and Yelena having opinions™️.
And the real question.
“Where do you think I was all this time?”
And the lies that come after it. Genuinely I think that Nat found her again and again and gave up hope that she could ever break programming. I think that’s my headcannon now.
Let’s just say hurtful things. “You’re not my sister, and the Avengers aren’t your family and don’t forget you’re a poser.”
“And we are both still trained killers.”
I like when they sit down and talk. Like have an actual conversation. I feel Yelena being able to say exactly what is on her mind is part personality and part lay it all out.
I appreciate Natasha saying “did you have a choice?” Because no; when Yelena killed the other widow, she didn’t have a choice. Psychologically or Chemically.
What’s worse? Doing it with full knowledge or doing it and then realising after the fact what you’ve done?
I don’t know.
1/20 survive. Weapons. There’s always more.
parents. Do we think Natasha went looking? Do we make that into whumptober this year? lol Yelena and Natasha go looking for their birth parents. What a trip.
You’re a science teacher. You had a son - Natasha :)
Yelena. I want a dog.
Natasha - fuck the red room. Yelena :D
Part 3 - The Mission
Natasha driving - lol is it cause she doesn’t trust Yelena or does she always drive. Does that mean on missions Clint doesn’t drive? Haha, I like this headcannon.
Yelena - clothing - my jacket is great because of the pockets. Natasha - ummm okay. But let’s not touch on the fact that Yelena has never had to buy or got to buy clothing.
Her “I want to do things” is slightly heartbreaking.
I hate the fact that Natasha knows that Alexei is alive.
Natasha having a tab with guy. I wonder how she helped him.
I hate Alexei. We won’t be talking about him, as i would go off on a rant. But maybe drekov sending him to prison wasn’t the worst thing.
Nat is very smart. Putting an ear piece in the dolls head. And her being so done with him without being near him. lol both of them being done. I love Natasha white suit. Very under-utilised.
I can’t tell you how often I use “we’re doing a really good job” in real life.
Yelena’s repeated adage of cool ways to die should also be a fic.
So I’m getting paranoid that this won’t post, so am going attempt to post it and do a part two.
Usually I’ve been posting this a bit earlier but it’s been a bit of a scramble to get this ready given all that’s been going on. This year has had an intense start with hospitals, follow ups, and family stuff. I wasn’t sure it was a feasible thing- but I’m glad it’s going ahead <3
For those who are new, Black Widow Fest runs for the 5-7 days before (or after) the 9th when Black Widow aired in 2021. It’s a week of fic centred around Natasha.
You are 100% welcome to join in (just tag #bwfest2023) and I’ll try and reblog all I can. Otherwise it’s just me and the following (links will be added as we go):
2nd July - Ask Game - Send in the first line of a story (and a pairing) and I’ll finish it off with a short drabble/fic
anguish, regret, sorrow and woe (Natasha and Yelena)
Thunderstorms (Clint/Nat)
safe. guard. (Natasha and Tony / Clint/Nat)
nightmares (Clint/Nat)
Achates (Pepper and Nat)
broken pieces floating by (og avengers / Clint/Nat)
swing and a miss (og avengers/Clint/Nat)
hide and seek (Clint/Nat, Yelena)
Debrief (Tony and Nat)
Siblings (Wanda and Natasha)
3rd July - The Aquarium (Clint/Nat)
4th July - Leave Everything but Your Bones Behind (mini sequel to this fic)
5th July - Solemn - Pepper and Nat
6th July - Wild Geese - Black Widows (cruelty is easy)
7th July - Some Advice (Clint/Nat)
8th July - Mirror Mirror (Natasha)
9th July - Kiss The Dread Update - chapter 7 now up (story here if you want to catch up before the update)
Black Widow Fest 2021
Black Widow Fest 2022
It will be cross posted to ao3 at some point.
Lastly; as always, your words and encouragement and community always means so much. <3
So. Fertig. Ja, ich hab dann gemerkt, dass ein neues Team sich gar nicht richtig gelohnt hat, weil SO viele Trainer waren es doch nicht. Dabei hab ich die Postgame Orte immer so geschätzt, aber ist doch schneller durch als man dachte. Hab fürs Training ja länger gebraucht, aber naja :D
Hat wieder Spaß gemacht. Muss sagen, dass die OST Mechaniken nicht das einzige sehr faszinierende sind. Diesmal fiel mir die Kamera und die Ebenen der Routen echt auf. Also für Handheld nach HGSS haben die das echt gut gemacht, schon richtig faszinierend.
So viele Orte und Stellen, wo die Kamera genutzt wird und dadurch wirken paar Dinge halt anders, wie die Treppen in der Drachenstiege oder einige Arenen
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Es mag nach nichts aussehen, aber diese kleinen Hügel, die man öfter sieht, geben mir so eine weitere Sicht in das Spiel. Dadurch werden Ebenen und so hervorgehoben, weil sowas sonst nich existierte. Es ist so klein und deswegen faszinierend.
Man merkt richtig wie paar Erhöhungen in dem Spiel existieren und das ist interessant, weils in Gen 4 nicht war und diese Gen da mehr einbaut. Kann ich nicht mal beschrieben, aber hat mich diesen Replay echt fasziniert, wenn man darauf achtet
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Ach ja, Zekroms ANimation mit dem Leuchten ist echt coo.
Einmal mit der Royal Einall fahren. Ich hab noch von 2019 im Kopf, dass man eine schöne Sicht hat und man kann auch die GANZE ZEIT draußen bleiben und zuschauen. Ist richtig toll gemacht und wohl mit die ebste Aussicht bevor XY dann mehr eingebaut hat.
Also für so Handheld auf der selben Ebene wie Gen 4 schon ein Sprung und schön sieht es auch noch aus.
Also bei manchen Orten hab ich echt zu viel BW2 im kopf. Dass man auf der Brücke jemanden trifft, der kämpft ist NUR in BW2, aber der ist so krass in meinen Erinnerungen, dass ich das nicht mehr weiß xD Und auch dieser Ort hier ist ein Basketballplatz in BW2, aber nicht hier in BW
Die Dorfbrücke ist so mein Lieblingsareal im Postgame. Einfach, weil sie die OST mechanik einfach perfektioniert haben. 3 Charaktere, die Instrumente spielen und Geräusche machen und einer singt. Einfach Vocals als OST
Ja, Gen 5 und EInall haben gute Sichten. Und das für 2d Handheld Zeiten. Selbst so normale Routen haben machmal eine gute Sicht mit den Ebenben der Wege und so und ich mag das echt
