When fans were first introduced to the emotionally complex romance between Black Widow and Hulk in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, it felt like a surprising yet compelling development. Two broken people reach out to one another amidst the chaos.
However, now it turns out, their connection didn’t begin during the Battle of New York, or even in the moments between ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Age of Ultron’. According to an official Marvel comic, Natasha Romanoff had a front-row seat to Bruce Banner’s transformation into the Hulk years before the Avengers ever assembled.
Black Widow And Hulk’s Hidden Past
For most MCU fans, Bruce Banner’s debut as the Hulk is tied to ‘The Incredible Hulk’ and ‘The Avengers’. What many didn’t know is that Black Widow was already watching Banner from the shadows. This revelation comes from ‘The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week’, an official Marvel comic that serves as a connective tissue for Phase 1 of the MCU, tying together events from the early pieces of Captain America’s reawakening.
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In this comic, we learn that S.H.I.E.L.D. was orchestrating a lot more than what was shown on screen. As Fury dealt with the fallout of Tony Stark’s erratic behavior and Thor’s hammer crash-landing in New Mexico, he also dispatched Natasha Romanoff to monitor Bruce Banner. Her orders were to keep him under observation as General Ross and the U.S. Army zeroed in on him.
Here’s where things get fascinating, Natasha didn’t just hear about the Hulk’s rampage. She was there. She witnessed the full transformation. The Hulk erupted during his clash with Emil Blonsky and Ross’s forces. She observed firsthand what the Gamma monster could do. It left her shaken, a reaction we saw again years later when she first confronted Banner in ‘The Avengers’.
A Bond Forged In Fear And Understanding
What makes Black Widow and Hulk’s romance in the MCU so compelling is how it’s rooted in something deeper than a typical action-movie pairing. It’s not about physical attraction or witty banter. It’s about two people who see the worst in themselves and each other and still reach out anyway. Fury’s Big Week also reveals that Natasha was present in Harlem during the battle between Hulk and the Abomination.
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She even intercepted Samuel Sterns (aka The Leader) after he began transforming due to Hulk’s blood. So, this wasn’t just surveillance as Natasha was literally cleaning up the mess left in Hulk’s wake. She wasn’t just scared of the monster; she had been forced to chase it. That knowledge enriches every subsequent scene between Natasha and Bruce.
When she tries to calm him in ‘Age of Ultron’ with a gentle touch and voice (the “sun’s getting real low” routine) it’s not just strategy. It’s empathy. She knows the darkness he wrestles with because she’s been there herself. When she tells him she understands what it’s like to not be able to have a “normal life,” she’s speaking from experience.
However, by the time we reach the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’, the Black Widow–Hulk romance has faded quietly into the background. Bruce merges with the Hulk and becomes Smart Hulk. Natasha sacrifices herself in Vormir. There’s no dramatic goodbye, no final kiss. Just an unspoken bond left unresolved.
