The two Bronze Age keys for Black Widow are Amazing Spider-Man #86 (July 1970): her first iconic black costume, designed by John Romita Sr. and Daredevil #81 (November 1971): the first issue in which Natasha Romanoff joins Matt Murdock's series as co-star. Both are accessible: our eBay estimator records a median of €13 for #86 (30 listings) and €9 for #81 (47 listings). High-grade CGC copies on the US market reach significantly higher figures.
Black Widow is a Silver Age creation: Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck introduced her in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) as a Soviet spy sent to eliminate Tony Stark. That founding issue is not covered by our eBay estimator, but documented data shows a record of $15,000 in CGC 9.6 (Pacific Coast Pedigree, 2014); a CGC 9.4 trades below this record (no major public 9.4 sale documented); and approximately $9,000 in CGC 9.0: it is a Silver Age key in a class of its own. The Bronze Age, by contrast, redefines the character both visually and narratively: it is the era that transformed Natasha from antagonist into a full-fledged heroine.
This guide sticks to the verifiable: eBay medians from our estimator (data as of 2026-06-26) and records documented by specialist sources. Where no public figure exists, we stay qualitative. Medians cover all conditions and printings (blended); high-grade CGC copies command substantially higher prices on the US market.
Black Widow Bronze Age key issues (real data)
eBay medians from our estimator (all conditions and printings combined); supplemented by documented records on the US market.
| Issue | Significance | eBay median (all conditions) |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #86 (Jul. 1970) | 1st iconic black costume of Black Widow; origin retold by John Romita Sr. | €13 (median): low €9, high €93-30 sales |
| Daredevil #81 (Nov. 1971) | 1st Black Widow issue in Daredevil; beginning of the co-starring run | €9 (median): low €6, high €19-47 sales |
| Daredevil #92 (Oct. 1972) | 1st issue titled "Daredevil and the Black Widow" | €9 (median): low €9, high €19-40 sales |
Sources: mycomicscollection.com eBay estimator (30-47 listings per title, updated 2026-06-26). Medians cover all conditions and printings; high-grade CGC copies trade substantially higher on the US market.
Amazing Spider-Man #86 (1970): the birth of the black costume
Published in July 1970, Amazing Spider-Man #86 is the issue that gave Black Widow her definitive look. Stan Lee wrote the script; John Romita Sr. pencilled the new form-fitting black costume, reportedly inspired by the 1940s Miss Fury comic strip. The story retells Natasha Romanoff's origin: she discards her old outfit and dons this new costume as a symbolic rebirth. Spider-Man crosses paths with her, a brief fight follows, and the iconic silhouette that would carry through to the MCU is established. Our eBay estimator records a median of €13 across 30 listings (low €9, high €93 for better-preserved copies). On the US CGC market, available data shows a CGC 7.5 copy selling at $135 and a CGC 9.2 copy passing through Heritage Auctions. This issue is the natural Bronze Age entry point for any Black Widow collector: it is the visual foundation of the character's entire modern identity.
Daredevil #81 (1971): Natasha joins Matt Murdock's series
Daredevil #81 (November 1971, titled "And Death is a Woman Called Widow") marks Black Widow's official entry into the Daredevil series. Gerry Conway wrote the script, Gene Colan provided the art. Conway introduced Natasha as co-star in order to "re-energize the title", in his own words, by building a romantic dynamic between her and Matt Murdock. The gambit worked: the series was renamed Daredevil and the Black Widow starting with issue #92, running through #107. For that sixteen-issue stretch (1972-1974), Black Widow was a full co-headliner in both cover credits and storyline. Our estimator records a median of €9 across 47 listings for #81 (low €6, high €19). A CGC 9.6 copy sold for $1,200 in December 2021 according to available data; CGC 9.0 copies are currently listed around $170. This is a jumbo-sized squarebound issue, notoriously difficult to find in high grade with the spine intact.
Collecting this series?
Track what you own, what you are missing and what your collection is worth. 7 day trial.
Start my trial →Daredevil #92 (1972): the title changes its name
From Daredevil #92 (October 1972) onward, the cover officially reads "Daredevil and the Black Widow": a clear signal that Natasha is no longer a guest star but a co-protagonist. This sixteen-issue run is often cited as the first true co-starring series for Black Widow in Marvel history. Our estimator records a median of €9 across 40 listings (low €9, high €19). These issues remain accessible and make a coherent foundation for building a complete Bronze Age Black Widow run.
Silver Age context: Tales of Suspense #52 and #57
To place the Bronze Age keys in their proper lineage: Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) is Black Widow's first appearance, created by Stan Lee, Don Rico, and Don Heck. It is a major Silver Age key: our estimator does not cover this series, but documented data shows a record of $15,000 in CGC 9.6 (Pacific Coast Pedigree, 2014); a CGC 9.4 trades below this record (no major public 9.4 sale documented); and approximately $9,000 in CGC 9.0. Tales of Suspense #57 (September 1964) introduces Hawkeye, recruited by Natasha in that very issue, and reached $210,000 in CGC 9.8 (Curator Collection, Metropolis Comics), doubling the previous record of $102,000 set in June 2022. Both issues belong to a fundamentally different collecting tier from the Bronze Age keys: they target collectors prepared to invest several thousand dollars, whereas Amazing Spider-Man #86 and Daredevil #81 remain genuinely accessible.
Black Widow in the MCU: the effect on key issue values
Scarlett Johansson first played Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2 (2010) and remained central to the MCU through Avengers: Endgame (2019). The standalone Black Widow film (2021) grossed $379.8 million at the worldwide box office, confirming the character's commercial reach. That sustained MCU presence supports collector interest in Bronze Age keys:Amazing Spider-Man #86 in particular, whose black costume is the direct visual source for every on-screen iteration of the character.
Own a Black Widow key issue? Get a free valuation with our tool based on current eBay listings to find its low, median, and high value.
Frequently asked questions
Amazing Spider-Man #86 (July 1970), which gives Natasha her iconic first skintight black costume drawn by John Romita Sr., and Daredevil #81 (November 1971), where she joins Matt Murdock's series.
Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964), created by Stan Lee, Don Rico and Don Heck. She is a Soviet spy sent to eliminate Tony Stark, and the issue is a major Silver Age key.
Titled "And Death is a Woman Called Widow", this issue by Gerry Conway and Gene Colan marks Black Widow's official entry into the series. Conway introduces her as a co-star to re-energize the title, with a romance with Matt Murdock.
From October 1972, the cover officially reads "Daredevil and the Black Widow". Natasha is no longer a guest but a co-protagonist, in a sixteen-issue stretch often presented as the character's first true co-starring series.
Yes. Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff from Iron Man 2 (2010), then in the solo film Black Widow (2021). That exposure supports interest in the Bronze Age keys, particularly Amazing Spider-Man #86.