Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… in Ohio. From the ages of three to six, Yelena played the role of the younger sister in a fake family on an undercover assignment for the Soviet Union. She lived with her “father” Alexei Shostakov, a super soldier; her “mother” Melina Vostokoff, a highly intelligent scientist for General Dreykov; and her “sister” Natasha Romanoff, who eventually became an Avenger. When the mission was complete, Yelena and Natasha were torn from whom the former had believed to be her real family and brought to the Red Room to become Black Widows, a group of highly trained assassins. Yelena can be bitter about her upbringing. As she says to her so-called family, “The best part of my life was fake and none of you told me.”
Living… in hiding all over the world. When Yelena isn’t on a mission, she’s confined to the Red Room. This secret base frequently changes location, and in order to maintain maximum security, the Widows are sedated upon every entry and exit.
Profession… trained assassin. Yelena has been raised to be an assassin since she was a child. Not only were she and the other Widows brutally trained in combat and espionage, but they were also educated in the arts and history and anything else they would need to blend into society, making them highly efficient killers.
Interests… exploring her freedom. To keep the Black Widows from escaping, they are under chemical mind control. Fortunately for Yelena, she is saved by a substance that reverses those effects and can now make her own choices. To brighten up her continued life of espionage and celebrate her newfound freedom, she buys herself a vest and enjoys its multitude of pockets.
Relationship Status… single. Dating isn’t really on the table when you’re a trained assassin taking down foreign governments. But now that she’s free, Yelena can make her own decisions about who she spends her precious time with.
Challenge… bringing down the Red Room. Natasha thought she took down Dreykov years ago when she defected from the Red Room, but it turns out that mission failed. Now, Yelena and her “sister” must figure out how to end the program once and for all and save the other Widows from their chemical brainwashing in the process.
Personality… sarcastic and cynical. Yelena knows her history and doesn’t shy away from the reality of her upbringing, something she calls Natasha out for. When you look past her murderous skills though, Yelena has a dry sense of humor and a bit of whimsy in her few moments of peace, touting her new vest and longing for a dog.
