Appearing in "The Ties That Bind: Part 2"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- James, Natalie's fiancé
- Hawkeye (Clint Barton)
- Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes)
Antagonists:
- Arcade
- Viper (Ophelia Sarkissian) (Appears on a computer screen, TV, or hologram only) (Shadow only)
- Snapdragon (Sheoke Sanada) (Appears on a computer screen, TV, or hologram only) (Shadow only)
- Weeping Lion (Appears on a computer screen, TV, or hologram only) (Shadow only) (First appearance)
- Red Guardian (Alexi Shostakov) (Returns as Red Guardian)
- Five unnamed thugs
Other Characters:
- Stevie (First appearance), Natalie's son
- Helen, the babysitter
- God (Yahweh) (Invoked)
- Unnamed woman
- Houdini (Mentioned) (Topical reference)
- Logan (First appearance)
- Jeff (Toy)
- God (Yahweh) (Referenced)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Cats
- Land Sharks (Toy)
- Bears (Toy)
Locations:
- Earth
- United States
- California
- Sausalito
- Black Widow's Villa
- Sausalito
- California
- United States
- Hell (Referenced)
Items:
Vehicles:
- Black Widow's motorcycle
Synopsis for "The Ties That Bind: Part 2"
As Clint and Bucky observe "Natalie" from afar, both ponder how happy she looks and question how she got to Sausalito. Clint goes to meet her in her garage under the pretext of admiring her new motorcycle, and finds she doesn't recognize him in the least. As they're talking about the lives they lead and professions, Natalie's "escape artist" toddler son Stevie enters having escaped his crib again. After James meets Clint while looking for Stevie, he greets the undercover hero who takes off shortly thereafter to update Bucky. Since Natasha was missing for four months at maximum, it would be impossible for her to have had a child who is already a year old. But seeing how happy she is and clearly not recognizing him, Clint feels uncertain about removing her from a happy life.
As the babysitter, Helen, arrives to look out for Stevie when Natalie and James go out, Arcade discusses with his clients about Hawkeye and Winter Soldier finding Black Widow. However, Client 1 is glad they arrived as it confirmed the extent of Black Widow's mental reconditioning, and demands Arcade refrain from acting so as to keep Natasha placid. Despite Arcade's petition to do something, his clients shut him down as they are more concerned about the babysitter they do not recognize. Once again not allowed to kill someone, Arcade goes stir crazy.
As Natalie and James part ways for him to travel on business, she comes upon an attempted assault in the nearby alley. There, on instinct, she neutralizes the attackers to save the woman accosted and calls 911 before driving home. Natalie thanks Helen before sending her home, and sings a lullaby to Stevie as he sleeps. From a monitor, Alexi observes Natalie's singing for her baby, asking himself what they've done in a tone of remorse. When Natalie heads to the garage, she builds a bomb in a trance using the baby monitor components. Upon realizing what she'd done, Natalie is surprised by the act alone.
Solicit Synopsis
WIDOW NO MORE?
Something is very wrong with Natasha Romanoff: she’s…happy?! Retirement definitely agrees with the world’s deadliest woman as she revels in the perfect life she never even dreamed she could have. But scratch the surface of that perfect life and you’ll find something very wrong…and a woman like Nat just can’t help but scratch.
