#the red room

[inthedarktrees]

Sheryl Lee | Twin Peaks

[vertigoartgore]

Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer), Lorna MacMillan (The Angel) and director David Lynch in 1991 on the set of Twin Peaks : Fire Walk With Me for the beautiful ending of the movie (with Laura, Dale and the Angel).

[eddiesheep]

I love the theory that the elderly Steve at the end of Endgame was a skrull. Why? Because it would literally fix EVERITHING revolving Steve's ending, as well as major plot inconsistencies.

⤷ How come Steve was able to just... wait out at the same park that his past-self left for the past when it was clearly established that when you go back in time to change something, a new branch is created in the timeline, creating a completely new reality, therefore it would be impossible for old Steve to just wait at the same park to meet up with Sam and bucky? (it was literally the explanation they gave as to why they couldn't just go back in time and kill baby-Thanos lmao)

Because that wasn't the real Steve Rogers, it was a skrull pretending to be him.

⤷ Why would Steve ever want to go back to the past to live the rest of his life with a woman he barely knew when it was already established by Steve him-fucking-self that he was ready to move on?

Because he wouldn't. That wasn't the real Steve Rogers, it was a skrull pretending to be him!

⤷ How could Steve ever be capable of living his cute little domestic life, when logically, the past version of Bucky would still be out there at the same time as him? Being abused, brainwashed and tortured into becoming a cold-killing machine for HYDRA??

Because he couldn't. That wasn't the real Steve Rogers!

⤷ In what world would Steve ever be physically capable of, not only forgiving, but also living the rest of his life with Peggy Carter?? Peggy-fucking-Carter??? You know, the woman who knowingly hired and worked with NAZIS??

None! That wasn't the real Steve Rogers!

⤷ How come Steve would ever have the balls to leave Bucky- no! Not just any Bucky- THE James Buchanan Barnes, to fed for himself in a whole new world he has not yet had time to understand as well as Steve did, when he PROMISED him that it would always be them against the world? Till' the end of the fucking line?

Because he would never! That wasn't the real Steve Rogers!

See what I mean? That could transition into to such an interesting conflict too! Maybe (to tie in with a better version of Secret Invasion idk) it was part of the skrulls' plot! To take Captain America off the picture, and manipulate others into believing that Steve just left them out of his own volition, as a way to discourage anyone from looking for him. To make taking over the earth easier!

Gosh! The concept of skrulls has got to be one of the most interesting, most scary concepts the MCU has ever introduced, losing only to The Red Room.

And yet, just like The Red Room, the MCU fucked it all up. I hate it.

[the-daily-bugle-official-blog]

Dear readers, over the last few days I have been attacked and personally threatened for trying to speak the truth behind our government, though now I believe I have found the root of all the problems in our country and the corruption behind our systems of power. Vital SHIELD, SWORD and governmental documents have been revealed to the Daily Bugle so we can finally reveal how deep this problem goes.

The truth is that for the longest time, even after HYDRA supposedly 'fell' along with SHIELD, our country has remained infested with foreign agents, whether 'redeemed' or not. There have also been members of the secretive Russian 'red room' program who are also hiding among us, trained assassins who could snap at any moment. This is a severe security threat to the people of America and the world, but we have luckily been shared the names and details of some of these traitors and infiltrators.

There are too many of the ex and current red room members to count, but we have several, including some previously mentioned on the Daily Bugle:

Katalina Anaya Yelena Belova Vera Heladottir-Banner Alena Kotich Androva Kotich Elianova Krevki Alena Romanoff Belladonna Romanoff Daniella Romanoff Lana Romanoff - Campbell Natasha Romanoff Rosalie Romanoff Yekaterina Romnoff-Barnes Pytor Romanov Ekaterina Solenski Willow Stark Alina Sunover

As well as several ex-HYDRA members or those with connections to HYDRA:

Natasha Afinona Aleksandra Barnes Daniel Barnes James Barnes Benjamin Emerson Garren Farley Scarlet Frey Finnian Holloway Hunter Jones-Westwood Nina Kovna Luke Lawrence Evelyn Lune Viktor Malric Jade Maximoff Pietro Maximoff Wanda Maximoff Nikolai Müller Story Right Charlotte Rogers Moth Rogers Iyla Romanoff-Danvers Atlas Romanoff-Maximoff Elizabeth Rumlow Elijah Smith Valerie Smith Rebekah Solenski Cameron Stark Donna Stark Nadia Stark Jamie Todd Enela [No last name given] Eros [No last name given] Miko [No last name given]

Its a lot to unpack, for sure, and there's plenty of familiar names on these leaked files. President Barnes and his family are obvious, as well as the Romanoff and Maximoff families being well known ex-red room or HYDRA members. President Barnes's HR representative and long time opposer of this company Story Right also seems to have a past affiliation with HYDRA, interesting...

What is surprising is the number of Starks on these lists. Tony Stark's daughters Cameron and Willow, his sister Nadia, and his granddaughter Donna all have connections to the two groups. His daughter Serena also MAY HAVE a connection of some kind to the HYDRA AI program Project Galatea, though we do not have more details at this time.

Several ex-HYDRA and even still active handlers such as the almost unnamed Eros, Enelia, both with no last names, Viktor Malrik and Benjamin Emerson were also revealed to still be at large, along with their assets. Several are also extremely overpowered such as Elianova Krevki, who is part celestial.

Multiple of the people on this list have changed their names to blend in with everyday society, such as Alina Sunover, who changed her name to Kit Holloway, and Rebekah Solenski who changed hers to Anika Summers. Pytor Romanov is also trying to pass as a Spiderman variant, proof that our heroes MIGHT BE just as untrustworthy as the supposed villains they fight

The Smith/Farley siblings, assassins and mutants who have meddled with time and space in their own rights, especially with Valerie Smith’s connection to Willow Stark, previously mentioned on this list, and the new Ronin terrorist who has been confirmed not to be Clint Barton. Moth Rogers is known to be connected to the Lehnsherr-Barnes family, another hive of suspicion and doubt.

Even further proof shows that Evelyn Lune, one of our own Avengers, has a darker side still loyal to HYDRA that could ALLEGEDLY snap at any moment. Similarly with Nadia Stark and an alternate version of James Barnes who still work occasonally with the group. These people are POTENTIALLY untrustworthy and a POSSIBLE threat, and in fact many Avengers were once members of HYDRA and the Red Room are now Avengers or close to the Avengers, such as Natasha Afiona, Charlotte Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, James Barnes and many more. The controversies just keep piling up.

Many of these members have direct and indirect familial or social ties with one another, and there are rarely ones by themselves. Whatever the case, these people were raised or trained by dangerous groups who wish to control world politics and bring about an end to democracy and the world as we know it, thus making them a POSSIBLE threat and liability to a safe America.

So what can you do to stop this threat? Well we at the Daily Bugle believe an official and public registration for these people should be in order, so call up your local representatives, send messages and open letters. If you see anyone who looks suspicious or out of place, do not feel afraid to inform the authorities, or your neighbours who might be at risk. Remember: these files are not complete and these POTENTIALLY dangerous people are most likely not the only ones out there, so stay alert and stay safe. Many are calling into question President Barnes’s leadership, especially since his sudden departure and reappearance at the White House after our last article about his family. He may not be able to handle this problem considering his personal investment in keeping this story quiet, but the Daily Bugle will not be quiet! To join our daily newsletter comment underneath one of our posts to be added to the list. Be sure to comment your thoughts about the threat HYDRA and the Red Room still pose below, or leave an anonymous submission to get potentially featured in a later news story.

And before anyone asks, I made sure that my lead editor was off sick while publishing this so you will not be hearing from him. The truth deserves to be known. Also no I do not proof read my writing, that's for people with the woke mind virus

– J Jonah Jameson

@playingwithwater @the-best-black-widow @your-fav-russian-assassin @over-bi-the-wayside @natt-romanoff @official-tasha-romanoff @official-natasha-romanova @elia-theassassin @thecrazyrplayerosie @project-traveler @live-to-see-another-death @alenaswidowbytes @natalia-reflecting @natalia-alianova-romanova @redroom-peterparker @doctor-mindweaver @official-buckybarnes @nadia-stark-official @hydra-bucky @androva-thewidow @alena-kotich @the-cheesy-romanova-campbell @the-good-redheaded-witch @alenaswidowbytes @little-lost-prince @hydra-handler @thatone-midgardian @project-traveler @reia-creations @multifandomer537 @oh-to-be-a-murderer @dont-touch-my-gun @daniel-barnes-the-ghost @ghostblade-official @handler-benjamin @capt-scarlett-frey @luke-lee-lawrence @c4m3r0n-st0n3 @cypherlune @jade-lopez-maximoff @official-pietro-maximoff @silentdeath-a175 @story-from-hr @guardianof4elements @the-best-duck-tamer @backupwintersoldier @jamie-todd-red-knight

//if I forgot anyone im sorry this one had a lot of people in it, also as always none of this is meant JJJ is just an asshole who hates everyone. also sorry this took so long to make i got rlly sick but IM BACK NOW IDIOTS SO MORE FAKE AND BAD NEWS FROM OUR LEAST FAVOURITE NEWS GUY. Don't worry about lead editor Jay, he has been cursed with the same cold as me

[black-widow-survivor]

“the red room took everything from me. but it didn’t take my soul." — natasha romanoff ⧗

[marvelilovebucky]

The Black Widow aesthetic

[tenjoura]

Two from the book! can't wait for the movie♡♡♡ 

[beardedmrbean]

[arcadia-smith]

Note: So I am coming up with some new series of one shots about The Winter Soldier and a Black Widow. (🖤⃝🤍 WS&BW) Each part will take place on different occasions, exploring their relationship. Some will be extra short, some longer.

Summary: he's come here to be a trainer for The Red Room's Widows. And you get to fight him- The Winter Soldier.

Word Count: just a bit over 1k.

The air in the training room hung heavy, thick with an unspoken menace. The Red Room’s notorious facility was awash in harsh, clinical light that seemed to leech the very life out of its surroundings. Every surface gleamed coldly, every shadow stretched long and unyielding. Agents glided past the glass walls like phantoms, their movements silent, their gazes devoid of warmth.

The Red Room thrived on the art of control—on pain sculpted into perfection. Comfort was a foreign concept here. You had no illusions about this place. Standing in its heart, you could feel its essence: discipline, survival, submission.

You stood in the center of the mat, your chest heaving as you stared at the man towering over you. He was a ghost made flesh, a legend who had clawed his way out of the abyss only to be shackled once more in its darkness. James Buchanan Barnes.

Here, though, he wasn’t a name. He was The Winter Soldier.

Your posture was perfect, your stance textbook, but there was something in your eyes—a glimmer of rebellion, of individuality. It set you apart in a place that prided itself on breaking spirits and forging weapons. Maybe that’s what had caught his attention. Or maybe it was what had doomed you.

And sparring with the Winter Soldier wasn’t a test—it was a punishment.

“Let’s see if you can keep up, маленькая вдова,” he said, the Russian a hint of mockery.

He paced around you, his metal arm gleaming under the faint light. And his voice threw you off. He hadn't said much since his arrival, and he didn't need to- his presence was enough to intimidate whoever stood in front of him.

In the Red Room, weakness was a death sentence, and arguments were a waste of energy, so there was nothing else for you to do- you dropped into a fighting stance.

The fight was brutal. Bucky wasn’t holding back, and neither were you. Every punch, kick, and block was met with calculated precision. He moved like a ghost, silent and deadly, his attacks relentless. But you were trained for this. You’d spent years perfecting your skills, and you weren’t about to let him walk all over you.

“Faster,” he barked as you narrowly evaded his metal arm, its weight carving through the air like a blade.

You ducked under his next attack, using his momentum to drive an elbow into his ribs. He grunted and for a fleeting second, his mask cracked—just enough for a flicker of amusement to surface.

Before you could react, he grabbed your wrist, twisting it just enough to disarm you of the training knife you hadn’t realized he’d spotted. You gasped as he swept your legs out from under you, pinning you to the mat in one fluid motion. His metal hand hovered near your throat, not quite touching but close enough to make a point.

“You’re quick, but you think too much, маленькая вдова,” he said, his voice low “Out there, hesitation will get you killed.”

You glared up at him, “And being reckless will get you killed just as fast.”

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—recognition, perhaps. He didn’t say anything as he stood and offered you a hand. You hesitated before taking it, his grip firm but not crushing as he pulled you to your feet.

“Again,” he said simply, stepping back into position.

He lunges first, a blur of strength and precision. You barely sidestep his punch, the force of his metal fist shattering the concrete pillar behind you. You retaliate with a sharp kick to his midsection, but it’s like striking a wall—he barely flinches. He grabs your leg mid-kick, spinning you off balance, but you twist in midair, using the momentum to land a solid elbow strike to his jaw.

The impact makes him stumble back, if only slightly, and his expression shifts to something darker—impressed, maybe, but also more dangerous. He retaliates with a roundhouse punch. You duck low, sweeping at his legs, but he anticipates, vaulting over you and landing a brutal kick to your side. Pain shoots through your ribs as you hit the floor, but you roll away before his metal fist crashes down where you had been.

Springing to your feet, you grab a combat baton from the wall, spinning it deftly in your hand. He charges, his metal arm aiming for your weapon, but you feint, striking at his flesh-and-blood side instead. He grunts, momentarily off balance, and you press the advantage, delivering a flurry of strikes that force him to retreat.

The fight becomes a dance of skill and raw power—his brute strength against your agility and strategy. Sweat beads on your brow, muscles burning, but you refuse to yield. When he grabs your baton mid-swing, you let it go, using his surprise to land a knee to his ribs and a sharp jab to his throat.

Finally, you’re both standing again, breaths labored, circling one another like predators. The Winter Soldier wipes blood from his lip, a ghost of a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Not bad,” he mutters.

“Enough,” General Dreykov's cold voice cuts through the room. “This isn’t a death match. Save it for the mission.”

As you walk away, you feel the Winter Soldier’s piercing gaze on your back, a silent acknowledgment that you’re not just another Red Room recruit—you’re a threat.

[clintbarton-thearrowguy]

*I drop off @the-loss-of-my-life @moon-barnes @fox-barnes @official-alpinebarnes at my house* you four stay here I’m going after Nat.

@hawkeyes-favorite @cooperbarton-hawkeyeskid @laura-barton-shield we have guests, Nat’s kids. Have fun, don’t burn anything down.

[inthedarktrees]

Sheryl Lee & Kyle MacLachlan | Twin Peaks

[alphashley14]

Professor Pericles isn’t in the Sitting Room.

Just a liiiittle something I noticed that I would like to point out and discuss.

His “better half” wasn’t shown to be trapped there with the others. So did he never separate from his? Or did he never have one at all?

Makes you wonder just how affected Professor Pericles was by the curse, because also consider:

He recounts hearing the “soothing” screams of Krampus’ victims as a hatchling in his homeland of Germany. (The gif above is him talking about it) Which would have been before he had ever set a talon in Crystal Cove. Soooo…

Was he really corrupted by the curse like everyone else? Or was he a manipulative red flag waving psychopath at birth? And if that’s the case, then what does that say about the reset timeline? Is he reeeeally as innocent as he appears as Creationex Corp’s mascot? Or is he still a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

Just saying. This makes for EXCELLENT fanfic material. 👀

(Also PLEASE comment and reblog with your own thoughts! I want to talk about this because it gave me an idea for another fic!)

[byeolbitthegoose]

[calypso707]

Winter Soldier x OC Fanfiction - The Tale of Two Wolves.

Hey everyone ! Lately, I've been diving back into the Marvel niverse and my love for Bucky Barnes has returned. Recently, I read the novel about him and it made me want to write a little fanfiction about him. This story will be inspired by the comics, the novel and the Marvel movies. I hope you enjoy it.

Summary : She has been trained to become the best spy, an asset capable of overthrowing regimes. He, on the other hand, has been reconditioned to become a ruthless assassin, a ghost, both loyal to the USSR. Aspiring for freedom, they will both try to escape those who control them, but the only question is whether they will succeed or not.

TW : details of injury, wounds, anxiety, blood, probably some death, PTSD. For the romantic part, fluff moments, kisses.

Chapter 1 - The Red Room.

Widows start and end wars. They can make or break kings.

Somewhere in Russia, during the Cold War - 1953.

When she was just five years old, she and twenty-seven other girls were taken to the Red Room, a training center created under the Soviet regime. Its primary objective was to create highly skilled and specialized agents for espionage and other covert operations. The training imposed within these walls went beyond physical training, using biochemical enhancements and few years later memory implants. She still remembered the pain she felt when she receive her first injection of a bluish substance. Her ordeal had lasted several days.

“Your wounds will heal four, even five times faster than normal, you'll never get sick, you won't age, your hair won't fall out, your skin can withstand the wind and sun…”

These words still echoed in her mind, like all the battles she'd fought so far, sending her comrades to the mat, one by one. Every day, she saw her humanity crumble a little more. Every sunrise heralded a new challenge, a test designed to shatter those who dared to hope. The training she'd undergone since childhood wasn't simply a question of physical strength or precision; it was a war against herself and the silence that echoed around her in this facility was like a warning.

She'd been training for several hours now, most of the time set apart from the others, attending training sessions for hours on end, perfecting her skills over and over again. She knocked down her opponent, tackling him to the ground, but had badly anticipated the action of the second, who managed to punch her. Her vision blurred with the impact and a whistling sound persisted in her ears. She stepped back, pressing the back of her hand against her bloodied lips, raising her other hand in surrender.

“Clumsy. You are failing on purpose.” said a female voice from across the room.

She looked up at the woman who was dressed in a cobalt-blue suit, her blond hair impeccably styled on her head in a bun. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she took a few steps: “Again.”

She was constantly on the edge. At any moment, she could sink into darkness or find a glimmer of hope. But one thing was certain: when she looked in the mirror, she saw a transformation. Not yet complete, but inescapable. She was becoming what they wanted her to be.

One question haunted her, however: could she aspire to freedom?

She shook her head slightly to regain her composure and resume training. Lately, memories had been coming back to her in flashes, in her dreams or in the middle of a training session, causing her to falter during certain lessons. She couldn't sort them out, couldn't tell the true from the false, interspersed with ballet lessons at the Bolshoi Theater and fights, faces she knew and others that seemed totally unfamiliar. She could no longer afford to be distracted like this, or they would soon label her dysfunctional despite her being one of their best asset.

“Irina.”

She straightened up, trying to hide the fact that she was tense. Here, her real name was only used when she made mistakes, which was quite rare, or when her instructors gave her orders. As the old man rose from his chair behind his imposing solid wood desk, she twitched slightly as he approached her. He seemed to be scrutinizing her, as if trying to determine if she was hiding more from him. This man, Grigor Pchelintsov, she'd known him for as long as she could remember.

“Mrs. B thinks you fail your tests on purpose. I have trouble believing her,” he said to her in Russian. “Is something bothering you?”

A heavy silence settled over the room.

“You know you can tell me anything.”

“Some… Strange memories are coming back to me.”

For a while, she considered keeping this to herself, but she knew it would only be a matter of time before she betrayed herself. And she could use it to mask her desire for freedom. For some reason, she felt obliged to tell the truth, for that was how she had been trained. Honesty to instructors, lies to the public.

“Hm… What kind of memories?”

She remained silent for a few seconds, seeming to search for her words.

“You can trust me, tell me,” the scientist insisted.

She remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly searching for words.

“You can trust me, tell me,” the scientist insisted.

“It's hard to say. But I see a girl, long black hair and green eyes. I…”

She could be her sister, a camrade she knew, someone she killed. She could be anybody.

Grigor examined her for a long moment, raising his glasses to wedge them in his graying hair, thrusting one of his hands into the pocket of his blouse.

“Do you know who she is?”

“No.”

“What else?”

“That's it, I only see her face.”

He seemed to tickle something in his blouse pocket for a few seconds before finally nodding. He put his glasses back on his nose, looking more reassured.

“All right. Follow me, i will fix you.”

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the clarity of the place. A woman was already present, impeccably dressed, her graying hair combed into a quilt at the back of her head, she was a pale copy of Mrs B. Her face was familiar. Grigor went inside a nearby booth, through which he could see what was going on. He nodded to her before she finally made her way to the seat in the middle of the room, surrounded by various machines. She settled comfortably on it, straps held down her wrists and ankles as the woman came to stand beside her, placing various electrodes on her forehead and temples. She opened her mouth so she could place the gag, which she bite down hard.

“Turning on the machines.”, said the woman.

A hiss echoed through the room as she switched the buttons on, one by one.

“Launch in 3, 2, 1…”

A pain suddenly irradiated her head and she closed her eyes, biting down as hard as she could on the cloth between her teeth. Her nails dug into the leather of the armrests. It didn't help her, it was worse than anything, more flashes were coming to her, more and more violently. Shocks were sent through her repeatedly, always stronger and stronger. The throbbing pain that pierced her skull became unbearable, and she endured the onslaught until she finally lost consciousness.

When she came to her senses, she slowly opened her eyes, she didn't recognise the room where she was and how she ended here. Grigor stood beside her with a small flashlight, moving back and forth over her eyes to examine the reaction of her pupils. He snapped his fingers next to her ears, to make her react to the sound; the buzzing she'd heard just a few seconds ago was only beginning to fade. He stepped back to let her straighten up, which she did carefully. She felt as if her skull would crack from the pain, but she must never fail, never. She sat on the edge of the bunk for a few seconds, assessing her physical and mental state.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

She took a few seconds before answering. How was she feeling ?

“Good.”

“Name?” asked the man.

She blinked several times before automatically answering : “Irina Milana Vasilkova.”

“Code name?”

“Lana Vasilkoff.”

“Section?”

“Black Widow.”

*

Pain was omnipresent, had become a part of her. It lived in her aching muscles, in her joints that screamed at every movement, in the bruises that covered her body like a second skin. But that was nothing compared to what she felt inside. Every successful task was a victory tinged with guilt, for she knew that behind every bullet fired, every blow struck, lay the shadow of innocence she was leaving behind. The cold gaze of Mrs. B and the instructors showed no mercy, no sign that she had the right to flinch. There was no room for error, and every failure meant punishment, humiliation or worse, obliteration. By not crying, she had learned to bury her emotions deep inside. But sometimes, when she closed her eyes to sleep, she still saw her old face: that of a girl who still believed in her freedom. And yet, there was also this strange satisfaction she felt in spite of herself. Every time she mastered a move, every time she defeated an enemy, she felt the power surge through her. Her senses had become sharper, her thinking faster. She was stronger, quicker, smarter than ever. But this power came at a price. She knew that by becoming a weapon, she might forget her humanity.

They had all been grouped together in the training room, the remaining nineteen of them. Camaraderie was rare, but precious. Among the recruits, the furtive glances they exchanged were a mixture of fear and solidarity. Sometimes a discreet smile, other times an outstretched hand in moments when exhaustion threatened to make her falter, these gestures were enough to remind her that she was not alone. But she also knew that this bond could be broken at any moment.

Here, everyone was both ally and enemy.

The instructor took a step forward, his hands clasped behind his back. He was the most terrifying of them all, the most violent. With each lesson, a certain apprehension crept over her, but she never wavered. She never would.

“Today, I would like to introduce you to your new trainer. One of our finest assets,” he announced, moving away from the door which slid open automatically.

The man who entered the room to stand beside the instructor seemed to be a perfect blend of brute strength and deadly precision. Every movement betrayed a restrained power, ready to explode. He stood around 1.80 meters tall, his silhouette shrouded in a black tactical jumpsuit. His left arm, a terrifying work of engineering, glinted metallic under the artificial light of the room. Engraved with geometric lines and adorned with the emblematic red star of the Soviet Union, it was an extension of his will.

Part of his face was concealed by a matte black metal mask that covered his features perfectly, smoothing every curve of his face with mechanical rigor. Only his eyes were visible, frozen like a Siberian winter, at once captivating and disturbing, capable of piercing to the very soul of anyone who dared to meet his gaze, scrutinizing every weakness, every intention. There was in those eyes a restrained pain, a muted melancholy, like a constant reminder of memories he would have preferred to forget. Around this mask, the soldier's skin was pale, marked by the icy wind and deprivation, with faint scars testifying to past hardships. Beneath this mask, there was no smile, no anger, just a profound emptiness.

His dark, slightly wavy hair fell in unruly locks around his face. It gave him a wild, almost untamable air. But this unkempt appearance was not to be mistaken for weakness. Every detail of his being seemed calculated, optimized for battle. His gait was fluid and silent. Despite his muscular build, he moved with an unsettling grace, as if the ground itself obeyed him. His reinforced boots hardly seemed to touch the ground, and every gesture, even the most insignificant, exuded mastery and control.

His aura was that of a predator. He carried not only strength on his shoulders, but also a magnetic presence that commanded respect, mingled with awe. He was no ordinary man; he was a living weapon, forged in pain and discipline, and honed by years of obedience to orders he hadn't chosen.

“Agent Keranin, the Winter Soldier will be your new combat instructor.”

Irina flexed slightly at the name. Her comrades tensed, and some of them took a slight step backwards. She'd heard of the Winter Soldier, but thought at first it was just a legend.

[natr0manova]

Natasha Romanoff and Ballet

We all know about Natasha being a ballerina. In AoU we saw young girls dancing and we saw her ballet slippers in Endgame

But surprise! That did not happen in the comics. At least, not at all.

Natasha only believed to be a ballerina with the Bolshoi theatre but she never was one. The Red Room implanted false memories on her and the other widows to keep them loyal as 'that (becoming a ballerina) was the dream of all Russian girls.'

Natasha believed it for DECADES. In Black Widow 2004, she found out about the implanted memories.

In that comic, Natasha visits the Bolshoi theatre to talk with her 'ballet teacher', Alex Sterenly (who was actually a scientist who brainwashed her) only to find out he isn't a ballet teacher!

Eventually, she discovered an abandoned building (I'm not 100% sure but it's probably an old building of the Red Room) and remembers how she was brainwashed.

I think it's suppossed to show that no matter what, the Red Room still has control over Natasha and other Widows. This shows that even after her defection, Natasha still isn't truly free its power and controll.

Here are two panels showing perfectly how at one point Natasha didn't even know what's real and what's not

[black-widow-survivor]

“my widows can start and end wars. they can make and break kings.”

- dreykov, black widow (2021) ⧗