Natasha Romanova, the retired Black Widow, is in Alabama,
trying to treat a gunshot wound to the abdomen with only a bottle of perfume to
use as disinfectant. Meanwhile, the North Institute operatives, Max Hunter and
Kestrel, are disappointed in the ATF for letting nine of their agents be killed
while failing to capture the Black Widow….
Another former Black Widow arrives in a remote area
somewhere southeast of the Urals and is instantly killed by a sniper working
for Vassily Ilyich….
Natasha and Phil Dexter go to the safe house where Sally
Anne Carter is residing. Phil has identified the ring worn by the hitman killed
by Nat is issue #1: he is a Soviet assassin working out of the Red Room which
supposedly no longer exists….
Late that night, Natasha climbs through the twentieth-story
window of Jim Koenig, middle-aged, mid-level spook, and captures the man and
his wife; with a dose of truth serum, he reveals that the Red Room is active,
known as 2R in the business world and they have a US Government liaison named
Martin Ferris. Nat also discovers his infatuation with a teenage girl named
Krista. Nat, Phil, and Sally drive off and Koenig is pushed out of a window by
his betrayed wife….
Hunter and Kestrel meet with Nick Fury at SHIELD HQ, asking
for help in capturing Natasha as one government agent to another. Fury is
disgusted with Hunter and North Institute and kicks them out….
Martin Ferris is in North Carolina, a military bigshot now a
shady businessman. Natasha dresses as a sexy babe and links up with him, leads
him back to a hotel room, and ties him up, questioning him about 2R. Because of
his youth and strength, she must use a stronger truth serum, one that results
in him hallucinating psychedelic images but he talks. He is liaison between 2R
and Gynacon, a cosmetic firm, and he gives her a list of contacts in Russia. As
Phil can’t discover what Medusagen is, Nat realizes she must go to Moscow. She
insists on going alone….