Marvel Team-Up (1972 series) #85

During the battle aboard the SHIELD Helicarrier, Spider-Man, stunned by an electric shock from Silver Samurai, has been thrown overboard, two miles up with nothing in sight to web onto. With Shang-Chi and Nick Fury occupied battling baddies, Black Widow is the only one who notices and leaps out of a window, firing a web-line to snag Spidey and then she leans back to snag the Helicarrier with a second line. She then tries swinging Spidey back and forth until he can reach the carrier and hang on. And then Silver Samurai cuts her line and she falls, but able to swing Spidey up and he clings to the Helicarrier and holds on to her as he starts to lose consciousness….

Viper gives the order to seal all bulkheads and to fill them with gas, to knock out Fury and Shang. She then reveals her mad scheme: As President Carter addresses a joint session of Congress, plus the Supreme Court, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Cabinet all present in a single room in the Capitol, she will crash the Helicarrier into the building, wiping out the entire US government with one blow. But Nick Fury and Shang-Chi come bursting onto the bridge, having avoided the gas by traveling through a secret passage known only to Fury. Fury takes down Clay Quartermain with a sleep dart but is struck down himself by Quartermain’s bullet. Just as the battle heats up, Spider-Man and Black Widow come crashing through the window, safe and sound. But Viper still holds the control module and they are on course for the Capitol. Spidey takes on the Silver Samurai while Black Widow and Shang-Chi go after Viper. After a violent melee, Spidey overpowers the Samurai….

As Black Widow pursues the villainess, her mind goes back to how she discovered Viper’s plot but was captured and tortured to find out what she knew; she escaped but her mind retreated into the safe personality of Nancy Rushman. Now Viper shoots at them and Shang jumps in front of Natasha, taking the bullet; Viper then sets the Helicarrier to crash into the Capitol and hurls the control module overboard. Spidey performs first aid on Fury’s wound and then he must try to rewire the carrier’s controls at Fury’s direction as his left arm is now useless. Widow and Viper fight to the finish atop one of the engine maintenance platforms on the carrier as Natasha’s identity permanently rights itself. Viper falls over the edge and Black Widow grabs onto her arm to save her. Suddenly, thanks to Fury and Spidey, the engines start up again and their spinning pulls Viper out of Natasha’s grasp, hurling her across the sky. The Helicarrier swoops safely past the Capitol, shaking up everyone inside….

Nick Fury thanks Shang-Chi for his help. Shang explains how he deflected Viper’s bullet and pretended to be dead to force Black Widow’s true personality to emerge to defeat the villainess. Spidey and Widow have a moment, Nat assuring him she harbors no romantic feelings toward him as “Nancy” did. As Spidey web parachutes to Earth, Natasha ponders her choices to stay independent….