Black Widow is a core member of the MCU Avengers and is one of Marvel's most recognizable heroes. But it is also important to note that she is the product of another time, as the early Marvel stories were rooted in the politics of the Cold War. In fact, as she was a Soviet spy, Black Widow was originally a villain.

RELATED: 10 Marvel Characters Black Widow Actually Killed

Of course, none would deny that she has more than proved her heroism since then, but Natasha Romanoff is not the only Russian superhero of note. In fact, she is not even the only Black Widow. The Cold War is long since over, but these characters remain, reminders that superheros can come from every nation on the globe.

10 Red Guardian Is The Name Of Several Soviet-Era Super-Soldiers

Red Guardian

There have been numerous people to take the name Red Guardian, all of whom have been Russian soldiers with specialized combat training. The original Red Guardian to appear in the comics was Alexei Shostakov, who gave his life saving Captain America and Black Widow.

Later, an even older version of Red Guardian would be retconned into past continuity. This was Aleksey Lebedev, the first Red Guardian, who fought alongside Captain America in WWII. There have been many more versions of the character, and quite a number of them have served on Russia’s primary superhero team, the Winter Guard.

9 Natasha Romanoff Is The Avengers’ Superspy Black Widow

Black Widow

Born in Soviet Russia, Natasha is a master spy and assassin, trained in the Soviet Red Room—a program that turned girls into world-class espionage operatives. She defected to the US and has worked with the Avengers ever since, though she frequently finds herself serving on other teams as well.

RELATED: MCU: 10 Things That Make Zero Sense About Natasha Romanoff

The 2012 Avengers film brilliantly summed up Natasha’s past when she said she has “red in [her] ledger,” a reference to the many crimes she has committed doing black ops and undercover work. Black Widow has blood on her hands, but she does the messy work of operating in the shadows to ensure that evil is stopped before it can hurt others. Furthermore, she has learned to live with what she has done, finding love and happiness as best she can while continuing to do good work.

8 Ursa Major Is A Giant Mutant Werebeat And Devoted Patriot

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It is difficult to think of a cooler Russian superhero than Ursa Major. He is a mutant whose power is the ability to shapeshift into a giant werebear.

Ursa Major is so strong he has fought the Hulk in single combat and walked away from the battle, but he is less than dexterous in his bear form, which has allowed some far less powerful characters to beat him. He has been a key member of such Soviet superhero teams as the Winter Guard, Siberforce, and the not-so-subtly-named Soviet Super-Soldiers.

7 Colossus Is An X-Man With Steel Skin And Superstrength

Colossus

Piotr Nikolayevich Rasputin is better known by his superhero name: Colossus. He was part of the first major push to expand the X-Men’s roster and joined the team at the same time as other classic heroes like Wolverine, Storm, and Nightcrawler.

RELATED: X-Men: 5 Times Colossus Was The Best Mutant (& 5 He Was The Worst)

Colossus can turn his skin into an indestructible metal and is granted enhanced strength when he does so. He has fought some of the strongest enemies the X-Men ever faced and won. In fact, his greatest weakness is probably his big heart, which has been exploited several times over the years.

6 Magik Is A Teleporting Mutant Sorcerer Who Wields A Soul-Forged Sword

Uncanny X-Men Magik costume

Colossus’s younger sister is Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputin, better known as Magik. She is one of the most tragic characters in the X-Men lore, having been trapped in the hellish realm of purgatory as a child, where she learned sorcery and had to survive in a realm ruled by demons.

In addition to being a powerful spellcaster, Magik wields a soulsword, a blade literally forged from her very soul. She can also teleport, even traveling across different dimensions and through time.

5 Yelena Belova Is The OTHER Black Widow

Black Widow Yelena Belova

Normally, when people say “Black Widow,” they are referring to Natasha Romanoff. There are numerous reasons for this, the biggest one being that she is the character they see using the title most often. But there is another Black Widow who was trained in the Red Room: Yelena Belova.

To call Yelena a “hero” may be a bit of a stretch, and she certainly would reject the term. However, Marvel is known for its morally complex characters. Yelena is definitely complex, and like Natasha, she has a lot of “red in her ledger.” But she also works alongside the heroes and opposes some of the worst villains out there, using her skills to make a positive difference. That’s pretty heroic, all things considered.

4 Darkstar Is A Mutant Who Can Control Darkforce Energy

Darkstar

There are a number of mutants on this list, but Darkstar is arguably the one with the coolest power set and is truly powerful. She can wield mystical Darkforce energy, using it to create constructs, fly, teleport, and blast her enemies.

RELATED: 10 Female Superheroes Who Were Created Before Wonder Woman

Darkstar has been part of such teams as the Winter Guard, Siberforce, and the Soviet Super-Soldiers, but she has also been part of mutant-specific groups like the Exiles and X-Corporation.

3 Vanguard Has The Mutant Ability To Generate A Powerful Force Field

Vanguard

Darkstar’s twin brother is the mutant Vanguard, who has the ability to create force fields to protect himself and others. While not as well known as his sister, Vanguard is quite impressive, standing well over 6 feet tall and with years of KGB training at his disposal.

He has historically fought with a Hammer and Sickle, and used to only be able to make his powers work when he crossed them together. However, this was a psychosomatic block and one he has overcome. More recently, he has become yet another version of Red Guardian.

2 Crimson Dynamo Is A Title Used By MANY Different Mech-Suited Soldiers

Crimson Dynamo

There have been more than a dozen people to assume the role of Crimson Dynamo. The first, Anton Vanko, wore a suit of mech armor he built himself and was the Soviet Union’s answer to Iron Man. He and Iron Man actually became friends and Vanko defected to the US, where he worked for Tony Stark. He died trying to save Iron Man’s life.

Since then, there have been as many heroic upright people to serve as Crimson Dynamo as there have been villains. But one thing they all have in common is that they wear a powerful red mech suit.

1 It! The Living Colossus Is A Living Sentient Statue

it-the-living-colossus

It! The Living Colossus is the type of character who can only exist in comics. He is a giant towering stone statue who was brought to life by aliens.

Standing at a hundred feet tall, he is not someone to mess with, something Doctor Doom found out the hard way when they tussled. More recently, he has moved to his new home on Monster Island.

NEXT: 10 Classic Marvel Stories That Aren't Canon Anymore