Marvel vs DC · Street level
Catwoman vs Black Widow
The best thief in Gotham and the best spy in the world go after the same diamond on the same night.
Tale of the tape
| DC | Universe | Marvel |
|---|---|---|
| Street level | Tier | Street level |
| Agility, a whip and the best thief in Gotham | Strength | Spy training, gadgets and widow’s bites |
| Will always stop to steal something shiny | Weakness | Purely human strength |
| 0–1 | Record on Versus | 1–2 |
The Arena
A legendary diamond was displayed at a private gala in a museum that existed, for one night only, between Gotham and New York. Selina Kyle came to steal it. Natasha Romanoff came to recover it before it could be stolen. They met in the dark, in the gallery, at exactly midnight, each with a hand reaching for the glass case.
Catwoman smiled, her goggles glinting. “Hello, gorgeous. That’s mine.” Black Widow did not smile. “It belongs to the people it was stolen from.” Catwoman purred. “Then I’ll steal it back for them. Eventually.” Widow’s bracelets began to crackle with electricity. “No, you won’t.”
Catwoman’s whip cracked in the dark.
Round One
Catwoman’s whip caught Widow’s wrist, and Widow used it to pull Selina toward her and threw an elbow at her face. Catwoman flipped over it, landed on a marble pedestal and slashed with her claws. Widow ducked and swept her legs. They tumbled across the gallery, knocking over priceless statues.
Catwoman was more agile, a cat in the dark, leaping from pedestal to pedestal. Widow was more efficient, every movement trained for a single purpose. She fired a Widow’s Bite, an electric bolt from her bracelet, and Catwoman twisted away from it, her suit smoking.
The guards upstairs heard the noise. Both women heard the guards. Neither of them stopped.
The Turn
In the chaos, Catwoman made her move. She cut through the glass case with her claws, snatched the diamond and leapt for the skylight, laughing. She was through the window and onto the roof in seconds, a perfect getaway. She looked down at the diamond in her palm, grinning.
It was glass. She stared at it. Back in the gallery, Black Widow looked up at the skylight and held up the real diamond between two fingers. She had swapped it in the first exchange, while Catwoman was flipping over her elbow. Catwoman had stolen a fake from a spy who had been trained to do exactly this since childhood.
Catwoman dropped back through the skylight, furious and impressed in equal measure.
The Finish
She attacked again, all claws and whip, and Widow met her head on. Without the element of surprise, the spy was simply the better fighter, her technique honed by the Red Room and a hundred missions with the Avengers. She caught the whip, pulled, and drove Catwoman to the floor with a Widow’s Bite that left her twitching.
Catwoman lay on the marble, her suit smoking, laughing weakly. “You swapped it in the first ten seconds,” she said. Widow pocketed the diamond. “Five.” Catwoman sighed. “I think I’m in love.” Widow almost smiled. “Get in line.”
The guards burst in to find a broken gallery, a fake diamond on the roof, and no sign of either woman. The real diamond was returned to its owners the next week. Selina Kyle received a postcard from Budapest with a single sentence on it: “Better luck next time.” She kept it on her fridge.
The verdict
Black Widow wins
Catwoman is more agile and an extraordinary thief, but Black Widow is a better trained fighter and spy, and she swaps the diamond within seconds of the fight starting.
- SpycraftWidow swaps the diamond before Catwoman realises.
- TrainingThe Red Room and the Avengers made her the better fighter.
- Widow’s BiteElectric bracelets end the fight.
How the rematch could go differently: A Catwoman who had cased the museum for weeks beforehand would be the one setting the traps.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Catwoman and Black Widow?
Black Widow wins. Catwoman is more agile and an extraordinary thief, but Black Widow is a better trained fighter and spy, and she swaps the diamond within seconds of the fight starting.