With the comic book-inspired blockbuster hits “The Dark Night Rises,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Avengers” you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a slew of crime fighting comic book characters surveying the streets this upcoming holiday.

Female-empowerment is led by example from the infamous Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanova, who fought alongside Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and Hawkeye in arguably the most anticipated movie release of the year, “The Avengers.” She is a skilled seductress and deadly assassin, making her one of the hottest femme fatales to hit comic books and the big screen. This scarlet-haired soviet spy is one tough cookie and the perfect Halloween-inspired super hero.

A Following Emerges

Fan costumes, art, figurines and more are popping up all over the place and are always a must-see at any Comic-Con. But if you don’t have time to spare to make your own hero-inspired costume this year, take to the web! Super hero outfits are yours for the taking. Try sites like buycostumes.com to find Halloween costumes online for matching wig and accessories to complete your kick-butt, sultry look.

Collectors Will Flock to Black Widow Figurines

Have you heard? According to Hot Toys, you can own a limited edition Black Widow figurine, whose look is based on actress Scarlett Johansson. This 12-inch figurine is complete with four sets of hands, removable wrist weapons, two handguns and holsters. Die-hard comic fans will want to get a piece of this and add it to their fast-growing collection. Hot Toys also has figurines made of the Avenger team, including the arch-nemesis, Loki. These figurines are so real looking, they belong in a bite-size version of the Hollywood Wax Museum.

On-Screen Beginnings

Romanova is strong, tough and one heck of a spy. Making her first on-screen appearance in Iron Man 2, Romanova was working as an undercover spy for Nick Fury as a part of the S.H.I.E.L.D program, posing as Tony Stark’s assistant. Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, was then approached by Romanova at the end of the movie to be a part of the follow-up Avengers movie, which debuted two years later.

How to Be the Black Widow

Romanova has two sides to her: the kick-butt soviet spy and the sexy secretary. To encompass the Black Widow character, you must first decide which look you are going for.

If you’re going for the action-movie look, your best bet is to get the black latex outfit from a costume store. Finding a super hero costume is easier than ever now since you can order it online or at most costume stores. They even have an area on sites to suggest what accessories go with your costume—wig, guns and boot covers. This makes it easy to make sure you got all the necessary tools to pull off the look.

But if you want to go for that fresh, sexy secretary look, try high-end stores like Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus. Working  for a man Tony Stark puts fashion choices a first priority. He only wore expensive, designer dreads, so she, of course, had to match his style. Go for the perfect little black dress paired with a subtle heel and sexy curls. Or you can try for the more traditional look: high-wasted black skirt with a nice blouse, geek-chic thick glasses and heels.

Guest article by: Miranda Perez