- "It's a synthetic gas. The counteragent to chemical subjugation."
- ―Yelena Belova to Natasha Romanoff[src]
Red Dust is a gas used to free mind controlled victims from their subjugation. Yelena Belova and Natasha Romanoff used the Red Dust to free the Black Widows and Taskmaster from Dreykov's control.
History[]
Used on Yelena Belova[]
The Red Dust was created by a group including Oksana. Dreykov heard about the Red Dust and its ability to free people from mind control, so he sent Yelena Belova and Ingrid to kill Oksana and retrieve the Red Dust. Belova stabbed Oksana, who used a vial of the Red Dust on her and freed her from the Red Room's mind control. Oksana gave Belova the Red Dust and told her to free the other Black Widows, and Belova was forced to go into hiding to hide herself from the Black Widows as Ingrid received permission to activate Taskmaster Protocol.[1]
Mailed to Natasha Romanoff[]
Yelena Belova mailed the Red Dust to Natasha Romanoff's safe house in Budapest, along with photo booth pictures of herself and Romanoff to communicate that they were from her, but then bought access to the same safe house from Rick Mason. Mason took Romanoff's mail, including the Red Dust, to the trailer in Norway where she intended to stay. Believing all the mail to be junk, Romanoff put the box in the trunk of her car, to be driven out the next time she went into town.
Six hours later, Romanoff's generator broke and she had to go into town to get more gas for it. While driving out, Romanoff was attacked by Taskmaster, who was looking for the Red Dust. A battle ensued, in which Romanoff realized what Taskmaster's target was and removed the Red Dust and picture from the box there were in and let herself be pushed off of a bridge before Taskmaster could get the dust.
Romanoff went to shore and caught her breath as she looked at the Red Dust. She looked at the photo and realized that they were sent by Belova, so she resolved to go to Budapest.[1]
Returned to Budapest[]
Natasha Romanoff brought the Red Dust back to the safe house in Budapest, where she and Yelena Belova fought before realizing that they could trust each other and called a truce. Romanoff asked why Belova mailed her the Red Dust, causing Belova to question why she brought the Dust back to Budapest. Belova explained to Romanoff what it was, and that the Red Room, led by Dreykov, wanted it. This confused Romanoff, who believed Dreykov to be dead and the Red Room to have ended.
Their conversation was cut short when they were attacked by a group of Black Widows, led by Ingrid. Romanoff and Belova escaped their attack and ran through Budapest, defeating the Widows, and Ingrid was made to kill herself, confirming for Romanoff that Dreykov and the Red Room were active. Taskmaster chased Romanoff and Belova for the Red Dust, but they managed to evade capture.[1]
Used on the Black Widows[]
Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova, and Alexei Shostakov brought the Red Dust to Melina Vostokoff's homestead, when they were captured by the Red Room and brought to the Red Room Academy. The Red Dust was kept on a lower level of the facility, and Vostokoff told Belova to retrieve it and use it on the Widows. Belova retrieved the Red Dust and wrapped a grenade around the vials. She rushed into Dreykov's office and found the Black Widows brutally beating Romanoff, so she through the Dust over the Widows and it blew up over them, releasing the Dust and freeing them from the Red Room's control. While Belova and the Widows left, Romanoff stayed behind to download the Red Room's information and took the vials which survived the explosion with her.[1]
Used on Taskmaster[]
Natasha Romanoff rushed through the Red Room facility and saw Taskmaster in a cell. As the facility was crashing, Romanoff freed Taskmaster. Romanoff saw Belova fall off the facility and enter a free fall, so Romanoff jumped after her and attached Belova to a parachute, but Taskmaster followed, leading Romanoff to enter a free fall herself. Taskmaster and Romanoff fought and landed on the ground, continuing to fight. They saw a vial of Red Dust on the ground and both ran toward it, and Romanoff broke the vial in Taskmaster's face, freeing her from control. Romanoff gave Belova the last remaining vial to have Melina Vostokoff replicate so that she could free the remaining Black Widows.[1]
Used on Ana[]
Yelena Belova continued her mission to cure the Black Widows of their brainwashing. In 2018, she and Sonya found a Widow named Ana who they believed to be mind controlled. They found Ana in her house and infiltrated the building, engaging in a fight with Ana. They pinned Ana down and exposed her to the Red Dust, staining her carpet. However, Ana was not brainwashed, and was upset that they got the dust on her carpet. Moments later, Belova and her vials of Red Dust disintegrated into dust, before rematerializing five years later.[2]
Capabilities[]
- "The gas immunizes the brain's neuropathways from external manipulation."
- ―Yelena Belova to Natasha Romanoff[src]
The Red Dust has the ability to immunize the brain's neuropathways, curing any form of chemical subjugation a person may have been exposed to. The effects are automatic, although people who were cured still struggle to know what their true identity is. It has no affect on people who were not brainwashed, and is able to stain carpets.
