Starkovsky was one of Yelena Belova's instructors in the covert espionage academy, the Red Room, in Moscow. He taught the new Black Widow hand-to-hand combat, improvised weapons and knife work for over a decade.

Starkovsky became attracted to Belova and frequented a sex club, owned Nikki, called Fabrika, where he associated with a woman (Petra) impersonating as Belova. He was shot in the head by this bogus Black Widow, which was in truth part of an exercise authorized by the Red Room to help Belova assert herself as the Black Widow.

Starkovsky was a skilled spy who excelled in espionage and organisation. He was a trained hand to hand combatant and had no metahuman abilities.