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Black Cat (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Black Cat is a fiction
al character
, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. Created by writer Marv Wolfman
and artist Keith Pollard
, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man
#194 (July 1979).
Felicia Hardy is the daughter of a world-renowned cat burglar. After suffering a traumatic event as a college freshman, she trained herself in various fighting styles and acrobatics and, after deciding to follow in her father's footsteps, adopted her costumed identity as the Black Cat.
was looking for a female foil for Spider-Woman
. He decided to base a character on a Tex Avery
cartoon "Bad Luck Blackie", in which a black cat brought misfortune to anyone in close proximity. The Black Cat's costume and appearance were designed by Dave Cockrum
.
When Wolfman changed writing assignments within Marvel Comics
to The Amazing Spider-Man
, he brought his character with him. On the bottom of the letters page
of The Amazing Spider-Man #194, a thumbnail
of the intended cover for Spider-Woman #9 appear along with a rejected cover for The Amazing Spider-Man #194.
The Black Cat is sometimes mistakenly considered an homage to DC
's Catwoman
, yet Felicia Hardy's signature low-cut black costume, cat burglar profession, and steady relationship to Spider-Man predate Selina Kyle's similar depiction in comics by almost a decade. Catwoman originally appeared in comics as "the Cat", a maskless pickpocket in a green dress and unrequited love
interest for Batman, but later became a supervillain
who used big cats for elaborate crimes. Although she was eventually given a black catsuit
and was a romantic interest in the live-action Batman television series
, her modern incarnation combining these elements did not occur in comic books until 1987 with Frank Miller
's Batman: Year One
. Wolfman said in an interview, "I didn't plan Black Cat to be in Spidey. I created her for Spider-Woman (look at the letter column of the first B.C. story and you’ll see). I then decided to leave Spider-Woman and moved her over. So, I never even thought of Catwoman when I did her. I got the idea for her from a Tex Avery cartoon, Bad Luck Blackie."
Writer/director Kevin Smith
began writing the Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do
miniseries in 2002. After the third issue the series went on a hiatus until 2005, when Smith revealed he had finally finished writing the scripts. Smith has stated, "While I have zero defense for my lateness (particularly when folks like Bendis
turn out great stories in multiple books on a monthly basis), I will say this: it's a much better story now than it would've been had I completed it back in '02."
In the mid-2000s, she starred alongside Wolverine
in a limited comic book miniseries titled Claws. A sequel to this miniseries, entitled Claws II, began publication in July 2011. Black Cat was a lead character in the 2006-2007 Heroes for Hire series.
Felicia Hardy was born in Queens
, New York
. Her father Walter
pretended to be a travelling salesman, but was a world-renowned cat burglar who, before his arrest, encouraged her to never settle for second best. If she loved basketball, she should work to become a basketball player and not just a cheerleader.
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do
reveals that, as a freshman at Empire State University, Felicia was rape
d by her boyfriend Ryan. Hating the idea of being a victim, she trained herself in various fighting styles and acrobatics, intent on killing her rapist. Finally, after months of preparing, she set out for revenge, but before she could find him, Ryan was killed in a drunk driving accident. Furious that she was denied the chance for revenge, Hardy decided to utilize her new skills to follow in her father's footsteps. After amassing a fortune in stolen items, Felicia adopted her costumed identity.
She first donned the Black Cat costume in order to break her father out of prison. On the same night, she met Spider-Man. Unfortunately for Felicia, her father died, and she then faked her own death. Despite her antipathy towards men, Felicia felt a kinship with this lone hero; Spider-Man was the first man she felt she could trust and she grew to believe herself in love with him. Felicia looked for a way to earn his trust and continued with the Black Cat persona as a misguided attempt to attract his affection. Seeing the good in Felicia, Spider-Man made every attempt to have her criminal record expunged.
Felicia had been placed in a mental institution, but escaped. She joined forces with Spider-Man against the Maggia
. She was granted conditional amnesty, and again convinced Spider-Man that she had died.
The Black Cat finally found the opportunity to prove herself after learning the Kingpin
controlled an incredibly powerful detonator. The Owl planned to use the weapon to hold New York City hostage. Meanwhile, Doctor Octopus
planned to use the weapon to destroy the city altogether. However, the Black Cat was able to use her abilities to steal the item first and protect it from all parties. She gave the detonator to Spider-Man and became the target of Doctor Octopus' revenge. Although Spider-Man was able to tear off his mechanical appendages, Octopus was still able to mentally control them and hold the Black Cat still while his men opened fire. Spider-Man barely got her to the hospital in time and as they operated on the dozens of bullet and knife wounds, Peter realized just how much he cared for Felicia.
After she recovered, they began a relationship and soon Peter revealed his identity to her. Felicia had great difficulty accepting the fact that Peter was just a man beneath the mask and could not understand his need for a civilian life. Peter was hurt, but continued the relationship since it was the first time he did not need to hide his life as Spider-Man from someone.
Initially, the "accidents" which seemed to befall those who crossed the Black Cat's path were merely well-planned stunt
s and traps. After her near-death experience, Felicia feared her lack of superpowers made her a liability to Spider-Man. She was terrified that his overwhelming need to protect her would eventually get him killed. So, Felicia sought a way to make herself Spider-Man's equal. After learning Tony Stark
was missing, Henry Pym
would not return her calls, and being rejected by the Avengers
and the Fantastic Four
, Felicia was offered an opportunity to undergo the same process that was used to create the Scorpion and the Fly
. The Kingpin chose to use it on the Black Cat as payback for a theft she committed. Scared and ashamed of being empowered by the Kingpin of crime, she decided to keep her new abilities a secret from Peter. While Spider-Man was gone during the "Secret Wars
", Felicia searched for him at Avengers Mansion
; Vision
offered her the chance to join the Avengers, which she declined, being interested solely in Spider-Man. Upon his return, her 'bad luck' power turned out to be infectious, and began to jinx Spider-Man, which was exactly the Kingpin's intent. Feeling a wall of secrets growing between them, Spider-Man broke up with Felicia. Felicia then began a "Robin Hood crusade," stealing from the rich to give to the poor.
Peter soon realized something was amiss with his own luck and enlisted the aid of Doctor Strange
to remove the "hex" on him. By doing so, he altered the hex's source and changed the Black Cat's powers in the process. She soon found she had heightened strength
, agility
, balance, vision
, and retractable claw
s. While burglarizing the mercenary known as the Foreigner
, Black Cat was attacked by Sabretooth
, the Foreigner's hitman; Spider-Man saved her life.
The Black Cat updated her look and her attitude and rekindled her relationship with Spider-Man. She made peace with his need for a normal life as Peter Parker and stood by him while he was being accused of murder as Spider-Man. Together, they tracked down the source of the elaborate scheme to frame him and fought the Foreigner. Eventually, just as his life seemed to be coming together, Spider-Man came home to discover Black Cat discussing her plans to ruin his life. He followed her to find she had never forgiven him for breaking up with her and in revenge became the Foreigner's lover. She then battled and defeated Sabretooth. Her apartment was fire-bombed by the Foreigner's hitman Blaze, and she began living with Peter Parker. During her ruse against Peter and despite her anger, Felicia began to fall back onto her desire to love him. She soon donned another new costume. Spider-Man then discovered her association with the Foreigner. She cleared Spider-Man of a murder charge. In the end, the Black Cat doublecrossed the Foreigner and left for Paris to find a new life, which unexpectedly pushed Peter to find support and a new relationship with Mary Jane Watson
.
Years later, the Black Cat returned to America, and went "shopping" with Dagger
. She returned to her original costume, went to seek out Peter Parker, and fought Venom
who smashed her face against a wall. Adding insult to injury, Venom informed her that Peter had married Mary Jane Watson. Angry and jealous, Felicia began harassing the couple, taunting Peter as she dated his friend Flash Thompson
. She began physically threatening Mary Jane, confronting her and swearing to ruin their marriage. She saved a powerless Spider-Man from the Scorpion, but then all her powers were rendered inert by one of the Chameleon
's devices. She began to believe that she sincerely cared for Thompson, but he broke up with her when he found out her secret. The Black Cat later made up with both Spider-Man and Mary Jane, becoming close friends with them. She was one of the few to stand with Spider-Man and Venom against Carnage
and his "brood" in the Maximum Carnage
arc. Originally she sided with Venom's belief that the only way to defeat Carnage was to kill him, but at the end, she fought alongside Spider-Man in his effort to battle the chaos with compassion. After Spider-Man used a device to remove his superhuman abilities, the Black Cat aided him in finding the device again in order to restore them. In the process, the Black Cat's cat-like abilities were completely erased. She subsequently purchased equipment from the Tinkerer
to incorporate into her costume in order to compensate for her lost abilities, and occasionally teamed up with Spider-Man.
After Spider-Man unmasked himself, the Black Cat was enraged, because she had felt that they shared a bond over knowing his identity, which she described as "sexy". Though she is dating Thomas Fireheart (a.k.a. Puma
), her new sexual interest notes that Felicia may still have some romantic inclinations toward Peter.
during the on-going Civil War
although Misty Knight
believed that Felicia was just there for the money.
(a parody of Sex and the City
). She is one of the main characters, alongside Firestar
, Hellcat, and Photon
. The writers are Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Tonci Zonjic. Summoned by her friends to cope with Firestar's breast cancer
, Felicia is revealed financially broken: unable to restart her investigation firm, she's too proud to accept Puma's monetary assistance, and her attempts to get a loan
are met with open hostility from the banks of New York, often targets of her villainous activities as the Black Cat. Thus, feeling rejected and angry, Felicia begins to consider returning to villainy.
Following Marvel Divas, Black Cat returns as a recurring character in The Amazing Spider-Man
, following a storyline in #606-607 entitled "Back in Black Cat". Although she remembers her previous encounters with Spider-Man, the events of "One More Day
" have erased her memory of his identity. Also, she has regained her "bad luck" powers.
Spider-Man ran into the Black Cat as she was breaking into the penthouse apartment of Dexter Bennett
. Spider-Man caught up to her, reminding her that she was the one that dumped him. She and Puma
had ended their relationship, so she and Spider-Man share a kiss, and later they slept together with the lights off, so Felicia could not see Peter's face. Following this encounter Peter and Felicia begin a sexual relationship. Peter later enlists the Black Cat's help in getting back his vial of blood from Mister Negative
.
Following this, Black Cat received her own four issue mini-series, which was written by Jen Van Meter
, drawn by Javier Pullido and covered by Amanda Conner
. In the series, Felicia became caught up in the events of "The Gauntlet" and "Grim Hunt" storyline after her mother, Lydia, was kidnapped by the members of the Kravinoff family. Felicia agreed to turn herself over to the Kravinoffs in exchange for her mother's freedom, but instead sent a decoy while she tracked down her mother and attempted to free her herself. After removing the duct tape from her mother's mouth, Felicia discovered that the Kravinoffs had strapped an explosive device to her wrists in order to kill both of them. Felicia is ultimately able to rescue her mother and keep her safe from the clutches of the Kravinoff family. Black Cat is next seen in the "Big Time
" storyline helping Spider-Man retrieve some experimental vibranium
the new
Hobgoblin
stole for the Kingpin
.
abilities. She later gained the psionic ability to affect probability
fields from a test induced by the Kingpin - essentially, she'd give "bad luck" to her enemies. The "bad luck" power entails that under stress she is subconsciously able to cause anyone in her immediate vicinity that she perceives as a threat to be susceptible to freak accidents, like guns jamming and exploding, or tripping on objects. This ability also had the side effect of eventually causing problems for anyone spending long periods of time around her.
Doctor Strange eventually tampered with her powers that briefly removed her bad luck abilities, along with the unwanted side-effect. However, this magical tampering temporarily endowed her with cat-like abilities, giving her retractable talons in her fingertips, superhuman speed and strength, agility, and endurance, proportionate to a cat. As of Brand New Day, she lost these abilities and soon regained her trademark bad luck powers and has better control of them than before.
The Black Cat has reflexes, agility, and stamina of an Olympic level acrobat. She is physically very strong and athletic and has great physical endurance. She is an excellent street fighter capable of taking on several armed assailants and incapacitating them without being injured herself. She is trained in several martial arts styles.
The Black Cat has also acquired several devices from the Tinkerer that increase her agility and heighten her strength. She wears earrings that interact with the balance centers of her brain to grant her enhanced agility. She has contact lenses that let her see in various ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared and ultraviolet
. Her costume
contains micro-servos that enhance her strength above normal human levels. The gloves of her costume contain steel micro-filaments, which form retractable claw
s at the fingertips when she flexes her fingers (triggering a magnetic surge which condenses the filaments into polarized talons) which enable her to tear through most surfaces and easily scale walls. In addition, the costume is extremely distracting and provocative (due to its skin-tight shape and plunging v-neck that exposes her cleavage
), which can make it difficult for a male assailant to concentrate on what he is doing. Using this equipment, the Black Cat has been able to successfully beat enemies who have superhuman abilities.
The Black Cat has a miniature grappling hook device hidden in the "fur" of each glove, designed by her father Walter Hardy
, which enables her to swing from buildings in a manner similar to Spider-Man, though not quite as fast. She can also use the cable from this device as a tightrope, wall scaling device, swing line, or as a weapon in combat.
reality warp, Felicia Hardy appears as the Black Cat, having gained her powers through the Kingpin. She, alongside Elektra
, Bullseye
, Gladiator, and Typhoid Mary
, are among the Kingpin's top assassins, however she is a double agent for Luke Cage
's "Avengers" and feeds them information whenever she can. The Kingpin knows this and has Bullseye and Elektra beat her, while he throws her out a window. She survives and tells Luke that they have been set up, along with the Wolfpack and the Dragons.
She stays with the group and is a more vocal member of Luke Cage's resistance. She takes part in the final battle at Genosha
.
In the Marvel Mangaverse
continuity, Black Cat is cybernetically enhanced. She was originally a simple thief, who stole a cursed magical amulet for its monetary value, but this act attracted the attention of Matt Murdock, the Devil Hunter, and she was cut in half. The Kingpin of Crime reconstructed her body with cybernetics, including a shut-down mechanism he planned to activate if she failed to serve him. After completing her mission for the Kingpin, he claimed to have permanently deactivated the mechanism, but whether he kept his word or not remains to be seen. She is still Spider-Man
's old flame, but in the New Mangaverse storyline (with Spider-Man having chosen Mary Jane Watson over her) she is trying to move on, and is now showing a romantic interest in Wolverine though by the end of the story arc it is clear that she has a hidden agenda as she is later seen with Nick Fury
.
However, somehow (in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days) during events set after her appearance above (which happened in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
), she appears alive and well on one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Carriers.
When asked about this during his Joe Friday 100, Joe Q explained that "the MZ world is not exactly like the regular Marvel Universe. Our Captain America is their “Colonel America”. Their Reed Richards is evil. A lot of the costumes are from different eras in our world. We assumed it was obvious from the context that in the MZ world, Felicia Hardy has a twin sister, Felicity Hardy, who is the costumed adventurer known as Night Cat."
and Gene, before they divorced. In this continuity, she has apparently retired the identity of the Black Cat and runs a private detective agency. She has begun a romantic relationship with Diana, a woman she works with, a fact that has produced tension between herself and her daughter.
. Mary Jane plays the part of Little Red Riding Hood, and Peter
is one of the woodsmen. Mary Jane owns a black cat named Felicia. #3, a Japanese ghost story, features a demoness resembling a humanoid black cat, with long white hair.
that caters to the most powerful and corrupt in New York City. In Spider-Man Noir: Eyes without a Face, she takes on a more prominent role, sheltering Peter after he is almost killed by Sandman
, as well as dating Crime Master. Like most incarnations, Felicia has a relationship with Spider-Man Noir. Crime Master slashes her when he finds out about this, but before passing out, she alerts the FBI that he is in league with Otto Octavius and his inhumane experiments. The final panel of the series shows her with a mask similar to Madame Masque
.
. Unlike her 616 counterpart, this version of Black Cat possesses enchanted vocal abilities that allow her to alter the outcomes of events by speaking certain phrases aloud. (For example, at one point, saying "Break" causes a noose to snap.) This ability is shown to be useless once Jack O'Lantern
tapes Felicia's mouth shut.
In Ultimate Spider-Man
, set in the Ultimate Marvel
universe, the Black Cat is Felicia Hardy, a young woman who blames her father’s death on Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. Seeking revenge, she stole a priceless tablet that he was going to use on his comatose wife. Kingpin hired the assassin Elektra to retrieve it. When Black Cat threw it into the harbor, Elektra threw one of her sais into the Black Cat's chest, sending the thief over the edge. She was presumed dead, though no body was found.
She later returned during a gang war, stopping Hammerhead from shooting Spider-Man in the right temple. She later expressed interest in working for Hammerhead if it would mean getting rid of the Kingpin although Spider-Man opposed this. She later assisted Hammerhead and Elektra in a confrontation against Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, Iron Fist and Spider-Man.
Later, after the crisis was resolved, she passionately kissed Spider-Man through his mask, her previous interest in him having gotten stronger. She had apparently no idea of the age disparity between her and Peter, and mistakenly assumed, after he left in a rush, that he was a married man. When she managed to unmask him and realized how young he truly was, she was repulsed. The shock and embarrassment of such a discovery caused her to vomit on his costume. She is next seen trying to assassinate the Kingpin. However, Mysterio
beats her to it. She then tries to steal the Zodiac Key from the Kingpin's vault. Mysterio, knowing that it contained great power, tried to steal it from her. Felicia tried to wish Mysterio to go away, but instead she accidentally caused the key to create a massive explosion. Shocked by what she did, she handed it over to Mysterio. Spider-Man came to the scene with Iron Man
. Mysterio subdued Iron Man and then Spider-Man, Mysterio, and Felicia then fought over the key. Spider-Man won and then both he and Felicia decided to help the people who were caught in the middle of Felicia's mistake.
In this version, the Black Cat actually has short brunette hair, but wears a white-haired wig as part of her costume.
storyline What if the Alien Costume had Possessed Spider-Man?, after the symbiote
forms a permanent bond with Spider-Man due to Mister Fantastic
being unable to examine the web-slinger until it is too late to break them apart, Felicia goes on a brief crime spree until she learns that the symbiote - which here lives on adrenaline from superhumans - has abandoned the now-deceased Spider-Man in favor of the Hulk
; she favors killing the Hulk over the objections of the other heroes. After Spider-Man's funeral, she is contacted by the Kingpin, who helps her develop a weapon that will kill the symbiote in exchange for a lifetime of service from her; despite the heroes having already defeated the symbiote thanks to the actions of Thor
and Black Bolt
, with Doctor Strange
being about to banish it, Felicia kills the symbiote anyway, subsequently berating the heroes for not knowing the price she had to pay to ensure that justice was done.
In another storyline, Spider-Man marries the Black Cat rather than Mary Jane - Alistair Smythe
's attack having left Mary Jane injured in this reality, leaving Peter doubting his ability to look after her, with he and Felicia rekindling their romance while fighting supervillains together, but their relationship is complicated by such factors as Peter and Felicia being unable to live together in order to preserve his secret identity. After Felicia's carelessness results in Spider-Man's identity being discovered by an unidentified informant, combined with her own jealousy over Peter's continued friendship with Mary Jane, she is killed by Paladin
after he mistakenly assumes she attempted to kill Mary Jane, resulting in Peter forming a romantic relationship with Silver Sable
as the two bond over their shared grief at the loss of their loved ones.
episode "Curiosity Killed the Spider-Man" (voiced by Morgan Lofting).
In the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series
, Felicia Hardy is originally depicted as the first love interest of Peter Parker, although she is eventually replaced in this role by Mary Jane Watson. She was voiced by Jennifer Hale
. She also dates Morbius
in this series. In this incarnation it's revealed her father "The Cat
" was fooled into sneaking into an American lab during World War II
, memorize the super soldier formula that created Captain America
, and report back to the Red Skull
. At the last moment he realized the deception and ran away to a life of crime. In the present The Cat is in a S.H.I.E.L.D.
prison but is then broken out by the Kingpin. Doc Ock, (working for the Kingpin) kidnaps Felicia as leverage and used as a guinea pig for an improved super soldier formula. The formula proves a success, making her overall physical prowess comparable to Spider-Man and also gives her the ability to switch between her normal blond haired form and her empowered well-muscled white haired form at will; she then recruited Spider-Man to assist in a rescue attempt for her father. After Kraven the Hunter
was believed to be creating havoc in New York City
, Black Cat helped make Spider-Man realize that he was trying to help his love Dr. Crawford
. She was also featured in a smaller story arc where she was again kidnapped this time by Alistair Smythe
to be used as leverage to get Spider-Man to kidnap either the Scorpion or the Vulture. It was later revealed that Smythe had developed a machine reversed engineered from the Time Tablet and Vulture's talons and that data extracted from the Genetic and molecular structure of the Scorpion (both Vulture and Scorpion suffered heavy exposure to Vulture's earlier prototypes) was needed. The three components were used in conjunction in an attempt to swap age and abilities of the baby Silvermane
and Spider-Man but a rescue attempt by Black Cat, Vulture, and the freed Scorpion destroyed the machine and returned Silvermane to his proper age. After Morbius awakens as a vampire, she struggles at figuring out how to stop him because of her feelings for him. She then finds herself teaming up with Blade
, Spider-Man, and Morbius to take down Blade's vampire mother who was using Dr. Connors
' genetic recombinator to create an army of vampires. She then decides to leave Spider-Man to work for Blade along with Morbius, but not before she admits her love for him. She does come back however to help Spider-Man defeat Hydro-Man
and also appears at the wedding of Peter and Mary Jane Watson. She as Black Cat allies herself with Spider-Man and Kingpin fighting droids created by Alistair Smythe that are crashing the wedding
. After Blade, Morbius, and Black Cat nearly succeeded in capturing Blade's mother, Black Cat was brought into the Secret War due to an effort by Storm
, Iron Man
, and Spider-Man. She nearly fell into a river of lava, but Spider-Man saved her by webbing Black Cat's ankle. After the Secret War was over she was sent back to the exact time and place she was taken from with no memory of the war. Despite her aristocratic background she is an extremely sexually-charged character and flirts, kisses, or dates with nearly every named male character in her age range. On multiple occasions she, in both personas, does so with Spider-Man while dating another person. It is alluded to that her promiscuous nature is rooted in her relationship with her father. Him having left her when she was young, she constantly tries to fill that void and if a man disappoints her,leaves, dies, etc.; she turns to Spider-Man because he tends to "always be there" unlike her father. Either that or she immediately replaces him with another man regardless of his ability to make her happy.
) first appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man episode "The Uncertainty Principle
". In this series she is depicted as simply a thief, with no bad-luck probability abilities; her alter ego is revealed to be Felicia Hardy in "Opening Night". She has cameos in "Intervention" (via flashbacks from the season's previous episodes) and "Nature vs. Nurture". In the second season, she appears in the episode "Accomplices", and in the twelfth episode, "Opening Night". In that episode Black Cat's father Walter Hardy
is revealed to be the cat burglar
that shot Uncle Ben. Black Cat attempts to break him out of prison, but he chooses to pay his debt instead; feeling that this was because of Spider-Man's influence she angrily says she will never forgive him before storming away.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Created by writer Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and artist Keith Pollard
Keith Pollard
Keith Pollard is an American comic book artist. Originally from the Detroit area, Pollard is best known for his simultaneous work on the Marvel Comics titles Fantastic Four, Thor, and The Amazing Spider-Man in the late 1970s-early 1980s.Pollard made his professional comics debut in 1974 with...
, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#194 (July 1979).
Felicia Hardy is the daughter of a world-renowned cat burglar. After suffering a traumatic event as a college freshman, she trained herself in various fighting styles and acrobatics and, after deciding to follow in her father's footsteps, adopted her costumed identity as the Black Cat.
Publication history
In 1979, creator Marv WolfmanMarv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
was looking for a female foil for Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
Spider-Woman is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 , and 50 issues of an ongoing series titled Spider-Woman followed...
. He decided to base a character on a Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
cartoon "Bad Luck Blackie", in which a black cat brought misfortune to anyone in close proximity. The Black Cat's costume and appearance were designed by Dave Cockrum
Dave Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum was an American comic book artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus...
.
When Wolfman changed writing assignments within Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
to The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
, he brought his character with him. On the bottom of the letters page
Letter to the editor
A letter to the editor is a letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually, letters are intended for publication...
of The Amazing Spider-Man #194, a thumbnail
Thumbnail
Thumbnails are reduced-size versions of pictures, used to help in recognizing and organizing them, serving the same role for images as a normal text index does for words...
of the intended cover for Spider-Woman #9 appear along with a rejected cover for The Amazing Spider-Man #194.
The Black Cat is sometimes mistakenly considered an homage to DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
's Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, yet Felicia Hardy's signature low-cut black costume, cat burglar profession, and steady relationship to Spider-Man predate Selina Kyle's similar depiction in comics by almost a decade. Catwoman originally appeared in comics as "the Cat", a maskless pickpocket in a green dress and unrequited love
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
interest for Batman, but later became a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
who used big cats for elaborate crimes. Although she was eventually given a black catsuit
Catsuit
A catsuit is a close-fitting one-piece garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex , leather, latex, PVC, or velour, and frequently close using a zipper at the front or back.Catsuits, which...
and was a romantic interest in the live-action Batman television series
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
, her modern incarnation combining these elements did not occur in comic books until 1987 with Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
's Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
. Wolfman said in an interview, "I didn't plan Black Cat to be in Spidey. I created her for Spider-Woman (look at the letter column of the first B.C. story and you’ll see). I then decided to leave Spider-Woman and moved her over. So, I never even thought of Catwoman when I did her. I got the idea for her from a Tex Avery cartoon, Bad Luck Blackie."
Writer/director Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
began writing the Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics starring the superhero Spider-Man and his ally, the cat burglar known as the Black Cat....
miniseries in 2002. After the third issue the series went on a hiatus until 2005, when Smith revealed he had finally finished writing the scripts. Smith has stated, "While I have zero defense for my lateness (particularly when folks like Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
turn out great stories in multiple books on a monthly basis), I will say this: it's a much better story now than it would've been had I completed it back in '02."
In the mid-2000s, she starred alongside Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
in a limited comic book miniseries titled Claws. A sequel to this miniseries, entitled Claws II, began publication in July 2011. Black Cat was a lead character in the 2006-2007 Heroes for Hire series.
Fictional character biography
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Her father Walter
Walter Hardy
The Cat is a fictional anti-hero from the . Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
pretended to be a travelling salesman, but was a world-renowned cat burglar who, before his arrest, encouraged her to never settle for second best. If she loved basketball, she should work to become a basketball player and not just a cheerleader.
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics starring the superhero Spider-Man and his ally, the cat burglar known as the Black Cat....
reveals that, as a freshman at Empire State University, Felicia was rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by her boyfriend Ryan. Hating the idea of being a victim, she trained herself in various fighting styles and acrobatics, intent on killing her rapist. Finally, after months of preparing, she set out for revenge, but before she could find him, Ryan was killed in a drunk driving accident. Furious that she was denied the chance for revenge, Hardy decided to utilize her new skills to follow in her father's footsteps. After amassing a fortune in stolen items, Felicia adopted her costumed identity.
She first donned the Black Cat costume in order to break her father out of prison. On the same night, she met Spider-Man. Unfortunately for Felicia, her father died, and she then faked her own death. Despite her antipathy towards men, Felicia felt a kinship with this lone hero; Spider-Man was the first man she felt she could trust and she grew to believe herself in love with him. Felicia looked for a way to earn his trust and continued with the Black Cat persona as a misguided attempt to attract his affection. Seeing the good in Felicia, Spider-Man made every attempt to have her criminal record expunged.
Felicia had been placed in a mental institution, but escaped. She joined forces with Spider-Man against the Maggia
Maggia (comics)
The Maggia is a fictional international crime syndicate that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The organization exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
. She was granted conditional amnesty, and again convinced Spider-Man that she had died.
The Black Cat finally found the opportunity to prove herself after learning the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
controlled an incredibly powerful detonator. The Owl planned to use the weapon to hold New York City hostage. Meanwhile, Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
planned to use the weapon to destroy the city altogether. However, the Black Cat was able to use her abilities to steal the item first and protect it from all parties. She gave the detonator to Spider-Man and became the target of Doctor Octopus' revenge. Although Spider-Man was able to tear off his mechanical appendages, Octopus was still able to mentally control them and hold the Black Cat still while his men opened fire. Spider-Man barely got her to the hospital in time and as they operated on the dozens of bullet and knife wounds, Peter realized just how much he cared for Felicia.
After she recovered, they began a relationship and soon Peter revealed his identity to her. Felicia had great difficulty accepting the fact that Peter was just a man beneath the mask and could not understand his need for a civilian life. Peter was hurt, but continued the relationship since it was the first time he did not need to hide his life as Spider-Man from someone.
Initially, the "accidents" which seemed to befall those who crossed the Black Cat's path were merely well-planned stunt
Stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
s and traps. After her near-death experience, Felicia feared her lack of superpowers made her a liability to Spider-Man. She was terrified that his overwhelming need to protect her would eventually get him killed. So, Felicia sought a way to make herself Spider-Man's equal. After learning Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
was missing, Henry Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
would not return her calls, and being rejected by the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, Felicia was offered an opportunity to undergo the same process that was used to create the Scorpion and the Fly
Human Fly (comics)
The Human Fly is the name of two comic book characters in the Marvel Comics universe, one a super-villain that was an occasional antagonist of Spider-Man, and the other a superhero. Additionally, Human Fly was the title of a short-lived series in the late 1950s reprinting some of Fox's Blue Beetle...
. The Kingpin chose to use it on the Black Cat as payback for a theft she committed. Scared and ashamed of being empowered by the Kingpin of crime, she decided to keep her new abilities a secret from Peter. While Spider-Man was gone during the "Secret Wars
Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
", Felicia searched for him at Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
; Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
offered her the chance to join the Avengers, which she declined, being interested solely in Spider-Man. Upon his return, her 'bad luck' power turned out to be infectious, and began to jinx Spider-Man, which was exactly the Kingpin's intent. Feeling a wall of secrets growing between them, Spider-Man broke up with Felicia. Felicia then began a "Robin Hood crusade," stealing from the rich to give to the poor.
Peter soon realized something was amiss with his own luck and enlisted the aid of Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
to remove the "hex" on him. By doing so, he altered the hex's source and changed the Black Cat's powers in the process. She soon found she had heightened strength
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
, agility
Agility
* Agility is a physical trait of an animal or person, and a component of physical fitness. It is the ability to change the body's position and direction with speed and precision.Agility may also refer to:In Sport:...
, balance, vision
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
, and retractable claw
Claw
A claw is a curved, pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger in most mammals, birds, and some reptiles. However, the word "claw" is also often used in reference to an invertebrate. Somewhat similar fine hooked structures are found in arthropods such as beetles and spiders, at the end...
s. While burglarizing the mercenary known as the Foreigner
Foreigner (comics)
The Foreigner is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Peter David, and first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #15 The Foreigner is a mercenary and assassin...
, Black Cat was attacked by Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, the Foreigner's hitman; Spider-Man saved her life.
The Black Cat updated her look and her attitude and rekindled her relationship with Spider-Man. She made peace with his need for a normal life as Peter Parker and stood by him while he was being accused of murder as Spider-Man. Together, they tracked down the source of the elaborate scheme to frame him and fought the Foreigner. Eventually, just as his life seemed to be coming together, Spider-Man came home to discover Black Cat discussing her plans to ruin his life. He followed her to find she had never forgiven him for breaking up with her and in revenge became the Foreigner's lover. She then battled and defeated Sabretooth. Her apartment was fire-bombed by the Foreigner's hitman Blaze, and she began living with Peter Parker. During her ruse against Peter and despite her anger, Felicia began to fall back onto her desire to love him. She soon donned another new costume. Spider-Man then discovered her association with the Foreigner. She cleared Spider-Man of a murder charge. In the end, the Black Cat doublecrossed the Foreigner and left for Paris to find a new life, which unexpectedly pushed Peter to find support and a new relationship with Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
.
Years later, the Black Cat returned to America, and went "shopping" with Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
. She returned to her original costume, went to seek out Peter Parker, and fought Venom
Eddie Brock
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
who smashed her face against a wall. Adding insult to injury, Venom informed her that Peter had married Mary Jane Watson. Angry and jealous, Felicia began harassing the couple, taunting Peter as she dated his friend Flash Thompson
Flash Thompson
Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a supporting character in Marvel Comics’s Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 ....
. She began physically threatening Mary Jane, confronting her and swearing to ruin their marriage. She saved a powerless Spider-Man from the Scorpion, but then all her powers were rendered inert by one of the Chameleon
Chameleon (comics)
The Chameleon is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko; the Chameleon is the first member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, based on issue...
's devices. She began to believe that she sincerely cared for Thompson, but he broke up with her when he found out her secret. The Black Cat later made up with both Spider-Man and Mary Jane, becoming close friends with them. She was one of the few to stand with Spider-Man and Venom against Carnage
Carnage (comics)
Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
and his "brood" in the Maximum Carnage
Maximum Carnage
"Maximum Carnage" is a fourteen-part comic book crossover published in Marvel Comics's Spider-Man family of titles in 1993. It featured Spider-Man and Venom teaming up to face Venom's murderous offspring Carnage.-Plot:...
arc. Originally she sided with Venom's belief that the only way to defeat Carnage was to kill him, but at the end, she fought alongside Spider-Man in his effort to battle the chaos with compassion. After Spider-Man used a device to remove his superhuman abilities, the Black Cat aided him in finding the device again in order to restore them. In the process, the Black Cat's cat-like abilities were completely erased. She subsequently purchased equipment from the Tinkerer
Tinkerer
The Tinkerer is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics Universe...
to incorporate into her costume in order to compensate for her lost abilities, and occasionally teamed up with Spider-Man.
After Spider-Man unmasked himself, the Black Cat was enraged, because she had felt that they shared a bond over knowing his identity, which she described as "sexy". Though she is dating Thomas Fireheart (a.k.a. Puma
Puma (comics)
Puma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe most closely associated with Spider-Man. While originally a villain, he gained a great respect for Spider-Man and became his occasional ally.-Publication history:...
), her new sexual interest notes that Felicia may still have some romantic inclinations toward Peter.
Civil War/The Initiative
The Black Cat became a member of the new Heroes for HireHeroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
during the on-going Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
although Misty Knight
Misty Knight
Misty Knight is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. She was first mentioned in Marvel Premiere #20 and appeared in the next issue. She normally appears with Colleen Wing.-Publication history:...
believed that Felicia was just there for the money.
Marvel Divas
Black Cat returns in the limited series, Marvel DivasMarvel Divas
Marvel Divas is a limited series comic book published by Marvel Comics. On April 9, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada revealed in his weekly blog with MySpace Comic Books that the series follows four female heroes, who, up until now, had nothing in common...
(a parody of Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
). She is one of the main characters, alongside Firestar
Firestar
Firestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
, Hellcat, and Photon
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Initially known as Captain Marvel, the character became a leader of the Avengers...
. The writers are Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Tonci Zonjic. Summoned by her friends to cope with Firestar's breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, Felicia is revealed financially broken: unable to restart her investigation firm, she's too proud to accept Puma's monetary assistance, and her attempts to get a loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
are met with open hostility from the banks of New York, often targets of her villainous activities as the Black Cat. Thus, feeling rejected and angry, Felicia begins to consider returning to villainy.
Following Marvel Divas, Black Cat returns as a recurring character in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
, following a storyline in #606-607 entitled "Back in Black Cat". Although she remembers her previous encounters with Spider-Man, the events of "One More Day
Spider-Man: One More Day
"One More Day" is a four-part, 2007 comic book crossover storyline, connecting the six main Spider-Man series concurrently published by Marvel Comics at the time. Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada, with art by Quesada, this story arc concludes the fallout of Spider-Man's actions...
" have erased her memory of his identity. Also, she has regained her "bad luck" powers.
Spider-Man ran into the Black Cat as she was breaking into the penthouse apartment of Dexter Bennett
Dexter Bennett
Dexter Bennett is a character in the The Amazing Spider-Man series of comic books. The new owner of the Daily Bugle, which he renames the DB, he has a personal vendetta against both Spider-Man and Peter Parker, which leads Peter and Robbie Robertson to leave the paper.-Fictional character...
. Spider-Man caught up to her, reminding her that she was the one that dumped him. She and Puma
Puma (comics)
Puma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe most closely associated with Spider-Man. While originally a villain, he gained a great respect for Spider-Man and became his occasional ally.-Publication history:...
had ended their relationship, so she and Spider-Man share a kiss, and later they slept together with the lights off, so Felicia could not see Peter's face. Following this encounter Peter and Felicia begin a sexual relationship. Peter later enlists the Black Cat's help in getting back his vial of blood from Mister Negative
Mister Negative
Mister Negative is a fictional comic book supervillain, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an enemy of Spider-Man and the Punisher...
.
Following this, Black Cat received her own four issue mini-series, which was written by Jen Van Meter
Jen Van Meter
Jennifer "Jen" Van Meter is an American comic book writer best known for her Oni Press series Hopeless Savages as well as for series at Marvel and DC Comics. Her most recent work for Marvel features Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat...
, drawn by Javier Pullido and covered by Amanda Conner
Amanda Conner
Amanda Conner is an Irish-American comic book artist and commercial art illustrator. She began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics' Soulsearchers and Company and Harris Comics' Vampirella in the 1990s...
. In the series, Felicia became caught up in the events of "The Gauntlet" and "Grim Hunt" storyline after her mother, Lydia, was kidnapped by the members of the Kravinoff family. Felicia agreed to turn herself over to the Kravinoffs in exchange for her mother's freedom, but instead sent a decoy while she tracked down her mother and attempted to free her herself. After removing the duct tape from her mother's mouth, Felicia discovered that the Kravinoffs had strapped an explosive device to her wrists in order to kill both of them. Felicia is ultimately able to rescue her mother and keep her safe from the clutches of the Kravinoff family. Black Cat is next seen in the "Big Time
Spider-Man: Big Time
"Big Time" is the title of a run of comic book storylines in The Amazing Spider-Man, published by Marvel Comics starting in 2010 and ending in 2011. It follows the 101 consecutive issues of the "Brand New Day" publishing scheme and is the first shift in publishing for The Amazing Spider-Man since...
" storyline helping Spider-Man retrieve some experimental vibranium
Vibranium
Vibranium is a fictional metal that appears in the Marvel Universe. It is most commonly known as one of the materials used to construct Captain America's shield, but it is also noted for its connection to the Black Panther and his native homeland of Wakanda .-Publication history:Vibranium first...
the new
Phil Urich
Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is a Marvel Comics character whose first appearance was in Web of Spider-Man #125. He once was the second person to use the Green Goblin identity as a superhero instead of a supervillain...
Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin (comics)
The Hobgoblin is the alias of several fictional characters that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known Hobgoblin is Roderick Kingsley. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #238, and was created by Roger Stern and John Romita, Sr...
stole for the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
.
Spider-Island
Black Cat appears in the story arc of the spider island, fighting against the half-spider creatures, when the Heroes for Hire are called in to help with the quarantine of Manhattan.Powers and abilities
Initially, the Black Cat had no superhumanSuperhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
abilities. She later gained the psionic ability to affect probability
Probability
Probability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
fields from a test induced by the Kingpin - essentially, she'd give "bad luck" to her enemies. The "bad luck" power entails that under stress she is subconsciously able to cause anyone in her immediate vicinity that she perceives as a threat to be susceptible to freak accidents, like guns jamming and exploding, or tripping on objects. This ability also had the side effect of eventually causing problems for anyone spending long periods of time around her.
Doctor Strange eventually tampered with her powers that briefly removed her bad luck abilities, along with the unwanted side-effect. However, this magical tampering temporarily endowed her with cat-like abilities, giving her retractable talons in her fingertips, superhuman speed and strength, agility, and endurance, proportionate to a cat. As of Brand New Day, she lost these abilities and soon regained her trademark bad luck powers and has better control of them than before.
The Black Cat has reflexes, agility, and stamina of an Olympic level acrobat. She is physically very strong and athletic and has great physical endurance. She is an excellent street fighter capable of taking on several armed assailants and incapacitating them without being injured herself. She is trained in several martial arts styles.
The Black Cat has also acquired several devices from the Tinkerer that increase her agility and heighten her strength. She wears earrings that interact with the balance centers of her brain to grant her enhanced agility. She has contact lenses that let her see in various ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared and ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
. Her costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
contains micro-servos that enhance her strength above normal human levels. The gloves of her costume contain steel micro-filaments, which form retractable claw
Claw
A claw is a curved, pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger in most mammals, birds, and some reptiles. However, the word "claw" is also often used in reference to an invertebrate. Somewhat similar fine hooked structures are found in arthropods such as beetles and spiders, at the end...
s at the fingertips when she flexes her fingers (triggering a magnetic surge which condenses the filaments into polarized talons) which enable her to tear through most surfaces and easily scale walls. In addition, the costume is extremely distracting and provocative (due to its skin-tight shape and plunging v-neck that exposes her cleavage
Cleavage (breasts)
Cleavage, anatomically known as the intramammary cleft, is the space between a woman's breasts lying over the sternum. Cleavage is exposed by a garment with a low neckline, such as ball gowns, evening gowns, swimwear, casual tops and other garments....
), which can make it difficult for a male assailant to concentrate on what he is doing. Using this equipment, the Black Cat has been able to successfully beat enemies who have superhuman abilities.
The Black Cat has a miniature grappling hook device hidden in the "fur" of each glove, designed by her father Walter Hardy
Walter Hardy
The Cat is a fictional anti-hero from the . Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
, which enables her to swing from buildings in a manner similar to Spider-Man, though not quite as fast. She can also use the cable from this device as a tightrope, wall scaling device, swing line, or as a weapon in combat.
House of M
In the House of MHouse of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
reality warp, Felicia Hardy appears as the Black Cat, having gained her powers through the Kingpin. She, alongside Elektra
Elektra (comics)
Elektra Natchios, usually referred to only by her first name Elektra, is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.Elektra is a kunoichi – female ninja assassin – of Greek descent. She wields a pair of bladed sai as her trademark weapon. She is a love interest of the superhero...
, Bullseye
Bullseye (comics)
Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
, Gladiator, and Typhoid Mary
Typhoid Mary (comics)
Typhoid Mary , also known as Typhoid, Walker, Bloody Mary and Mutant Zero, is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Daredevil and Deadpool in the Marvel Comics Universe. She first appeared in Daredevil #254, and was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita, Jr....
, are among the Kingpin's top assassins, however she is a double agent for Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
's "Avengers" and feeds them information whenever she can. The Kingpin knows this and has Bullseye and Elektra beat her, while he throws her out a window. She survives and tells Luke that they have been set up, along with the Wolfpack and the Dragons.
She stays with the group and is a more vocal member of Luke Cage's resistance. She takes part in the final battle at Genosha
Genosha
Genosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
.
Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man
In issue #14 of this all-ages series, Spider-Man battles the Black Cat.Marvel Mangaverse
Marvel Mangaverse
The Marvel Mangaverse is a series of comic books published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2002, with a sequel "New Mangaverse" released in late 2005 and early 2006....
continuity, Black Cat is cybernetically enhanced. She was originally a simple thief, who stole a cursed magical amulet for its monetary value, but this act attracted the attention of Matt Murdock, the Devil Hunter, and she was cut in half. The Kingpin of Crime reconstructed her body with cybernetics, including a shut-down mechanism he planned to activate if she failed to serve him. After completing her mission for the Kingpin, he claimed to have permanently deactivated the mechanism, but whether he kept his word or not remains to be seen. She is still Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
's old flame, but in the New Mangaverse storyline (with Spider-Man having chosen Mary Jane Watson over her) she is trying to move on, and is now showing a romantic interest in Wolverine though by the end of the story arc it is clear that she has a hidden agenda as she is later seen with Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
.
Marvel Zombies
A zombified Black Cat is briefly seen battling Iron Fist. He punches a hole straight through her.However, somehow (in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days) during events set after her appearance above (which happened in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
), she appears alive and well on one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Carriers.
When asked about this during his Joe Friday 100, Joe Q explained that "the MZ world is not exactly like the regular Marvel Universe. Our Captain America is their “Colonel America”. Their Reed Richards is evil. A lot of the costumes are from different eras in our world. We assumed it was obvious from the context that in the MZ world, Felicia Hardy has a twin sister, Felicity Hardy, who is the costumed adventurer known as Night Cat."
MC2
In the alternate future comics known as MC2, Felicia Hardy married Flash Thompson and had two children, FelicityFelicity Hardy
Felicity Hardy, also known as the third Scarlet Spider, is a fictional character who appears in the Marvel Comics's alternate future MC2 series Spider-Girl...
and Gene, before they divorced. In this continuity, she has apparently retired the identity of the Black Cat and runs a private detective agency. She has begun a romantic relationship with Diana, a woman she works with, a fact that has produced tension between herself and her daughter.
Spider-Man: Fairy Tales
Issue #1 of Spider-Man: Fairy Tales follows the fairy tale of Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
. Mary Jane plays the part of Little Red Riding Hood, and Peter
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
is one of the woodsmen. Mary Jane owns a black cat named Felicia. #3, a Japanese ghost story, features a demoness resembling a humanoid black cat, with long white hair.
Marvel Noir
In Spider-Man Noir, Felicia Hardy is the owner of The Black Cat, a speakeasySpeakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
that caters to the most powerful and corrupt in New York City. In Spider-Man Noir: Eyes without a Face, she takes on a more prominent role, sheltering Peter after he is almost killed by Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
, as well as dating Crime Master. Like most incarnations, Felicia has a relationship with Spider-Man Noir. Crime Master slashes her when he finds out about this, but before passing out, she alerts the FBI that he is in league with Otto Octavius and his inhumane experiments. The final panel of the series shows her with a mask similar to Madame Masque
Madame Masque
Madame Masque is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. She is an occasional love interest, and sometimes enemy of Iron Man within the Marvel Universe...
.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Felicia Hardy makes her appearance in issue #17 of the series. She is a teenager who transfers to the same high school attended by Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. Felicia is considered "bad luck" due to her violent past and confrontational personality. She flirts with Flash and challenges his girlfriend, Liz Allan, to a fight, which was merely a ruse to establish her reputation as a girl not to be messed with.Supernaturals
A different version of Felicia Hardy is part of a team led by Brother VoodooBrother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo is a fictional character, a supernatural superhero in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Gene Colan, he first appears in Strange Tales #169...
. Unlike her 616 counterpart, this version of Black Cat possesses enchanted vocal abilities that allow her to alter the outcomes of events by speaking certain phrases aloud. (For example, at one point, saying "Break" causes a noose to snap.) This ability is shown to be useless once Jack O'Lantern
Jack O'Lantern (Marvel Comics)
Jack O'Lantern is the name of four fictional supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. Later incarnations of the character were also referred to as Mad Jack.-Jason Macendale:...
tapes Felicia's mouth shut.
Ultimate Black Cat
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
, set in the Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
universe, the Black Cat is Felicia Hardy, a young woman who blames her father’s death on Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. Seeking revenge, she stole a priceless tablet that he was going to use on his comatose wife. Kingpin hired the assassin Elektra to retrieve it. When Black Cat threw it into the harbor, Elektra threw one of her sais into the Black Cat's chest, sending the thief over the edge. She was presumed dead, though no body was found.
She later returned during a gang war, stopping Hammerhead from shooting Spider-Man in the right temple. She later expressed interest in working for Hammerhead if it would mean getting rid of the Kingpin although Spider-Man opposed this. She later assisted Hammerhead and Elektra in a confrontation against Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, Iron Fist and Spider-Man.
Later, after the crisis was resolved, she passionately kissed Spider-Man through his mask, her previous interest in him having gotten stronger. She had apparently no idea of the age disparity between her and Peter, and mistakenly assumed, after he left in a rush, that he was a married man. When she managed to unmask him and realized how young he truly was, she was repulsed. The shock and embarrassment of such a discovery caused her to vomit on his costume. She is next seen trying to assassinate the Kingpin. However, Mysterio
Mysterio
Mysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
beats her to it. She then tries to steal the Zodiac Key from the Kingpin's vault. Mysterio, knowing that it contained great power, tried to steal it from her. Felicia tried to wish Mysterio to go away, but instead she accidentally caused the key to create a massive explosion. Shocked by what she did, she handed it over to Mysterio. Spider-Man came to the scene with Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
. Mysterio subdued Iron Man and then Spider-Man, Mysterio, and Felicia then fought over the key. Spider-Man won and then both he and Felicia decided to help the people who were caught in the middle of Felicia's mistake.
In this version, the Black Cat actually has short brunette hair, but wears a white-haired wig as part of her costume.
What If?
In the What If?What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
storyline What if the Alien Costume had Possessed Spider-Man?, after the symbiote
Symbiote (comics)
In the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
forms a permanent bond with Spider-Man due to Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
being unable to examine the web-slinger until it is too late to break them apart, Felicia goes on a brief crime spree until she learns that the symbiote - which here lives on adrenaline from superhumans - has abandoned the now-deceased Spider-Man in favor of the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
; she favors killing the Hulk over the objections of the other heroes. After Spider-Man's funeral, she is contacted by the Kingpin, who helps her develop a weapon that will kill the symbiote in exchange for a lifetime of service from her; despite the heroes having already defeated the symbiote thanks to the actions of Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
and Black Bolt
Black Bolt
Black Bolt is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black...
, with Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
being about to banish it, Felicia kills the symbiote anyway, subsequently berating the heroes for not knowing the price she had to pay to ensure that justice was done.
In another storyline, Spider-Man marries the Black Cat rather than Mary Jane - Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe is a comic book supervillain, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe. He was one of the main foes of Spider-Man...
's attack having left Mary Jane injured in this reality, leaving Peter doubting his ability to look after her, with he and Felicia rekindling their romance while fighting supervillains together, but their relationship is complicated by such factors as Peter and Felicia being unable to live together in order to preserve his secret identity. After Felicia's carelessness results in Spider-Man's identity being discovered by an unidentified informant, combined with her own jealousy over Peter's continued friendship with Mary Jane, she is killed by Paladin
Paladin (comics)
Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
after he mistakenly assumes she attempted to kill Mary Jane, resulting in Peter forming a romantic relationship with Silver Sable
Silver Sable
Silver Sable is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a female mercenary, hunter of war criminals, the leader of the Wild Pack, and CEO of Silver Sable International...
as the two bond over their shared grief at the loss of their loved ones.
Spider-Man (1981)
Black Cat appeared in the 1981 Spider-ManSpider-Man (1981 TV series)
Spider-Man is a syndicated animated TV series based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name.-Production background:The series was created to launch Marvel Productions, successor of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who had previously produced the 1978 New Fantastic Four and 1979...
episode "Curiosity Killed the Spider-Man" (voiced by Morgan Lofting).
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Spider-Man (1994 TV series)
Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
, Felicia Hardy is originally depicted as the first love interest of Peter Parker, although she is eventually replaced in this role by Mary Jane Watson. She was voiced by Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
. She also dates Morbius
Morbius, the Living Vampire
Morbius, the Living Vampire, is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane, the character, a living human suffering from vampiric abilities resulting from scientific rather than supernatural means, first appeared as...
in this series. In this incarnation it's revealed her father "The Cat
Walter Hardy
The Cat is a fictional anti-hero from the . Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
" was fooled into sneaking into an American lab during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, memorize the super soldier formula that created Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, and report back to the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
. At the last moment he realized the deception and ran away to a life of crime. In the present The Cat is in a S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
prison but is then broken out by the Kingpin. Doc Ock, (working for the Kingpin) kidnaps Felicia as leverage and used as a guinea pig for an improved super soldier formula. The formula proves a success, making her overall physical prowess comparable to Spider-Man and also gives her the ability to switch between her normal blond haired form and her empowered well-muscled white haired form at will; she then recruited Spider-Man to assist in a rescue attempt for her father. After Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
was believed to be creating havoc in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Black Cat helped make Spider-Man realize that he was trying to help his love Dr. Crawford
Calypso (comics)
Calypso is a fictional villain in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209. She was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.-Fictional character biography:...
. She was also featured in a smaller story arc where she was again kidnapped this time by Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe is a comic book supervillain, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe. He was one of the main foes of Spider-Man...
to be used as leverage to get Spider-Man to kidnap either the Scorpion or the Vulture. It was later revealed that Smythe had developed a machine reversed engineered from the Time Tablet and Vulture's talons and that data extracted from the Genetic and molecular structure of the Scorpion (both Vulture and Scorpion suffered heavy exposure to Vulture's earlier prototypes) was needed. The three components were used in conjunction in an attempt to swap age and abilities of the baby Silvermane
Silvermane (comics)
Silvermane is a fictional Marvel Comics character. He is a supervillain and a prominent figure in the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate that is analogous to the Mafia. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1 #73...
and Spider-Man but a rescue attempt by Black Cat, Vulture, and the freed Scorpion destroyed the machine and returned Silvermane to his proper age. After Morbius awakens as a vampire, she struggles at figuring out how to stop him because of her feelings for him. She then finds herself teaming up with Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
, Spider-Man, and Morbius to take down Blade's vampire mother who was using Dr. Connors
Lizard (comics)
The Lizard is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and enemy of Spider-Man. The Lizard first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
' genetic recombinator to create an army of vampires. She then decides to leave Spider-Man to work for Blade along with Morbius, but not before she admits her love for him. She does come back however to help Spider-Man defeat Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man, also spelled Hydro Man , is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics...
and also appears at the wedding of Peter and Mary Jane Watson. She as Black Cat allies herself with Spider-Man and Kingpin fighting droids created by Alistair Smythe that are crashing the wedding
Wedding crashing
Wedding crashing is the act of coming to a wedding without an invitation.-In real life:Some of the most common reasons for crashing a wedding in real life are:...
. After Blade, Morbius, and Black Cat nearly succeeded in capturing Blade's mother, Black Cat was brought into the Secret War due to an effort by Storm
Storm (comics)
Storm is a fictional character that appears in a number of comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum...
, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, and Spider-Man. She nearly fell into a river of lava, but Spider-Man saved her by webbing Black Cat's ankle. After the Secret War was over she was sent back to the exact time and place she was taken from with no memory of the war. Despite her aristocratic background she is an extremely sexually-charged character and flirts, kisses, or dates with nearly every named male character in her age range. On multiple occasions she, in both personas, does so with Spider-Man while dating another person. It is alluded to that her promiscuous nature is rooted in her relationship with her father. Him having left her when she was young, she constantly tries to fill that void and if a man disappoints her,leaves, dies, etc.; she turns to Spider-Man because he tends to "always be there" unlike her father. Either that or she immediately replaces him with another man regardless of his ability to make her happy.
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Black Cat (voiced by Tricia HelferTricia Helfer
Tricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
) first appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man episode "The Uncertainty Principle
The Uncertainty Principle (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
"The Uncertainty Principle" is the ninth episode of the animated television series The Spectacular Spider-Man, which is based on the comic book character Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
". In this series she is depicted as simply a thief, with no bad-luck probability abilities; her alter ego is revealed to be Felicia Hardy in "Opening Night". She has cameos in "Intervention" (via flashbacks from the season's previous episodes) and "Nature vs. Nurture". In the second season, she appears in the episode "Accomplices", and in the twelfth episode, "Opening Night". In that episode Black Cat's father Walter Hardy
Walter Hardy
The Cat is a fictional anti-hero from the . Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
is revealed to be the cat burglar
Burglar (comics)
The Burglar is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, left unnamed in most of his appearances. He is best known as the first criminal faced by Spider-Man, and as the killer of the hero's uncle and surrogate father figure, Ben Parker. The Burglar first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 .The...
that shot Uncle Ben. Black Cat attempts to break him out of prison, but he chooses to pay his debt instead; feeling that this was because of Spider-Man's influence she angrily says she will never forgive him before storming away.
Film
- Felicia Hardy appeared in early scripts for Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
in a subplot in which she tries to convince Spider-Man to give up being Peter Parker. This idea was to contrast the other subplot of Peter giving up being Spider-Man. Though she was cut from later scripts, the Black Cat and her subplot are used in the video game based on the film.
- Felicia Hardy was originally supposed to appear in Sam RaimiSam RaimiSamuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
's canceled Spider-Man 4 and be played by Anne HathawayAnne Hathaway (actress)Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
, though she would not have transformed into the Black Cat, as in the comics. Instead, Raimi's Felicia was expected to become a brand-new superpowered figure called the VulturessVulture (comics)The Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
.
Video games
- Black Cat is a playable character in the Spider-Man arcade game Spider-Man: The Video GameSpider-Man: The Video GameSpider-Man: The Video Game is a 1991 arcade video game developed by Sega based on the Marvel Comics comic book character Spider-Man.-Gameplay:...
, a side-scrolling fighting game. Black Cat can scratch enemies, pounce on them with leaping kicks, or use her grappling hook like a whip to strike from a distance.
- Black Cat is a summon in the Super NintendoSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Sega Genesis game Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum CarnageSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum CarnageSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage is a scrolling fighting game for the Super NES and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, developed by Software Creations and published by LJN in 1994...
, where her attacks vary depending on whether the player is Spider-Man or VenomVenom (comics)Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
. She also appears in many of the pages from the Maximum CarnageMaximum Carnage"Maximum Carnage" is a fourteen-part comic book crossover published in Marvel Comics's Spider-Man family of titles in 1993. It featured Spider-Man and Venom teaming up to face Venom's murderous offspring Carnage.-Plot:...
comic book that were shown between levels.
- In the SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Dreamcast, PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, and Nintendo 64Nintendo 64The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
Spider-ManSpider-Man (2000 video game)Spider-Man is an action video game based upon the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is loosely based on the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. Released originally for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in 2000, the game...
video game, Black Cat appears in the first stage giving gaming tips every time the player walks into a question mark, and reappears later in the game. She is knocked out by Rhino and kidnapped by Doctor OctopusDoctor OctopusDoctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
and CarnageCarnage (comics)Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
who have thugs pose as paramedics. Spider-Man eventually finds her and rescues her from the symbiote base. Jennifer Hale reprises her role from Spider-Man: The Animated Series
- The Black Cat appears in the Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2 (video game)Spider-Man 2 is the name of several computer and video games based on the Spider-Man universe and particularly the Spider-Man 2 film. It is a follow up to the game Spider-Man: The Movie and was followed by Spider-Man 3 to promote the release of the third film in 2007...
video game (based on the 2004 filmSpider-Man 2Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
) voiced by Holly Fields. She is not a playable character. During the game Black Cat appears as a thief who develops an interest in Spider-Man. Throughout certain levels of the game Spider-Man has to meet with Black Cat in certain places on top of buildings; once met, Black Cat will usually race Spider-Man to another region which she claims to be trouble. During cutscenes in the game Black Cat will continuously persuade Spider-Man to 'ditch' his normal life as Peter Parker for a permanent life as Spider-Man. Black Cat makes her first appearance during a theft at an art museum. She later reveals her identity as Black Cat before diving off a building and vanishing into the city below. She later leads Spider-Man to ShockerShocker (comics)The Shocker or just Shocker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #46 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr.-Fictional character biography:Herman Schultz was born in New York...
's location where she helps defeat the foe. Black Cat makes her final appearance in the game after Spider-Man helps here defeat a fleet of armed mechas, afterwhich he tells her the world needs both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. She departs, telling Spider-Man "once I cross your path, I'm not so easy to get rid of."
- Black Cat is a playable character in the game Spider-Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or Foe is a Spider-Man computer and video game based on the comic book series and Spider-Man movies. The game was released on October 2, 2007....
voiced by Audrey WasilewskiAudrey WasilewskiAudrey Wasilewski is an American actress and voice actress.-Life and career:Wasilewski's first role came in the 1994 Japanese animated film Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko, where she was one of the additional voices dubbed in English...
. Spider-Man encounters her outside of Doctor Octopus' secret lab in a Japanese industrial plant. During the game Black Cat's skills are best suited to the art of infiltration, but she is no pushover in a fight. Her grappling hook, usually employed to climb walls, is a quick and efficient weapon in her capable hands. After meeting Black Cat she will assist Spider-Man throughout the chapter. During fights Black Cat wields her grappling hook and has two power moves called: Heaven's Claw and Tornado Claw.
- Black Cat appears in Spider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of Shadows is a video game title encompassing three versions: a full-3D action game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360; a 2.5D sidescrolling beat em up action game for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 , and a 2.5D side-scrolling brawler/platformer for...
with Tricia HelferTricia HelferTricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
reprising her role. Near the beginning of the game she serves as the first boss having gone to work for Kingpin, though after the fight she revealed in utter distress that it was a complex attempt to impress Spider-Man and comes on to him. The player is then given two chices. If the player chooses the good side Spider-Man rejects her advances, stating that he both does not want her and cannot be with her. If the player chooses the bad side Spider-Man accepts Black Cat's advances and stays the night with her. If the player choose her she will also give Spider-Man missions to track down who was manufacturing weapons for Kingpin, instead of Moon KnightMoon KnightMoon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
. Sometime after helping Spider-Man, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Kingpin's forces clear a rooftop full of symbiotes, Black Cat becomes possessed by a symbiote and fights Spider-Man. After the fight, Black Cat is gravely injured, freeing her of the symbiote. The player is then given two choices again. If the player chooses good she is brought on to a S.H.I.E.L.D medivac uttering her last conscious words to Mary-Jane "He really does love you". If the player chooses the bad path Spider-Man reinfects her with his more powerful symbiote, leaving her in more control of her symbiote. Doing this will cause Mary-Jane to leave in tears, and cause S.H.I.E.L.D. to lose trust in Spider-Man. Depending on the ending, Spider-Man will rule over New York with Black Cat at his side, or Peter will call Mary Jane, explaining why he infected Felica.
- In Spider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a video game featuring Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions blends together four universes from the Marvel Comics multiverse, allowing the player to play as four different Spider-Men...
she is referenced by Spider-Man Noir, saying she led him to Hammerhead. Also, with Spider-Man 2099, one of the background billboards depicts her, seemingly being used to advertise a shampoo brand.
- A 2099 version of Black Cat is set to appear in Spider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of Time is a video game developed by the Activision-owned developer Beenox, based on the superhero Spider-Man. The story was written by Peter David, and gameplay has a "cause-and-effect" system where one Spider-Man's actions will affect the other and vice versa. It was released on...
and voiced by Katee SackhoffKatee SackhoffKathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
. This version of Black Cat is actually a clone of the original Felicia Hardy with her memories programed in, and upgraded with cybernetic weaponry by the Alchemax corporation. She is also cloned several times into enemies that Spider-Man (Peter Parker) fights. She claims that Alchemax has been force-feeding her anti-aging pills, possibly to mislead Spider-Man.
- Black Cat is a playable hero in Marvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad Online is a MMOG for younger audiences based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.The MMOG officially was released as a open beta on April 29, 2011 and a closed beta was released in early 2011. The first debut trailer for Marvel Super Hero Squad Online was released on...
.
Novels
- Black Cat is one of the main characters in the novel Spider-Man: The Darkest HoursSpider-Man: The Darkest HoursSpider-Man: The Darkest Hours is a novel written by Jim Butcher featuring characters from the Spider-Man Marvel Comics created by Stan Lee. Thus, itself is based on a story arc from those of the comics...
.
- She has also appeared in the novel Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk: Rampage by Danny FingerothDanny FingerothDaniel "Danny" Fingeroth is an American comic book writer and editor, better known for a long stint as group editor of the Spider-Man books at Marvel Comics.-Career:...
and Eric Fein, the first book of the Doom's Day trilogy.