Walter Hardy
Encyclopedia
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 (July 1979).
The Cat is a world-renowned cat burglar who was arrested due to his various acts of burglary.
and the husband of Lydia Hardy, this sneaky man was the only one who knew the formula of making a so-called Super-Soldier
. The reason for that was because of when he was a just a boy, a group of Nazis (including the sinister Red Skull
) used Walter to sneak inside a building where an experiment was taking place turning Steve Rogers into the amazing hero called Captain America
. Walter used his astonishing picture-memory to memorize the formula that made Captain America and brought it back to the Nazis, but refused to give it to them after finding out that if he told them the Axis Powers
would probably win World War II
.
After The Cat's arrest, his daughter Felicia later adapted his devices and methods.
, though not quite as fast. He can also use the cable from this device as a tightrope, wall scaling device, swing line, and/or as a weapon in combat.
. After Steve Rogers (portrayed by Chris Evans
) transforms into Captain America
, an assassin who attending the demonstration of the Super Soldier Serum, destroys the equipment and kills Dr. Abraham Erskine before stealing a vial of the Serum. After a long chase through New York City, Steve manages to stops the assassin, who commits suicide via cyanide
capsule.
Fictional character
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...
anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
from the . 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...
, he 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).
The Cat is a world-renowned cat burglar who was arrested due to his various acts of burglary.
Fictional character biography
Father of Felicia HardyBlack Cat (comics)
The Black Cat is a fictional 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 ....
and the husband of Lydia Hardy, this sneaky man was the only one who knew the formula of making a so-called Super-Soldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
. The reason for that was because of when he was a just a boy, a group of Nazis (including the sinister 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....
) used Walter to sneak inside a building where an experiment was taking place turning Steve Rogers into the amazing hero called 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...
. Walter used his astonishing picture-memory to memorize the formula that made Captain America and brought it back to the Nazis, but refused to give it to them after finding out that if he told them the Axis Powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
would probably win 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...
.
After The Cat's arrest, his daughter Felicia later adapted his devices and methods.
Powers and Abilities
The Cat has a miniature grappling hook device, which enables him to swing from buildings in a manner similar to Spider-ManSpider-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...
, though not quite as fast. He can also use the cable from this device as a tightrope, wall scaling device, swing line, and/or as a weapon in combat.
Television
- The Cat also appeared in the Spider-ManSpider-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...
episodes "The Cat" and "The Black Cat", in which he had the name John Hardesky and was voiced by John Phillip LawJohn Phillip LawJohn Phillip Law was an American film actor with over one hundred movie roles to his credit. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Phyllis Sallee and the brother of actor Thomas Augustus Law .He was best known for his roles as the blind angel Pygar in the science fiction cult...
. Similar to the comics, he was tricked by the Nazis to spy on the Captain America experiment and had a picture-memory of it. When he found out who the real Nazis were, he evaded them and managed to give them the slip. Years later, he is shown in protective 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....
custody until KingpinKingpin (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...
had ChameleonChameleon (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...
replace him so that the Kingpin can get the formula from Walter Hardy to make his own super-soldiers. Upon learning it, Kingpin decided to have a "family reunion" by having 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...
kidnap Felicia Hardy. After a reacquaintance with her father, she became a test subject to the super-soldier formula resulting in Felicia becoming the Black Cat. After some encounters with Black Cat, Spider-Man followed her to Kingpin's hideout and freed her and Walter. Walter managed to dispose of the super-soldier serum before Herbert Landon could duplicate it. With Kingpin's plan thwarted, Walter was willingly returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.
- Walter Hardy appeared in the The Spectacular Spider-Man episode "Opening Night" voiced by James RemarJames RemarJames Remar is an American actor and voice artist. He has appeared in movies, video games, and TV shows. He is perhaps best known as Richard, the on-off tycoon boyfriend of Kim Cattrall's character in Sex and the City, as Ajax in The Warriors, as the homicidal maniac Albert Ganz in the 1982...
. This version is an amalgam of him and the burglar that shotBurglar (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...
Uncle Ben. In a flashback accessed by the symbiote, he is shown robbing Sullivan Edwards and escapes in the elevator like in the movie. After Peter was told by Aunt May that Uncle Ben has been shot, Spider-Man finds out that the one who did this was chased to an abandoned warehouse. Though the burglar falls out of the window like he did in the movie, Spider-Man saves him and leaves him for the police. In "Opening Night," his identity of him being the father of the Black Cat was revealed to Spider-Man. Black Cat came to bust him out of the VaultVault (comics)The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
at the time when Spider-Man was testing it out. Even though Black Cat wanted him to escape with her, Walter decides to remain in the Vault to atone for the murder he committed.
Film
A unnamed man with similar aspects to Walter Hardy appeared in the 2011 film, Captain America: The First AvengerCaptain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
. After Steve Rogers (portrayed by Chris Evans
Chris Evans
Christopher James "Chris" Evans is an English broadcaster, businessman and producer for radio & television.-Early life:Evans was born in 1966, in Warrington, Cheshire, England, the youngest child of bookmaker...
) transforms into 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...
, an assassin who attending the demonstration of the Super Soldier Serum, destroys the equipment and kills Dr. Abraham Erskine before stealing a vial of the Serum. After a long chase through New York City, Steve manages to stops the assassin, who commits suicide via cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
capsule.