Black Cat | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979) |
Created by |
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In-story information | |
Alter ego | Felicia Sara Hardy[1] |
Species | Human mutate |
Place of origin | Flushing, New York, U.S. |
Team affiliations | Black Cat's Gang[2] Heroes for Hire Defenders[3] Avengers A-Force |
Partnerships | Spider-Man Puma |
Notable aliases | Felicity Harmon Felicia Harmon Party Hardy Black Cat |
Abilities |
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Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard, and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979).[4] Felicia Hardy is the daughter of Walter Hardy, a world-renowned cat burglar. She trained herself in various fighting styles and acrobatics and, after deciding to follow in her father's footsteps, adopted the costumed identity of Black Cat. She has the subconscious ability to affect probability fields, producing "bad luck" for her enemies. Throughout her history, Black Cat has sometimes been an enemy, love interest, and an ally of the superhero Spider-Man.[5][6]
The character was depicted as a supervillain and adversary of Spider-Man, but over time the two fell in love, which motivated her into becoming both an antiheroine, and his partner. However, their relationship grew complicated after it became apparent that Black Cat was only attracted to the alter ego of Spider-Man and had little to no interest in the hero's civilian life as Peter Parker. After their break-up, Black Cat maintained her role as one of Spider-Man's most trusted allies and for years the pair shared an on-again, off-again romance.[7]
Since her original introduction in comics, the character has been featured in various other Marvel-licensed products, including video games, animated television series, and merchandise.