Black Cat's 7 Greatest Scores

Within the Marvel Universe, it’s not uncommon for a hero to start their careers outside of the law...but few have walked the line between hero and villain like Felicia Hardy. The Black Cat originally made a big splash as an enemy of Spider-Man, but she proved far too compelling to simply be bad!

Felicia became Spidey’s sometimes romantic interest, sometimes crimefighting partner before eventually breaking out on her own. However, she did backslide into villainy after a nasty run-in with the Superior Spider-Man. After a few years as a mob boss, Felica is once again making her own way in the ongoing pages of BLACK CAT. And she can still be good or a little bit bad depending upon what she needs at any given moment.

To celebrate one of Marvel’s fan favorite heroes, we’re taking a look back at the best Black Cat stories on Marvel Unlimited!

Never Let a Black Cat Cross Your Path - AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #194-195

Any Black Cat list would be incomplete without Felicia’s first appearance, and her first run-in with Spidey. Peter Parker soon realized that Black Cat was no ordinary thief; Felicia’s motive was to reunite with her father before he died. Despite her apparent death at the end of the story, Felicia resurfaced shortly thereafter. Perhaps cats really do have nine lives...

Partners in Danger - PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN (1976) #73-79

When Black Cat reentered Spider-Man’s life, she had a hard time convincing him that her affection for him was real. That changed when Black Cat and Spidey inserted themselves into the chase for a device that could destroy New York City. Together, they faced Kingpin, the Owl, and even Doctor Octopus.

But it wasn’t until Felicia was badly injured that Peter realized how much he'd come to care for her. And thus, a beautiful partnership was formed.

A Friend in Need - MARVEL KNIGHTS: SPIDER-MAN (2004)

Although Felicia wasn’t in every issue of Mark Millar, Terry Dodson, and Frank Cho’s epic MARVEL KNIGHTS: SPIDER-MAN run, she essentially co-starred alongside Peter as a powerhouse lineup of villains returned in a coordinated attempt to destroy the Web-Head.

Black Cat and Spidey took them all on until she went down with an injury. But even though Peter was happily married to Mary Jane Watson, he came to realize that Felicia still harbored romantic feelings for him.

The Devil and the Details - AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #677 and DAREDEVIL (2011) #8-9

Spider-Man isn’t the only hero that Felicia has set her sights on..Matt Murdock was called upon to defend her for a crime she didn’t commit—and the sparks definitely flew between Daredevil and Black Cat. Spider-Man even called the sight of them kissing his Super Villain origin story!

Unfortunately, Black Cat’s interest in Matt and his alter-ego was initially a ruse. Regardless, Felicia felt too strongly for Matt to go through with an act of betrayal, but that also meant that any relationship between them was doomed from the start.

Reconciliation - AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2018) #8-10

After VENOM: INC., Felicia left her brief stint as a mob boss behind and started to reclaim some of what she lost. When the Thieves Guild stole valuable objects from heroes all over the world, Black Cat teamed up with Spider-Man to get them back.

But at the end of the successful caper, Felicia angrily confronted Spidey about the fact that she no longer remembered who he was... That magical reset had left a huge emotional hole in Felicia’s life. To his credit, Peter pulled off his mask and once again shared his secret with her. And for the first time in years, they were truly friends again.

Heart of a Hero - AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2018) #16.HU

The downside of Felicia regaining her romantic memories of Spider-Man is that they came rushing back to her all at once. Felicia initially had some trouble dealing with that fallout when she came across Billy Connors, the son of the Lizard. But rather than abandon Billy to his captors, Felicia attempted to save him before she was captured as well. Her acts of heroism continued in the HUNTED event as she desperately tried to save Billy’s life from Kraven, Arcade, and an army of hunters.

Back in Black - BLACK CAT (2019) #1-5

Felica currently has her own ongoing series, and the first five issues are available on Marvel Unlimited right now! In these issues, Black Cat reunited with a few of her old crew, and even her mentor, Black Fox. Felicia also faced the challenge of a lifetime by pulling off heists in Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum and the Fantastic Four’s home on Yancy Street.

It’s been a wild ride for the Black Cat, but the fun is just getting started!

Read all of these issues and more on Marvel Unlimited today!