'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' Explained: Who Is Black Cat (Felicia Hardy)?

Spider-Man is far from the only costumed acrobat leaping across the New York City skyline each night, with the master thief Felicia Hardy regularly deftly pulling off scores under her alter ego as Black Cat. More than just being a flagrantly prolific burglar, Black Cat presents Peter Parker with his most complicated frenemy, forcing him to confront his personal feelings and assumptions about right and wrong. In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Peter and Miles Morales have to work quickly to protect Black Cat, setting aside any differences they may have in the face of a common enemy.

Here is everything you need to know about Black Cat, including how she made her debut in Marvel’s Spider-Man, her prominent role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and how it compares to her extensive history in the comics.

Black Cat’s Impact Before Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Black Cat initially appears off-screen in Marvel’s Spider-Man, tricking Peter into recovering cat dolls from places she presumably intends to rob around Manhattan. After turning these dolls into the police as evidence, Peter is shocked to learn that the dolls were actually secret trojans used by Black Cat to deactivate the police’s security systems and allow her to steal her gear back from them. Trying to pinpoint Black Cat’s location, Peter discovered her makeshift headquarters only to find that she had already abandoned it for parts unknown to carry out her next big heist.

It isn’t until the game’s DLC epilogue The City That Never Sleeps where Black Cat makes her on-screen debut, reuniting with Spider-Man to take on the Maggia and the crime syndicate’s new leader Hammerhead. Black Cat manipulated Peter into helping her, leading him to think she had a child since their past romantic liaison as they confronted Hammerhead across the city. After faking her death in a fiery explosion, Black Cat returned in the nick of time to help Spider-Man and Silver Sable defeat a cybernetically upgraded Hammerhead.

Black Cat’s Role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Black Cat is among the costumed characters that Kraven and his hunters are targeting when they come to New York as the ultimate big game challenge. Realizing Black Cat is in imminent danger, Peter sends Miles to help guide her safety, though Mary Jane Watson warns him that Felicia isn’t entirely trustworthy. Miles finds Black Cat already being pursued by hunters, managing to stay one step ahead thanks to a magical device she stole from a mysterious building in the city, the Sanctum Sanctorum.

After escaping the hunters with Miles’ help, Felicia uses the device to open a portal directly to Paris where she can reunite with her girlfriend. Once she settles into safety, Felicia contacts the Spider-Men and thanks them for their help, though she expresses disappointment that Peter didn’t help her himself. In return for their assistance in getting her out of New York and away from the hunters, Black Cat tells the heroes where they can find Tombstone in Brooklyn, so they could similarly protect him from the hunters.

Black Cat’s History in the Comics

Created by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard, and Dave Cockrum, Black Cat made her debut in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #194. Felicia Hardy first donned her Black Cat outfit to break her father—who mentored her to become a thief—from prison, only to cross paths with Spider-Man. Though initially distrustful of him, Black Cat quickly felt a connection with the hero which developed into a full-blown romantic attraction. While Black Cat continued her penchant for lucrative burglary, she also began helping Spider-Man take on the Maggia, gradually earning his trust.

After Black Cat was nearly killed in a fight against Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man realized how much she truly meant to him and the two began a romantic relationship, with Peter revealing his secret identity to her. However, after Black Cat gained powers that created bad luck to those around her, this strained and eventually ruptured the romance, with Peter feeling Felicia wasn’t entirely honest with him. Felicia eventually spent time away in Paris to find herself outside of the shadow of Spider-Man, with Peter rekindling his relationship with Mary Jane Watson in the interim.

Following her return to New York, Felicia has alternated between being a hero and outright criminal, always existing firmly within a more morally ambiguous modus operandi. When Peter temporarily had his body possessed by Otto Octavius, he drove a vengeful Black Cat to become one of New York’s greatest crime lords. Fortunately, after Peter reclaimed his body, he reconciled with Black Cat and the pair became close friends again, with Felicia being one of Spider-Man’s most important allies.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is available now only on PlayStation 5. Order the title on PlayStation Store, PlayStation Direct or your friendly neighborhood retailer!

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