Felicia Hardy

**Felicia Hardy**, also known by her alias **Black Cat**, She is a prominent character in *The City That Never Sleeps* DLC, a background character in the Black Cat Stakeouts activities within *Marvel's Spider-Man*, and a minor character in *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*.

Felicia is a skilled thief utilizing a combination of athleticism, martial arts skills, and high-tech gadgets in her arsenal, and often toes the line between good and bad. She is the daughter of renowned thief Walter Hardy, from whom she assumed the Black Cat mantle. She has a complicated relationship with Spider-Man, at numerous points serving as an ally, enemy, and love interest.

## History

### Early history

Felicia was born in Flushing, New York, no later than 1994. She is the only daughter of former cat-burglar Walter Hardy, the original Black Cat, who faked his death in 1998 to prevent the Maggia crime families from coming after her after he refused to work for them.

When Felicia grew up, against her father's wishes, she decided to follow in her father's footsteps, adopting the Black Cat name and applying her own upgrades to his gear. As Black Cat, she chose to only steal from well-off individuals, or those who, in her eyes, deserved it.

At an unknown point, she met Spider-Man, and the two became romantically involved. During this time, Black Cat gave up her criminal ways and Spider-Man attempted to train her as a “good guy”, but despite showing promise at first, the partnership ended when he learned she was stealing from some of the criminals they took down, which he confirmed after seeing the stolen loot at her home. By the events of *Marvel's Spider-Man*, the police had Black Cat's suit and equipment in evidence lockup.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man*

Black Cat struck a deal with Maggia boss Hammerhead where she agreed to steal flash drives with financial data on the other Maggia families which he wanted to use for a power play on the other dons, though she planned to steal their wealth for herself and give him fake drives instead. Needing to rob the police evidence lockup to retrieve her equipment for the task, Black Cat stole $50,000,000 worth of loot and set up several cat dolls near sites where she had robbed wealthy individuals, including lawyers and Wall Street associates.

In "Stakeout", Black Cat called Spider-Man from an unknown number, imploring him to try finding her, claiming she was trying to steal $50,000,000 but promised to give it all back and go straight if Spider-Man found her first. Black Cat's real plan was to distract Spider-Man by leading him to her Freedom Tunnel base while also having him deliver the dolls to police captain Yuri Watanabe so that, once all in the evidence lockup, they would link up and boost their signal, deactivating the alarms. In "Cat's Cradle", Spider-Man fell for this trap and Black Cat was able to steal her things undetected. She left behind a costume and a recording for Spider-Man, who deduced that if she stole $50,000,000 just for her equipment, she had bigger plans.

### *The City That Never Sleeps*

During "The Maria", Black Cat broke into the Museum of Contemporary Art with intent to steal a painting called *The Maria*. She encountered Spider-Man, who’d received intel about Maggia activity at the museum. When questioned by Spider-Man about the painting, she broke the painting in half to retrieve one of the drives, leaving him behind to deal with Maggia goons. In "Like Old Times", Spider-Man caught her while she was stealing Maggia don Cicero's drive, where she claimed ignorance of the contents of the drive and lied to Spider-Man that Hammerhead was holding her son hostage, and would kill him if she did not find the drives for him.

When delivering the drives, Black Cat told Hammerhead's goons she would deliver them to him personally, though she was actually giving him fake drives. At the Costa family safe in "Pursuing the Truth", Spider-Man caught up with Black Cat and tried to talk to her, to which she responded by using an EMP grenade to disable his Web Shooters and running away. Spider-Man eventually caught her after chasing her around the city, telling her that he knew about the nature of the drives and offered to help find her son so that she wouldn’t have to steal them. Black Cat agreed, but was coy when Spider-Man asked if he could be her son's father.

In "Cover for the Cat", Black Cat contacted Spider-Man after discovering the existence of a room-sized impenetrable vault, which she hinted was the most likely location her son was held. She asked for his help in stealing from an office above one of Hammerhead's bars, hoping to find the location of the vault there, needing his help distracting them. After teaming up with him to finish the goons when she had robbed the office, she flirted with him some more, telling him that she had made an honest attempt to go straight and had found an honest job in the process, while continuing to dodge the question of if Spider-Man could be the father.

Spider-Man contacted Black Cat after he located the vault in a storage harbor. In "Follow the Money", the two worked together to defeat Hammerhead's goons in the area, but she suddenly disappeared when more arrived, absconding with her actual objective: Hammerhead's drive from inside the vault. When Spider-Man entered the vault, Black Cat locked him inside, revealing her that her "son" was just a ruse to get him to cooperate.

When Hammerhead learned of her deception, he ordered his men to kill her, no longer caring about the drives, and priming explosives in Black Cat's penthouse to destroy it. Spider-Man called urgently to try and save her, though she expressed confusion as to why he was trying to help her after she had betrayed him so badly. She nonetheless was coy about the impending explosion, simply saying she had "all nine lives left" before seemingly being killed. A few days later, in "Trust Issues", she saved Spider-Man during a battle against a cybernetic ally enhanced Hammerhead and provided a drive revealing Hammerhead's weakness along with the locations of the stolen Project Olympus weaponry, to repay him for her previous betrayal.

In *Miles Morales*, Black Cat was mentioned in a Simon Krieger recording as having gone "straight...ish", and listed as inactive and with unknown whereabouts.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*

Felicia was one of Kraven the Hunter's targets in New York City. In "Make Your Own Choices", Peter sent Miles Morales to warn her, Mary Jane Watson cautioning him not to trust her. Miles found the hunters already caught up to her, though she had stolen a device from the Sanctum Santorum. Felicia told Miles she was using it to find her girlfriend in Paris, and expressed disappointment that Peter had not come himself. Miles chased her as she created portals around the city, and eventually helped her fend off the hunters attacking her, as she successfully understood the device and, with Miles’ help, created a portal to Paris. Later, Felicia contacted Peter and Miles to give a warning about Tombstone's location in Williamsburg and thanked both for their help, even if Peter could not be bothered to show up. Before Peter could explain himself, Felicia cut him off and expressed that they had both moved on.

## Characteristics

### Appearance

Felicia Hardy has white-platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. Standing at 5'10" and weighing 150 lbs, she possesses a pear-shaped figure accentuating her natural curves. Her Black Cat outfit consists of a black suit with white accents and black goggles. The gloves of her costume form retractable claws at the fingertips.

### Personality

> Poor Spider. I know I disappointed you when I couldn't go straight... but why mess with perfection?
>
> Felicia Hardy, *Marvel's Spider-Man* § "Black Cat Stakeouts"

Felicia Hardy is cunning, whimsical, and manipulative. Her playful, flirtatious banter, and her coy secrecy, shroud her in mystery and mask an intelligent and relentless burglar with complex motivations and moral ambiguity. Felicia is resilient and determined, able to bounce back from hardship. She does so operating alone, valuing her independence due to her past and her mistrust of others' methods. This also means she has no qualm using and betraying people as needed.

Felicia's complexity and moral ambiguity stems from her conflict between a desire to do good and her criminal instincts. Her moral compass leads her to steal only from those who she believed deserved it or could afford it. It also manifested in her plotting against Hammerhead to betray him and the Maggia, and to ultimately help Spider-Man take him down. However, it has also meant that despite making apparently earnest attempts to operate within the law, it did not last long before she reverted to her old ways, something she has expressed regret for (though it is unclear how serious she was about it). Despite having the motivations of a Robin Hood in stealing from those who have hurt others, rather than give her gains to the poor, she keeps them for herself.

Felicia has a complicated relationship with Spider-Man. The two have worked together professionally and been intimate together, their relationship has soured both when he has caught her stealing, and when she has manipulated and betrayed him for her own ends. Their difficult relationship stems from Felicia's conflicted nature. While her moral compass and affection for Spider-Man have led them to work with him, her disapproval of his methods (believing that working within the law is inadequate) and her steadfast independence have led her to betray him, a conscious choice to push him away so as not to become reliant on him. Felicia also does not wish to learn Spider-Man's real identity, preferring to avoid the mundanities of civilian life and enjoy their costumed adventures together.

### Abilities and equipment

Black Cat possesses superhuman agility, strength, speed, and advanced martial arts skills. She is able to crawl, climb, and leap at extremely high speeds, as demonstrated by her swiftly traversing New York's rooftops, even outpacing Spider-Man. Her ability to steal $50,000,000 worth of loot without equipment underscores her cat burglar prowess, influenced by her father, the original Black Cat.

While proficient without her gear, her suit enhances her abilities. It features sharp claws for cutting through museum glass and includes her signature grappling hook, enabling easy traversal of the city's skyline. Black Cat also employs electromagnetic pulse (EMP) grenades, temporarily disabling electronics.

Outside of combat and burglary, her primary strength lies in cunning and manipulation. She outwitted Spider-Man and the entire police force to retrieve her gear, and orchestrated elaborate schemes to steal the wealth of Hammerhead and the Maggia while making Hammerhead believe she was on his side.

## Original appearance

For more background of Felicia Hardy throughout comic book history, see **all appearances of Black Cat** and the **original appearance of Felicia Hardy** on the **Marvel Database**

Black Cat was created by Marv Molfman, Keith Pollard, and Dave Cockrum, and introduced in *Amazing Spider-Man* #194 (July 1979). Daughter of master thief Walter Hardy, Felicia followed in her father's footsteps after his arrest, further honing her self-taught skills under the guidance of his mentor, the Black Fox. She first crossed paths with Spider-Man while attempting to free her dying father from prison. Through subsequent encounters, a complicated romance blossomed, leading to a brief partnership as crime-fighters. However, Felicia's initial rejection of the web-slinger's alter-ego of Peter Parker, and an underhanded plot to obtain super-powers via genetic augmentation strained their connection. Despite initial scorn when Peter chose Mary Jane Watson, Felicia eventually became one of Spider-Man's most trusted allies.

Throughout her appearances, Black Cat is playful and flirty, prioritizing a luxurious life of crime. Loss and trauma shaped her into a jaded, cynical and self-centered woman, who first used her thieving skills to lash out against the world. Spider-Man's positive influence helped her transform into a more heroic figure, allowing her to trust again and assist others, and pushing her to do the right thing when push came to shove. While their romance didn't last, Felicia and Peter remained close friends, with occasional romantic sparks rekindling.

Black Cat has been featured consistently throughout Spider-Man adaptations; most notably in the 1994 animated series, where Felicia was a long-standing flame of Peter before gaining powers from a super-soldier serum, and *The Spectacular Spider-Man*, as a mysterious thief who helped Spider-Man with ulterior motives. Felicia is regularly portrayed as a galvanic paramour who appeals to Peter's costumed alter-ego, often contrasting his other, more grounded love interests.

## Behind the scenes

### Concept and design

Concept art
The teams at Insomniac Games and Marvel Games approached the redesign of Black Cat for *Marvel's Spider-Man* with the goal to create a look that was authentic and instantly recognizable while still distinct. For Black Cat, they chose to design her cat thief suit as one that was alluring but functional, reflecting the fact she owns and intentionally uses her attractiveness, while being a believable outfit she could wear while traversing the city. For the white fur elements of her comic book suit, designers shifted into a more practical material; rather than fur on gloves and boots, she instead has functioning shin guards and gauntlets.

Animation was able to convey a lot of Black Cat's personality: rather than walking, she flips, rappels, leaps, and kicks with athleticism and grace. Her ponytail animation proved particularly difficult, as her ponytail was so long that the physics system of the game was unsure how it should behave, meaning animators had to hand animate it in many cinematics.

### Character development

Insomniac wished to showcase everything that Marvel fans loved about Felicia Hardy, and thus did not stray far from her comic book persona. Their intention was to place their own spin on the character to give fans a new perspective on her, and a way to appreciate her role in Peter Parker's life.

Felicia Hardy was portrayed by veteran voice actress Erica Lindbeck. Insomniac Games described her as perfect for the part, as she facilitated Insomniac's intention to modernize the classic characters from Marvel Comics while also retaining their distinctive look and essence.

### Reception

Black Cat's introduction in "The Heist" DLC of *The City That Never Sleeps* received praise from critics. Andrew Reiner from
*Game Informer* commended her introductory sequence for establishing her as a "wonderfully mysterious character". Jonathon Dornbush of *IGN* lauded Insomniac's depiction of her, citing it as evidence of their ability to "capture the essence of Spider-Man while adding their unique touch". Ethan Gach at *Kotaku* praised the love triangle involving her and Mary Jane Watson, describing Spider-Man's navigation of these relationships as "immensely satisfying".

## Notes

### Annotations

1. ↑ Felicia's exact age is unknown. Her father faked his death during her childhood 20 years before *Marvel's Spider-Man*, placing her date of birth in either the late 80's or early 90s.
2. ↑ Felicia's exact age is unknown. Dialogue between Aunt May and Peter indicates that Felicia is older (but "not that much older") than Peter,[*citation needed*] who was born in roughly 1995. Her father faked his death during her childhood 20 years before *Marvel's Spider-Man*, placing her date of birth in either the late 80's or early 90s.
3. ↑ Walter Hardy faked his death 20 years before *Marvel's Spider-Man*, which took place in 2018.
4. ↑ It is not clear if Felicia Hardy knew Spider-Man's true identity as Peter Parker while they were dating, as she never references him by his real name.
5. ↑ In *Marvel's Spider-Man*, Spider-Man found financial data on the Maggia crime families in Black Cat's base in Freedom Tunnel, suggesting she was planning the heists during the events of the game and before *The City That Never Sleeps*.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Felicia often makes flirtatious remarks to Spider-Man, complimenting him and reminiscing about their time together. Her commentary appears to come both from genuine attraction to and affection for him, and from her desire to use him, as she did to retrieve her equipment and to get help stealing the Hammerhead drive.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Felicia's resilience and fierce independence shine through in her unwavering ability to bounce back when operating solo. After her equipment was confiscated by the police, Felicia devised an intricate plan to reclaim it, deftly manipulating both Spider-Man and the police to achieve her goal. When her penthouse was destroyed by Hammerhead, she not only survived but resurfaced briefly to expose Spider-Man's vulnerabilities while wisely avoiding unnecessary risks. Felicia openly expressed her preference for a solitary path, emphasizing that she has navigated every aspect of her life independently.

### Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Long Lost Loot"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 *Marvel's Spider-Man* menu § "Black Cat"
3. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* menu § "Peter Parker / Spider-Man"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Hardy's Stolen Art"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Trail of the Cat"
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Stakeout"
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Cat's Cradle"
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Like Old Times"
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Follow the Money"
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Black Cat Stakeouts"
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "The Maria"
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Pursuing the Truth"
13. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Cover for the Cat"
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Trust Issues"
15. ↑ *Miles Morales* script § "Tinker Tailor Spider Spy"
16. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man 2* script § "Make Your Own Choices"
17. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man 2* script § "Hunt to Live, Live to Hunt"
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Dinh 2018
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Wolfman 1979
20. ↑ MacKay 2019
21. ↑ Wolfman 1981
22. ↑ Mantlo 1982
23. ↑ Mantlo 1983
24. ↑ Mantlo 1984
25. ↑ Michelinie February 1989
26. ↑ Michelinie December 1989
27. ↑ Michelinie 1990
28. ↑ Pramath 2018
29. ↑ Reiner 2018
30. ↑ Dornbush 2018
31. ↑ Gach 2018

## References

Video games
* Insomniac Games (2018). *Marvel's Spider-Man* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.
* Insomniac Games (2018). *Marvel's Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.
* Insomniac Games (2020). *Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.
* Insomniac Games (2023). *Marvel's Spider-Man 2* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.

Books
* Wolfman, Marv (1979). *Amazing Spider-Man* (Volume 1, #194) . Marvel Comics.
* Wolfman, Marv (1981). *Amazing Spider-Man* (Volume 1, #226) . Marvel Comics.
* Mantlo, Bill (1982). *Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 74* (Volume 1, #74) . Marvel Comics.
* Mantlo, Bill (1983). *Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man* (Volume 1, #87) . Marvel Comics.
* Mantlo, Bill (1984). *Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man* (Volume 1, #89) . Marvel Comics.
* Michelinie, David (1989). *Amazing Spider-Man* (Volume 1, #316) . Marvel Comics.
* Michelinie, David (1989). *Amazing Spider-Man* (Volume 1, #329) . Marvel Comics.
* Michelinie, David (1990). *Amazing Spider-Man* (Volume 1, #342) . Marvel Comics.

Websites
* Pramath (2018, September 7). "Spider-Man’s Black Cat is Voiced by Erica Lindbeck". From *Gaming Bolt*. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023.
* Reiner, Andrew (2018, October 22). "Spider-Man: The Heist Impressions – A Fantastic Continuation". From *Game Informer*. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023.
* Dornbush, Jonathan (2018, October 24). "Marvel's Spider-Man (PS4) - The Heist DLC Review". From *IGN*. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023.
* Gach, Ethan (2018, October 23). "Spider-Man’s Heist DLC Is Fun But Familiar". From *IGN*. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023.
* Dinh, Christine (2018, October 24). "Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4 | Get to Know Felicia Hardy AKA Black Cat". From *Marvel.com*. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023.

## External links

* Black Cat on Marvel Database
* Black Cat on Wikipedia
* Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) on Marvel.com