"Don't Cross Her Path" Felicia Hardy aka Black Cat Appreciation 2019

[Celgress]

For those interested, I've posted the first chapter of a Spock AU story (my first anti-hero spider person series) which features Black Cat (in a roundabout sort of way) Be advised this one is very different (see below) -

Title

Superior Spider-Man The Hero I Want To Be

Summary

Otto Octavius has always felt superior to those around him. When he assumes the identity of Peter Parker aka Spider-Man he has the chance to prove that superiority. After his new girlfriend, Anna Marie is gravely injured he places her mind in the body of Black Cat. With a reluctant Anna Marie by his side can he become the hero he wants to be or will he remain a deluded pretender?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1277867...o-I-Want-To-Be

If so inclined, give it a look.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Spectacular Spider-Man #87 Feb 1984
"Mistaken Identities!"
Peter Parker decides to take the Black Cat to his Chelsea apartment and reveal his secret identity to her.

Felicia will be overjoyed to see where Spider-Man lives and learn who he really is...or will she?

Unfortunately, even the best laid plans of mice, men and spider-men often go awry.

Peter is stunned by Felicia's reaction. Where will the web-slinger and the Black Cat's relationship go from here?

Script by Bill Mantlo. Pencils by Al Milgrom. Inks by Jim Mooney.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I re-read that issue today and god it's so heartbreaking.

Felicia Hardy is a real jerk to Spider-Man there, the world's worst date. Spider-Man takes her to his home and she finds out it's a cheap home with low rent when she wanted a Spidercave or a Fortress of Spider-Tude. This guy, a superhero, who has gone beyond the call of duty for you, getting you pardon, risking his life to save you from Dr. Octopus and others, and your reaction is to slag the place he calls home, and insult his cheap apartment. Man talk about bad dates.

What's interesting is how Peter takes Felicia's reaction. He's not offended. He thinks maybe she has a point and he sort of passively accepts and adjusts to her preferring Spider-Man to him, and he's so despondent over his earlier failed relationships that he's ready to do whatever he can to make it work with her.

Bill Mantlo is one of the greatest Spider-Man writers for his run on Spectacular alone. And for Black Cat alone, he's Felicia Hardy's real creator.

[Huntsman Spider]

I re-read that issue today and god it's so heartbreaking.

Felicia Hardy is a real jerk to Spider-Man there, the world's worst date. Spider-Man takes her to his home and she finds out it's a cheap home with low rent when she wanted a Spidercave or a Fortress of Spider-Tude. This guy, a superhero, who has gone beyond the call of duty for you, getting you pardon, risking his life to save you from Dr. Octopus and others, and your reaction is to slag the place he calls home, and insult his cheap apartment. Man talk about bad dates.

What's interesting is how Peter takes Felicia's reaction. He's not offended. He thinks maybe she has a point and he sort of passively accepts and adjusts to her preferring Spider-Man to him, and he's so despondent over his earlier failed relationships that he's ready to do whatever he can to make it work with her.

Bill Mantlo is one of the greatest Spider-Man writers for his run on Spectacular alone. And for Black Cat alone, he's Felicia Hardy's real creator.

Yeah, I can agree with that assessment, and it does add a certain resonance when, about 10 or so years later, Felicia finally wises up and realizes what a huge mistake she made in how she treated Spider-Man after he revealed his secret identity to her. Of course, it's a little too late to rekindle the romance, as Peter by then is very happily married to Mary Jane, and even though Peter and Felicia do ultimately reconcile and become friends and confidants, there is still the shadow of regret haunting Felicia, that if she hadn't been so immature and caught up in the fantasy she built up for herself, she could've been the one married to Peter and ultimately part of his life in both identities. Some of the saddest, most painful words in the English language are indeed, "What could've been."

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Yeah, I can agree with that assessment, and it does add a certain resonance when, about 10 or so years later, Felicia finally wises up and realizes what a huge mistake she made in how she treated Spider-Man after he revealed his secret identity to her. Of course, it's a little too late to rekindle the romance, as Peter by then is very happily married to Mary Jane, and even though Peter and Felicia do ultimately reconcile and become friends and confidants, there is still the shadow of regret haunting Felicia, that if she hadn't been so immature and caught up in the fantasy she built up for herself, she could've been the one married to Peter and ultimately part of his life in both identities. Some of the saddest, most painful words in the English language are indeed, "What could've been."

I think that's what makes Peter and Felicia interesting. Peter is Felicia's "one who got away" and great unrequited love. And that defined Felicia's character to such an extent that Post-OMD, writers didn't revive Peter and Felicia so much as backslide back to the (off-panel and implied) quickie sex from the Mantlo-Stern era.

And now Nick Spencer has somehow tried to revive stuff from their friendship even if he awkwardly moves past the whole Queenpin thing.

In Ultimate Spider-Man, Bendis didn't tackle Black Cat, but he used Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat as a substitute and surrogate and to me that relationship between Peter and Kitty felt more poignant because Peter and Kitty had a greater potential of could have been. And after breaking up, Kitty inspired by Peter becomes a great hero and leader of mutantkind near the end of the Ultimate Universe even if she never entirely gets over him (as is apparent in USM #200's Memorial issue).

I think you need to show Felicia Hardy that way, how Peter's relationship changed her and so on. Nobody really seems to know how to do that. And you have a character still stuck in the Bronze Age while others have shifted more in the meantime.

[juan678]

david yardin

https://www.instagram.com/p/BucfxDxF...d=g7ui8v08ol8r

[Miles To Go]

ASM#16.HU

https://www.adventuresinpoortaste.co...ider-man-16-2/

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Blaming Felicia's characterization in Slott's run on OMD/OMIT is genius.

[Agent Z]

Blaming Felicia's characterization in Slott's run on OMD/OMIT is genius.

Not really. More stating the obvious. I don't dislike the move necessarily but my reaction is more "Well, duh" than "Spencer you mastermind.".

[Miles To Go]

Blaming Felicia's characterization in Slott's run on OMD/OMIT is genius.

Epileptic Trees/Ascended Fanon in play here.

[Huntsman Spider]

Blaming Felicia's characterization in Slott's run on OMD/OMIT is genius.

Not really. More stating the obvious. I don't dislike the move necessarily but my reaction is more "Well, duh" than "Spencer you mastermind.".

Epileptic Trees/Ascended Fanon in play here.

It's more "genius" that he actually acknowledged and respected what fans had long since figured out or realized and then had the will to incorporate that into the comic itself.

[Jman27]

really enjoyed Amazing Spiderman 16.HU especially the Black Cat flashback scenes with Peter. The proposal one was the best and who knows maybe she would have say yes if it was real.

[Miles To Go]

Nice to see a compassionate Felicia back, her interactions with little Billy were adorable.

[Frontier]

Nice to see a compassionate Felicia back, her interactions with little Billy were adorable.

It's just nice to see a well-written Felicia back and on a consistent basis .

[kcekada]

I dont' read ASM regularly, but I've enjoyed the issues with Felicia. Well done!