Black Cat/Felicia Hardy Appreciation 2023

[Majesty]

“Felicia Hardy Appreciation thread”
Maybe then we should go and bait the people in the MJ thread saying how MJ prefers Paul’s underwear

Paul and Peter both have custom designer underwear.

MJ definitely has a type.

[Majesty]

[Majesty]

When they were laying seeds for Peter and a more mature Felicia getting a second chance the whole time.

[Frontier]

Ah yes, the middle where she was faking so she'd end up in a mental hospital...

[Agent Z]

https://levidu99.tumblr.com/post/718...meme-with-them

[Majesty]

Ah yes, the middle where she was faking so she'd end up in a mental hospital...

Wrong story.

The middle one where she's declaring her love is after Dock Ock put her in a coma and Peter was the only one that got her to wake up.



Which when the roles were reversed years later.. Felicia was the only one Peter responded to when he was in his coma.





The story you're talking about where she went into an institution over jail before she escaped was way back before that, was the arc before she realized she wanted to be an anti-hero instead. Also telling Spider-Man she was in love with him for real and writing a message to him via airplane with a place to meet her, which nobody else seemed to notice somehow and no police went "maybe we should check that out" because its comics and some stuff you have to let slide lol

[Huntsman Spider]

https://levidu99.tumblr.com/post/718...meme-with-them

Yes. Yes, indeed.

[Frontier]

https://levidu99.tumblr.com/post/718...meme-with-them

If we don't get an MJ/Black Cat mini that ends up with this, I will be disappointed.

I love how you can totally tell MJ is blaming Felicia for this while Felicia is having the time of her life.

Wrong story.

The middle one where she's declaring her love is after Dock Ock put her in a coma and Peter was the only one that got her to wake up.

Which when the roles were reversed years later.. Felicia was the only one Peter responded to when he was in his coma.

The story you're talking about where she went into an institution over jail before she escaped was way back before that, was the arc before she realized she wanted to be an anti-hero instead. Also telling Spider-Man she was in love with him for real and writing a message to him via airplane with a place to meet her, which nobody else seemed to notice somehow and no police went "maybe we should check that out" because its comics and some stuff you have to let slide lol

Ah, got it! Cool.

[Majesty]

I often find it interesting that people at times get mad at certain character traits given to characters in order to solely exist as an obstacle in a relationship in order to "keep Spider-Man" in a certain vein and place. People cite Mary Jane recently as an example of such things happening. But it's far more interesting that their main argument for Felicia Hardy back in the day was "She only loved Spider-Man and wasn't interested Peter Parker." when the fact is that was an attribute given to her later in order to keep their relationship in a certain place. It was a backwards step they took with her character because when they first started dating one another, Felicia despite still being a thief and though she no longer wanted to be a villain, considered herself more a Robin Hood that could steal from thieves and it'd be okay. Of course, Peter, straight laced as he was back then had issues with that (an attribute that's softened over the years as he's more willing to do the nitty gritty if necessary).

But one attribute that people seem to forget in the whole "Felicia was never interested in Peter, just Spider-Man" argument is that in the beginning, Felicia was very interested in the man underneath the mask and was the one whom wanted to know who he was so their relationship could take an even bigger step. It was Peter that was insistent on keeping the mask on and his identity secret, not Felicia. Felicia walked around him unmasked and he knew her real name and identity, she wished to know his too as they were together. She was ready, he wasn't. Mainly due to what him living a double life did to his previous relationships.

The thing is, they changed Felicia's character for when Peter actually DID reveal himself to Felicia in what would have been a big moment. That was a change made in order to create this character arc to their dynamic that wasn't originally there.

Originally, Felicia wanted to know who the man she loved under the mask was, Peter wanted to keep the mask on.
When Peter decided to remove the mask and finally tell Felicia, they changed her character that she wanted him to keep the mask on. And going forward that was what they gave her character.

It wasn't till they first broke up that she shortly thereafter admitted to Peter that she was in love with who he was under the mask and they got back together. For a brief period of time and then unofficially/officially broke up when she had to go into hiding after clearing his name.

But yeah, that's something oft not talked about was how Felicia Hardy's character was changed in order to put an obstacle in between her and Peter that wasn't existent initially.

Felicia loved Spider-Man and wanted to know the person underneath so she could love him fully, it was Peter who didn't want to remove the mask yet. Some of it had to do with if Felicia was really going to not be a criminal, but the majority of it had to do with his dual life costing Gwen Stacy and getting in the way of the relationship he'd had with Mary Jane and not wanting it to ruin what he and Felicia had.


Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #227 1982 for those wondering

So when he finally removed it, not wanting any further secrets between them, rather than it being a triumphant moment, which given Felicia's characterization up to that point it should have been... we got this instead


The Spectacular Spider-Man #87 1984 for those playing the home game.

So yes... Felicia's character and feelings towards the man under the mask was given a 180 change so that what would have been the most pivotal moment in their relationship.. was changed into another obstacle that was part of her characterization for a little time after..
Then it was undone after they broke up initially and Felicia was in love with Peter too..
And then other comics writers ignored that it was undone and kept it as a character trait..
till the Evil that Men Do out and out confirmed that Felicia was in love with Spider-Man and Peter Parker but was too late to take advantage of it as he was with Mary Jane at the time.
till the run of Spider-Man comics that added more to their relationship the first time around where Felicia spent the days with Peter wanting to know the man underneath more and went to Uncle Ben's grave with him, and formed a bond with Aunt May whom she adored and loved and felt Peter took for granted.



So when people go on about character motivations changing seemingly to keep Peter out of certain situations or to maintain a certain status quo... that's been going on for years. People just get selective about what they want to be upset about. But many forget.. Felicia's "she's only in love with Spider-Man and not interested in Peter" was one of those 'changed at the last moment' situations too and then it was undone to where she did love Peter, but other writers ignored that and just wrote her going forward with the same trait of just wanting Spider-Man and not Peter. Again, till Evil that Men Do.


What happened with Felicia is the equivalent of Mary Jane giving a speech to Peter in one Spider-Man movie that she is willing to take all the risks and accept everything that comes with him being Spider-Man. And then in the very next movie becomes a jealous horrible person that takes him for granted, guilt trips, gaslights and treats him horribly while also being jealous of all the attention him getting Spider-Man gets because she's just unfairly transferring her own anger onto him for her own failures.

Oh wait....

[Majesty]

Spider-Man #29 Variant Hellfire Gala cover

[Purple]

Spider-Man #29 Variant Hellfire Gala cover

I love Cat's dress, that's so pretty

[Ursalink]

Spider-Man #29 Variant Hellfire Gala cover

Considering her current emotional state and what happened last year, I doubt Mary Jane will be in the mood for the Hellfire Gala.

[Majesty]

Considering her current emotional state and what happened last year, I doubt Mary Jane will be in the mood for the Hellfire Gala.

She's taking Felicia as her date. They could both just say.

"Know what.. don't want to deal with the drama for one night. Felicia's my date."

Meanwhile Peter and Paul can play bingo or something and have a bonding session so when Mary Jane and Felicia return Paul and Peter are hugging it out and crying whilst singing Karaoke("My heart will go on") while drunk or something.

[Astroman]

She's taking Felicia as her date. They could both just say.

"Know what.. don't want to deal with the drama for one night. Felicia's my date."

Meanwhile Peter and Paul can play bingo or something and have a bonding session so when Mary Jane and Felicia return Paul and Peter are hugging it out and crying whilst singing Karaoke("My heart will go on") while drunk or something.

I just wonder how, in story, they will explain her feeling safe at the Gala.

"Gee, last year you were mind controlled by a genocidal mutant cyborg and almost died. But this year we PROMISE that you'll be safe from any Krakoan politics. Really... and we are having even better food this year. Please come."

[Majesty]

I just wonder how, in story, they will explain her feeling safe at the Gala.

"Gee, last year you were mind controlled by a genocidal mutant cyborg and almost died. But this year we PROMISE that you'll be safe from any Krakoan politics. Really... and we are having even better food this year. Please come."

Simple :3 Aside from the changes in Krakoa across the past year. She's got superpowers, and Felicia adores her. Because Felicia adores her it gives the worst luck to anyone that messes with them. Which means an instant 777 transformation :P And they wouldn't want to mess with Mary Jane in her 777 Form

In essence, Felicia is MJ's good luck charm ... and date for the Gala.