The Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) is a fictional comic book character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard. She is a costumed cat burglar and sometime crimefighter who has been romantically involved with Spider-Man in the past. Although the character started out as a Catwoman homage, she has since evolved in a different direction than her predecessor.
The character has been the occasional star of mini-series, though she most frequently appears as a supporting character in the cast of various Spider-Man comics and other titles set in the Marvel Universe.
The Black Cat's real name is Felicia Hardy, and the character first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #194 (1979). She began a career in crime out of respect and adoration for her cat burglar father, but kept it on as a misguided attempt to attract the attentions of Spider-Man. Felicia and Peter Parker/Spider-man have been very close in the past, and she is fully aware of his secret identity.
Initially, Felicia's abilities were 100% natural, with the 'accidents' which seemed to befall those who crossed her path being merely well-planned stunts and traps. After her near-death at the hands of The Owl and Doctor Octopus in Spectacular Spider-Man #72, Felicia feared that her lack of powers made her a vulnerability to Spider-Man, and that she would lose him. While Spider-man was away in the "Secret Wars", Felicia turned to the Kingpin, and made a pact with him in return for his scientists giving her super-powers. She kept the secret from Peter for quite some time. What she didn't realise was that her newly-gained genuine 'bad luck' power was infectious, and that it was permanently jinxing Spider-Man. That of course was the Kingpin's plan all along.
She broke up with Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange removed her bad luck power, changing her other abilities in the process. Since then she has settled into a life of her own, albeit one which regularly intertwines with Peter's. She recently dated Flash Thompson for a while, primarily to irritate Peter. Recently, Mary Jane Watson and the Black Cat have become close friends - in spite of their once intense rivalry over Peter. She bought some equipment from the Tinkerer , and occasionally teams up with Spider-Man.
Writer/director Kevin Smith began writing a Spider-Man/Black Cat miniseries in 2002; as of 2004, the series has yet to be completed.
Rumours are that Black Cat may also appear in the Spiderman 3 film set to be released in 2007. One actress said possibly to play the role is Eliza Dushku.
