In recent years, the Black Cat has been progressively elevated in the world of Marvel Comics, and she is absolutely deserving of the push. Felicia Hardy's Black Cat debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #194 (by Marv Wolfman and Keith Pollard), and the thrill-seeking thief officially stole the show in Jed Mackay and Travel Foreman's Black Cat (2019), her first ongoing solo series.
In the past year, Mackay has delivered exciting new stories featuring the Black Cat, beginning with a team-up between her and Mary Jane Watson. She is currently allied with Tony Stark's Iron Man to track down the stolen suit of high-tech armor she constructed for herself. Stories of the character dominate a new special focusing on Marvel women writers and heroes, and she appeared on this June's giant-sized Pride one-shot.
One of the reasons for Black Cat's recent turn in the spotlight may have to do with how interesting and complex she is as a character. Since her first appearance, she has been both a antagonist to Spider-Man as well as his love interest. She has been a gang boss, and she has evolved from first being Mary Jane's enemy (and rival) to becoming a good friend. She has long been considered one of the best thieves in Manhattan, but she's also saved the city from certain doom on multiple occasions. She has proven herself as a hero worthy of the chance to develop outside the web of Spider-Man and has developed beyond being a footnote in the life of Marvel's iconic web-slinger.
Mackay accentuated an essential aspect of Black Cat's storyline, putting issues she's always faced front and center. He celebrates her confidence as a strong female lead on the cover of the new Mary Jane/Black Cat: Beyond #1 (by Mackay and C.F. Villa). Following the events in Beyond, writer Zeb Wells develops a burgeoning friendship between Mary Jane and Felicia in issue #4 of Amazing Spider-Man (with art by John Romita Jr.).
In March of this year Marvel published Women of Marvel #1, which features multiple stories about the Black Cat. Four Jobs Felicia Hated and One She Didn't (by Preeti Chhibber and Ann Maulina) has Hardy's Black Cat musing about being neither a hero nor a villain. This is key as to why Black Cat is such a fun character: she comes across as much more "real" and relatable than most cut and dry heroes. Sure, she lacks the strict moral compass of that so many superheroes possess, but she is not completely lost either.
Mackay further developed Black Cat when he introduced a complicated same-sex romance between her and Odessa Drake, adding not only bisexuality but also emotional range to the character. She will also be featured in the upcoming Edge of Spider-Verse series in which she will sport a more spider-like suit as she reenters the Spider-Man corner of the Marvel Universe.
Jed Mackay has been instrumental in igniting a new era of passionate fanfare for Black Cat, and she is very deserving of the acclaim. Felicia Hardy has not only been loyal to Spider-Man, but she continues to be an exciting three-dimensional heroine who shines outside the shadows of her male counterparts.