Catwoman’s been a villain for a majority of her 80-year history, but in the modern comic age, she’s more of an anti-hero, partnering with Batman both romantically and in terms of crime-fighting. Granted, she’s not a trusted member of the Justice League in current continuity just yet, but she’s rubbed shoulders with some of DC’s greatest heroes and kept her stride.
But how would she fare in the Marvel Universe? Which heroes which she warm up to, and which would she prefer not to associate with? Without further delay, here are 5 Marvel heroes that Catwoman would get along with plus 5 more she'd most probably hate.
10 SHE'D GET ALONG WITH: Daredevil
It’s obvious Catwoman has a thing for attractive men eccentric enough to don spandex and run across rooftops in the middle of the night, but it’s not just Daredevil’s surface similarities to a certain Dark Knight Detective that would allow Daredevil and Catwoman to hit it off.
As Matt Murdock has, Selina Kyle has seen the rough side of life and not only managed to survive it, but come out the other side thriving. That common ground and similar outlook of perseverance in extreme hardship almost ensures a positive relationship between the two.
9 SHE'D HATE: Spider-Man
Catwoman’s known to let a quip or two fly when she’s in the heat of battle, but she’s not exactly a stand-up comic when she’s fighting for her life. For the most part, Selina takes what she does seriously, and doesn’t suffer a constant cavalier attitude very lightly. For this reason, she probably wouldn’t get along very well with Spider-Man.
His constant jokes and quips during fights would be severely grating to Selina (as most of Spidey’s rogues’ gallery can attest to) and although hate might be a strong word to describe a potential meeting, she'd definitely be annoyed, to say the least.
8 SHE'D GET ALONG WITH: Black Widow
If there’s one thing Catwoman can appreciate, it’s a fellow self-made woman, someone who through tremendous grit and aptitude, has made it in the male-dominated superhero world. For this reason, she would find a particular kinship with Natasha Romanoff, aka, Black Widow.
Aside from having similar costuming material tastes and skillsets in stealth techniques and martial arts, both women have been known to work on the opposite side of the law from time to time. A Catwoman/Black Widow encounter could lead to a series of stellar team-ups, as both women would no doubt get along famously.
7 SHE'D HATE: Captain America
Catwoman operates in a moral grey area compared to a majority of the superhero world, as her sense of what’s right and wrong differs from some of the more straight-laced heroes like Superman. To Selina, stealing from someone who can afford to lose it isn’t that big of a deal, and killing a sadistic monster like Black Mask is justice.
For these reasons, she probably wouldn’t get along with Captain America. Much like Superman, Cap’s sense of morality is probably too traditional and black-and-white for someone like Selina to respect or operate within the confines of.
6 SHE'D GET ALONG WITH: The Thing
Selina Kyle is a product of the streets of Gotham City. Losing her parents and living in a corrupt orphanage taught Selina how to survive at a very early age; skills she parlayed into a criminal career in her adulthood.
Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, also had an ‘opposite-side-of-the-tracks’ upbringing that saw his mother, father and brother die, and he become the leader of a street gang in his youth. These commonalities, as well as both individuals overcoming them to eventually become heroes in their own rights, would probably make them fast friends.
5 SHE'D HATE: Emma Frost
Like Catwoman, Emma Frost has spent her fair share of time on the opposite side of the law, but despite that similarity, there is little doubt Selina Kyle would not warm up to Ms. Frost. As her depiction in The Dark Knight Rises indicates, Catwoman holds the affluent upper classes in disdain for their opulence, which is why she routinely targets them for theft.
Frost herself comes from a privileged background and has no qualms about lording it over just about anyone, which pretty much assures these two women will mix as well as oil and water.
4 SHE'D GET ALONG WITH: Wolverine
Selina Kyle is a survivor, able to claw herself out of any trouble she finds herself in as well as find a way to thrive. Her determination and perseverance in overcoming overwhelming odds is something Wolverine would probably find admirable and respectable, and vice-versa. Moreover, Selina's own sense of ferocity and prowess in battle would add to her esteem in Wolverine's eyes.
Although Logan's battle frenzy may be intimidating to Selina at first, the sheer animal magnetism these two possess could lead to them developing a romantic relationship of sorts. However, it's doubtful it would last beyond a tryst.
3 SHE'D HATE: Iron Man
Granted, Selina is used to hanging out with genius billionaire playboys who lead double lives and dress up in armored suits, but there is something about Tony Stark that just wouldn't sit well with her. For starters, Stark is a narcissistic egomaniac, which is something Selina can't stand. Frankly, she enjoys bringing down a few pegs for such men when she can.
That, and Stark's hubris translates itself to a commanding condescension in battle, sometimes snidely or downright rudely directing younger or more inexperienced Avengers (and sometimes even the veterans). In a team-up, Iron Man would quickly learn that cats don't follow orders.
2 SHE'D GET ALONG WITH: Gambit
There's no doubt that Catwoman and the X-Men's resident Cajun heartthrob, Gambit, would easily get along. Both are lithe, highly gifted fighters and are excessively skilled thieves. A meeting between the two could result in one of the best cat-and-mouse crime-noir crossovers ever, with the two characters teaming up to use their skills in larceny to thwart a bigger bad.
Although the potential of a romantic entanglement may seem enticing for a writer to explore in such a story, it may be better to leave the relationship unconsummated if only to heighten the tension and leave it open for (possible) future installments.
1 SHE'D HATE: The Punisher
Grim loners obsessed with vengeance are nothing new to Catwoman, but The Punisher's quest would be too intense for Selina Kyle. At least with Bruce Wayne, a glimmer of hope for a life outside the cape and cowl exists deep inside him, with him being ready to be coaxed out by the right person.
In Frank Castle's case, everything that made him an emotionally and psychologically well-adjusted individual died with his family. Quite simply, The Punisher's intensity and deadened lack of humanity would be off-putting to Catwoman, so no prolonged friendship would be possible for the two characters.