Walter Hardy

Last updated

The Cat
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979)
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoWalter Hardy

Walter Hardy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a world-renowned cat burglar and the father of Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat.

Contents

Publication history

Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979). [1]

Fictional character biography

Walter Hardy is a well-known cat burglar who was arrested at some point. Years later, the thief known as Black Cat steals precinct papers on the prison holding him. Peter Parker also conducted his own research, learning that Walter Hardy had been locked up in New York Prison for the past few decades and is now terminally ill. At the prison, Spider-Man fights Black Cat while her accomplices Boris Korpse and Bruno Grainger blast the wall to Walter Hardy's prison cell, the rubble of which buries Spider-Man. [2]

With Spider-Man unable to get out of the rubble, the prison officers are unable to stop Black Cat, Korpse, and Grainger from making off with Walter Hardy. At his home, Black Cat reveals that she is his daughter, Felicia Hardy, and mentions that her mother Lydia purposefully hid his past from her. Walter then leaves to spend his final moments with his wife. After Black Cat falls into the river, Spider-Man goes to meet up with Lydia Hardy as she weeps over Walter's death. [3]

At the time when Black Cat is in the hospital following Spider-Man's battle with Doctor Octopus, she claims to Peter Parker that she was visited by the ghost of Walter Hardy. [4]

Powers and abilities

Equipment

Walter Hardy had a miniature grappling hook device, which enables him to swing from buildings in a manner similar to Spider-Man, though not quite as fast. He could also use the cable from this device as a tightrope, wall scaling device, swing line, and/or as a weapon in combat.

Other versions

Marvel Action

In the "Marvel Action" reality, Walter Hardy was a cat burglar who was apprehended by Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and Ghost-Spider. [5]

Spider-Gwen

In the "Spider-Gwen" reality, Walter Hardy and his daughter Felicia were two French thieves. When he crossed Kingpin, he was killed by his underling Matt Murdock. [6]

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of the character is identified as Jack Hardy and is seen on a list of known cat burglars in the Daily Bugle database. [7]

Ultimate Universe

During the "Ultimate Invasion" storyline, Maker traveled to Earth-6160 and remade it into his own image. Walter Hardy operates as the Black Cat, being regarded as one of the best thieves in the world and perhaps the best, never being caught and eventually vanishing into retirement. Using his acquired wealth, he consolidates his control over his territory in the Bronx, managing it as a lieutenant of Wilson Fisk. Walter starts a family, having a daughter, but his wife tragically passes away years later. Among the heads of the five boroughs, he's called to a meeting at Fisk Tower and briefed about two vigilantes opposed to Fisk's rule over New York: Green Goblin and Spider-Man. [8]

In other media

Television

John Hardesky in Spider-Man: The Animated Series Walter hardy.png
John Hardesky in Spider-Man: The Animated Series

Video games

Walter Hardy appears in Marvel's Spider-Man 's "The Heist" DLC, voiced by Daniel Riordan. This version previously operated as the Black Cat twenty years prior to the events of the game, before he supposedly died and his daughter Felicia Hardy took up the mantle. During a side quest, Spider-Man is contacted by NYPD Detective "Mackey", who tasks him with tracking down paintings stolen by Walter. As Spider-Man looks for them, Mackey relays Walter's backstory to him, explaining that because of his skill as a thief, the Maggia sought to recruit him. Walter refused and allowed himself to be arrested before supposedly drowning in a failed escape attempt from Ryker's Island, though many suspect that he faked his death to protect his family from the Maggia. After collecting all of the stolen art pieces, Spider-Man discovers that Mackey is actually Walter, who adopted an alias to retrieve all the stolen paintings and use them to finance his retirement. Before he leaves, Walter asks Spider-Man to look after Felicia.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobgoblin (comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Hobgoblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most of whom are depicted as enemies of the superhero Spider-Man and belong to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery, most of whom are brainwashed by the Winkler Device into becoming Hobgoblins. Created by writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr., the first incarnation of the Hobgoblin was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #238 as a criminal mastermind equipped with Halloween-themed weapons similar to those used by the Green Goblin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mysterio</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Mysterio is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #13. In his comic book appearances, Mysterio is the alias of Quentin Beck, a former special effects artist, illusionist and actor who turns to crime. He is one of the superhero Spider-Man's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery. He is also a founding member of the supervillain team the Sinister Six, and has fought other heroes, including Daredevil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingpin (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Kingpin is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50. The "Kingpin" name is a reference to the crime lord title in Mafia slang nomenclature.

Benjamin "Ben" Urich is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character usually appears in comic books featuring Daredevil and Spider-Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Cat (Marvel Comics)</span> Comics character

Black Cat is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard, and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194. Felicia Hardy is the daughter of Walter Hardy, a world-renowned cat burglar. She trained herself in various fighting styles and acrobatics and, after deciding to follow in her father's footsteps, adopted the costumed identity of Black Cat. She has the subconscious ability to affect probability fields, producing "bad luck" for her enemies. Throughout her history, Black Cat has sometimes been an enemy, love interest, and an ally of the superhero Spider-Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owl (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Owl is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted usually as an enemy of the superheroes Daredevil, Spider-Man and Black Cat. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Orlando, the character first appeared in Daredevil #3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammerhead (comics)</span> Comics character

Hammerhead is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is primarily depicted as an adversary of the superhero Spider-Man. He is a temperamental mobster who often dresses and acts in the 1920s style, and a prominent member of the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate. Following an accident, he had most of his skull replaced with an inflexible steel alloy by Jonas Harrow, giving his head a flattened shape and near-indestructibility, hence his nickname. The Hammerhead crime family, of which he is the second and current head, is named after the character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider-Slayer</span> Fictional character

The Spider-Slayers are a series of fictional robots appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Spencer Smythe, they were designed specifically to hunt down, capture, or kill Spider-Man. A new generation of Spider-Slayers was later created by Spencer's son, Alistair.

<i>Ultimate Spider-Man</i> Comic book series

Ultimate Spider-Man is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint. Ultimate Spider-Man exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four and The Ultimates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Fisk</span> Comics character

Richard Fisk is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #83 and was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. He is the son of Wilson Fisk and Vanessa Fisk. Although originally portrayed as a villain, he later became an antihero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvermane</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Silvermane is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A notorious crime boss and prominent figure in the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate, he is usually depicted as an adversary of the superhero Spider-Man and the father of Joseph Manfredi. Silvermane later became a cyborg in an attempt to extend his lifespan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spot (comics)</span> Comics character

The Spot is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man and Daredevil. The Spot gained the ability to open interdimensional portals and smaller-scale portals, which he uses to travel long distances instantly and commit crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanessa Fisk</span> Marvel Comics character

Vanessa Fisk is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is married to the crime boss the Kingpin and is the mother of Richard Fisk, although she herself is not portrayed as a villain, and does not approve of her husband's criminal activities. Vanessa has been featured in a number of stories about the Kingpin, usually in those revolving around the superheroes Daredevil and Spider-Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggia (comics)</span> Fictional organization

Maggia is a fictional international crime syndicate appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organization exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as Earth-616, as well as other Marvel universes. Its structure is somewhat similar to the real-world New York Mafia, but the Maggia differs in that it frequently hires supervillains and mad scientists to work for them. Some of the prominent Maggia members are supervillains themselves, such as Hammerhead, Silvermane, Count Nefaria and his daughter Madame Masque. The Maggia has come into conflict with various superheroes, including Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Avengers.

The Sinister Syndicate is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters serve as a collection of lesser-known Spider-Man villains. The group was the focus of the 1991 Deadly Foes of Spider-Man mini-series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider-Man Noir</span> Comic book superhero

Spider-Man Noir, often referred to as Spider-Noir or simply Noir, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Part of the Marvel Noir universe (Earth-90214), this alternate version of Spider-Man is a noir-themed take on the character and emerges in a version of New York during the Great Depression. While investigating a smuggling ring, Peter Parker is bitten by what seems to be a highly venomous spider housed inside a spider-god idol. Falling unconscious, Parker has a vision of the spider-god promising him power. He then awakes inside a cocoon and emerges from it, now possessing super-human abilities similar to a spider. As the feared vigilante "the Spider-Man," Parker wages a one-man war against the criminal underworld in New York City, partly to avenge the death of his uncle Ben Parker at the hands of the cannibal Adrian Toomes and his mentor Ben Urich at the hands of the city's major crime lord, Norman Osborn. After Osborn's defeat, Spider-Man Noir continues his vigilante life for years and opposes the forces of Nazi Germany even before the United States enters World War II. In contrast to the Peter Parker of mainstream Marvel continuity, Spider-Man Noir initially uses brutal and lethal force against his enemies and later struggles with the moral implications of this.

<i>Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps</i> Downloadable content for 2018s Spider-Man

Marvel's Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps is a collection of downloadable content (DLC) developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the 2018 video game Marvel's Spider-Man. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man, it is inspired by the character's long-running comic book mythology and adaptations in other media. Released in three distinct chapters, The Heist, Turf Wars, and Silver Lining, the DLC serves as an epilogue to the main game taking place three months following its conclusion and follows Spider-Man as he contends with a new crime wave led by the physically enhanced mob boss Hammerhead.

References

  1. Comic Vine, Walter Hardy first appearance.
  2. The Amazing Spider-Man #194. Marvel Comics.
  3. The Amazing Spider-Man #195. Marvel Comics.
  4. Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #78. Marvel Comics.
  5. Marvel Action: Spider-Man #7. Marvel Comics.
  6. Spider-Gwen #5. Marvel Comics.
  7. Ultimate Spider-Man #53. Marvel Comics.
  8. Ultimate Spider Man Vol. 3 #8. Marvel Comics.