Walter Hardy

For the baseball player, see Walter Lee Hardy.

The Cat
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979)
Created by	Marv Wolfman (writer) Keith Pollard (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Walter 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.

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]

Walter Hardy's Black Cat appearance goes first. He disables the Green Goblin armor and attacks Spider-Man with his whip. Black Cat states that the Kingpin of Crime has called his captains together to partake in a game where the prize is Spider-Man and Green Goblin. Spider-Man breaks free from the whip and manages to web up Black Cat. As Spider-Man checks up on Green Goblin, Black Cat breaks free and tries to attack Spider-Man. In the nick of time, the Green Goblin armor finishes rebooting. He proceeds to blast Black Cat off the rooftop in self-defense as he falls to the street below. With Black Cat still moving, Spider-Man suggests that they call an ambulance. Moments later, the EMTs load Black Cat into an ambulance. ^[9]

In other media

Television

John Hardesky in Spider-Man: The Animated Series

• A character based on Walter Hardy named John Hardesky appears in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series consecutive episodes "The Cat" and "The Black Cat", voiced by John Phillip Law. As a boy, he was tricked by the Nazis into spying on Captain America's creation using his photographic memory. When Hardesky discovered the truth, he was hunted by a group sent by the Red Skull where he successfully evaded them. Years later, he fell into protective S.H.I.E.L.D. custody after a heist gone wrong until the Kingpin has the Chameleon replace him to get the super-soldier formula. Upon discovering it, the Kingpin tasks Doctor Octopus with kidnapping Hardesky's daughter Felicia Hardy where Kingpin introducing Felicia to her father. Then he had Hardesky and Herbert Landon use Felicia as a test subject for the formula and transform her into the Black Cat. Spider-Man follows Black Cat to the Kingpin's hideout and rescues her and Hardesky after he destroys the super-soldier formula before it can be replicated by Landon. With the Kingpin's plan thwarted, Hardesky shares his goodbyes with his family and willingly returns to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.
• Walter Hardy, amalgamated with the Burglar, appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man , voiced by Jim Cummings in the episode "Intervention" and by James Remar in the episode "Opening Night". In the former episode, a flashback accessed by the alien symbiote Parker was bonded to at the time depicts Spider-Man seeking revenge on a burglar who broke into his home and killed his Uncle Ben, only to discover he was the same robber he allowed to escape earlier that day. After Spider-Man subdues him, the burglar is arrested by the police. In the latter episode, Spider-Man discovers Hardy became an inmate of the Vault while testing the prison's security system and encounters Black Cat, who infiltrated the prison to break her father out. Amidst a prison break, Spider-Man recognizes Hardy as the burglar who killed Ben. Hardy expresses regret over taking the man's life and offers to make amends by staying behind to release knockout gas to subdue the other escaped inmates and allow Spider-Man and Black Cat to escape.

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.

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.
9. Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3 #9. Marvel Comics.

External links

• Walter Hardy at Marvel Wiki
• Walter Hardy at Comic Vine