Untangling Black Cat‘s Romantic History in the Spider-Man Comics
Straight up: Black Cat (aka Felicia Hardy) has never married Spider-Man or had kids with him in mainstream Marvel comics continuity. But that hasn‘t stopped fans from speculating on their destiny as one of comicdom‘s greatest star-crossed couples!
Across limited alternate storylines and potential film/TV plotlines however, there remains a possibility that Spidey and his number one cat burglar boo may still tie the knot…
Black Cat‘s Main Squeeze: Her Enduring Dynamic with Spider-Man
Black Cat and Spider-man have an electric, flirty partnership filled with trust issues and clashing motives. She always manages to seduce ol‘ web head with her clever quips and skin-tight vinyl suits, even while pulling heroic heists against his warnings.
This creates no end of relationship drama! As lovestruck nerd Peter Parker pines for the excitement Black Cat provides, she only has eyes for the Spider. Meanwhile, Peter struggles balancing his crimefighting obligations with nurturing a legit romance as either ego.
According to Marvel comics loremaster Ryan Penagos:
"The passion between Spider-Man and Black Cat has gotten the best of them many times. But can they truly reconcile Felicia‘s heroic thieving ways with Peter‘s aversion to vigilantism in couple‘s therapy? The longevity of this bombshell pairing remains questionable unless they establish some serious ground rules for dating civilians…"
Despite the obstacles, across limited alternate comic plots and potential movie storyboarding, Spider-Man and Black Cat still occasionally end up together:
| Storyline | Description |
|---|---|
| Spider-Man: Reign | In one dark possible future, an elderly Peter is reunited with a terminally ill Felicia. |
| Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (Earth-18119) | Spidey and Black Cat are married superhero partners raising a daughter, Annie. |
| Spider-Man PS4 (Game) | In DLC content, Felicia deviously claimed she birthed Spider-Man‘s son to manipulate him, but later admitted she lied. |
So could star-crossed / masked lovers Peter and Felicia ever truly settle down across comic book canon?
My Spidey sense says…don‘t bet your vintage web shooters on it! But their fiery chemistry ensures Kleenex stocks will stay high for the foreseeable mutiverse future…
Black Cat‘s Main Marriage – Life with Flash Thompson
Beyond her endless tense tango with NYC‘s favorite wall-crawler, Black Cat has enjoyed her share of relationships with other Marvel men.
Her most significant marital bond exists in an alternate reality (Earth-703107) where Felicia settled down with Peter‘s former high school bully turned war vet, Flash Thompson. The two share a daughter, Felicity and son, Eugene.
What makes a sheltered socialite like Ms. Hardy swipe right on a brash jock instead of a bookish science nerd?
Long-time Spider-Man comics scribe, Dan Slott, offers one theory:
"During a dimensional crossover event, Felicia may have realized she preferred Flash‘s confident assertiveness and family man values over Peter‘s passive mildness. Sometimes nice guys do finish last – even genius-billionaire do-gooders!"
However, Flash‘s blundering mistakes as short-lived host of the Venom symbiote later strained their marriage to a breaking point.
Could Felicia ever forgive Flash‘s corruption by an alien rage monster? Here‘s my take:
If Chris Hemsworth and Meryl Streep can reconcile after far uglier betrayals in Hollywood blockbusters, I believe Flash deserves another shot at winning over NYC‘s comeback queen of chaos! The city that never sleeps gobbles up redemption stories faster than a folding NY pizza…
Bonus Round: Black Cat‘s Other Notable Flings & Flirts
For a socialite who spends most nights manipulating targets atop skyscrapers, Black Cat surprisingly gets around!
Her dance card includes trysts with Marvel heroes and villains alike:
- Long-term boyfriend Thomas Fireheart / Puma: Their cross-species Romeo & Juliet saga ended after Felicia caught Thomas consulting crime kingpin The Owl against her wishes
- On-again/off-again lover Iron Man: The will they/won‘t they tension between Tony Stark and Felicia continues setting comic panels aflame to this day!
- Metahuman fling Johnny Storm / Human Torch: Johnny turned up the heat in more ways than one, but couldn‘t distract Felicia forever from her destined Spider…
With her acrobatic skills and salon-styled blonde locks, Black Cat continues leaving a trail of smitten super-suitors in her wake across the multiverse.
But will she ever truly hang up her mask to embrace marital bliss? Stay tuned fearless readers!
The Final Meow – Black Cat‘s Romantic Forecast Calls for Chaos
Like any self-respecting chaos agent, Black Cat flouts the rules of society and romance alike. Her freedom-loving spirit stays unsatisfied sticking with one web-slinging hero for too long…
Yet her soul remains inexorably drawn back into Spider-Man‘s orbit time and time again across the metaverse.
Could she ever break the laws of comic book drama to enjoy a stable marriage unimpeded by her idol‘s looming shadow? This fanboy can only speculate!
While limited alternate takes and movie reboots tempt our spider senses with visions of domesticated bliss between Peter Parker and Felicia Hardy…
…the most likely real-world outcome is their electrically-charged love/hate relationship enduring eternally, kept alive by masks, secrets and spectacle galore for generations of drama-loving fans!
Let us know your Spidey/Felicia shipper fantasies in the comments section below!
