| Patsy Walker The Hellcat | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Art byStuart Immonen | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance |
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| Created by |
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| In-story information | |
| Full name | Patricia Walker |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | |
| Partnerships | |
| Notable aliases | Hellcat The Cat |
| Abilities |
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Patricia "Patsy"Walker is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by Stuart Little andRuth Atkinson, Patsy Walker first appeared inMiss America Magazine #2 (November 1944), published by Marvel precursorTimely Comics, and became Hellcat inThe Avengers #144 (February 1976). She premiered as the star of ateenromantic-comedy series, and was later integrated into Marvelsuperhero franchises such as theAvengers and theDefenders as theHellcat.
Following her reintroduction as Hellcat, the character has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful female heroes.[1][2][3]
Rachael Taylor portrayedTrish Walker in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) seriesJessica Jones (2015–2019),Luke Cage (2016), andThe Defenders (2017).
Created by writer Stuart Little and artistRuth Atkinson, Patsy Walker first appeared inMiss America Magazine #2 (cover-dated November 1944), published by Marvel precursorTimely Comics.[4][5] Redheaded Patsy Walker, her parents Stanley andBetty, her boyfriendRobert "Buzz" Baxter, and her raven-haired friendly rival Hedy Wolfe appeared from the 1940s through 1967 in issues ofMiss America,Teen Comics,Girls' Life, and the namesaketeen-humor seriesPatsy Walker,[6][7] as well as in the spin-offsPatsy and Hedy,[8]Patsy and Her Pals,[9] and the single-issueA Date with Patsy.[10] Attesting to its quiet popularity,Patsy Walker (along withMillie the Model andKid Colt, Outlaw) was among the very few titles published continuously by Marvel from the 1940sGolden Age of Comic Books, through Marvel's 1950s iteration asAtlas Comics, and into the 1960sSilver Age of Comic Books.[11][12]
FutureMad magazinecartoonist andMad Fold-in creatorAl Jaffee wrote and drew most of the early issues ofPatsy Walker,[13][14] several of which includedMad founding editorHarvey Kurtzman's highly stylized "Hey Look!" one-page humor strips.[15][16][17][18] Jaffee was succeeded byAl Hartley, who went toArchie Comics and produced manyChristian comic books starring Archie characters and others.[19]Patsy and Her Pals was drawn byMorris Weiss.[20]
Following Patsy's high-school graduation in issue #116 (Aug. 1964), the title switched from humor to become a young career-gal romantic adventure.[22]Patsy Walker lasted through issue #124 (Dec. 1965),[23] withPatsy and Hedy outlasting it to its own #110 (Feb. 1967).[24]
Patsy and Hedy made acameo appearance inFantastic Four Annual #3 (Oct. 1965), which established them in theMarvel Universe.[25] The superhero-team comicThe Defenders #89 (Nov. 1980) reimagined the earlier stories as fictional works publishedwithin the fictional world of Marvel's superheroes and written by Patsy's mother, Dorothy Walker, as inspired by Patsy's own life and friends.[26] The Patsy Walker profile inMarvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook #1 (Feb. 2006) establishes that Walker indeed experienced many of the events from these stories.[27]
Patsy Walker #95 – together with thescience-fiction anthologyJourney into Mystery #69 (both June 1961) – are the first modern comic books labeled "Marvel Comics", with each showing an "MC" box on its cover.[28]
TheBeast feature inAmazing Adventures #13 (July 1972) introduced the concept of Walker as a superhero.[29] WriterSteve Englehart recalled that Walker's cameo inFantastic Four Annual #3 had:
struck my fan's eye by including her in the Marvel Universe. ... I thought it would be cool to bring her in as a real character, with things to do. Part of my 'training' as a Marvel writer was writing romance stories andWesterns, butPatsy [Walker] was defunct as a comic by the time I got there. ... Still, as a fan, I had collected everything Marvel, includingPatsy Walker andPatsy and Hedy ... so I knew them as characters.[26]
Because the Beast feature was dropped fromAmazing Adventures just three issues later, the storyline with Patsy Walker was temporarily abandoned.[26] Walker was reintroduced inThe Avengers #141 (November 1975), having resumed her maiden name of Walker, and accompanied the Avengers on a couple of adventures.[30] Shortly thereafter, she adopted the name Hellcat, taking on superheroineGreer Grant Nelson's costume from her discontinued identity as the Cat.[31] The name "Hellcat" itself had originally been proposed for Nelson.[32] The suit's look was later slightly adapted.
In 2010, Englehart recalled:
I wasn't real interested in the Cat. I read the books and they seemed like pandering, frankly — not very good stories written to appeal to a demographic. Once [Patsy] entered the [Marvel Universe], met the Beast, confronted her husband — all that began to change the Patsy I had inherited to someone a little more savvy. By the time she became the Hellcat, she could stand back far enough to see the ironies in her taking over a feminist creation. But she was really more about jumping into the superhero pool than standing back. ... She didn't muse on the irony; she wanted to be a heroine.[26]
Hellcat joined the superhero team theDefenders in issue #44 (Feb. 1977).[33] After several adventures with the group, she met the supernatural adventurerDaimon Hellstrom, the Son ofSatan, inThe Defenders #92 (Feb. 1981).[34] They married inThe Defenders #125 and became husband-and-wife occult investigators,[35] but Hellstrom's demonic nature asserted itself, and Walker was driven first mad and then, inHellstorm: Prince of Lies #14 (May 1994), to suicide.[36] Through Hellstrom's manipulation of the superheroHawkeye, she was resurrected inThunderbolts Annual 2000, a summer annual of the superhero-team comicThunderbolts, and returned to Earth with new abilities acquired while inHell.[37] The story, which began inThunderbolts Annual 2000, concluded inAvengers Annual 2000.[38] A three-issueHellcat miniseries (Sept.–Nov. 2000) took place immediately following the events inThunderbolts Annual 2000 andAvengers Annual 2000.[39] Briefly adopting a new costume and then returning to her traditional yellow outfit, she rejoined the Defenders in a short-lived revival series,The Defenders (vol. 2) #1–12 (March 2001 – Feb. 2002).[40]
After appearing in occasional guest roles, Hellcat had starring roles between 2007 and 2009, thanks to husband-wife artist-writer teamStuart Immonen andKathryn Immonen. With the impending relaunch ofMarvel Comics Presents, Stuart was asked by editor Nick Lowe if he wanted to do a Hellcat story, which was spread across the title's first four issues (Sept.–Dec. 2007). Marvel remained open for a Hellcat miniseries, and out of what Kathryn first conceived as a "Hellcat Christmas Special", inspired byendurance car races inMongolia and research on theInuit, came the five-issue miniseriesPatsy Walker: Hellcat (Sept. 2008–Feb. 2009), drawn byDavid Lafuente with covers by Stuart. A tie-in to theAvengers 50-State Initiative, it features Hellcat being assigned to watch overAlaska.[41][42] Following this, she was an ensemble star and narrator alongside the superheroinesFirestar, theBlack Cat, andPhoton, in the miniseriesMarvel Divas #1–4 (Sept.-Dec. 2009), which writersRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Tonci Zonjic had pitched it to Marvel editors as "Sex and the City in the Marvel Universe".[43]
Walker became part of theAll-New Marvel NOW! event inShe-Hulk (vol. 3) #2, when Jennifer Walters started her own law firm. Walters hired Patsy as her private investigator, who uses her Hellcat alias on assignments.[44]
TheAll-New, All-Different Marvel line in 2015 led to a new ongoing Patsy Walker title,Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!. Written byKate Leth and drawn byBrittney Williams, it attempted to combine the romance and superhero comics with a more comedic approach, which Leth compared to aSaturday-morning cartoon.[45][46] In it, Walker tries to establish a job agency for superpowered people following her dismissal by the She-Hulk, and also recover the rights to oldPatsy Walker comics which have been republished by Hedy. In February 2017, Leth announced that the series would be ending that April with its 17th issue. She praised Marvel for "giv[ing] us space to wrap up the story exactly how we wanted in 3 volumes".[47]
After growing up in suburban Centerville, graduating high school and marrying high-school sweetheart Robert "Buzz" Baxter, Patsy Walker becomes an assistant to scientist Hank McCoy, themutant superheroBeast, who at that time was on hiatus from theX-Men. Estranged from her husband, now a U.S. Air Force colonel, Walker befriends McCoy,[48][49][50] and, desiring to become a superhero, accompanies McCoy on a quest with the Avengers.[51] She adopts a costume that formerly belonged toGreer Grant Nelson, the former masked adventuress the Cat, and takes on the name Hellcat.[52]
After having used her natural athletic abilities and good instincts to rescue the Avengers, Walker is offered membership in the team.[53] The cosmic adventurerMoondragon persuades Hellcat to decline and instead accompany her toSaturn's moonTitan for training in psychic ability and advancedmartial arts.[54] Walker's training is soon interrupted when she returns to Earth to assist the supernatural heroDoctor Strange, joining theDefenders in the process.[55][56][57] Later Moondragon revokes her mind powers, mentioning Walker's ineffective use of them.[58]
She meets her future husbandDaimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan, during the course of a quest with the Defenders.[59] After learning that her mother had promised her soul to Satan,[60] and briefly being lied to by the devil that he was her father,[61] Walker reunites with her real father and marries Hellstrom. The two then retire from being superheroes.[62] Ultimately, Hellstrom's demonic inheritance took possession of him and drove Walker insane. Institutionalized, she was driven to suicide by the otherworldly being Deathurge.[63]
Trapped in Hell, Walker's spirit is used in a series of gladiatorial-like combat scenarios. There, she learns to develop and use her psychic powers. Hellstrom tricks the archer superhero Hawkeye into returning her spirit to Earth; Hawkeye believes he is retrieving his presumed-dead wife, theMockingbird, from the demonic lordMephisto's realm.[37] Resurrected and back on Earth, Walker retains the powers that she developed in Hell, and she is also able to manifest a costume at will.[64] Once again a member of the Defenders, Hellcat focuses on combating occult evils, notablyNicholas Scratch, who had based himself in her hometown of Centerville,[64] and the otherdimensional rulerDormammu.[65]
During theCivil War storyline, Hellcat registers.[66] She serves as one of the young superheroes' instructors atCamp Hammond.[67] She was then assigned as theAvengers 50 State Initiative official superhero forAlaska,[68] but eventually returned toNew York City.[69] Hellcat develops and maintains a deep friendship with the superheroesFirestar, theBlack Cat, andMonica Rambeau, partly stemming from their support to Firestar, who develops and then survives breast disease.[70]
Hellcat is later seen with theShe-Hulk and facing personal problems. After a night of heavy drinking and partying, Hellcat and the She-Hulk invade a warehouse thatA.I.M. was using as a hideout and defeat two agents wearing high tech suits. The She-Hulk then hires Hellcat as her private investigator to help with her economic situation.[71] She then helps the She-Hulk in protectingKristoff Vernard, the son ofDoctor Doom, who was trying to defect to the U.S.[72] She is later seen talking withTigra about a case involving a lawsuit but ends up fighting her when she mentions the plaintiff's name, George Saywitz.[73] After recovering in a hospital,[74] she helps the She-Hulk andHank Pym in a recovery mission to save Reza, the partner of inventor Rufus Randall, to settle an argument between them over a device known as the Shrinko, which they were planning to sell to Pym.[75] They later wind up helping Steve Rogers, the originalCaptain America, with a lawsuit involving a murder that happened in 1940.[76]
As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel" line, She-Hulk eventually becomes unable to afford Hellcat as an investigator and fires her friend, which also forces Walker to move out of Walters' office building (the same place whereHoward the Duck works). Walker moves to the Brooklyn apartment of Ian, anInhuman who she met when he used his powers to steal from an armored truck. Ian gets a job with Walker's old friend Tom Hale (known as "Tubs" in the romance comics) and inspires her to open a work agency for other superpowered people. To her chagrin, Walker also learns that her old rival Hedy Wolfe has obtained the rights from Walker's late mother Dorothy to republish thePatsy Walker comics. With the help of the She-Hulk andJessica Jones, Walker gets the rights back by proving that Dorothy was sedated and thusnot in full mental capacities when she signed the comics off to Hedy, making it avoid contract.[77]
During the "Civil War II" storyline, Patsy Walker learns that the She-Hulk is in a coma at the Triskelion.America Chavez allows Patsy to visit her. After the visit, Patsy tells Howard the Duck and the other tenants about the She-Hulk's current condition, and moves her offices to where Jennifer operated as a lawyer.[78]
Afterwards, Hedy dupes Patsy's ex-husbands Mad-Dog and Daimon Hellstrom into fighting her. Daimon sends Patsy to a dimension ruled by the demonBelial, who tries to bring Hellcat to his side.[79] Patsy then confronts her former friend the Black Cat, now leading a gang of criminals.[80] Patsy suddenly catches a cold that causes her to alter reality whenever she sneezes. After several disasters, Patsy accidentally makes a building disappear. Hedy then calls Patsy and reveals that she is dating the demon Belial, who helps Patsy overcome her grief over the She-Hulk and cures her of the cold.[81] Patsy then receives a check for a big amount of money from the She-Hulk and takes Ian, Tom, andJubilee to the mall. While shopping, they encounter two teenage girls pretending to be supervillains, who are revealed to be Patsy's biggest fans. Ian then figures out that the girls like each other and resolves their dispute. After that, Patsy expresses joy of how her life has changed.[82]
Hellcat possesses a superhuman level of physical abilities including enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, agility, endurance, and senses. She has different psionic powers due to Moondragon's Titanian technology,[83][84][85] including telekinesis,[86] sensing psychic phenomena,[87][88][89] and the ability to cast mentalillusions.[90] Hellcat can change her nails into sharp claws.[91] She is able to summon a magic cloak with enchanted properties at will that she uses to sense mystical phenomena or deflect mystical attacks.[92][93] She uses retractable claws and grappling hooks on her wrists.[94][95] Hellcat is a well-trained martial artist and gymnast.[96][97]
Peter Eckhardt ofCBR.com called Hellcat one of the "best cat-themed superheroes in comics," writing, "Patsy Walker wasn't made to be a superhero. Created in 1944, Walker starred in humorous teenage girl-oriented comics likeMiss America andGirls' Life. Her eponymous title was published continuously from the '40s until the '60s and Walker's trajectory turned towards superherodom. As Hellcat, Walker became a more feminist hero. She divorced her abusive husband, took (temporary) control of the stories that had been published using her name, and joined a superhero non-team, the Defenders, to battle unnatural evils. A humorous character with a compelling story, Hellcat remains one of Marvel's most fun felines."[98]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Patsy Walker: Hellcat #1 was the 118th best selling comic book in July 2008.[108][109]Patsy Walker: Hellcat #2 was the 151st best selling comic book in August 2008.[110][111]
James Hunt ofCBR.com calledPatsy Walker: Hellcat #1 "enormously fun to read, soaked with character and humor," stating, "It really has been a while since Marvel released such a charming comic, especially one so clearly aimed at a different audience than most of their superhero fare. While it's early days for the miniseries, the strength of the first issue is practically enough to keep it running on goodwill for the remaining 4 issues. Not everyone is going to appreciate or understand the tone of "Hellcat," so the important thing now is to make sure it finds its way into the hands of those that will as soon as possible, because there's almost nothing else like it, and originality like this needs all the support it can get."[112] Jesse Schedeen ofIGN gavePatsy Walker: Hellcat #1 a grade of 8.8 out of 10, asserting, "Immonen has a delightfully bombastic writing style that carries you from page to page. There's nothing terribly realistic about Patsy's portrayal or the events in her life. The book almost reminds me ofNextwave, except the subversive humor is more subtle. Don't come intoPatsy Walker: Hellcat expecting deep, nuanced characterization. Just expect to have plenty of fun, more than many series can offer in an entire arc. I was disappointed, though certainly not surprised, to learn that Stuart Immonen would not be returning to illustrate his wife's work. Luckily, David la Fuente is a more than capable replacement. His style perfectly captures the wonky tone and expressive, vibrant feel of the original story. As a fashion model, half of drawing Patsy Walker is capturing her many colorful outfits. Far too many artists have problems with rendering clothing not made of spandex. La Fuente is not one of them. It's a slow week, with only oneSecret Invasion tie-in to be found. Take advantage of that and givePatsy Walker: Hellcat a shot."[113]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! #1 was the 49th best selling comic book in December 2015.[114][115][116]Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! #1 was the 431st best selling comic book in 2015.[117][118]
Chase Magnett ofComicBook.com gavePatsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! #1 a grade of "B," saying, "The jokes and quick set up of a very large cast and lots of potential plotlines all work as well as they do largely because of Williams and Wilson's presentation. They make the crayon-colored business presentation pop and the humorously foreboding callbacks to Walker's teenage friends seem actually mysterious. Their delivery of each line and concept is so engaging that it's easy to re-readPatsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat #1, and wait for #2 to bring the same style and laughter, and the follow through on the premises established here."[119] Jesse Schedeen ofIGN gavePatsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! #1 a grade of 6.7 out of 10, writing, "Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! is a decent option for any reader who craves more of the lighthearted silliness of Marvel books like Howard the Duck or The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. But despite the solid supporting cast and characterization, this book doesn't really do anything those other titles don't do better. This first issue moves slowly and has its clunky moments, but hopefully a clearer and more engaging conflict will emerge over time."[120] Charles Pulliam-Moore ofGizmodo stated, "Oftentimes, when comics set out to tell stories that humanize superheroes who are off saving the universe, they get mired in drama that somehow manages to be both weirdly familiar but utterly unrelatable. When every story tries to be an epic tale about how a hero’s greatest struggle, it becomes easy to lose sight of how a world as sprawling as Marvel’s logically fits together. On some level, Marvel understands the intrinsic appeal of these kinds of focused stories that are a touch off the traditional “mainstream” comics path. But likeMockingbird,Vision, and Nighthawk, before it,Patsy Walker's coming to a premature end, seemingly because Marvel’s less interested in putting out thoughtful indies in an industry addicted to formulaic blockbusters.Patsy Walker isn’t a small story, or a simple one, but rather one with a solid focus on a couple of months in one woman’s during which some really important things happen around her. This is the storytelling that makes for characters that feel like real people and those are the kinds of characters that comics need more of."[121]
Jenna Anderson ofComicBook.com gaveIron Man/HellcatAnnual #1 a grade of 4.5 out of 5, asserting, "After Tony Stark's marriage proposal inIron Man #20, the larger narrative to his and Patsy Walker's stories could have gone into a wide swath of directions – which makes this week's excellentIron Man/HellcatAnnual an excellent, but unsurprising, triumph. The vast majority of the story puts the spotlight on Patsy, throwing her into a literally hellish confrontation with her past. It's always a joy to read Christopher Cantwell's essentially-solo stories for Patsy, and having her world be explored throughout this issue is an entertaining joy, especially when coupled with Ruairi Coleman's excellent art. This issue is definitely a turning point for both Tony and Patsy – and a great one at that."[122]
Patsy Walker has appeared in Marvel Comics'MultiverseUltimate Marvelimprint. InUltimate Spider-Man, she first appears as a spokeswoman for a security firm,[123] then as a swimsuit model forMaxim magazine,[124] a talk show hostess, presenting a biography onDoctor Strange,[125] and finally interviewingNorman Osborn.[126] In addition, she appeared inUltimate Marvel Team-Up, hosting an instructional video for the Baxter Building.[127] Patsy assumes her Hellcat identity inUltimates and was a founding member of the ill-fatedDefenders.[128] Walker later shows up with the Defenders inUltimate Comics: New Ultimates, powered up byLoki where she sports aleopard-like appearance.[129]
In theHeroes Reborn universe, Hellcat appears as a member of the Avengers. This version of the character sports a more bestial "werecat" appearance similar to Tigra. Envious of theScarlet Witch's beauty, she is manipulated byLoki into siding withHawkeye against the rest of the team. Patsy takes possession of the Scarlet Witch's body, but is killed afterAgatha Harkness forcibly expels her essence.[130]
Patricia "Trish" Walker appears inNetflix series set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed byRachael Taylor as an adult and by Catherine Blades as a teenager.[131] This version is a former child star of the in-universe television seriesIt's Patsy, the best friend of Jessica Jones,[132] the host of the radio showTrish Talk, and the daughter of Dorothy Walker.
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patsy Walker: Hellcat | Patsy Walker: Hellcat #1–5 and material fromMarvel Comics: Presents #1–4 | June 2009 | 978-0785133797 |
| Marvel Divas | Marvel Divas #1–4 | January 2010 | 978-0785131779 |
| Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! Vol. 1:Hooked on a Feline | Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!]] #1–6 | June 2016 | 978-1302900359 |
| Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! Vol. 2:Don't Stop Me-Ow | Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! #7–12 | January 2017 | 978-1302900366 |
| Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! Vol. 3:Careless Whisker(s) | Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! #13–17 | August 2017 | 978-1302906627 |
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