| Wildcat | |
|---|---|
_001.png) The Ted Grant and Yolanda Montez incarnations of Wildcat. Art by Sweeney Boo. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942) |
| Created by | Bill Finger Irwin Hasen |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Theodore "Ted" Grant Hector Rameriez Yolanda Montez Tom Bronson |
| Team affiliations | Justice Society of America |
| Abilities | All versions of Wildcats are typically considered skilled boxers and mixed-martial artists with feline-related abilities. |
Wildcat is the name of several superheroes in theDC Universe prominently connected to theJustice Society of America. Each version of the character is commonly a cat-themed hero with powers associated with felines in some manner and are commonly depicted as accomplished mixed martial artists. The original version of the character debuted inSensation Comics #1 (January, 1942), created byBill Finger andIrwin Hasen.
The original version of the character,Theodore "Ted" Grant, is a long-time member of the JSA and former world-class heavyweight boxer andmixed martial artist who became inadvertently entangled in the criminal underworld and first becoming a hero to clear his innocence. Renown for his combat abilities, he also became a notable mentor to several superheroes in the art ofboxing and has also served as co-chairman of the Justice Society.[1][2] The second version of the character,Yolanda Montez, is the daughter of Juan Montez, a sparring partner of Ted known as "Mauler Montez", and Ted'sgoddaughter whose mother unknowingly underwent genetic experimentation by a corrupted doctor, giving Yolanda feline-like abilities. Eventually becoming a reporter, she adopted the Wildcat codename following Grant's injuries duringCrisis on Infinite Earths. Yolanda is later killed by Eclipso but eventually resurrected. The character is notably a heroine of Latina descent, being the second after Green Fury in DC Comics.[3]
Other characters took the name, including Grant's one-time, short-lived protégéHector Rameriez who was killed byKiller Croc[4] andThomas "Tom"Bronson, ametahumanwerecat who is tutored by Grant, his father, as a second Wildcat and a JSA member in late-2000s stories before adopting a different name.
Ted Grant has made several appearances in DC media, such as thethird season ofArrow, in which he was portrayed byJ. R. Ramirez, and theDC Universe streaming service showStargirl, portrayed by Brian Stapf. Additionally, Yolanda Montez also appears inStargirl, portrayed byYvette Monreal.
The Ted Grant of the character debuted inSensation Comics #1 (January, 1942), created byBill Finger andIrwin Hasen. Four decades later, Yolanda Montez first appeared inInfinity, Inc. #12 (March 1985), and was created byRoy Thomas,Dann Thomas, andDon Newton. Roy andDann Thomas originally intended to create a Canadian superheroine named "The Lynx" for new 1980s-era descendants of theAll-Star Squadron. An early incarnation of Wildcat named "La Garro" appears in promotional material forInfinity Inc.
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Yolanda Montez is the daughter ofMaria Montez andJuan Montez, and possesses cat-like abilities due to Maria being exposed to experimental drugs while pregnant.[5] She later succeeds her godfatherTed Grant as Wildcat following his retirement.[6] During this time, she joinsInfinity, Inc. and has a flirtatious relationship withNuklon.[7] Yolanda later retires after Infinity, Inc. disbands, but resurfaces to fightEclipso, during which she is killed.[8]
Years after the New 52 reboot, which erased much of the history of the JSA including Yolanda's tenure, her history is restored in Doomsday Clock.[9] Montez alongside Beth Chapel is later resurrected in a precursor to theLazarus Planet event, now instead joining theJustice Society of America but struggles with Eclipso's influence on her, forced to take pills known as Lazarus resin in order to suppress it while helping the team battlePer Degaton, whose current plot includes erasing their history by killing Doctor Fate and the JSA team across time.[10]
Thomas "Tom" Bronson is Ted Grant's youngest son.[11] Tom's mother Marilyn had a one-night stand with Ted, and never told him of Tom's existence. Despite the fact that his father was not involved in his life, Tom is not bitter towards Ted. However, he did tell Ted that he had no intentions of becoming the next Wildcat, as he was not a fighter himself.
It was revealed that Tom is ametahuman that can change into a were-panther at will, similar to the Wildcat featured inKingdom Come.[12] When Ted was attacked byVandal Savage, Tom changed into his were-panther form and managed to fight against Savage until help arrived.
InJustice Society of America 80 Page Giant Sized (2010), it was revealed that Tom's mother had the same powers as her son, but would change involuntarily every month. After a minor battle involving Ted, Marilyn, and the firstHuntress, Ted took Marilyn to see Doctor Mid-Nite, who cured her of the involuntary aspect of her power, allowing her to change at will instead. While she is unconscious, Ted told Doctor Mid-Nite to "fix her and send her on her way" to protect her from his dangerous walk of life. Doctor Mid-Nite discovered that she was pregnant and revealed this to his now-conscious patient. She ultimately decided to withhold this information from Ted, but her motivations were unclear. She then raised Tom herself.[13]
Over time, Tom slowly forms a bond with Ted and eventually, after some initial reluctance, agrees to share the Wildcat name with his father. At this point, he is introduced and inducted into the Justice Society.[14]
In a team-up with the Justice League, he talks toVixen and indicates the presence of enhanced senses.
Later, Tom, now calling himselfTomcat, parted ways with Ted and joined the All-Stars, an offshoot team created by the younger members of the JSA.
In the "DC All In" initiative, Tom was present at Ted's funeral after he had been killed byLady Eve. Feeling guilty about killing that Kobra operative following the funeral, Yolanda interacts with Tom and states that he can be the new Wildcat. As Tom stated that he told his dad that he didn't want the title and tried out the superhero career, Yolanda walks away claiming that its the end of the Wildcat legacy.[15]
A boxer and mixed martial artist, Grant has masteredcapoeira,hapkido,kickboxing,krav maga,muay thai,[16]taekwondo,[17] andboxing, the last in which he favors.[16] Due to an alterations of a curse set on him, he possesses nine lives, allowing for virtual immortality and making him long lived-lived so long he isn't killed nine times consecutively.[18]
As the result of experimentations done by a scientist prior to her birth, Montez possess feline traits and superhuman powers which includes retractable claws, ability to scale walls like cats, and superhuman agility. She is also a capable hand-to-hand combatant.[19]
IGN listed Ted Grant as Wildcat as the 71st greatest comic book character of all time stating that, due to his age as a superhero, he is almost more mystifying than theSpectre.[26]
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