Jessica Jones: Trish Walker’s Powers & MCU Thunderbolts Future Setup

Jessica Jones season 1-3 are the story of Trish Walker’s downfall, potentially setting her up to become a member of Marvel’s Thunderbolts as Hellcat. In 1944, Otto Binder and Ruth Atkinson created a character named Patsy Walker, who starred in a series of romance comics. Little did they imagine she’d be revived in the 1970s by Steve Englehart as the superhero Hellcat – still less that she’d wind up becoming a brutal vigilante in a Marvel Netflix series decades later, set up as a dangerous villain.

Marvel’s Jessica Jones is one of the more complex shows in “The Defenders Saga.” Most of the main characters have an ongoing narrative arc running through the show’s three seasons, and Trish’s manages to be one of the most compelling. She starts out as Jessica Jones’ best friend – a role traditionally occupied by Captain Marvel in the comics – but gradually loses faith in her friend’s sense of morality. When Trish gains the super-powers she has secretly longed for all her life, the flaws in her own character lead to her downfall.

The Marvel Netflix  version of Trish Walker is very different to the superhero Hellcat, a cheerful and happy-go-lucky member of the Avengers. While the canonicity of these Marvel Netflix shows is hotly debated right now, should Marvel Studios choose to build upon them, they’d be able to take Trish in some very interesting directions indeed. Here’s all viewers need to know about Marvel Netflix’s Hellcat and her possible Thunderbolt future.

Patsy Walker’s Origin & Powers In Marvel Comics

In the comics, Patricia “Trish” Walker was the daughter of Joshua and Dorothy Walker. Her mother was a comic book writer, and she made Trish the star of her own comic book series. The experience was a strange one for a teenage girl, and she was more than a little relieved when the series went out of publication. Trish’s love of comics led to her becoming obsessed with superheroes, and as an adult she was able to force the Beast to let her tag along on a mission; she donned a superhero costume and took up the identity of Hellcat, initially depending only on her natural athleticism. Hellcat received elite training over the years, serving as a member of several superhero teams. In a slightly surreal twist, Hellcat is currently engaged to Iron Man.

Hellcat has had a long and frankly tragic history as a hero, and her powerset has continually expanded over the years. The telepath Moondragon taught Hellcat some basic psychic tricks, and to this day she possesses enhanced senses and the ability to sense supernatural disturbances. She learned about magic after a brief stint in Mephisto’s Hell Dimension, and upon her return to this plane of existence demonstrated basic mystical abilities. Some versions of Hellcat’s costume have incorporated technology to boost her skills as a vigilante.

Trish Walker’s Powers In Marvel’s Jessica Jones Explained

In “The Defenders Saga,” Trish Walker was Jessica Jones’ adopted sister, a former child star who’d been seriously messed up by her mother. She always secretly envied Jessica’s powers, and in Jessica Jones season 2 she got her hands on an inhaler filled with toxic chemicals that made her as powerful as Jessica herself. Trish swiftly became addicted to the experience, and betrayed Jessica and her friends when she persuaded Dr. Karl Malus to conduct an illegal experiment upon her to permanently grant her abilities. Jessica interrupted the process before it was fully complete, but she was too late; Trish was permanently changed. She gained superhuman reflexes and agility, with enhanced senses that literally allow her to see in the dark, lending some credence to the name she would eventually take on. Her strength became peak human, and she gained both tremendous durability and what seems to have been a basic healing factor – meaning she can take a tremendous amount of punishment, and heals at a remarkable rate.

Trish Walker’s story in Jessica Jones season 3 is a twisted version of Spider-Man’s “power and responsibility” arc. The murder of her mother prompts Trish to conclude she has a responsibility to deal with the criminals and madmen of the city, and when she realizes legal processes don’t always work, she decides to take justice into her own hands – literally becoming a killer. Jessica is forced to stop her best friend before she can leave New York and begin a bloody rampage across the globe.

How Powerful Is Trish Compared To Jessica Jones?

Trish Walker’s powers are no match for Jessica Jones’, likely because the experimental process Dr. Malus conducted on her was not completed. During her brawls with Jessica, Trish relied on the emotional connection she had with her adversary to keep her off-balance. In their final battle, she went a step further, blowing a fuse box to plunge a corridor into darkness, so she could use her greatest advantage – her ability to see in the dark. Unfortunately, Jessica’s eyes adjusted enough to knock Trish through a wall into a lighter area, and she was able to take Trish down with ease. Jessica Jones season 3’s ending made it clear Trish would lose in a straight fight against Jessica every time.

Trish Is In The Raft – Could She Join The MCU’s Thunderbolts?

Jessica Jones season 3 ended with Trish Walker arrested under the auspices of the Sokovia Accords, and she was taken away to the Raft – the superhuman prison introduced in Captain America: Civil War. In the comics, the Raft became associated with a group called the Thunderbolts; consisting of key supervillains and twisted versions of the Avengers, some iterations of the Thunderbolts have consisted of criminals seeking redemption while others have been black ops teams – Marvel’s equivalent of the Suicide Squad. The MCU has introduced a number of major Thunderbolt members from the comics, and The Falcon & the Winter Soldier set up Baron Zemo for his traditional position as their team leader. It’s therefore not inconceivable Trish Walker could wind up becoming part of the MCU’s Thunderbolt program.

At the same time, though, that doesn’t seem especially likely. While it’s true Marvel has begun to bring back classic Marvel Netflix actors – with Vincent D’Onofrio returning in Hawkeye and Charlie Cox in Spider-Man: No Way Home – it’s unclear whether this means Marvel considers these old shows to be canon. Rather, it’s likely Marvel will instead conduct a soft reboot, avoiding making any commitments about continuity either way. Given that’s the case, they probably won’t want to do anything with Jessica Jones‘ Trish Walker – though it’s not entirely off the cards, either.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4893 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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