Spider-Man’s Best Girlfriend Isn’t Mary Jane or Gwen Stacy

Warning! Mild spoilers for Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #2 ahead!

Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy might be the most popular of Peter Parker’s girlfriends, but Black Cat remains the most impressive romantic partner for Spider-Man. The second issue of Peter David and Greg Land’s Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads sheds some light on Spider-Man’s partnership with Felicia Hardy aka Black Cat. Even though some readers may think of Black Cat as the Marvel rip-off of Catwoman, Felicia has certainly held her own over the years.

Black Cat is perhaps the best thief in the Marvel universe and became one of Spidey’s main supporting characters after she was first introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #194. She has jumped off the comics page and appeared in several cartoons and video games, like the 1990s Spider-Man animated series and the latest Spider-Man PlayStation games. She also made one of her most prominent appearances in the video game tie-in for Spider-Man 2 (2004). Even if she doesn’t have many fans, these feats at least prove that Black Cat is an outstanding and compelling character in her own right.

Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #2 displays just how far out of her comfort zone Cat is willing to go to help Spider-Man. Taking place in the days when Peter was still wearing his black symbiote suit, the issue sees Spidey trapped in a portal fighting the Hulk. Felicia heads to the Sanctum Sanctorum to seek the aid of Doctor Strange. Even though it’s clear that this interdimensional issue is beyond Black Cat’s understanding, she does everything in her power to make sure Spider-Man is alright. Even if Black Cat is known to commit petty crimes, her compassion for Spider-Man is never on hold. And her foothold in the superhero world means that she is able to assist Spider-Man in his heroic adventures in ways that MJ or Gwen cannot.

Black Cat’s connections with Spider-Man don’t stop with the vigilante nightlife either. Like Peter Parker, Felicia Hardy has a history of bad luck. Writers have usually tied her with the phrase “don’t ever let a black cat cross your path.” In the past, Felicia has done whatever she can to stay close to Spider-Man, showing signs of codependency. It’s also been verified in comics as well as other media across multimedia, like in Spectacular Spider-Man and the underrated video game Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, that she likes the black symbiote suit, which might explain why she’s been by his side so long in Symbiote Spider-Man. Perhaps it’s the shared color scheme, Pete’s “bad boy” attitude, or a combination of the two.

Cat has also starred in some more personal stories, like the Kevin Smith and Terry Dodson miniseries Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do, where Felicia reveals how she overcame sexual assault during her time at Empire State University. In this story, Spider-Man has to deal with the return of Black Cat in his life while simultaneously stopping a drug dealer named Garrison Klum. Felicia eventually encounters Garrison’s younger brother, Francis Klum (who would eventually become the third Mysterio), when he opens up about his older brother sexually assaulting him. Felicia empathizes with Francis and opens up about her past too, but Spider-Man shows up and startles Francis into a fight. This case created an enticing scenario, where Black Cat might have saved someone’s life (and prevented a supervillain) if it hadn’t been for Spider-Man.

MJ and Gwen have, of course, helped Peter out in several stories too, but it’s usually in a way exclusive to his civilian life. Like Catwoman and Batman from DC Comics, Black Cat can actually stick her neck out for Spider-Man, not just Peter Parker. When Spider-Man is in danger, Black Cat betters herself and begins to care about saving his life. Over hundreds of comics, she has also learned that “with great power comes great responsibility,” which is more than can be said for Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy.

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