Much like Spider-Man himself, fans have fallen for Felicia Hardy, also known as Black Cat. She is easily one of the most recognizable and iconic villains from the comic books. Not only is she an expert burglar like her father, but she learned all those fighting and acrobatic skills by herself. Black Cat is a strong, independent, woman, as well as one of the most dynamic characters throughout the series.
Part of what makes Black Cat so memorable is her design. As per her name, she is often seen in a black catsuit with white accents. She is almost always shown with retractable claws, flowing white hair, and a pointed black mask. However, comic book artists and animators alike have taken creative liberties in depicting Black Cat's costume. Some of these redesigns have added to her look and character -- whereas others, not so much. Here are the Black Cat's five best costumes (and five worst).
10 The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (Best)
It would be a crime to skip the comic that introduced this iconic villain. She first swung into the Spider-verse in June 1979, on the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #194. Cover artist Al Migrom was the first to model the look: a sleek black catsuit and fur on the gloves and boots. It's simple, yet it definitely attests to the character's tagline of a "startling new villainess."
9 Black Cat No. 1 (Best)
There's a reason why cosplayers are flaunting this fashionable look, such as in this photo of cosplayer Lyra Tan (@leerahcosplays), taken by photographer Michael Largé (@michaellargephotography). Drawn by David Nakayama for the cover of Black Cat No. 1, this design stays true to her trademarks while also being chic and modern.
The accessories such as the studded choker and fur purse suit her sassy personality. Not to mention she looks comfortable, which is near impossible in a world with superheroes in tight spandex.
8 Ultimate Marvel (Best)
This is probably our favorite iteration of Black Cat. Illustrated by J Scott Campbell for Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #152, it stays true to the original design from The Amazing Spiderman #194, and its additions embellish on her character and personality. The goggles and utility belt attribute to her profession as a burglar and the low cut suit attests to her promiscuous nature. The cat ears are a cute touch as well, while still keeping the design anthropomorphic.
7 Black Cat's Wedding (Best)
Fans went crazy over Batman #50, which showed Batman and Catwoman kissing at the altar (and DC even released their wedding playlist). So you can imagine the shock when Marvel announced Spider-Man and Black Cat were tying the knot too!
And it seems the two cats have something in common: they both know how to rock a wedding dress. Felicia looks stunning in a sleek white suit, complete with her signature white gloves, and a white mask to match. Lace detail and a rose headpiece add an elegance to this take on the bride. We've seen Black Cat propose to Spider-Man, but we never expected a wedding -- nor did we expect such a hot bridal look.
6 White Widow (Best)
This version appears in Spider-Geddon: Spider-Man Noir, created by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, and Carmine Di Giandomenico. In Earth 90214, Felicia owns the Black Cat nightclub with her boyfriend, Crime Master. However, she secretly loved Spider-Man, and when Crime Master discovered the affair, he marred her face in retaliation. She wears a mask to hide her scars, only revealing them to Spider-Gwen after (spoiler alert) Spider-Man's death. The pointed edges on her mask and fur collar pay a nice homage to her previous alias as Black Cat, and the white serves as a neat contrast to Spider-Man's all-black outfit. As per the noir time period, White Widow helped Spider-Man prevent the Nazis from winning the war, which is extra badass.
5 Spider-Man: The Animated Series (Worst)
Not to be confused with the original Spider-Man animated series (which sticks close to the #194 version outfit), this adaption of Black Cat debuted in the 2017 Spider-Man TV series on Disney XD. She also appears in recent video games, such as Disney Infinity 2.0 (portrayed by voice acting legend Tara Strong), Marvel: Avengers Alliance, and Marvel Tsum Tsum. However this look strips Felicia of her prowess and feistiness, opting for a more pedestrian look. It doesn't read villain, vigilante, or hero at all, which merits its placing as one of the worst costumes.
4 Marvel Manga Verse (Worst)
It's typical for an artist or an animator to sexualize a female character, but there's such a thing as crossing the line. The Marvel Mangaverse costume shows off nearly her entire chest and stomach as if someone made a rip all the way down the suit. It causes a functional flaw too -- how does it stay in place? Surely she needs the costume to hold up for jumping off buildings and beating up her adversaries. She appears youngest in this rendition as well, which makes the over-sexualization more unsettling.
3 Web of Shadows Symbiote (Worst)
While the concept of a Black Cat and symbiote fusion is awesome, this design is pretty bad. Not only is this look downright terrifying, but it bears no relationship to Black Cat's ubiquitous depiction.
In fact, those who aren't familiar with Web of Shadows probably wouldn't be able to tell this is Black Cat. There are better representations for Black Cat -- see the first half of this article -- and better original concepts.
2 Earth 803 (Worst)
In Earth 803, Black Cat distracts Lady Spider from a heist by stealing a painting. When Lady Spider traps her in her webs, Black Cat reveals she had been hired as a decoy and frees herself using her claws. Another success for Black Cat, yet her costume is anything but. The short ringlet curls look weird, her mask almost covers half her face, and how the heck can she do acrobatics in a corset? Good thing we only see Felicia for only a brief moment in this timeline.
1 Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps for PS4 (Worst)
This is probably the most controversial entry on this list, as this is another common cosplay amongst Black Cat aficionados. Although there are some questionable design choices in this PS4 game. Instead of fur and claws, artists Jacinda Chew and Grant Hollis opted for a geometric linear pattern on her suit. Her mask reads more Nightwing than Black Cat, and the bulky armor on her arms and calves is questionable. Although there will be a Black Cat comic-spin off inspired by the game, so this isn't the last we'll see of this look.