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Every superhero needs villains who would stand against them and make their lives more difficult. Spider-Man has multiple such villains but Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat, holds a special part in his life. Even though they fought in the past, they grew closer over time and even dated for a while. Even after their break-up, they remained mostly on friendly terms and joined forces multiple times when one of them needed help.
Black Cat's complex character and her life of crime mean she's one of the antiheroes, which makes her best Marvel comic book storylines even more interesting. Black Cat has yet to show up in the movies but those interested in learning more about her can turn to the comics instead.
6 The Time She Was A Hero
Black Cat moves between the lines of good and bad, heroic and villainous. She usually takes the side of heroes when facing an even greater villain. That's what happened when Black Cat learned that Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, got his hands on a detonator that could kill thousands of people, a detonator that several other villains were interested in using as well.
Black Cat knew she couldn't let the detonator fall into the wrong hands, and she proved her stealing mastery when she stole it from Kingpin. Unfortunately, Doctor Octopus tracked her down and hurt her. The good news was that Black Cat survived the ordeal thanks to Spider-Man's timely influence. The story not only showed Black Cat's more heroic side but also her intelligence needed to pull off the plan to steal the detonator from Fisk.
5 The Time She Saved Her Mother
Like many other superheroes or even villains, Black Cat doesn't have a large family or many people close to her. However, when her mother was kidnaped, Black Cat stepped up and offered herself instead of her mother. She had a plan, though, and managed to trick those who kidnapped her mother, the Kravinoffs, and save her in the process.
That was no easy task considering how dangerous the Kravinoffs are, but Black Cat proved that she was able to defeat her enemies, even if the odds were seemingly against her and there was a bomb involved.
4 The Time She Got Special Powers
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Marvel is full of examples of heroes or villains who don't need any superpowers to be good or bad. Unfortunately, Black Cat didn't get the memo and at one point, she decided to obtain special powers so that she wouldn't be slowing Spider-Man down when they worked together. While her intentions were good, Black Cat made the mistake of going to Kingpin of all people to get powers.
She got what she asked for, but it turned against her since her powers meant she was inflicting bad luck on people, including Spider-Man himself. While this story wasn't as optimistic as other Black Cat stories and didn't paint Felicia in the best light, it's still worth reading for all Black Cat fans as it shows that she isn't perfect and makes mistakes just like everyone else, Spider-Man included (who could, after all, forget the time Spider-Man made a deal with the devil).
3 The Time She Built Her Own Criminal Empire
Even though Black Cat is mostly one of the good guys, she joined the dark side several times in the comics. One of the most intriguing examples is the storyline in which Black Cat decided to become the new Kingpin and built her own criminal empire.
She started working with other villains, such as Scorpion and became so influential that she crossed the paths of multiple heroes, not just Spider-Man. Seeing Black Cat in this way isn't too flattering for her, but it allows the readers to get a further glimpse into her complicated personality.
2 The Time She Created A Legitimate Business
Becoming the new Kingpin wasn't the only time when Black Cat formed her own business. When she wasn't doing so well in her personal life, Black Cat decided to focus on her work and created a new business, Cat's Eye Investigations, that allowed her to investigate cases and protect those who needed it.
Even though this particular business and the storylines surrounding it didn't last long in the comics, it gave Black Cat something new to do and stopped her from returning to her former criminal ways. Setting up an investigation business is, coincidentally, nothing new in Marvel Comics, as both Jessica Jones and Kate Bishop have done the same at one point in their careers.
1 The Time She Was Accused Of Something She Didn't Do
Black Cat hasn't had an easy life, and one of the most challenging experiences she faced was being accused of a crime she didn't commit. She was arrested for murder and the threat of the death penalty loomed over her. Spider-Man decided to break Black Cat out of prison and asked his friend Daredevil to help him.
The storyline was about more than just action, though, as it delved deep into Felicia's past and showed the trauma she underwent because of the actions of others. To this day, the six-part miniseries The Evil That Men Do by Kevin Smith remains one of the most celebrated (and potentially also controversial) Black Cat comics.