Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 204

Last year we celebrated Black Cat Appreciation Day with Amazing Spider-Man 194 and 195. This year let’s follow the non-holiday up with Felicia Hardy’s second appearance, Amazing Spider-Man 204 and 205.

Using one of her nine lives, Felicia has survived her plunge from Amazing Spider-Man 195. As the Black Cat, she toys with Spider-Man stealing romantically-themed works of art over the next two issues.

It is revealed the thefts were made to complete a shrine Felicia is constructing to her love: Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man 204

The infatuation would grow throughout the decade, mostly in the issues of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. Not only grow, but become mutual.

As history has proved, Peter and Felicia were not meant to be. That fate was reserved for Mary Jane Watson.

Instead, Black Cat would go on to make various guest appearances. In 2002, she received her own mini-series.

Felicia would also co-star with Wolverine in a mini and the follow up in 2011 with a sequel. She was one of the headliners in the 2006-07 Heroes for Hire title.

In 2019 Jed Mackay began scripting her solo series.

Black Cat was introduced to viewers in the 1981 Spider-Man cartoon. She was a major player in several episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Black Cat was shelved – on television – until The Spectacular Spider-Man and brought back in the 2017 Spider-Man series on Disney XD.

To date she has only appeared as Felicia Hardy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on the silver screen.

As fans have come to appreciate Spider-Man’s former foe, many of us have come to love Felis catus. The same nocturnal creatures that prowl our homes and yards are celebrated around the world.

However, today has been set aside to acknowledge the ebony-adorned portion of the population. August 17 has been set aside to, according to National Day Calendar Web page, “…to dispel all myths surrounding black cats.”

To observe, consider adopting a black cat.

Black Cat Appreciation Day is not to be confused with National Black Cat Day, Oct. 27.