Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do #1
What’s New Pussycat?
From her home in Los Angeles, the Black Cat gets a call from her friend Meg back in New York City. Meg hasn’t seen their mutual friend, Tricia Lang, and asks for Felicia’s help finding her. Although Felicia hasn’t been in costume for some time she agrees to look, telling Meg she’ll call once she arrives in New York. As she receives this call, she is unaware that Tricia has been murdered and her body left in a dumpster.[1] As she showers, Felicia thinks about how long its been since she last wore her costume and how dull it has been working as a normal private investigator. She decides a trip to New York might be good for her she could use the trip to do some shopping and maybe look up an old boyfriend.
Meanwhile, in New York, Spider-Man is out tracing leads after learning that one of the students he teaches at Midtown High had just died of a heroin overdose.[2] The kid was not known to do drugs and the autopsy reports show no history of drug abuse, let alone provide an explanation as to how the drugs ended up in his system. Since then he has been tailing a trio of pushers but, unfortunately, they spot the web-slinger and begin shooting at him. Spider-Man quickly incapacitates the drug dealers before someone can get hurt. However a fourth manages to get away in his car. Seeing this, Spider-Man fires two web-lines at the vehicle and gets yanked away from the scene of the battle. Whipped around the street at first, Spider-Man uses a garbage can lid to steady himself and “ski” along the road. When the driver suddenly slams on the breaks, Spider-Man sings himself around to the front of the car and slams through the windshield. As the police arrive on the scene, Spider-Man grabs the driver and brings up to the rooftops to question him directly. After threatening to drink the pusher’s blood, Spider-Man learns that they didn’t sell drugs to Donald Phillips, but he likely went to the home of an actor that used to buy drugs off them before buying from a guy calling himself Mister Brownstone. The pusher doesn’t remember the actor’s name but he had a thing for young boys and that if Don was brought to him, it wouldn’t have been willingly. That’s when police start arriving, prompting Spider-Man to leave to follow up on these leads.
By this time, Felicia Hardy has already arrived in New York City and checked into her hotel room. Once there she takes another show as she goes over what she’s already figured out. Her friend Tricia was known for hanging out in SoHo and has according to the gossip magazines she has been romantically linked to an actor by the name of Hunter Todd who also lives in the area. When darkness falls, Felicia changes into her Black Cat costume and decides to pay a visit to the home of Hunter Todd. As she swings across the city she thinks about how she used to do this all the time when she was a cat burglar. This leads to thinking about how she reformed after pursuing a relationship with Spider-Man can’t believe how much time has passed since they broke up. Since then she has been making up for her past life of crime but wishes she could do it in another way but unfortunately, Spider-Man is married.[3] By this time, Spider-Man has also been investigating what celebrity could have a predilection for under-aged boys. He finds no confirmation in the gossip rags but becomes interested in Hunter Todd since he lives in the area. Following Hunter and his date back to Hunter’s condo, Spider-Man listens in from the window and thinks he’s hit paydirt when he overhears Todd calling Mister Brownstone to get some drugs.
That’s when the Black Cat arrives and unable to make out Spider-Man at a distance thinks he is a prowler and ambushes him from behind. She realizes too late that she’s really swinging toward Spider-Man and sends the two of them crashing through Hunter Todd’s window, landing in the middle of his living room. Recovering from the impact quickly, the Black Cat and Spider-Man begin asking Todd Hunter about both Tricia Lane and Donald Phillips. Suddenly, Todd and his guest start suffering from sudden heroin overdoses even though neither of them appeared to do any drugs. Recognizing what’s happening, the Black Cat takes control of the situation. Mister Brownstone is still on the phone and offers an explanation to Spider-Man. The man on the phone tells him that they won’t be able to get Hunter Todd and his guest to a hospital in time to talk because the lethal dose of heroin he just gave them will ensure they won’t survive. When Spider-Man asks who this is, the man on the phone simply says he is Mister Brownstone and hangs up the phone.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Black Cat, Mister Brownstone
Continuity Notes
Felicia states that she has been out of costume for 2 years at the time of this story. The Marvel Chronology Project incorrectly places this limited series as taking place after the House of M event, likely basing that on the fact that this series was heavily delayed (the first two issues 3 issues being published in 2002 and the final three in 2006) However, the Black Cat entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #1 confirms that the events of Evil That Men Do takes place after Peter Parker: Spider-Man Annual 2000. As such, Felicia’s assessment that she’s been out of costume for 2 years should be considered topical as it denotes the passage of time between publications and not in-universe. Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, less than a year had elapsed between this story and her last chronological appearance.
At the time of this story, Peter Parker had just recently started working at Midtown High in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #31.
Felicia goes over her costumed career and her relationship with Spider-Man over the years:
When she first appeared on the scene in Amazing Spider-Man #194, Felicia was a cat burglar who was inspired by her father. However, her romantic interest in Spider-Man led to her trying to reform in Amazing Spider-Man #226-227.
She and Spider-Man started a romance from Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #73-100. During that period of time she tried to be Spider-Man’s sidekick but he became increasingly concerned that she was in danger without powers. Seeking powers of her own, Felicia got some from the Kingpin. When Spider-Man discovered this and that her bad luck abilities were now affecting him he broke up with her. Felicia states here that their relationship was five years ago. Per the Sliding Timescale, it was actually a little over six years (or thereabouts)
Peter since got married to Mary Jane Watson in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, much to Felicia’s chagrin.
However, years after this story, Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such, Felicia would refer to Peter as being engaged here instead of being a married man.
Topical References
Dated pop culture references (this was written by Kevin Smith so expect a lot of these): Looney Tunes, Dukes of Hazzard, The Tommy Tutone song 867-5309/Jenny, Oprah Winfrey, Vogue and Entertainment Weekly magazines, Tom Cruise, Survivor, People Magazine, Mel Gibson Premiere Magazine,
