Felicia Hardy, better known as Black Cat, made her debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 in 1979. Created by Marv Wolfman and designed by Dave Cockrum, she was introduced as a highly skilled cat burglar and the daughter of notorious thief Walter Hardy. Black Cat became one of Spider-Man’s most recurring allies and romantic interests, with much of their early relationship built around Felicia’s attraction to Spider-Man rather than Peter Parker himself. Unlike many of his major villains, she was never defined by a desire to defeat him, moving regularly between crime, partnership and her own interests. Her supernatural “bad luck” powers were added later. Originally, Felicia relied on acrobatics, combat skills, burglary experience and specialized equipment, which made her one of the few non-powered characters able to operate consistently alongside Spider-Man.