Captain America's Unofficial Sidekick Has Become Marvel's Secret MVP
Marvel has depicted Captain America with a handful of sidekicks over the years, but his most recent partnership with Black Cat has quickly proven to be his most unexpected and simultaneously his most entertaining. Granted, Ms. Felicia Hardy has yet to officially take up the mantle of Steve Rogers' latest partner in crime-fighting, but it's undeniable that the two at least have been intrinsically linked together for the better part of a year. It all started initially in Black Cat #1 by Jed Mackay, Nina Vakueva, and C.F. Villa when the title character found herself working side by side with the ultimate symbol of American excellence during the midst of the King in Black event.
Ever since Felicia Hardy first donned the Black Cat costume for herself in 1979, the femme fatale has teetered between anti-hero and dastardly villain. However, her mindset and alignment quickly started to re-position itself into molding her as a full-blown hero once she first crossed paths with Captain America in Black Cat #1. Immediately in awe at the sight and spectacle of Cap, the Cat pontificated to herself, "I don't believe in America, but seeing him, hearing him talk ... I almost feel like I could." Although she equates his presence to improving her vision for America, it's clear that Captain America also inspired Black Cat's vision to improve herself, to become better in every sense of the word.
From there, Black Cat would subsequently reunite with Captain America to help rehabilitate Peter Parker following his post-radiation poisoning recovery in Zeb Wells' Amazing Spider-Man series. Mr. Rogers' seems mighty impressed with what he has seen from the former supervillain, as he later recruits her to join his line-up in Kurt Busiek and Yildiray Cinar's series The Marvels. During this time, Hardy is also entrusted by Captain America to rescue Doctor Strange from Knull, after which she helps defeat the God of the Symbiotes by working alongside Strange to save Manhattan. Black Cat pulled off an Infinity Stone heist as well, gathering a group of people imbued with the power of the Stones in order to save her mother from cancer.
In that past year or so, the notorious cat burglar has consistently stolen the show from panel to panel while breaking out as a surprising candidate for Marvel's Most Valuable Player of the year. And it's all thanks in large part to Captain America and the redemption arc that he manifested for Black Cat. Beyond just Steve's presence, in many ways, it has been a combination of things about this encounter that would've stuck out in Felicia's mind. Namely it is hearing about how on-again-off-again-lover/friend/enemy Spider-Man spoke highly of her to the leader of the Avengers, and then said-leader being happy when she shows up to the fight. In just a handful of words compiled by a simple interaction, Black Cat must have seen potential in herself and has tried to rise to the occasion of her expectations for the better part of the year.
In that year, Black Cat has gone from being merely a fun foil in Spider-Man's rogues gallery, to not looking out of place as a top-tier superhero standing next Iron Man and Captain America. Much praise needs to go to Jed Mackay on how he's written and elevated the character in such a relatively short amount of time, but when it comes to in-story character motivations, Black Cat having Captain America as her mentor is what's molded her into Marvel's MVP.