Patsy Walker
(Hellcat)
by Phil Perich for the Nuff Said Universe
Wow, that Trish on the Jessica Jones series is great! She should be a superhero! Well, if you read Marvel Comics you probably know she’s been that and more. Patricia “Patsy” Walker first appeared in Miss America Magazine #2 (November 1944).
Created by writer Ruth Atkinson, the character appeared throughout the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s in multiple titles. Patsy appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965), establishing her as existing in the mainstream Marvel Universe. According to Marvel Legacy: The 1960’s Handbook #1 (2006), most of those earlier stories were actually events from Patsy’s real life, later written as fiction by her mother.
Patsy begins her journey to life as a superhero when she went to work as an assistant to scientist Hank McCoy, the mutant superhero known as the Beast beginning in Amazing Adventures volume 2 #13 (July 1972). Patsy would later reappear in Avengers #141 (November 1975) and after taking the abandoned costume Greer Nelson wore as the Cat becomes the superhero Hellcat in Avengers #144 (February 1976).
After turning down Avengers membership, Patsy travels to space with fellow female superhero Moondragon but later returns to Earth to help the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. She then goes on to join Strange’s superhero team, the Defenders. She meets the mysterious Daimon Hellstorm, the Son of Satan in Defenders #92 (February 1981) and would later marry him in Defenders #125. The pair would go on to become occult investigator partners.
Hellstorm’s demonic nature eventually resurfaces and drives Patsy insane until she commits suicide in Hellstorm: Prince of Lies #14 (May 1994).
But this wasn’t the end of the Patsy Walker story. Hellstorm manipulates the superhero Hawkeye into going to Hell to rescue Hawkeye’s supposedly dead wife Mockingbird. But it’s actually Patsy herself that Hawkeye helps escape Hell in the Thunderbolts 2000 annual. Patsy would return to the Hellcat identity and would team up with a new version of the Defenders and other female heroes. In She-Hulk #1 Jen Walters (She-Hulk) starts her own law firm and asksPatsy to work for her as a private investigator.
A version of the character can be seen now on season 1 of Netlfix’s Jessica Jones series. Jessica’s best friend, Patricia “Trish” Walker, a former child star turned radio talk show host is portrayed brilliantly by Rachael Taylor.
Will this version of the character become Hellcat also and join the Defenders? The TV series Defenders is coming! Let me know YOUR opinion!
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That’s it for this week, until next time…NUFF SAID!!