Walter Hardy

Walter Hardy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a world-renowned cat burglar and the father of Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat.

Publication history

Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979).^[1]

Fictional character biography

Walter Hardy is a well-known cat burglar who was arrested at some point. Years later, the thief known as Black Cat steals precinct papers on the prison holding him. Peter Parker also conducted his own research, learning that Walter Hardy had been locked up in New York Prison for the past few decades and is now terminally ill. At the prison, Spider-Man fights Black Cat while her accomplices Boris Korpse and Bruno Grainger blast the wall to Walter Hardy's prison cell, the rubble of which buries Spider-Man.^[2]

With Spider-Man unable to get out of the rubble, the prison officers are unable to stop Black Cat, Korpse, and Grainger from making off with Walter Hardy. At his home, Black Cat reveals that she is his daughter, Felicia Hardy, and mentions that her mother Lydia purposefully hid his past from her. Walter then leaves to spend his final moments with his wife. After Black Cat falls into the river, Spider-Man goes to meet up with Lydia Hardy as she weeps over Walter's death.^[3]

At the time when Black Cat is in the hospital following Spider-Man's battle with Doctor Octopus, she claims to Peter Parker that she was visited by the ghost of Walter Hardy.^[4]

Powers and abilities

Equipment

Walter Hardy had a miniature grappling hook device, which enables him to swing from buildings in a manner similar to Spider-Man, though not quite as fast. He could also use the cable from this device as a tightrope, wall scaling device, swing line, and/or as a weapon in combat.

Other versions

Marvel Action

In the "Marvel Action" reality, Walter Hardy was a cat burglar who was apprehended by Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and Ghost-Spider.^[5]

Spider-Gwen

In the "Spider-Gwen" reality, Walter Hardy and his daughter Felicia were two French thieves. When he crossed Kingpin, he was killed by his underling Matt Murdock.^[6]

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of the character is identified as Jack Hardy and is seen on a list of known cat burglars in the Daily Bugle database.^[7]

In other media

Television

• A character based on Walter Hardy named John Hardesky appears in the
  Chameleon replace him to get the super-soldier formula. Upon discovering it, the Kingpin tasks Doctor Octopus with kidnapping Hardesky's daughter Felicia Hardy where Kingpin introducing Felicia to her father. Then he had Hardesky and Herbert Landon use Felicia as a test subject for the formula and transform her into the Black Cat. Spider-Man
  follows Black Cat to the Kingpin's hideout and rescues her and Hardesky after he destroys the super-soldier formula before it can be replicated by Landon. With the Kingpin's plan thwarted, Hardesky shares his goodbyes with his family and willingly returns to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.
• Walter Hardy, amalgamated with the
  Vault
  while testing the prison's security system and encounters Black Cat, who infiltrated the prison to break her father out. Amidst a prison break, Spider-Man recognizes Hardy as the burglar who killed Ben. Hardy expresses regret over taking the man's life and offers to make amends by staying behind to release knockout gas to subdue the other escaped inmates and allow Spider-Man and Black Cat to escape.