Patricia “Patsy” Walker holds a unique and storied place in Marvel Comics' history, predating the vast majority of its superhero pantheon. She was created by writer-artist Ruth Atkinson and first appeared in Miss America Magazine #2 (November 1944), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics. For over two decades, Patsy was the star of a popular line of teen humor and romance comics, including titles like Patsy Walker, Patsy and Hedy, and Patsy and Her Pals. In this era, she was a friendly, fashion-conscious American teenager, rivaled by the sharp-tongued Hedy Wolfe. These comics were so popular that Patsy Walker was, for a time, one of the company's flagship characters alongside Captain America and the Human Torch. Her transition into the mainstream Marvel Universe of superheroes was a clever piece of retconning by writer Steve Englehart. She made her first in-continuity appearance as an adult in Amazing Adventures #13 (July 1972), where she encountered Hank McCoy, the Beast. This story established that the old romance comics existed within the Marvel Universe itself, having been written and drawn by Patsy's mother, Dorothy Walker. This meta-narrative instantly gave Patsy a backstory as a well-known, if faded, celebrity. Driven by a desire to do more with her life, Patsy hounded the Avengers for a place on the team. Her moment arrived in Avengers #144 (February 1976). Englehart and legendary artist George Pérez were looking to add a new female hero to the roster. Their initial plan was to use Greer Grant Nelson, formerly the hero known as The Cat, but she was already being evolved into the character Tigra. Seizing the opportunity, they had Patsy discover Greer's old “The Cat” costume. She donned the yellow-and-blue suit and declared herself Hellcat, officially joining the world of superheroes and leaving her teen-romance past behind forever.
The origin of Hellcat is a tale of two vastly different realities, one rooted in comic book fantasy and self-actualization, the other in the grounded, psychological trauma of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the Earth-616 continuity, Patsy Walker grew up as a minor celebrity. Her mother, Dorothy Walker, was a comic book creator who chronicled a fictionalized, idealized version of her daughter's high school life in the best-selling “Patsy Walker” comics. This created a strange dichotomy where the real Patsy was constantly compared to a fictional version of herself she couldn't live up to, instilling in her a deep-seated desire to forge her own, more meaningful identity. After a failed marriage to her high school sweetheart, Buzz Baxter (who would later become the villain Mad-Dog), Patsy sought out the Avengers. She used her knowledge of their secret identities, which she had learned from her mother's association with the Timely Comics-era heroes, to gain an audience with them. Though they were initially dismissive, her persistence paid off. During a mission with the team, she came across the original costume of Greer Grant Nelson, who had recently been transformed into the mystical Tigra. Seeing her chance, Patsy put on the suit and christened herself Hellcat. While she was an enthusiastic and brave adventurer, she lacked formal training. This changed when she joined the Defenders. Her teammate Moondragon, a powerful telepath, took Patsy to Saturn's moon, Titan, for an intensive training regimen. There, Patsy honed her body to peak physical condition and learned advanced martial arts. More significantly, Moondragon's mental training unlocked Patsy's latent psionic potential, granting her minor psychic abilities. Her life took a dark turn when she fell in love with her fellow Defender, Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan. They married and she left the Defenders to be with him. However, witnessing Daimon's demonic “Darksoul” firsthand drove Patsy to madness and deep depression. Manipulated by the malevolent entity Deathurge, she ultimately took her own life. For years, Patsy's soul was trapped in Mephisto's realm of Hell. Her story seemed to have ended in tragedy until Hawkeye and his team of Thunderbolts journeyed into Hell on a mission to save Hawkeye's deceased wife, Mockingbird. While they failed to find Mockingbird, they discovered Patsy's tormented spirit. Together, they fought their way out, and Patsy was resurrected, returning to the land of the living. Her time in Hell had a profound effect on her, granting her a unique mystical sense that allowed her to perceive magical energies and demonic presences, making her an even more effective supernatural operative.
The MCU's version of the character, Patricia “Trish” Walker, was introduced in the Netflix series Jessica Jones. Her origin is a stark departure from the comics, reimagined as a dark, psychological drama. Trish Walker was a former child star, the lead of a popular TV show called “It's Patsy”. This fame was engineered by her abusive and manipulative stage mother, Dorothy Walker, who pushed Trish into the industry for her own vicarious fulfillment and financial gain. This upbringing left Trish with deep emotional scars, a dependency on controlled substances, and a desperate need for validation and control over her own life. Her closest relationship is with her adoptive sister, Jessica Jones. After Jessica's family was killed in a car crash caused by IGH, a shadowy genetics company, the Walker family adopted the orphaned Jessica. Trish was the only one who knew about Jessica's superhuman strength, and she was both fascinated and envious of it. This power envy became the driving motivation of her adult life. As a successful radio talk show host, Trish used her platform to investigate super-powered individuals, secretly yearning for abilities of her own. She believed that with power, she could protect herself and others in a way she never could as a child. This obsession led her to take dangerous risks, including using an illegal combat enhancer provided by her ex-boyfriend Will Simpson. She also undertook intense Krav Maga training to become a skilled fighter, but it was never enough. Her transformation into a super-powered individual occurred in Jessica Jones Season 2. Desperate to help Jessica investigate IGH and its chief scientist, Dr. Karl Malus, Trish forced Malus to perform the same gene-editing experiment on her that had given Jessica her powers. The procedure was incredibly volatile and nearly killed her, but she was saved by Jessica. Initially, it seemed to have failed. However, by the end of the season, she discovered the experiment had worked when she dropped her phone and caught it with her foot, revealing cat-like reflexes. In Season 3, Trish embraced her new powers—enhanced agility, senses, and strength—and began a career as a ruthless vigilante. Lacking Jessica's nuance and restraint, Trish adopted a brutal, black-and-white moral code. This culminated in her murdering a serial killer, an act that put her in direct opposition to Jessica. Her descent into extremism, believing that killing criminals was the only true form of justice, turned her into the primary antagonist of the final season. Her journey was not one of self-actualization, but a tragic fall from grace, ending with her defeat by Jessica and imprisonment in the Raft.
Patsy Walker's capabilities are a combination of peak human conditioning, advanced training, specialized equipment, and unique supernatural senses.
Patsy Walker is defined by her bubbly optimism and unwavering resilience. Despite the immense darkness and trauma she has endured, she maintains a cheerful and determined demeanor. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and is often the emotional anchor of her teams. However, beneath this bright exterior lies a deep-seated insecurity stemming from her childhood and a profound sadness from her experiences in Hell. She is driven by a powerful need to prove her worth and to ensure no one else suffers the way she has.
Trish Walker's powers are the result of a scientific experiment, making them physiological rather than mystical or trained.
Prior to gaining powers, Trish relied on her Krav Maga training and conventional weapons, including a licensed firearm. After becoming a vigilante, she did not adopt a traditional superhero costume until the very end of Jessica Jones Season 3, where she was briefly seen in a functional blue-and-yellow tactical outfit. She has no other specialized equipment.
The MCU's Trish Walker is a deeply complex and ultimately tragic figure. She is driven, intelligent, and initially appears to be a loyal friend. However, her personality is defined by a core of deep-seated insecurity and power envy. Her desire to “be a hero” is inextricably linked to her trauma and her jealousy of Jessica's powers. This leads her down a path of obsession and moral compromise. She develops a rigid, black-and-white worldview, believing that her actions are justified because she is “doing good,” even when those actions are brutal and reckless. Her inability to see shades of gray ultimately transforms her from a would-be hero into a dangerous and unforgiving vigilante.
This era represents Hellcat's heroic prime. After leaving the Avengers, she found her true calling with the “non-team.” The storyline detailed her struggle to be taken seriously, leading to her intensive training on Titan with Moondragon. She grew from an enthusiastic amateur into a formidable warrior and strategist. Her time with the Defenders saw her fight cosmic threats, extra-dimensional invaders, and mystical demons, cementing her role as a hero and beginning her fateful romance with Daimon Hellstrom. This long run is the definitive period for her character's development as a superhero.
This dark, mature-themed series from the 1990s chronicled the dissolution of Patsy's marriage to Daimon Hellstrom and her subsequent death. The story explored the psychological toll of being married to the Son of Satan, showing Patsy's slow descent into madness as she was overwhelmed by Daimon's demonic nature. The series culminated in the revelation that Daimon's “Darksoul” was a separate, purely evil entity. The shock and horror of this, combined with manipulation from the villain Deathurge, led a despairing Patsy to take her own life, a shocking and tragic end for a beloved hero.
In a crossover event, Hawkeye led the Thunderbolts into Mephisto's realm to bargain for the soul of his ex-wife, Mockingbird. In a cruel twist, Mephisto revealed Mockingbird was no longer in his domain, but offered another hero's soul in her place: Patsy Walker. Horrified to find his old friend in torment, Hawkeye and the combined forces of the Thunderbolts and Avengers fought against Mephisto's legions to free her. Patsy's spirit, hardened by her time in Hell, played a crucial role in their escape. This event brought her back to the Marvel Universe, not as a victim, but as a survivor armed with new mystical senses.
This solo series by writer Kate Leth and artist Brittney Williams offered a much-needed revitalization of the character, moving away from the grimness of her past. The series took on a lighter, more comedic tone. In it, Patsy, after being fired by She-Hulk, establishes a temp agency for super-powered individuals looking for work. A central plot involves Patsy fighting to regain the legal rights to the “Patsy Walker” comics from her old rival Hedy Wolfe, who now runs her late mother's company. The series celebrated Patsy's entire history, from romance star to Defender, and re-established her as a fun, resilient, and utterly charming character.