But the Cat Came Back...

At Mitchell State Hospital, Greg Salinger -- aka the Foolkiller -- is brought in following his battle with Spider-Man. Now considering himself a fool, Salinger demands that they kill him as that is the fate of all fools. Hearing this exchange is Felicia Hardy, who is also a resident of the hospital since her last encounter with Spider-Man as the Black Cat. She finds the subject interesting, which leads her nurse to ask Felicia about her encounters with the famed wall-crawler. Hardy recounts her career as the Black Cat, and how she tricked Spider-Man into thinking that she had gone insane. Now that everyone has been tricked into thinking so, Felicia drags her nurse into a room and ties her up so she can escape unnoticed. However, her escape is eventually discovered, but far too late to stop her.

That evening, Spider-Man is returning home after helping the Falcon battle his foe Stoneface. Suddenly, a spotlight is shined on his face. Looking down at the street below, the wall-crawler spots its source, the vintage car owned by Captain Jean DeWolff. Swinging down to street level, Spider-Man asks the captain what he can do for her. She tells him about the Black Cat's escape and asks her to keep a lookout for her. Spider-Man swings away and thinks about his last encounter with the Black Cat. He wonders how much of her apparent insanity was a ruse, however no matter what the situation is, he is determined to bring her in.

A week later, in Midtown Manhattan, the Black Cat has broken into a penthouse of a wealthy art collector. There she steals an original Ehrenreich painting and easily slips out without setting off the security system. Still, she wants him the owner to know he has been robbed, so before she scales down the side of the building she tosses a rock through one of the windows, setting off the alarm. Down on the street, she gives the operator of a horse-drawn carriage a substantial tip to ride her away from the scene of the crime. Satisfied that she hasn't gotten rusty during her time in the mental hospital, her thoughts turn to Spider-Man when she sees one of the Daily Bugle's billboards about the wall-crawler. She wonders what the web-slinger is up to this evening. At that moment, Spider-Man has returned to his apartment after a fruitless hunt for the Black Cat. Once he's home, he realizes that not only does he not have any food in his apartment, but he is in desperate need of clean laundry. Changing into the only clothes he has, Peter Parker grabs a bite to eat and goes to the local laundromat. There, while waiting for his clothes to dry, Peter strikes out trying to make small talk to an attractive woman who is also trying to do her laundry.

Meanwhile, at her penthouse apartment, Felicia Hardy looks at his recent stolen painting but finds her evening lonely. Putting on a disguise, she goes down to the laundry room to do her wash. There she strikes up a conversation with another tenant who tries to invite her over for a nightcap. She declines, unable to get her mind off of Spider-Man. She wonders how she can get in touch with Spider-Man when she spots a newspaper advertisement for a sky-writing company. The next day, her message -- asking Spider-Man to meet her at the site of their "first date" -- is written above the New York City skyline. Peter Parker learns about this stunt as he leaves his teaching assistant job and catches a news report on the subject. He realizes that this is a message from the Black Cat. That evening, Spider-Man goes the Emil Greco's old hideout, the first place he met the Black Cat, and finds her waiting for him.

She tells him that she only wants to talk, but Spider-Man is determined to bring her in. As the two struggled, the Black Cat explains how she recently stole a painting, owned by a member of the Maggia, but had a change of heart about continuing her criminal career because she wants to be with Spider-Man. The wall-crawler doesn't know what to say about this offer, and while he's distracted she manages to break free from his hold and escape. Spider-Man then finds the stolen painting that she left behind with a note telling him to meet her at Phil Bradshaw's party the following night at the Empire Ballroom. He decides to take the stolen painting to Jean DeWolff and fact checks what the Black Cat told him. DeWolff tells the wall-crawler that the costume party is a meeting of criminals.

That evening, the Black Cat arrives at the party and goes looking for Spider-Man. She mistakes an actual party goer as the wall-crawler. However, she later finds the real Spider-Man, who has dressed up in another costume. The two dance until the Cat spots Bradshaw and reveals that she stole his painting. Bradshaw and his men then draw their guns. Spider-Man and the Cat try to fend off their attackers. Although the Black Cat trips him off, but they manage to wrap up all the Maggia goons just as Jean DeWolff and her officers arrive on the scene. There they find Bradshaw and his minions are tied up and a note from Spider-Man and the Black Cat. Watching from the skylight, the Black Cat suggests they celebrate their first victory together by sharing a kiss. Spider-Man is reluctant at first but gives in when she lifts up his mask enough to kiss him.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Black Cat, Maggia, Foolkiller, Jean DeWolff

Continuity Notes

• Spider-Man has just finished his battle with Stoneface prior to this story, as seen in Marvel Team-Up #114.

• The first place that the Black Cat and Spider-Man met was outside Emil Greco's hideout, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #194.