It’s a fact of life that some people just cannot get along and sometimes there is no logic to it. However, most would be surprised that Sue Storm, generally one of the more sociable Marvel Comics heroes, has a deep-seated loathing of one notorious Spider-Man ally. This grudge is explored in detail in Fantastic Four #5 by Ryan North and Humberto Ramos.
The story starts with the rest of the Fantastic Four departing for a “boys-only getaway” fishing in the Negative Zone. However, the Invisible Woman‘s hopes for a quiet weekend are dashed by the arrival of the police. They are accompanied by Sue’s “least favorite person in New York City” – Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat.
Felicia spins a sob story about being framed for murder after her bank manager turned up dead while she was in the vault. Sue is skeptical, but agrees to investigate purely because of Felicia’s relationship with Peter Parker. However, the Fantastic Four matriarch soon concludes that Felicia is innocent. Her chief piece of evidence is the fact that, despite items being stolen from the vault at the same time of the murder, Black Cat is never as sloppy or stupid as the real thief and murderer was.
Why Fantastic Four’s Sue Storm can’t stand Black Cat
In the midst of the investigation, Alicia Masters, Ben Grimm‘s wife, asks Sue Storm why she doesn’t like Black Cat. One might expect it to be due to Black Cat trying to rob the Fantastic Four at some point. It could also be because Sue, as an archeologist, has issues with thieves in general given they often are employed to steal artifacts from museums. The truth, however, is far simpler.
Sue explains that her issues with Black Cat basically boil down to Felicia Hardy being a bad person. Everything Sue knows about Felicia paints her as greedy and thoughtless of other people. As such, she sees no reason to try and play nice, even if Felicia is trying to reform.
This makes sense given Sue’s background as a diligent student who raised herself and her younger brother alone. A “bad girl” like Felicia who survived by stealing might easily rub her the wrong way. Despite this, Sue won’t let her feelings about Black Cat see Felicia sent to prison for a crime she didn’t commit.
Fantastic Four #5 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
