Major Comics Characters With Cat Powers

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-ManMarvel released #194 in July 1979.

How Did She Get Her Powers?Felicia Hardy was a normal, mild-mannered thief. She met and loved Spider-Man. Fearing her lack of powers put him at risk, she found a way to get her own superpowers.

What Are Her Powers? Kingpin caused Felicia’s change. He gave her a 'bad luck' power that jinxed Spidey. Dr. Strange removed it. This gave Black Cat super strength, agility, balance, vision, and retractable claws.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:Her nature is notoriously flirtatious and fickle.

First Appearance: The Cat#1 - "Beware the Claws of the Cat!" Marvel released this in November 1972.

How Did She Get Her Powers?Greer Grant Nelson was a regular lab assistant. She joined a new science experiment. This experiment gave her superhuman physical and mental abilities. Fighting crime, she suffered a fatal injury from HYDRA agents. Binding her soul to a Cat Person with an ancient ritual saved her life. This transformed her into the cat-woman Tigra.

What Are Her Powers?She has cat physical traits and tiger abilities matching her look. She can leap great distances and use retractable claws sharp enough to cut steel. She also has heightened senses, super-human strength, super speed, and a healing factor. She communicates with other felines and has strong empathy to spot injuries.

Most Cat-Like Attribute: Her fluffy tiger-striped fur shows her claws when cornered, as Ms. Marvel learned.

First Appearance: Fantastic Four#52 - "Introducing the Sensational Black Panther" Marvel released this on July 1, 1966.

How Did He Get His Powers?King T’Challa became the Black Panther clan chief and Wakanda's leader. He earned the honor of eating the Heart-Shaped Herb. Only royals can eat this plant. It gave him the powers of the Panther Goddess.

What Are His Powers?He has superhuman senses and strength, stamina, and agility. He can draw knowledge, strength, and wisdom from all past Black Panthers. He also has a healing factor.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:The cute kitty ears on his costume.

First Appearance: Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #7 DC Comics released this in August 1987.

How Did She Get Her Powers?Several Cheetah versions wore costumes. Dr. Barbara Minerva, the third and current one, actually has cat powers. Minerva acted like the DC Lara Croft until tomb-raiding forced her into an ancient cheetah god ritual. Minerva took these powers for herself ruthlessly, killing her colleague to complete the blood sacrifice.

What are Her Powers?As an avatar of the Cheetah God, Minerva has the speed and agility of a cheetah, the fastest land animal on Earth. She also has enhanced senses, claws, fangs, and a strong, prehensile tail. Minerva excels at hand-to-hand combat and shows great durability, making her a strong rival to Wonder Woman.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:Minerva drinks her colleague's blood to advance her goals. You cannot fully trust a cat; they might switch from friendly to trying to eat you.

First Appearance: (As Patsy Walker) Miss America Magazine #2 released by Marvel on November 1, 1944; (As Hellcat) The Avengers #144, February 1976.

How Did She Get Her Powers?Patricia “Patsy” Walker began as a non-powered heroine in comedy/romance comics. She gained her powers through a strange mix: infusion from a powerful cat costume worn by Tigra, resurrection after taking her own life and enduring years in hell, and alien technology.

What Are Her Powers?Hellcat senses magic and sees through illusions. She can summon her costume anytime; the gloves have sharp steel tips. Hellcat also has better strength, agility, and psychic energy.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:Hellcat is one of the few Defenders who can calm the Hulk. An attentive kitty soothes even the most savage beasts.

First Appearance:Iron Fist #14 - "Snowfire" released by Marvel on August 1, 1977.

How Did He Get His Powers? Sabretooth was born a feral mutant. Weapon X, the same secret program that made Wolverine, enhanced him.

What Are His Powers?Sabretooth's natural feral powers mix with the Adamantium laced in his bones from Weapon X, making him nearly unstoppable. He has sharp senses and sharp night vision, a healing factor like Wolverine's, superhuman strength and stamina. He also has 3-inch claws instead of normal nails and nearly unbreakable fangs.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:Sabretooth is, pound for pound, one of the scariest beasts on the planet.

First Appearance: Sensation Comics #1 - “Wonder Woman Arrives in Man's World” released by DC Comics in January 1942.

How Did He Get His Powers?Ted Grant refused to fight for King Inferno. The curse turned the professional boxer into a cat. Magician Zatanna Zatara appeared and countered the curse. Grant remained human but kept cat powers.

What are his powers?Grant gained extra lives, sharper senses, night vision, and slower aging. Before getting his powers, Grant was a skilled boxer and fighter pilot.

Most cat-like attribute:Grant has a great sense of adventure and a fearless fighting spirit.

First Appearance: The New Mutants#99 - “The Beginning of the End, Part Two” hit Marvel in March 1991.

How did she get her powers?She became a mutant by being born that way.

What are her powers?As a “feral” mutant, Maria has “ailuranthropic physiology.” This gives her the traits of a humanoid animal—a cat. She has fur, retractable claws that cut metal, and a useful prehensile tail. She also has superhuman speed, strength, stamina, agility, reflexes, and senses sharper than most animals.

Most cat-like attribute:Maria walks between being a villain and a character who brings redemption.

First Appearance: X-Force#6 - “Under the Gun” hit Marvel in January 1992.

How did she get her powers?Like her sister Feral, Thornn was also born a mutant.

What are her powers?She shares many powers and cat traits with her sister. These include enhanced senses, strength, and speed. She can run, jump, and crouch on all fours, plus she has better tracking skills.

Most cat-like attribute:She sticks by her sibling no matter what.

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man#256 - "Introducing...Puma!" hit Marvel on September 1, 1984.

How did he get his powers?Thomas Fireheart received great powers from his Native American tribe through selective breeding and shamanistic magic.

What are his powers?He can transform into Puma form. This gives him superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and balance. He has sharpened senses, razor-sharp talons and fangs, and a better healing factor. Fireheart is also skilled in martial arts.

Most cat-like attribute:Cats live by making a living as mercenaries and blood-sport fighters.

First Appearance: Green Lantern#141 - “The Lurkers in the Shadow / Doom in the Citadel of Ice” hit DC Comics in June 1981.

How did he get his powers?He got his powers by being born in the right place at the right time—as an alien cat creature on the planet Karna.

What are his powers?He has superhuman agility, berserker strength, super-enhanced senses, and wall-clinging skills. He also knows tracking and unarmed combat, and he pilots an ace craft.

Most cat-like attribute:He has a fierce sense of feline independence.

First Appearance: Captain Marvel Adventures#79 - "Captain Marvel Presents the World's Worst Actor!" came out by Fawcett Publications on December 1, 1947.

How did he get his powers?Tawky Tawny has two main origin stories. First, he was a real tiger. A serum fed to him gave him the ability to talk. In newer stories, Lord Satanus turned a stuffed tiger doll into a real tiger.

What are his powers?He has all the awesome traits of a tiger, plus he can talk.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:Panache.

First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures#33 - "The Karma of Katmandu" appeared in the Archie Adventure Series in June 1992.

How did he get his powers?He got his powers by being a four-armed tiger.

What are his powers?Besides the strength, agility, speed, and sharp senses from being a four-armed tiger, Katmandu also acts as a tough martial artist and weapons master.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:He was born a natural Panthera tigris.

First Appearance: Crash Comics#4 came out by Holyoke Publishing in August 1940.

How did he get his powers?David Merryweather became an orphan while traveling with his parents through Burma as a child. A female tiger rescued and raised him. David took on her powers during this time. When she died, her spirit kept watching him, which grew his powers.

What are his powers?He has night vision, super hearing, and the power to climb or leap almost anywhere. His tiger mother’s spirit guides him from the afterlife, giving him the power of nine lives.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:Being socially inept.

First Appearance: Angel Catbird #1 published by Dark Horse Comicsin 2016.

How did he get his powers?Strig Feleedus was a regular genetic engineer. An accident involving a car, a cat, a bird, and DNA-altering chemicals gave him the powers and traits of both a bird and a cat.

What are his powers?Catbird has huge wings that let him fly. He has taloned feet, sharp claws and fangs, enhanced senses, night vision, and a prehensile tail. He also includes many puns in his comics. Whether this counts as a power depends on your view and sense of humor.

Most Cat-Like Attribute:His strong desire to eat birds.