Feminist Legacies in “She-Hulk”

The 2014 She-Hulk series, penned by Charles Soule w/ pencils by Javier Pulido & Ron Wimberly and covers by Kevin Wada, features a strong cast of female supporting characters. And two characters, Hellcat/Patsy Walker and Tigra/Greer Nelson, have fascinating feminist legacies. 1/9

Patsy Walker predates Marvel Comics. Created by Stuart Little & Ruth Atkinson, Patsy debuted in “Miss America Magazine” #2 (1944), published by Marvel precursor Timely Comics. The mag wasn’t connected to the beauty pageant; it featured comics & stories aimed at young women. 2/9

Patsy got her own series in 1945 while continuing to appear in additional titles, mixing humor & romance in the “Archie” vein. Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner all had their series cancelled after WWII. Not Patsy. Her solo series endured until 1965. 3/9

Greer Nelson first appeared in 1972 in “The Cat” #1, by Linda Fite with pencils by Marie Severin. Two more female characters, Night Nurse and Shanna the She-Devil, debuted the same year. All three titles were written by women & hoped to engage female readers. 4/9

Nelson’s superhero origin is explicitly feminist. After her controlling husband is killed by muggers, Nelson goes to college, becoming the lab assistant to a female scientist trying to maximize women’s potential. This transforms Nelson into a superhero called The Cat. 5/9

“The Cat” series was cancelled after four issues. But comics weren’t done with Nelson or The Cat. In 1974, Nelson was transformed into a cat-woman known as Tigra. And in 1976, in the pages of Avengers #144, the Cat costume found a new owner—none other than Patsy Walker. 6/9

As Hellcat, Patsy has been a member of The Defenders and starred in several miniseries (while also enduring numerous traumas). As Tigra, Nelson became a member of the West Coast Avengers and has guest starred in many additional stories. 7/9

In “She-Hulk,” Hellcat, Tigra, and Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk exchange sisterly mentorship. Jen offers Patsy a job when she’s struggling, while Patsy and Greer bond over their interconnected histories & discuss different ways of embodying female empowerment. 8/9

Hellcat and Tigra’s lengthy histories don’t directly impact the main plot of “She-Hulk.” But for attuned readers, bringing these three women together, and seeing them support each other, evokes a rich, if complicated, feminist history—and plenty of feminist potential. 9/9