Walter Hardy is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Walter Hardy is a well-known cat burglar who was arrested at some point. Years later,
Black Cat steals precinct papers on the prison holding him.
Peter Parker learns that Walter has been imprisoned for several decades and is terminally ill. At the prison, Spider-Man fights Black Cat while her accomplices Boris Korpse and Bruno Grainger blast the wall to Walter's prison cell, the rubble of which buries Spider-Man. Spider-Man and the police are unable to stop Black Cat, Korpse, and Grainger from capturing Walter Hardy. At her home, Black Cat reveals that she is Walter's daughter Felicia and that her mother Lydia purposefully hid his past from her. Walter then leaves to spend his final moments with his wife. After Black Cat falls into the river, Spider-Man meets with Lydia as she mourns Walter's death.
Other versions of Walter Hardy In the
Ultimate Universe, Walter Hardy previously operated as the Black Cat before retiring and becoming a lieutenant of
Wilson Fisk. Using his accumulated stolen wealth, Walter took control of and manages the Bronx on Fisk's behalf. Additionally, Walter married and had a daughter,
Felicia, before his wife died years prior. In the present, due to the
Green Goblin and
Spider-Man interfering with Fisk's operations, Walter joins his
Sinister Six to eliminate them. After being injured by Green Goblin, Walter passes the mantle of Black Cat to Felicia and asks her to take his place in Fisk's ranks to maintain his standing.
Walter Hardy in other media • A character based on Walter Hardy named
John Hardesky/The Cat appears in the
Spider-Man: The Animated Series eponymous consecutive episodes "The Cat" and "The Black Cat", voiced by
John Phillip Law. As a boy, he was tricked by the Nazis into spying on
Captain America's creation using his photographic memory. When Hardesky discovered the truth, he was hunted by a group sent by the
Red Skull, though he successfully evaded them. Years later, he enters protective
S.H.I.E.L.D. custody after a heist gone wrong until the
Kingpin has the
Chameleon replace him to get the super-soldier formula. Upon discovering it, the Kingpin tasks
Doctor Octopus with kidnapping Hardesky's daughter Felicia Hardy before using her as a test subject for the formula, transforming her into the
Black Cat.
Spider-Man follows Black Cat to the Kingpin's hideout and rescues her and Hardesky after he destroys the super-soldier formula before it can be replicated. With the Kingpin's plan thwarted, Hardesky shares his goodbyes with his family and willingly returns to S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. • A composite character version of Walter Hardy appears in
The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by
Jim Cummings in the episode "Intervention" and by
James Remar in the episode "Opening Night". This version was amalgamated with the
Burglar. In the former episode, the
alien symbiote Peter Parker was bonded to at the time accesses a memory of the latter seeking revenge on a burglar who broke into his home and killed his
Uncle Ben only to discover he was the same robber he allowed to escape from the TV studio earlier that day. After Spider-Man subdues him, the burglar is arrested by the police. In the latter episode, Spider-Man discovers Hardy became an inmate of the
Vault while testing the prison's security system and encounters Black Cat, who infiltrated the prison to break her father out. Amidst a prison break, Spider-Man recognizes Hardy as the burglar who killed Ben. Hardy expresses regret over killing Ben and offers to make amends by staying behind to subdue the other escaped inmates and allow Spider-Man and Black Cat to escape. • Walter Hardy appears in
Spider-Man (2018), voiced by
Daniel Riordan. This version previously operated as the Black Cat twenty years prior to the events of the game before he supposedly died and his daughter Felicia Hardy took up the mantle. During a side quest,
Spider-Man is contacted by
NYPD detective Mackey, who tasks him with tracking down paintings stolen by Walter. As Spider-Man looks for them, Mackey relays Walter's past to him, explaining that because of his skill as a thief, the
Maggia sought to recruit him. Walter refused and allowed himself to be arrested before supposedly drowning in a failed escape attempt from
Ryker's Island, though many suspect that he faked his death to protect his family from the Maggia. After collecting all of the stolen art pieces, Spider-Man discovers that Mackey is actually Walter, who adopted an alias to retrieve the stolen paintings and use them to finance his retirement. Before he leaves, Walter asks Spider-Man to look after Felicia. ==Hargen the Measurer==