History ComicBook / PatsyWalker

* GenreShift: Played with in issue 7 of the '80s comedy series ''What The--?!'', by having Patsy constantly flip between her [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] teen life and her [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] superhero antics.
* UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks: and survived into the Silver Age before the characters got retooled in the Bronze.

->'''Friend:''' Patsy, it's '''warm''' outside... you'll roast to death in your new fur coat!\\
'''Patsy:''' Oh, but what a '''wonderful''' way to die!!!
-->-- ''Patsy Walker'' ([[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patsy_hyperbole_7283.jpg trying on a new coat]])

* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: The series would often incorporate costume submissions from fans.

''Patsy Walker'', and its companion comic, ''Patsy and Hedy'', were Creator/MarvelComics's (initially, Timely's) major entry in the teen girls' comic genre. The character of Patsy is among Marvel's oldest, first appearing in 1944 in "Miss America" issue 2. ''Patsy Walker'' #95 was one of the first two comic book issues to carry the Marvel escrutcheon.

In 1976, Patsy Walker was retooled into the {{superhero}}ine ComicBook/{{Hellcat}}. She used the special costume abandoned by another heroine, [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing The Cat]], who now had powers of her own as a CatGirl named Tigra. Meanwhile, "Buzz", having been married to and then divorced by her, became the amoral superpowered mercenary Mad Dog. Hedy remains in Marvel canon as Patsy's mundane business partner. The original teen-comedy comics also remain canonical... as in-universe fiction written by Patsy's mother. Meanwhile, during a stint with ComicBook/TheDefenders, Patsy married teammate Daimon Hellstrom -- the '''[[AntiAntichrist Son of Satan]]'''! For tropes of this version of the character, see that page.

* LoveTriangle: Hedy's supposed to be trying to steal Buzz away from Patsy. Although in practice she seems less interested in Buzz than she is at upstaging Patsy.

''Patsy Walker'' focused mainly on the spirited red-headed heroine's issues with her more straight-laced parents, her boyfriend "Buzz", and especially her rivalry with her raven-haired nemesis/{{vitriolic best bud|s}}, Hedy Wolfe. In fact, Patsy and Hedy seem to have spent a lot of time getting in each other's faces, messing around with each other's lives with minimal motivation, and swapping wordy put-downs and insults while staring each other down in an oddly obsessive fashion, sometimes culminating in gentle displays of affection. This has made some readers wonder a little about the subtext in their relationship... but on the basis of his body of work, this just seems to be a common character dynamic in Creator/StanLee's writing.

The books were never gigantic sellers for Timely/Atlas/Marvel, but made themselves a quiet and profitable market niche in the character's 23-year first incarnation, especially in the 1950s after Al Hartley took over as the major artist. By the mid-1960s, the title's aesthetic had dated and Marvel's attention had long since been taken away from girls' humor comics, resulting in Patsy and Hedy growing up a little and becoming dashing young reporters, touring the world while frustrating the plans of various villainous {{bishonen}}. The writing standards by this point were not up to the concept, the concept itself was not incredibly original even in 1967, and in that year the Patsy Walker-based titles were quietly discontinued.

In 1976, Patsy Walker was retooled into the {{superhero}}ine ComicBook/{{Hellcat}} (by using the special costume abandoned by another heroine, [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing The Cat]], who now had powers of her own as a CatGirl named Tigra). Meanwhile "Buzz", having been married to, then divorced by her, became the amoral superpowered mercenary Mad Dog. Hedy remains in Marvel canon as Patsy's mundane business partner. The original teen-comedy comics also remain canonical... as in-universe fiction written by Patsy's mother. Meanwhile, during a stint with ComicBook/TheDefenders, Patsy married teammate Daimon Hellstrom - the '''[[AntiAntichrist Son of Satan]]'''! For tropes of this version of the character, see that page.

Compare ComicBook/MillieTheModel, another Marvel teen humour comic written by Creator/StanLee.

* CostumePorn - Each issue would let you know who designed each girl's outfit for the issue.
* FieryRedhead - Patsy, though Hedy's at least equally fiery.
* GenreShift - Played with in issue 7 of the 80s comedy series ''What The--?!'', by having Patsy constantly flip between her [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] teen life, and her [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] superhero antics.
* UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks - and survived into the Silver Age before the characters got retooled in the Bronze.
* LoveTriangle - Hedy's supposed to be trying to steal Buzz away from Patsy. Although in practice she seems less interested in Buzz than she is at upstaging Patsy.
* PrettyInMink - One issue showed Patsy being excited to get her first fur.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl - Borderline, but in general Patsy gets the girly outfits, Hedy the assertive outfits. In behaviour, they're both about as girly (or not) as each other. And Patsy's bedroom contains a baseball schedule taped to her dressing mirror and her lack of domestic skills is a running gag.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patsy_cover.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patsy_cover.jpg]]

In 1976, Patsy Walker was retooled into the {{superhero}}ine ComicBook/{{Hellcat}} (by using the special costume abandoned by another heroine, [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing The Cat]], who now had powers of her own as a CatGirl named Tigra). Meanwhile "Buzz", having been married to, then divorced by her, became the amoral superpowered mercenary Mad Dog. Hedy remains in Marvel canon as Patsy's mundane business partner. The original teen-comedy comics also remain canonical... as in-universe fiction written by Patsy's mother. Meanwhile, during a stint with ComicBook/TheDefenders, Patsy married teammate Daimon Hellstrom - the '''[[AntiAntichrist Son of Satan]]'''!

In 1976, Patsy Walker was retooled into the {{superhero}}ine [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing Hellcat]] (by using the special costume abandoned by another heroine, The Cat, who now had powers of her own as a CatGirl named Tigra). Meanwhile "Buzz", having been married to, then divorced by her, became the amoral superpowered mercenary Mad Dog. Hedy remains in Marvel canon as Patsy's mundane business partner. The original teen-comedy comics also remain canonical... as in-universe fiction written by Patsy's mother. Meanwhile, during a stint with ComicBook/TheDefenders, Patsy married teammate Daimon Hellstrom - the '''[[AntiAntichrist Son of Satan]]'''!

----
!Tropes as Hellcat
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7347fbf5368ae93edeb6d27e5a788c53.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click]][[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4de6885d8c6c4da8f46ca8a8361c5670.jpg]][[/labelnote]]to see Hellcat's second costume]]
* ActionGirl: What she has become as Hellcat.
* AmicableExes: Averted with her first (and ex-)husband, Buzz, who becomes {{supervillain}} Mad Dog. Then again, [[AnimalJingoism it's less than likely for a cat and a dog to be amicable in the first place]]. Also Daimon, who clearly isn't over her even if she doesn't want the guy who drove her to suicide back.
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: mostly animal alias variety, as her superpowers are "only" PsychicPowers and thus have nothing to do with a cat. Her claws are derived from her costume.
* AscendedFangirl: She has long idolized superheroes of Franchise/MarvelUniverse.
* BadassAbnormal: Along with peak athletic capabilities, Patsy has minor PsychicPowers and InstantCostumeChange.
* CatGirl:
** Cat-Eared Headband Costumers variety. [[http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20071204143853/marveldatabase/images/f/fc/Marvel_Comics_Presents_Vol_2_2_Textless.jpg Her costume]] was given by the original The Cat, Greer Grant Nelson, who is now known as Tigra, an actual catgirl.
** She's a traditional CatGirl in the ''Comicbook/HeroesReborn'' universe, as she's a CompositeCharacter with the aforementioned Tigra. Also in Comicbook/UltimateMarvel, where Loki eventually mixes Patsy with a leopard.
* DeadpanSnarker: While she remains quite idealistic, everything Patsy's been through helps her react this way to her surroudings.
-->I know what you're thinking. Oh, this is disgusting. [[ItMakesSenseInContext Never never never go swimming with possessed and possibly mythical creatures... by yourself... in Alaska.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: During UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, Daimon had a hard time controlling his demonic side, which led to Patsy taking her own life. Fortunately, after righting himself, Daimon was able to have her brought BackFromTheDead.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Her superpowers are her psychic powers. Aside from wearing costume with claws and grappling-hook, her fighting abilities are natural.
* TheFashionista: She might have retired from being a model, but [[http://englishfortamils.com/comics/cache/Marvel-Comics/Patsy%20Walker%20-%20Hellcat/Patsy%20Walker%20-%20Hellcat%20002/Patsy%20Walker%20-%20Hellcat%20002-014_795.jpg clothes still tickle her fancy.]]
* FemaleFelineMaleMutt: AnimalThemeNaming variant. She is cat-themed superheroine and Buzz is dog-themed supervillain.
* FemmeFatalons: Her costume has retractable casehardened, steel alloy claws on both the gloves and boots, enabling her to rend brick or stone. She later replaced them with conventional gloves and boots.
* FieryRedhead: Just like the fictionalized Patsy, this real Patsy is a redhead and fiery.
* FormFittingWardrobe: Just look at her costume in the picture, which is given by Tigra.
* FunPersonified: Ever since her post-death {{retool}}. With rare exceptions when her life is really down, she's always giddy, seeking fun things to do, and firing quips about her surroundings. To the point that Comicbook/{{Gambit}} [[http://68.media.tumblr.com/e90e449b0f105c9de88a700db2194b1b/tumblr_mhi0wizaKe1r317y8o1_1280.jpg is afraid when he sees the girl he's been set up on a date is Patsy...]]
* GrapplingHookPistol: Hellcat occasionally employed her cable-claw, which straps to her wrist and uses a compressed-gas firing mechanism to propel a four clawed grappling hook connected to a 30-foot length of steel-niobium alloy memory-cable (that coils itself back into its spool upon rewinding), which she used for swinging or tightrope walking.
* InstantCostumeChange: Ever since her return from Hell, Patsy can summon her costume at will.
* LegacyCharacter: To the original Cat (Tigra).
* MaleGaze / DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5bd9e5fcf0504583f58468340b156b39.jpg Was this actually necessary?]]
* PsychicPowers: She once possessed enhanced psionic abilities, due to the mental stimulation of Moondragon's Titanian technology. She could [[MindOverMatter move small objects telekinetically]], resist mental control, and on one occasion was able to generate a psychokinetic force-blast. Moondragon has since used her own advanced psionic powers to undo the effects of her psychic augmenter. Since then, Walker’s psychic abilities have returned but to a far lesser degree than at their peak. She no longer has any psychokinetic ability, but she is still sensitive to certain psychic phenomena.
* [[PsychoExGirlfriend Psycho Ex-Husband]]: Two of them, Mad-Dog and Son of Satan. The latter in particular is a ''literal'' ex from Hell who frequently wants Patsy back.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: The miniseries ''Patsy Walker: Hellcat'' had Patsy's assignment in the [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative Avengers 50 State Initiative]] be part of the Avengers team in Alaska - well, a team of one, given there was a shortage of personnel... at first, she feels as if it was a punishment like most cases of the trope, but ends up having much fun in The Last Frontier.
* RescuedFromTheUnderworld: Twice, after her suicide (the Avengers unknowingly rescued her soul from Hell thinking she was the recently deceased Comicbook/{{Mockingbird}}) and after she [[DealWithTheDevil accepted to stay with Daimon if he cured Firebird's cancer]] (leading Firebird, Black Cat and Photon to go save her).
* {{Retool}}: She went from being a mostly comedic character, [[TookALevelInBadass to the superheroine Hellcat]], to HappilyMarried with Daimon Hellstrom - until he went evil, drove her mad and made her kill herself. She came BackFromTheDead, and has been a mostly lighthearted heroine ever since.
** The contrast between the teen humour book and the suicidal superheroine was {{lampshaded}} with the title of her in-universe autobiography: ''Film/{{Gidget}} Goes to Hell''.
* SelfDeprecation: She's not actually comfortable about her mother’s fictionalized exploitation of her, and was relieved when the InUniverse series ceased publication.
* ToHellAndBack: She died at least twice, when an evil Asgardian tried to take over Valhalla with an ArmyOfTheDead, and after Daimon fell into TheDarkSide, leading Patsy to insanity and seeking relief through suicide.

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patsy_hyperbole_7283.jpg]]

* {{Retool}}: She went from being a mostly comedic character, to the superheroine Hellcat, to HappilyMarried with Daimon Hellstrom - until he went evil, drove her mad and made her kill herself. She came BackFromTheDead, and has been a mostly lighthearted heroine ever since.

* {{Retool}}: She went from being a mostly comedic character, [[ActionMakeover to the superheroine Hellcat]], to HappilyMarried with Daimon Hellstrom - until he went evil, drove her mad and made her kill herself. She came BackFromTheDead, and has been a mostly lighthearted heroine ever since.

* {{Retool}}: She went from being a mostly comedic character, to the superheroine Hellcat, to HappilyMarried with Daimon Hellstrom - until he went evil, drove her mad and made her kill herself. She came BackFromTheDead, and has been a mostly lighthearted heroine ever since.

In 2015, Trish Walker made her Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse debut as a primary character in ''Series/JessicaJones2015'', played by Creator/RachaelTaylor. This version of Trish is a syndicated radio talk show host, as well as a former model and child TV star who also serves as ComicBook/JessicaJones' best friend. As well, she'll be headlining her first ongoing series, ''Comicbook/PatsyWalkerAKAHellcat'', written by Creator/KateLeth.

* BettyAndVeronica: Full-on AlternateCompanyEquivalents in Patsy and Hedy, with Buzz as Comicbook/{{Archie|Comics}}.

* AmicableExes: Averted with her first (and ex-)husband, Buzz, who becomes {{supervillain}} Mad Dog. Then again, [[AnimalJingoism it's less than likely for a cat and a dog to be amicable in the first place]].

** She's a traditional CatGirl in the ''Comicbook/HeroesReborn'' universe, as she's a CompositeCharacter with the aforementioned Tigra.

''Patsy Walker'' focused mainly on the spirited red-headed heroine's issues with her more straight-laced parents, her boyfriend "Buzz", and especially her rivalry with her raven-haired nemesis/{{vitriolic best bud|s}}, Hedy Wolfe. In fact, Patsy and Hedy seem to have spent a lot of time getting in each other's faces, messing around with each other's lives with minimal motivation, and swapping wordy put-downs and insults while staring each other down in an oddly obsessive fashion, sometimes culminating in gentle displays of affection. This has made some readers wonder a little about the subtext in their relationship...but on the basis of his body of work, this just seems to be a common character dynamic in Creator/StanLee's writing.

In 1976, Patsy Walker was retooled into the {{superhero}}ine [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing Hellcat]] (by using the special costume abandoned by another heroine, The Cat, who now had powers of her own as a CatGirl named Tigra.) Meanwhile "Buzz", having been married to, then divorced by her, became the amoral superpowered mercenary Mad Dog. Hedy remains in Marvel canon as Patsy's mundane business partner. The original teen-comedy comics also remain canonical...as in-universe fiction written by Patsy's mother. Meanwhile, during a stint with ComicBook/TheDefenders, Patsy married teammate Daimon Hellstrom - the '''[[AntiAntichrist Son of Satan]]'''!

In 2015, Patsy made make her Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse debut as a primary character in ''Series/JessicaJones2015'', played by Creator/RachaelTaylor. This version of Patsy is reimagined as a syndicated radio talk show host, as well as a former model and child TV star who also serves as ComicBook/JessicaJones' best friend. As well, she'll be headlining her first ongoing series, ''Comicbook/PatsyWalkerAKAHellcat'', written by Creator/KateLeth.

* {{Retool}}: She went from being a mostly comedic character, to the superheroine Hellcat, to HappilyMarried with Daimon Hellstrom.