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The Iron Cat Armor was a suit designed by the Black Cat when she infiltrated the Stark Unlimited HQ and hijacked the Nanoforge. Although she only needed to use the Nanoforge to create a dimensional resonator to supplement a replica of a device called the Randall Gate in her possession, Felicia ordered the Nanoforge to rapidly create a bespoke suit for herself after Iron Man (Tony Stark) caught notice of her break-in and was coming after her.[1]

Anthony Stark (Earth-616) and Iron Cat Armor from Black Cat Vol 1 12 001

Felicia's joyride

Hiding herself in the plenum above the Nanoforge, the Black Cat used a remote-control interface to pilot the Iron Cat Armor, taking it on a joyride to shake off Iron Man. As soon as the suit started to come apart due to its hasty construction, Felicia took it to the apartment of an enemy of hers, Odessa Drake, to threaten her. When Iron Man arrived at the scene, the Black Cat let the armor fall apart, revealing that she had never been inside of it.[2]

Eventually, Tony rebuilt the suit and upgraded it. Sometime after this, it was stolen by Tamara Blake as part of a plan to get revenge against the Black Cat.[3] When she reached out to Stark for help, who in turn wanted the stolen armor back, Felicia had her allies infiltrate the Nanoforge and build a backup copy of the Iron Cat painted in red and gold. She deployed this suit when she and Iron Man set up a trap for Blake which was turned on their heads by Blake's A.I. accomplice, Madame Menace.[4] Blake subsequently teamed-up with Iron Man and the Black Cat to foil Madame Menace's plans after she double-crossed Tamara and set out to cause a global nuclear meltdown.[5] In the process, both ex-lovers used their respective Iron Cat suits to take on a Menace-controlled Hulkbuster Armor. After Madame Menace was eradicated, Blake escaped with her Iron Cat suit, while Felicia left hers back with Stark. Tamara took her armor to Ceres Goldstein for repairs.[6]

Felicia Hardy (Earth-616) from Iron Cat Vol 1 3 001

Repainted version

Properties

The original version of the Iron Cat Armor possessed very few capabilities due to the Black Cat pushing the Nanoforge too hard to put it together quickly. The armor was brittle and bound to fall apart minutes after first being assembled. It offered no life support, missile systems or repulsors. Its only weapons were a set of claws which were powerful enough to graze the Iron Man Armor. The armor favored speed and maneuverability, and was complemented by a remote-piloting interface which allowed its user to perform maneuvers otherwise impossible if the armor was manned due to the strain of g-forces. The suit also possessed an A.I. that could provide communication systems, encrypt the armor's transmissions, and whose expert systems handled most of the flight. The armor additionally generated excessive amounts of electromagnetic interference, which prevents enemy targeting systems from getting a lock.[2]

Tony Stark's upgraded version of the suit increased its integrity and durability to standard levels for an Iron Man armor. He also equipped it with repulsor rays and bolts, and wrist-mounted missile launchers. The upgraded armor was also capable of releasing an electric discharge throughout its surface.[3] The computer systems of this suit were temporarily run by a duplicate of the Madame Menace A.I..[7]

Trivia

  • Black Cat writer Jed MacKay's initial idea for the Iron Cat Armor had the appendages stemming from the back of the helmet emulate dreadlocks. He and artist Carlos Villa eventually settled on the "veil" that simulates a ponytail.[8]

See Also

Links and References

References

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