Why Patsy Walker is one of the most important characters in the Marvel Universe

Patsy Walker might not have the name recognition of Spider-Man or Wolverine, but she’s one of the most important characters in the Marvel Universe. Modern readers know her as Hellcat, the fierce superheroine that has fought alongside the Defenders and Avengers, but Patsy’s roots go deeper. Some might consider Hellcat a c-list Marvel character, but there was a time when Patsy headlined six titles at once. In fact, Patsy still holds the second-place record for longest running female led Marvel title, right behind Millie the Model. Contemporary Marvel heroines like She-Hulk and Captain Marvel would need to go at least a decade without rebooting before they would hope to surpass her. If you haven’t considered the historical importance Patsy Walker holds in the Marvel Universe, I guarantee you this article will change your perspective forever.

Marvel's Archie

Patsy Walker made her debut in 1944’s Miss America Magazine #2. Most of the development process has been lost to time, but the general consensus is that Patsy was created by cartoonist Ruth Atkinson. According to Marvel editor Tom Brevoort, legend goes that Timely Comics (which eventually became Marvel) saw the success of the Archie family of comics, and sought to create a teen comedy character of their own. Patsy’s debut story was written by Stuart Little, drawn by Ruth Atkinson, and described her as “a real typical teen-ager” in the opening narration.

In addition to Patsy, the story introduced her father Stanley, mother Mary, kid brother Mickey, boyfriend Buzz Baxter, and her rival Hedy Wolfe. Subsequent stories would introduce Patsy’s best friend Nancy Brown, and her classmates Tom 'Tubs' Hale and Ronnie Robbins. Many of the stories centered around Patsy’s rivalry with Hedy Wolfe, as the two sparred over everything. Much of the comedy also revolved around Patsy’s teenage romance with Buzz, as the two regularly had wacky misunderstandings.

In other words, this was Marvel’s version of Archie Andrew s. Archie had debuted three years earlier in Pep Comics #22, and his influence could clearly be seen in these early stories. In fact, while the kids lived in Centerville , some early issues identified their town as Riverdale. Centerville was a typical early 20th century American small town. It had a malt shop the kids would frequent, friendly neighbors, and was the perfect setting for humorous teenage adventures. In 1945 Timely published Patsy Walker #1, making Patsy the first teenage girl to have her own comic series. As her popularity grew, more spin-off titles emerged, including Patsy and her Pals, Patsy and Hedy, Teen Comics, Girls’ Life, Hedy Wolfe, and A Date with Patsy.

In her book Archie’s Rivals in Teen Comics, 1940s-1970s: An Illustrated History, comic historian Michelle Nolan states that next to Archie, Patsy was considered the most commercially successful teen comedy franchis e of the Golden Age. By the early 1950’s superheroes had fallen out of favor, and Timely Comics ceased