Known Powers:

Felina is a mutate with cat-like powers. While she has no obvious physical cat-like traits, Felina has the grace, agility, and leaping ability of cats. Her nails are tougher than a normal human and can be used as a weapon of last resort. Felina's eyes are similar to a cat's, as they allow her better vision in the dark than a human's. Lastly, Felina has nearly thirty years of skills relating to being a professional thief.

Notes:

Felicia Hamilton Kirby is the only child of Jennifer Hamilton. In turn, Jennifer was the sole heir of her parents, Alexander and Darlene Hamilton. Together they owned Hamilton Amalgamated Industries and were worth millions. During World War II, Jennifer acted as the heroine Shadow Cat, the leader of the Crimebusters, a hero team from that golden age.

Felicia was secretly born out of wedlock shortly before the United States entered World War II. This scandalous behavior was covered up by explaining that Felina's father was in the armed forces and that he perished during the war.

After seeing the effects of the Super Solider Formula on heroes such as Lady Victory and Hunter, Shadowcat had a feline variant designed for herself. However, Jennifer turned out to be allergic to elements of the formula. Instead it was injected into Felecia who was not so hindered. Jennifer never told Felecia the truth about how she gained her powers and let the girl simply believe that she was born that way.

After the war, Jennifer retired from crimefighting to raise her daughter. They lived together with Jennifer's parents at the family mansion in Manhattan. One day this mansion would be the headquarters of the Avengers. As Felicia grew older, her cat-like powers began to surface. She could see equally well in the day or the night. The girl had the grace, balance, and cat-like leaping abilities of the felines. Not liking her given name, Felicia combined it with feline to come up with Felina.

Felina was a problem child. She took up stealing to provide a thrill in her life. The problem was that once she started, she couldn't stop stealing. The idea of doing something potentially dangerous spiced up the young girl's life. For years she hid this from her mother. When Jennifer did learn of it, she and Felina had a falling out. Felina left her home and didn't look back. Her relationship with her mother is still strained to this day.

In her late teens, Felina adopted the identity of 'The Cat', a superpowered cat burglar. Typically dressed in black, she set out on a string of daring robberies. Each one more challenging than the one before. Eventually, she came in conflict with the man known as Hunter. Each time the Cat would be able to escape from the Hunter. As the months and years passed, this game of Cat and Hunter took on far greater meaning. The two fell in love.

Finally, Hunter caught the Cat and she was put in jail. In his secret identity of Lane Kirby, Hunter arranged for Felina's bail and had her charges dropped down to three years probation. The two were soon married and their love bore a daughter, Helena.

All was blissful in the lives of Lane and Felina Kirby for the next several years. That was until Felina's urges to steal returned. She knew she was doing wrong, but she couldn't stop herself. The Cat went back into action. This went on right under Lane's nose.

Unfortunately, Felina was caught again. Lane was understandably furious. Shortly after this, it was decided that Felina should leave so as to not negatively influence Helena whom Hunter was grooming as his replacement at a very early age. Reluctantly, Felina agree and she left home when Helena was a small child. Hunter asked Felina's mother, Jennifer, to assist him in raising his daughter.

Felina wandered Europe for the next nineteen years living the life of a wandering burglar. As the years passed, Felina's urges grew weaker and weaker. She still robbed for the spice of it, but not as often as she once had.

Upon learning of the death of her estranged husband (the two never did divorce), Felina returned to New York in the hopes of becoming reacquainted with her now grown up daughter. With great effort, Felina talked Helena into allowing her back into her life. Felina currently lives on the Kirby Estate and has taken up the task of assisting in her daughter's training as the Huntress.

To the surprise of Felina, she and Helena had a great many things in common. Felina finds her daughter to be rather rigid and that she needs to loosen up. She disapproves of her dual life as the Huntress, but does not openly try to discourage her daughter. Felina gets along swimmingly with Helena's friends. Felina loves her daughter deeply and would do just about anything to protect her. Unfortunately, her urges to steal have not completely vanished and Felina has been stealing small items under her daughter's nose.

The true origin of Felina's powers came to surface when Helena tried to use the same booster shot used by her father to give him the full abilities of Hunter. Instead, the shot caused the cat formula in Helena to run wild, transforming her into a human/feline hybrid. When the truth came out, Felina angrily confronted her mother. Jennifer admitted that she had injected Felecia when she was a baby.

Fortunately, Helena was captured and restored to normal thanks to the assistance of Lady Britannia. In the aftermath, Jennifer actually came out and apologized for her actions. Felina was shocked at this admission. The two had longest talk they had in years, but Felina couldn't bring herself to forgive her mother just yet.

Having learned her lesson, Felina has decided to support Helena in her role as the Huntress. She would much rather have her daughter be happy in what she does rather than being miserable doing what Felina wants her to do.

The Cat was created by Spectrum. Art by Muskateer.

Appearances:

Avengers # 24, 32
Huntress # 16 - Present
Muskateer # 22
Scarlet Sabre # 4, 8
Young Champions # 15

Terra Nova Notes:

On the alternate Earth known as Terra Nova, Felina is known as the Avenger Katrina. Katrina is also a thief with some cat-like qualities. While lacking the superhuman agility of Felina, Katrina can still leap farther and move faster than a normal person. Katrina also seems to be more animal like when angered.

Unlike Felina, Katrina and Hunter never separated. When their daughter Elena was born, the babe was placed in the care of foster parents for her protection. Katrina regrets giving up her daughter, but realizes that it was for the best. She does look forward to reuniting with her child some day.

Terra Nova Appearances:

Troubleshooters # 17-18, 26-30

Awards:

Voted Best Supporting Heroine for 2000 & 2001