Doctor Octopus is blackmailing the mother of Felicia Hardy, and she begins to realize that her family has some dark secrets. Some snooping in the Daily Bugle files by Peter, and a confession by Anastasia Hardy, reveal that Felicia's father was really the Cat Burglar, a thief who got rich from the gains of an enormous heist. The Kingpin joins forces with Doc Ock to spring Hardy from jail, as Hardy holds the secret to the 1940s "Super Soldier" formula that created Captain America! To make sure the Cat Burglar cooperates, Kingpin kidnaps Felicia.

Felicia Hardy, now transformed into the Black Cat, is blackmailed into working for Kingpin, until he can replicate more of the "Super Soldier" serum.

When a savage creature begins attacking people in New York, Black Cat tries to convince Spider-Man that he needs her help to stop it. All clues point to the creature being Kraven The Hunter, but sleuthing by Debra Whitman, Flash Thompson, and the Black Cat solves the case. The beast, Calypso, is related to Kraven, but the Hunter wants to capture and cure her.