Over the course of his long career, Spider-Man has fought many supervillains. Some, like the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom, have become his most deadly foes. On the other hand, villains like Kangaroo, the Big Wheel, and Paste Pot Pete belong in the decidedly “lame” category… although one seemingly minor villain created a bigger impression on Spider-Man’s life than Peter Parker might suspect.
Often portrayed as a cowardly, past-his-prime supervillain, the larcenous Black Fox is, in fact, one of the greatest cat burglars of his time; so great that he trained a thief who really got under Spidey’s skin and became the ruler of New York City's underworld.
When Spider-Man first encountered the Black Fox, the thief was already an elderly man trying desperately to make a final score that would afford him a comfortable retirement. He looked so pathetic that Spidey actually took pity on him and let him go repeatedly. It wasn’t until Peter realized the Fox was exploiting his sympathy for old men that Spider-Man finally developed the nerve to bring the Black Fox in. Other stories continued to play up the Black Fox’s “loser” persona, showing him mooching off of other villains and even crashing at the Irredeemable Ant-Man’s apartment. Despite all of this, however, there was much more to this criminal than most people gave him credit for.
In the Black Cat (2019) series from writer Jed MacKay with art from various artists, it's revealed that the Black Fox is one of the world’s greatest thieves, skilled at cat burglary, sleight of hand, and manipulation. His abilities were so great that he took two thieves under his wing - Walter Hardy and Castillo Drake - and turned them into the greatest cat burglars of their generation. Eventually, both of his protégés went their separate ways, but what happened next truly defined the Black Fox’s impact on the Marvel Universe.
After Walter was caught and jailed for his crimes, his daughter Felicia began following in her father’s footsteps. Despite having a talent for theft, Felicia proved too hot-headed and was thrown in jail. Wanting to give her a chance to prove herself, the Black Fox posed as her father and had her released, and then took her on as another student, molding her into the super-criminal the Black Cat.
Felicia would go on to commit many high-profile crimes and even become romantically involved with Spider-Man. Her lust for thrills and her skill at manipulation (which she had learned from the Black Fox) allowed her to really get under Spider-Man’s skin, showing that the Black Fox had inadvertently created a villain for Spider-Man who the web-slinger couldn’t simply beat up and throw in jail. Though Felicia isn't Spider-Man's most dangerous foe, she's one of his most successful and iconic, and briefly took over the New York underworld after an altercation with Doctor Octopus (who was masquerading as the Superior Spider-Man at the time) broke her faith in heroes.
Ironically, Castillo Drake’s daughter Odessa went on to become the head of the Thieves Guild and blamed the Black Fox for his role in causing her father’s death. After capturing the Black Fox, Odessa psychologically tortured the Black Fox before the Black Cat showed up to save him. Stating that the Black Fox made her what she is, the daughter of one of the Fox’s greatest proteges saved him from the daughter of the Fox’s other student.
The stories show a new side of the Black Fox and reveal that he’s more than a pathetic joke character. While the Black Fox might like portraying himself as a helpless old man, his history reveals he is far from what he pretends to be, as his skill as both thief and teacher helped turn Black Cat into one of Spider-Man's greatest foes.