Wildcat
Created by Bill Finger & Irwin Hasen
Yolanda
created by Roy Thomas
Tom created by Mark Waid, Alex Ross & Geoff Johns
+ History
Henry Grant was determined that his son Ted would not be frail, as he had been. And so, Ted was raised close to his father in a very athletic lifestyle which included the sport of boxing. Ted was a natural and and eventually decided pursue professional boxing. He was even good enough to compete in the 1936 Olympics. (Justice Society v.2 #7)
But for all his good intentions, Henry Grant's gambling addiction ultimately brought about the demise of his family. When his gambling debt became insurmountable, the mob killed Ted's mother and faked Henry's death as well. Henry was left alive but alone and penniless. Henry died in 1938 and Ted never forgave him for being so weak. (JSA Classified #27)
At this time of his mother's death, Ted was attending college still training in boxing. Henry's gambling left Ted destitute, and the boy he fell under the wing of boxing coach Joe Morgan (aka Nat Milligan), who also tought him gymnastics. Ted was directionless until one night when he saved boxing champ "Socker" Smith from a mugging. This renewed his interest in boxing and he quickly became a sensation.
In his first championship bout, Ted's gloves were rigged without his knowledge to poison his friend and opponent, Socker Smith, who died as a result. Ted was inspired by mystery man Green Lantern to become the vigilante called Wildcat, and forced his handlers to clear Grant’s name. (Sensation #1) After the scandal cleared, Ted was re-awarded his title as heavyweight champion of the world. (#2)
Wildcat eagerly threw in with his contemporaries in the wartime group called the All-Star Squadron. After the war, he became a core member of the Justice Society. (All-Star Comics #24) Wildcat also maintained a sexual (but apparently non-romantic) relationship with Hippolyta during her time with the JSA. (Wonder Woman v.2 #185) Ted has also suggested that he had a sexual relationship with his 1940s adversary, the Huntress I (Tigress II). (JSA3 #10)
In 1945, Wildcat had a life-altering encounter with King Inferno. The villain attempted to force him to throw a boxing match, but when Ted refused, Zatara had to step in to prevent Inferno from turning Ted into a real cat. In the magical process, Wildcat gained a real nine lives! (JSA3 #53)
In the late forties he and his girlfriend Irina had a son, Jake, who was kidnaped shortly after his is birth by his enemy the Yellow Wasp (1st app. Sensation #20) . Ted saw neither the boy nor the Yellow Wasp again, and Ted and Irina split up afterwards. (Secret Origins #50, JSA Secret Files #1) In fact, the Yellow Wasp retired from villainous adventuring and raised Jake as his own. The Wasp's other son became jealous of their closeness and at some point, killed them both. This second son later became the Killer Wasp and joined Johnny Sorrow's Injustice Society. (JSA3 #21, JSA Secret Files #2)
After the JSA's breakup in 1951, Wildcat, like other members continued to have occasional adventures. With the help of Wildcat, Black Canary and Starman defeat the Huntress and Sportsmaster. (Brave & Bold #62) Soon after this, Ted lost the first of his new "nine lives" in a battle with Solomon Grundy. (JSA3 #53) Oddly, he also helped the Spectre defeat the mystically possessed "Happy" Jack Dold. (Spectre v.1 #3)
After the debut of the Justice League of America, the Justice Society also officially reformed with several yougner members. Wildcat was a core member of this group and in one of their first cases, he suffered brain damage from the Icicle's mind control. This caused his speech to deteriorate. (All-Star Comics #66) He was then badly injured in a battle with the Thorn, and the JSA discovered his earlier brain damage. (#72) Surgeons successfully struggled to save Ted's life (#73) and he subsequently took a leave of absence from the JSA to open a private gym in Gotham for underprivileged kids. (Adventure #464)
During the "Silver Age," Ted trained several notable young heroes, including Batman, Catwoman and his friend Dinah's daughter, who would become Black Canary II. Ted also became the godfather of Yolanda Montez, the daughter of his old friend "Mauler" Montez. He taught his skills to Yolanda as well. Yolanda grew into a strong, determined young woman who decided to continue Ted's heroic legacy when the elder's legs were crushed during the so-called "Crisis." (Crisis #5) She donned his costume and bacome Wildcat II. (#6) Soon she met other new heroes with ties to the original Justice Society. Together with the new Hourman II and Dr. Midnight she made a bids membership in Infinity, Inc. (a group of JSA progeny). The fledgling group was hesitant to add members so soon, (Infinity Inc. #25, 28) but the trio proved their worth and were soon admitted to the group. (#31)
In her time with the team, Yolanda learned that her metahuman prowess was a product of the same genetic experiments that created the group called Helix. Another child from this group, Carcharo, was in fact Yolanda's cousin. (#26) Yolanda stayed with the group until it disbanded, following their leader, Skyman's, death. (#31) Wildcat went into semi-retirement, concentrating on her professional career as a reporter for the magazine Rock Stars.
During much of Infinity's time together, Ted and the Justice Society had been banished to Limbo, locked in the endless Ragnarock battle. (Last Days of the JSA) When they emerged, (Armageddon: Inferno #3-4) Wildcat joined several members and restarted the team. (Justice Society v.2 #2) Sadly, it was soon after Ted's return that Yolanda met her end alongside Dr. Midnight and several other heroes in a mission against Eclipso (Eclipso #13) Ted was left with the awful task of delivering this news to the Montez family, who blamed him for Yolanda's death. (Showcase '94 #8)
At Yolanda's funeral, things got heated and Yolanda's father, Juan lashed out at Ted. Her mother, Maria sought the help of a witch who claimed she could resurrect Yolanda. Her brother, José alerted Ted and the witch was exposed. Afterwards, Maria forgave Ted, acknowledging that Yolanda was happy in her time as Wildcat. (Showcase '94 #8)
Several JSAers met their end battling Extant in the event known as Zero Hour, but ironically, both Ted and the Flash gained a measure of youth in the process. (Starman v.2 #20) The eternally youthful members of the JSA reassembled again to help the JLA free the Spectre and stave off an imminent invasion from the 5th Dimension. During this case, the rest of the JSA learned for the first time about Ted's "nine lives," another of which he lost in this battle. (JLA #28)
Vengeance for Yolanda
The new JSA prompted a revival of the Injustice Society. Their roster included the new Killer Wasp, who finally revealed the fate of Ted's son, Jake. (JSA #21) At this time, the JSA recruited Alexander Montez (Yolanda's cousin) to serve as the JSA's Museum Curator. (#26) Alex had a secret agenda; he was secretly acquiring the power of Eclipso's black diamonds in order to defeat the demon and avenge Yolanda's death. (#45)
Ted's past again came calling when the new Crimson Avenger attempted to exact her vengeance for the death of Charles Durham. She
claimed that Durham had been framed for murder by Wildcat, then executed. Her supernatural
guns pierced both he and Power Girl. Wildcat won this fight by forcing the Crimson Avenger to question the source of her powers, and dro
ve her away. By the end of this encounter, he had lost lost three more of his nine lives. (#52-53)
Once Alex Montez acquired all of Eclipso's diamonds (#49-50), he took the name Eclipso (II) and joined a rival team formed by Black Adam's rival team. (#52) This of course led to a confrontation with the JSA where a stray blast from Eclipso killed his lover, Nemesis. The tattoo that bound Eclipso withiin Alex was also severed and Alex's hold on Eclipso wavered. He committed suicide in greif of his actions. (#58) Ted delivered the sad news to Alex's parents just as he had to Yolanda's. (#59)
Nine Lives and a Second Chance
Though he is limited to hand-to-hand combat, Ted has repeatedly proven his worth to the JSA. He repelled the entire Injustice Society — single-handedly, with a broken arm, and naked. (JSA #10) He has also been persuaded to aid the so-called "Birds of Prey," at the request of Black Canary. (BoP #81)
Wildcat has teamed up with Catwoman several times in the past, and appears to have trained her as well. Whether they have had sexual relations, there is definite sexual tension between them. Ted has never married and has no known living relatives.
Wildcat of Earth-One
In the original multiverse, there was a Wildcat of Earth-1 who was very similar to the original, of Earth-2. He was only featured in six separate adventures. This Ted Grant was a former heavyweight champion of the world. Little is known of his early days as Wildcat, but his fortunes waxed and waned.
The first five of his adventures teamed him with Batman to battle various mundane menaces (though they did have to outwit the Joker on one occasion), while the final one featured a team-up with the Creeper. (This meeting cementing makes the Earth-1 connection concrete) to fight that hero's enemy, Proteus.
Nothing in these Wildcat adventures indicated that he was a World War II. Outside these tales, this character was never mentioned and was certainly eliminated by the first Crisis. However, in current continuity, Wildcat did train Batman, Catwoman, Black Canary and others.
The Brave & the Bold #88, 97, 110, 118, 127 • Super-Team Family #2
+ Powers
Wildcat is a top-notch hand-to-hand combatant who has helped trained some of the most accomplished heroes, including Batman, Black Canary and Catwoman.
His only metahuman ability was his "nine lives." When killed, he was magically revived and restored to full health. He used the last of these recently. (JSA:Classified #9)
Appearances + References
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