Considering Jim Lee is one of the most successful comic book artists of all time, it’s rare for him to be involved in a project that flops but that’s exactly what happened with the 90s Wonder Hero “Nightcat,” The publisher’s attempt to create their own superhero pop star fell flat in a hilarious bit of behind-the-scenes comic book industry.
On Instagram, Jim Lee shared How a recent dinner with fellow artists Joe Jusko and Dennis Cowan during the Bedrock City Comic Con brought back some old memories. As it turns out, in 1991, all three contributed to NightcatThe superhero identity created by Marvel for aspiring actress Jacqueline Tavares.
Lee explained how he was approached by Stan Lee and editor Bob Budiansky to design Nightcat’s costume, with Joe Jusko painting the debut for her debut comic, and Dennis Cowan providing the interior art.
Jim Lee explains NIGHTCAT Marvel’s failed attempt to engineer a ’90s pop star
Nightcat #1 – Written by Jim Salicrup, Barry Dutter & Stan Lee; Art by Denys Cowan & Jimmy Palmiotti; Costume design by Jim Lee
in Nightcat #1, Jacqueline “Jackie” Tavares is portrayed as a teen from Queens who dreams of being a singer. Her stern, undercover captain father would have none of it, however, instead forcing her to enroll in college so she could get a proper education. This led Jackie to develop an alter ego as the superhero Nightcat so she could moonlight as a stage performer, eventually landing a record deal with LMR Records—and, Through a rather convoluted series of events, led to her becoming a superhero.
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In this issue, Jackie became a test subject for a new designer drug that gave her cat-like reflexes, extendable claws from her fingernails and “night vision.” She also began carrying a telescoping battle staff, and drove around in a souped-up car called the Cut-Illac. As Jim Lee said of the character, in retrospect:
You can’t make things up, people. Actually, we tried and failed lol.
Of all the superheroes to come from the House of Ideas, Nightcat is up there with NFL Superpro and US 1 as perhaps one of the strangest.
Jim Lee’s designs make it unmistakable that she was a hero of the 1990s
Unfortunately, the character never took off
Nightcat #1 was released in April 1991, accompanied by her own self-titled album, intended to launch her career as a pop star. The real Nightcat accompanied Stan Lee on a media tour, including television appearances and performances, in a costume based on Jim Lee’s design. Despite all the pre-arranged media hype, Nightcat was a dud; The comic did not sell many copies, and the album failed to chart. Although plans for a team-up with Spider-Man were in the works, the character never appeared again.
It is absurd to think that a Marvel Comics hero designed by legendary artist Jim Lee at the height of his popularity, with the involvement of Stan Lee, would ultimately be a failure, but that was the fate of Nightcat.
As an artifact of comic book history, Nightcat is an amusing insight into Marvel’s early 1990s attempt to generate attention across multiple mediums, and the character’s design, as created by Jim Lee, is unmistakably a product of its era. All these years later, it is absurd to think that a Wonder Comics hero designed by legendary artist Jim Lee at the height of his popularity, with the involvement of Stan Lee, would ultimately be a failure, but that was the fate of Nightcat.
Source: Jim Lee (Instagram)