Let's Break Down Everything 'Jessica Jones' Revealed About Trish In Season 3
Netflix's Jessica Jones stars a character the show completely remade almost from the ground up. The original comic book character is Luke Cage's bubbly girlfriend, in the series she and Luke share a few nights of passion before moving on because Jessica doesn't do long-term relationships. At least, not romantic ones. Instead, Jessica's longest-lasting relationship is one the show made up from whole cloth, the one with her adopted sister, Trish. But in the comics, Trish is a superhero of her own, one finally coming to Jessica Jones. So who is Hellcat? Warning: Spoilers for Jessica Jones Season 3 follow.
The character of "Patsy Walker" is one who has been in the world of Marvel comics since World War II. Back then, she wasn't a superhero. Marvel Comics had entire line ups of comics like Archie and Betty & Veronica. Patsy was part of this "teen humor" line, a redheaded socialite who was part of Miss America Magazine. Her story ran into the mid-1960s when those sorts of comics began to fall out of favor with the public.
Walker was revived in the early 1970s, first as a superhero under her own name, and then in 1976 as "Hellcat," who went on to become part of the Defenders in 1977.
When Jessica Jones was introduced as one of the Defenders in Netflix's Marvel-verse, it was a bit of an in-joke that her sister was the real Defender, and fans quickly clamored for Trish to get her Hellcat persona. As it was, the show has managed to work in a lot of Walker's backstory, using her original redhead character as her childhood stardom persona (red hair and all). It seemed only natural that Trish would eventually take on the "Hellcat" role, especially since she clearly wanted to be a superhero like Jess.
So when Trish underwent experimentation in Season 2 in hopes of gaining superpowers, most fans guessed it would work. It was just a matter of when and how. Season 2 closed with Trish displaying a sudden upgrade in reflexes. Season 3 almost certainly would bring on Hellcat.
Jessica Jones Season 3 Episode 2 is dedicated to Hellcat's arrival. Starting with the moment that closed Season 2, fans get to watch as Trish experiments with her new abilities and discovers she has night vision. But Trish also learns something just as valuable. To become a superhero, she has to train for it and develop these new skills. They don't just happen, they must be worked for.
This being the Netflix Marvel-verse though, Patsy doesn't just put on her yellow tights and run out and fight crime. Like in Daredevil with Kingpin, Trish never refers to herself as "Hellcat." And like Jessica in Season 1, when confronted with her costume from the comics she shakes her head. "Hell no."
Trish's new version of Hellcat may not use the name, and may not wear the mask, preferring to hide her face behind a well-tied scarf and a beanie cap for her hair. But when it comes to the world of Jessica Jones, there's a new superhero in town. And unlike Jessica, she's here to volunteer to save the world.
