After 47 years, a classic Marvel character is officially joining the X-Men as their newest recruit, but their arrival comes with a wild twist. Marvel is teasing that this longtime character isn’t just becoming the latest X-Man, but is also about to become a mutant, fundamentally changing their place in the Marvel Universe.

Spider-Man has one of the most iconic galleries of characters in comics, from legendary villains and iconic allies to some of the most famous and recognizable love interests in comic book history. Now, Marvel has revealed in an early solicitation that one of these iconic Spider-Man characters will be embarking on an unprecedented new era as she joins the X-Men. Who is it, you may ask? Well, it’s none other than Felicia “Black Cat” Hardy.

This news comes amid Marvel’s solicitation for the upcoming December 9, 2026, release of Black Cat #17, which teases, “MEET THE NEWEST MUTANT… FELICIA HARDY?! Witness Felicia Hardy’s own second genesis — as the newest member of the X-Men! Felicia’s encounter with Emma Frost left her changed. Shall we say…mutated?” Now, the only question is: what new powers can we expect from this iconic Spider-Man character?

Everything We Know About Black Cat Becoming The X-Men’s Newest Member (So Far)

Main Cover by Gleb Melnikov & Marte Gracia for Black Cat #17 (2027)

Black Cat #17 will be brought to life by the creative talents of writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Andrés Genolet. Those who have been keeping up with the solicitations for the series will recall that Marvel has already teased Felicia’s impending mutant transformation, as the summary for the upcoming November 11, 2026, release of Black Cat #16 read, “This issue of BLACK CAT is X-rated (for gratuitous use of X-MEN guest stars)! EMMA FROST has a job only Felicia Hardy can pull off. But Felicia isn’t a mutant… is she?!”

Initially, it was unclear if issue #16 was simply going to feature a one-shot story featuring the X-Men before moving on to Felicia’s next adventure. However, with the confirmation that issue #17 will continue this X-Men-centric story arc, with Felicia becoming a mutant herself and joining the X-Men, it’s clear that there are huge changes on the horizon for Black Cat, and Emma Frost is specifically going to play a major role in ushering in this new era.

It will be particularly interesting to see the dynamic between Black Cat and Emma Frost play out, as well as how the job Emma has for Felicia will either reveal or trigger her mutant powers. Given that Felicia has gained and lost various powers at different points throughout her comic book history, it’s likely that her mutant abilities may be related to some of these previously established powers. However, we won’t know exactly what change she undergoes until the official comic is released.

However, Felicia’s newfound mutant powers will be anything but an easy journey, given that the official cover art by Gleb Melnikov and Marte Gracia for the issue gives an ominous tagline: “We hope she survives the experience!” This lets us know that this isn’t just a life-altering experience ahead for Black Cat, but rather one that could be life-threatening.

Black Cat #17 from Marvel Comics will be available to read on December 9, 2026!

Movie(s)

X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

TV Show(s)

X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)