A
super-hero created by
Bill Finger and
Irwin Hasen for
DC Comics. Wildcat first appeared in
Sensation Comics #1
in January 1942.
Wildcat was the costumed identity of Ted Grant. Grant was
a college student until the death of his father left him with
no means of finishing his education. Out of school and with
no job, Grant happened one night upon a mugging and fought off
the muggers. The victim was a boxer named "Socker" Smith
who in gratitude offered to teach Grant to Box. Under Smith's
tutelage, Grant began a boxing career, being managed by two
men named Flint and Skinner. Grant eventually rose to the
title of heavyweight champion without ever having lost a fight.
Grant soon found that his managers were on the take and set up
a title fight against Grant's former teacher Smith. To ensure
that Grant won the fight, the two put a needle in Grant's glove
which would inject Smith with a sedative and help Grant win the
fight. Unfortunately, though decent boxing managers, Flint
and Skinner knew nothing of drug doses and caused Smith to be
injected with too much of the sedative killing him. Grant was
charged with murder in the case. Flint and Skinner attempted
to silence Grant and ran the police car transporting Grant off
the road, killing the two policemen and framing Grant for the
crime.
Grant wandered the streets for a time, until he was told of the
adventures of the Green Lantern by a young boy and how he fought
crime. Grant was inspired to create for himself a costumed
identity and called himself Wildcat. Creating a costume, he
tracked down Flint and Skinner and forced them to confess,
clearing his name. He then continued fighting crime as Wildcat.
He became a member of the All-Star Squadron for a time and
continued adventuring for many years. During the Crisis on
Infinite Earths, Grant was struck by a stray bolt of lightning
shattering his legs. He was believed to be crippled for life,
but eventually recovered.
For a time, a super-powered woman named Yolanda Montez fought
under the name Wildcat. She had feline-like powers including
claws and heightened agility. She was killed by the villain
Eclipso after a short career.