We’re eight months into the year of absolute hell, 2020, because time is completely and utterly fake, and I think many of us are grasping for moments of joy. Some of those moments of joy for me have been returning to old Spider-Man stories and losing myself in the before times. 

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for a good Black Cat story. Outside of MJ, my favorite team up for ol’ disaster-face Peter Parker is the capable and entirely-out-of-his-league-because-she-is-too-smart-and-too-perfect-for-him Felicia Hardy aka Black Cat. 

In 1984, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #87 hit newsstands (remember newsstands?) and in it, Pete just had to go and ruin everything. Written by Bill Mantlo, with art by Al Milgrom, Jim Mooney, and Christie Scheele, it’s a pretty iconic moment in Spidey’s past. He and Cat have been seeing each other, but only as Spidey and Black Cat. Never as Peter and Felicia. It’s a rule they have — secret identities and whatnot. The plot doesn’t really come into play right now because all I really want to talk about is this one page where Peter unmasks in front of his cat burglar girlfriend. 

Have you ever identified with a comic character more? Because I haven’t. If I ever went outside anymore, all I’d think was “Hey, put on your mask!!” or “WHERE’S YOUR MASK, I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE.” 

“Y-your mask… … Please… ...PUT YOUR MASK BACK ON!!!” Listen to Felicia, kids, she knows of what she speaks.