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The Cat #3

Apr 1973
Linda Fite, Bill Everett

The Cat #3 cover

Story Name:

From Far Beneath the Mirror of the Moon!


Synopsis

The Cat #3 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 3.5 stars

The Cat is in a small speedboat zipping across Lake Michigan, pursued by a large cabin cruiser. She tries to escape by zipping through a marina but crashes into some rocks and is hurled into the water. The ship’s crew throws a new overboard and brings her aboard. Here the comic pauses to show us the aftermath of the last issue: the Cat had gone back into the building, changed back into her street clothes and locked herself back in the closet to let the police “rescue” her. After Dr. Joanne Tumolo was released from the hospital, the doctors still unsure as to why she lost her faculties, Greer put her in a country home where she would receive round-the clock-care. Dr. Tumolo’s lawyer Ben Richards visited her and he and Greer went out scuba diving in Lake Michigan; while underwater, Greer heard some suspicious noises and decided to investigate them. So she went home early, having swiped Richards’ boat keys and returned to the lake where she ended up in the boat chase….

So now the Cat wakes up in an underwater dome where uniformed people are working intently at unrecognizable tasks. She is brought before Intelligence Officer Belag who questions her as to what she knows about them and why she dresses like a cat. Greer refuses to answer him, demanding to know who he is and what his people are doing. An alarm sounds, Belag dashes off, leaving a soldier to guard Cat, who promptly knocks him out and escapes. She ducks into a side room to avoid detection and discovers racks of US Navy uniforms and concludes this is some sort of undercover Naval mission. She looks down into the main room of the dome and sees that the place has been captured by pirates, led by Commander Kraken. Kraken explains that their domed city beneath Lake Michigan would be the perfect pirate lair and he will not take no for an answer. When the pirate king seizes Belag by the throat with his hook hand, the Cat leaps down on him and Belag orders his crew to fight even though their arms are tied. Cat frees Belag who unties the others and the battle goes to the good guys. Kraken uses his electrified hook to shock the Cat so he can make his getaway in a squid-ship. Cat tells Belag that she knows he works for the US Government; he is evasive so she reveals her secret identity, part of a full explanation as to why she’s there. And she offers to keep their secret if they keep hers. Belag agrees, Cat departs in Ben Richards’ boat, and Belag decides that they have exceeded their basic research for the project. So they resume their original wolf-like forms and the aliens take off in their ship for the stars. And Greer is now mad at herself for her pride in thinking she knew everything that was going on….



 

Review / Commentaries


The Cat #3 Review by (October 16, 2024)

Review: An offbeat issue of this series with a different art team each issue. This one has layouts by a female artist, Paty Cockrum and art by the great Bill Everett, giving this issue the feel of a Golden Age comic with large figures filling large panels. Nice. And Greer is taking care of Dr. Tumolo while dating her lawyer (who won’t show up again—but then Cat only has one more issue to go). Aliens and pirates make for a kicky plot but again, Cat ends the issue by questioning her pride and ignorance; issue #1 had her questioning her character and #2 her responsibility. Is that her character note? Greer Nelson gains superhuman powers in all aspects of her life but still has to find fault with herself? That would make sense if she still had her domineering husband’s voice in her head but that’s not mentioned. I hoped she would have grown out of it, gaining more confidence which would always turn to overconfidence.

Comments: Commander Kraken debuted in SUB-MARINER #27; this is his second appearance; he would next appear with souped-up powers in IRON MAN #93-94 before being killed by Scourge of the Underworld in CAPTAIN AMERICA #319. He has some subsequent appearances after that though. These aliens are apparently never heard from again. Cat makes a joke about an alcoholic drink called a rum punch during the fight scene. Layout artist Paty Cockrum is credited as Paty Greer; she was married to Dave Cockrum and was instrumental in creating the Marvel Value Stamp project—and she receives a special note on the first page, describing her contribution. GCD indicates that John Romita made alterations to the cover art. The letters page (starting this issue) includes one by future comics legend Frank Miller (verified on Marvel Database).



> The Cat comic book info and issue index

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Bill Everett
Bill Everett
Stan Goldberg
Rich Buckler (Cover Penciler)
Frank Giacoia (Cover Inker)
Marie Severin (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Layouts: Paty Greer. Letterer: Jean Simek.

Characters

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Cat
Cat

(Greer Nelson)
Plus: Commander Kraken, Joanne Tumolo.

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