Marvel’s Jessica Jones series, which first appeared on Netflix, brought this character to life in unforgettable fashion. The adaptation nailed Jessica’s gritty P.I. personality, portraying a character buried in her own emotional trauma and turmoil. Rumor has it that Jessica Jones will be appearing in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, officially adding her character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) canon. That has fans thinking about what her show did and didn’t get right. Jessica Jones did manage to get a lot of things right, including introducing us to the lingering terror that is the Purple Man. However, there was one major problem most people had with the adaptation: Patsy Walker.
In the beginning, Patsy Walker’s character didn’t stand out as the sore thumb, but her transition to Hellcat was not like her comic book counterpart. Most of the time, Marvel fans are fine with seeing the MCU change things, as they usually alter characters and stories to help them fit this different universe. That said, some instances have been disappointing, to say the least. We won’t delve into all those instances today; instead, we’re going to focus on what went wrong with Patsy, aka Trish Walker or Hellcat.
Marvel Comics’ Hellcat
Patricia “Patsy” Walker has a long history in Marvel Comics, and that’s part of why her fans love her. She grew up loving comic books and superheroes, so it’s not surprising that she wanted to follow in their footsteps. She eventually found the perfect avenue to do so after meeting Hank McCoy, aka the Beast. Patsy, ever the charmer, convinced Beast to help her find a way to obtain her own superpowers.
The solution wasn’t actually that simple. Patsy may have eventually gotten the powers she always wanted, but they came from multiple sources, including a suit, psionic enhancements, and an unfortunate period of time spent in Mephisto’s realm (it’s complicated living in Marvel Comics).
In the comics, Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat, is known for many things. She has a celebrity background, much like her live-action counterpart, though there are some differences in the paths chosen for them. She is incredibly agile, has claws, and psionic powers. She’s also incredibly optimistic, bright, and supportive. She’s the sort of character that will never be beaten down, no matter what sort of odds she’s up against. Yes, she has had more than her fair share of relationship drama, but she’s always been pretty good about packing up and moving on when needed.
Trish Walker As Seen In Jessica Jones
The Trish Walker of Jessica Jones is slightly different. Even her origin story is different, which is both good and bad. The adaptation did a great job of giving Trish and Jess a close relationship, with the two living together as teenagers and basically growing up as sisters. It was a nice touch, and we’re not here to claim otherwise. Trish was a great support system to Jess, though even from the beginning, it was pretty clear that she envied Jess’ powers.
Much like her comic counterpart, she was a teenage star who found a way to keep her legacy going. In this case, that meant she went on to become a talk show host, which she used to help Jess solve mysteries as needed. However, things began to change during the second season, and that’s where Hellcat fans get a bit upset.
An Ongoing Obsession With Power
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to see how badly Trish Walker craves power. That detail isn’t terribly different from her comic book version, though it does feel more insidious, even in the beginning. Trish’s obsession with power even colors her relationship with Jessica, as she lives vicariously through her friend’s abilities (for a time). In the second season, Trish finally spots what she needs to make her dreams come true: Dr. Malus.
In the show, Trish coerces Dr. Malus to perform an experimental procedure on her. That isn’t too drastic in terms of Marvel origins. Unfortunately, while Trish gets powers, there’s clearly a high price to be paid. Thus, Trish begins to descend down a darker road, crossing the line from vigilante to supervillain.
Truthfully, we understand why some details in Hellcat’s story had to be changed. Jessica Jones was never going to have time to follow Trish’s comic book path to power. It’s too much backstory. The problem lies in how they allowed the power to corrupt a character who is overwhelmingly known for her positive and supportive nature. Not only did they throw that out the window, but they turned her into the sort of person willing to kill her best friend’s mother (whatever her reasons were, it doesn’t negate the cold, hard facts).
Jessica Jones is available to stream on Disney+.
