We checked out an issue of the Cat last year, and mentioned how in it Greer Nelson was wearing the costume that would later go to Patsy Walker and be better known as Hellcat. Greer wouldn't need it anymore, after today's book: from 1974, Giant-Size Creatures #1, "Tigra the Were-Woman!" Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Vince Colletta.
The Werewolf (By Night!) gets top billing and appears first in this story; but it's almost all Greer's show: on a beach in Mexico, she almost literally runs into Jack Russell, before HYDRA catches up with them! In a bikini, Greer tries to play dumb tourist, but even Hydra's dumbest goons aren't buying it: like Jack, they notice her large cat ring; which I honestly don't think would be the first thing they'd notice there. Transforming into Tigra, she takes care of them easily enough, but is surprised to meet the Werewolf! They mix it up for a bit, until the Werewolf is knocked out by a sonic grenade and Tigra is captured.
Hydra also has Greer's mentor from her old series, Dr. Tumolo; who had given her powers. Twice, actually: first the ones she had as the Cat; then when Hydra first tried to kidnap her and the Cat was shot with an "alpha-radiation pistol" Tumulo and her fellow cat-people transformed her into Tigra, a warrior foretold in legend. Hydra wanted a secret weapon of the cat-people, and Tigra knew it had to be a bad one.
The Werewolf recovers and tracks down Tigra, not to continue their fight, but because he was drawn to her: not quite smitten, but at least interested. Together they battle the goons of Hydra, until Tumulo opts to give them what they wanted, releasing a deadly gas on them, the black plague. After they leave Hydra coughing up blood, Tigra changes back into Greer briefly, to cause the Werewolf to lose interest, but when she becomes Tigra again it may be permanent.
Man, I'm really looking forward to the Moon Knight TV show, but I wish they had done a year or two of Werewolf by Night first to build up to it! And if that got Tigra in there, so much the better. Also this issue: "Where Walks the Werewolf!" from 1971's Creatures on the Loose #13, written by Len Wein, art by Reed Crandall. A bitter artist was going blind, and pressures his scientist friend into an experiment that may restore his sight. The experiment involves the spinal fluid and probably corneas of a wolf; what could go wrong? Especially when the artist also feels like he lost his girl to the scientist. The artist blames his transformation on the wolf actually being a werewolf, but may have just been a jerk: he hurts his seeing eye dog! Yeah, he gets his inside of seven pages.
My copy is a nice reader, and still has the Marvel Value Stamp: Mr. Fantastic!
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