Wildcat (person)

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.