Trish's Comic Book Origins May Be Coming To Light On 'Jessica Jones'

On Jessica Jones, Trish has always been more than a little envious of Jessica's abilities. Considering Trish was often made to feel powerless growing up in abusive situations, it makes sense that she would be eager to find a way to defend herself. In the comics, she does actually adopt a superhero alter ego, Hellcat. But does Trish become Hellcat in Jessica Jones Season 2? Minor Season 2 spoilers ahead!

Trish's story definitely seems like it could be leading in that direction, even from back in the first season. She was the one who was all-in on Jessica adopting a superhero identity, costume and all. And when Will Simpson was abusing experimental pills from the company IGH to make himself super-powered, Trish snagged one or two so she could be strong enough to fight him. That continued in Season 2, when Simpson showed up once again with a mysterious inhaler that he claimed made him stronger, though not quite as strong at the IGH-sponsored pills did.

Simpson bit the dust shortly after this reveal, but the inhaler wasn't gone quite as quick. Trish began to use it herself, which could be setting up her transformation from normal New Yorker to powered person — whether or not she decides to use the name Hellcat.

Trish is one character who has differed from her comic book counterpart in numerous ways, though there are similarities. Both Trish and the Patsy Walker of the comics had to deal with an overbearing stage mother, though the circumstances aren't quite the same. In the comics, Patsy's mom was a comic book writer who used Patsy as inspiration, pushing her into modeling at the same time. Patsy had to constantly come to terms with the fictionalized version of herself penned by her mother, which the show transformed into the TV series It's Patsy!.

However, that exposure to comic books meant that Patsy also idolized costumed heroes and longed to become one, just like Trish. She eventually joined forces with the Avengers, though she didn't need any powers to help her. She simply dubbed herself Hellcat, picked out an outfit, and honed her natural athletic abilities. She had quite a few adventures after that (including a brief stay in actual Hell) and did manage to gain some super-powered enhancements, but not in any way that mirrored what Trish is going through.

If Trish does become Hellcat on Jessica Jones Season 2, it probably won't reflect her origin story in the comics. Addiction has been a theme on the show since the beginning, as have PTSD and recovering from past trauma; all of that is integral to what Trish is dealing with this season, especially when it comes to her relying on the inhaler to make her strong. That isn't a healthy way for her to go about reaching her goal, and it may hinder her more than it helps.

It's also hard to imagine that she'll ever actually put on a costume and start using another name to hide her real identity, because it just doesn't fit the tone of the show. Daredevil does it, though Matt Murdock has often resisted the nomenclature. If Trish took on a Hellcat persona (complete with the mask and the little cat ears, too) then Jessica wouldn't let her hear the end of it. Despite the superpowers on display, Jessica Jones has always had a more realistic vibe.

It seems obvious that Trish wants to be a hero, but how that could develop on Jessica Jones is less clear. Her current trajectory might just end up hurting her, but in the future she could definitely find her way into heroism without enhancements of any kind. Over the course of two seasons, she's already proven herself more than capable.

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