White Tiger (comics)
Encyclopedia
White Tiger is the identity used by several fictional character
s in Marvel Comics
. All of the people who called themselves White Tiger have been minorities with special abilities.
and artist George Pérez
in the black and white Marvel magazine, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
in the early 1970s. Hector Ayala was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
. He could transform into the superhuman White Tiger through the power of the Jade Tiger amulets. In his alter-ego, Ayala fought foes such as the Corporation crime cartel and teamed with heroes including Daredevil
and Spider-Man
. After many years of fighting crime and nearly being killed, having his secret identity publicly exposed by the villainous Lightmaster
and becoming psychologically and physically addicted to the tiger amulets, Ayala retired. But after a while, the call to don the amulets and fight evil became too strong and Hector once again became the White Tiger. Soon after, Hector was framed for murder and convicted despite the efforts of his lawyer, Matt Murdock (Daredevil
). Ayala was shot and killed trying to escape, shortly before evidence emerged that belatedly proved his innocence.
evolved into a woman of East India
n descent. She was part of the short-lived Heroes for Hire
revival in the 1990s. She was created by the High Evolutionary
to hunt down an evil evolved wolf he had created, called the Man-Beast. White Tiger's bestial origins gave her cat-like speed and reflexes, and she was highly skilled in martial arts. White Tiger met Iron Fist, and intrigued by him, joined Heroes for Hire. White Tiger tried to keep her origins a secret, but during a training session with Iron Fist, she lost control and reverted to her tiger form. She was a valued member of the team, but she found that human emotions were more complex than her tiger mind could handle. She found herself growing more and more attracted to Iron Fist. White Tiger attacked Misty Knight
when she felt that Iron Fist was attracted to Misty, trying to display dominance to the encroaching female, just as a tigress would do in the wild. When White Tiger finally captured the rogue Man-Beast, she begged the High Evolutionary to remove her human persona, unable to bear the heartbreak of not being able to be with the man she loved. He conceded and turned her back into a white Bengal tiger, promising Iron Fist that he would return her to the rainforests where he found her.
when he found T'Challa's costume. Advised by the Falcon
(Sam Wilson) that he needed to be more than just a man in a cat suit to achieve his goals, Kasper sought permission to eat the heart-shaped herb and gain enhanced powers like T'Challa by undertaking the Rite of Ascension. The villainous Erik Killmonger
, offered him another option: a synthetic version of the heart-shaped herb and help finding Sal's son, in return for Kasper dropping the Black Panther identity, becoming a White Tiger of the Panther Cult, and doing a favor for Killmonger in the future. Kasper accepted, but then tracked down the boy using his newly enhanced senses and help from Queen Divine Justice and Everett Ross, thus lessening his debt to Killmonger. Afterwards, Kasper took on the identity of the White Tiger. He continues to chase promotion, allied with The Crew
(a team of inner city superheroes) against 66 Bridges and Triage.
This White Tiger has no connection to any of the prior/other White Tigers.
and resurrected by the Hand
, under their thrall until being healed by Black Tarantula
. White Tiger received her own limited series in November 2006, written by Tamora Pierce
.
. Upon her introduction, Ava states the White Tiger is a family legacy that she intends to honor. She also criticizes classmate Reptil
for not being more active in the Hispanic
community.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. All of the people who called themselves White Tiger have been minorities with special abilities.
Hector Ayala
The first White Tiger (Hector Ayala) was created by writer Bill MantloBill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...
and artist George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
in the black and white Marvel magazine, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu is a martial arts comic book magazine published by Curtis Magazines, a short-lived imprint of Marvel Comics. There were a total of 33 issues published, plus one "Special Album Edition," before the series was cancelled.-Overview:...
in the early 1970s. Hector Ayala was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. He could transform into the superhuman White Tiger through the power of the Jade Tiger amulets. In his alter-ego, Ayala fought foes such as the Corporation crime cartel and teamed with heroes including Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. After many years of fighting crime and nearly being killed, having his secret identity publicly exposed by the villainous Lightmaster
Lightmaster
Lightmaster is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Edward Lansky was born in New York City...
and becoming psychologically and physically addicted to the tiger amulets, Ayala retired. But after a while, the call to don the amulets and fight evil became too strong and Hector once again became the White Tiger. Soon after, Hector was framed for murder and convicted despite the efforts of his lawyer, Matt Murdock (Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
). Ayala was shot and killed trying to escape, shortly before evidence emerged that belatedly proved his innocence.
White Tiger (Heroes for Hire)
The second White Tiger was an actual white Bengal tigressWhite tiger
The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
evolved into a woman of East India
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the...
n descent. She was part of the short-lived Heroes for Hire
Heroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
revival in the 1990s. She was created by the High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
to hunt down an evil evolved wolf he had created, called the Man-Beast. White Tiger's bestial origins gave her cat-like speed and reflexes, and she was highly skilled in martial arts. White Tiger met Iron Fist, and intrigued by him, joined Heroes for Hire. White Tiger tried to keep her origins a secret, but during a training session with Iron Fist, she lost control and reverted to her tiger form. She was a valued member of the team, but she found that human emotions were more complex than her tiger mind could handle. She found herself growing more and more attracted to Iron Fist. White Tiger attacked Misty Knight
Misty Knight
Misty Knight is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. She was first mentioned in Marvel Premiere #20 and appeared in the next issue. She normally appears with Colleen Wing.-Publication history:...
when she felt that Iron Fist was attracted to Misty, trying to display dominance to the encroaching female, just as a tigress would do in the wild. When White Tiger finally captured the rogue Man-Beast, she begged the High Evolutionary to remove her human persona, unable to bear the heartbreak of not being able to be with the man she loved. He conceded and turned her back into a white Bengal tiger, promising Iron Fist that he would return her to the rainforests where he found her.
Kasper Cole
The third White Tiger was Kevin "Kasper" Cole, a police officer of mixed Jewish/African-American heritage who impersonated Black PantherBlack Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
when he found T'Challa's costume. Advised by the Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
(Sam Wilson) that he needed to be more than just a man in a cat suit to achieve his goals, Kasper sought permission to eat the heart-shaped herb and gain enhanced powers like T'Challa by undertaking the Rite of Ascension. The villainous Erik Killmonger
Erik Killmonger
Erik Killmonger is a fictional supervillain published by Marvel Comics. Due to extensive training, he is an expert fighter and both a physical and mental match for his nemesis the Black Panther.-Publication history:...
, offered him another option: a synthetic version of the heart-shaped herb and help finding Sal's son, in return for Kasper dropping the Black Panther identity, becoming a White Tiger of the Panther Cult, and doing a favor for Killmonger in the future. Kasper accepted, but then tracked down the boy using his newly enhanced senses and help from Queen Divine Justice and Everett Ross, thus lessening his debt to Killmonger. Afterwards, Kasper took on the identity of the White Tiger. He continues to chase promotion, allied with The Crew
The Crew (comics)
The Crew was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics in 2003. The series was cancelled with its seventh issue. The series was written by Christopher Priest, and illustrated by Joe Bennett.-History:...
(a team of inner city superheroes) against 66 Bridges and Triage.
This White Tiger has no connection to any of the prior/other White Tigers.
Angela Del Toro
The fourth White Tiger is Hector Ayala's niece and ex-FBI agent Angela Del Toro, who inherited her uncle's Jade Tiger amulets. Angela quit the FBI to understand the amulets, and was trained in the use of their powers by Daredevil. Using the amulets' power to foil a robbery, she was touched by the overwhelming gratitude from the shopkeeper. Angela actually saved Daredevil from a crime lord and his bodyguard, using the amulets to give herself cat-like speed and fighting abilities. Realizing the powers she now possessed, she assumed her uncle's identity as the White Tiger. She was stabbed by Lady BullseyeLady Bullseye
Lady Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . A female counterpart of Bullseye, she was created by Ed Brubaker, Marko Djurdjevic, and Clay Mann, first appearing in Daredevil #111.-Fictional character biography:...
and resurrected by the Hand
Hand (comics)
The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
, under their thrall until being healed by Black Tarantula
Black Tarantula
Black Tarantula is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as an unseen character in The Amazing Spider-Man #419 , and makes his first full appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #432...
. White Tiger received her own limited series in November 2006, written by Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce is an author of fantasy literature for young adults. She is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania. Best known for writing stories involving young heroines, she made a name for herself with her first quartet The Song of the Lioness, which followed the main character Alanna...
.
Ava Ayala
The fifth White Tiger is the sister of Hector Ayala and a student enrolled in the Avengers AcademyAvengers Academy
Avengers Academy is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the "Heroic Age". The series is written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and tells the story of a group of young super-powered persons who were selected to join a training academy for the...
. Upon her introduction, Ava states the White Tiger is a family legacy that she intends to honor. She also criticizes classmate Reptil
Reptil
Reptil is a character from Marvel Comics. He is best known as a supporting member on The Super Hero Squad Show and a member of Avengers Academy in the comics.-Fictional character biography:...
for not being more active in the Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
community.
External links
- White Tiger's Shrine
- White Tiger (Angela Del Toro) at Marvel.com