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| Todd Arliss Tiger Shark | |
|---|---|
.webp) Tiger Shark as depicted inVillains for Hire #3 (February 2012). Art by Rodolfo Migliari. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #5 (September 1968) |
| Created by | Roy Thomas (writer) John Buscema (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Todd Arliss |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | Assassins Guild Deep Six Defenders of the Deep Lethal Legion Masters of Evil Offenders |
| Notable aliases | Arlys Tigershark Tiger Shark |
| Abilities |
|
Tiger Shark (Todd Arliss) is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerRoy Thomas and artistJohn Buscema, the characterfirst appeared inPrince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #5 (September 1968). Todd Arliss is a recurringantagonist of theantiheroNamor.[1] His powers come from both theDNA of Namor and shark DNA.[2] He is also known under the codename Tiger Shark.[3]
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Todd Arliss debuted inPrince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #5 (September 1968), created by writerRoy Thomas and artistJohn Buscema.[4] He appeared in the 1977Ms. Marvel series.[5] He appeared in the 2018Avengers series.[6]
Todd Arliss is a selfishOlympicswimmer who, seeking public acclaim, attempts to rescue adrowning man. In the process, Arliss suffers aspinal cord injury when waves push him into aship. Desperate to regain his swimming ability, Arliss willingly participates in an experiment by scientistLemuel Dorcas, who splices hisDNA with that of heroNamor and atiger shark.[7] Although successful, the process changed Arliss both physically and mentally, endowing him with razor-sharp teeth and gills and making him savage and predatory.[8][9]
Becoming a supervillain and calling himself Tiger Shark, Arliss finds and threatens LadyDorma, demanding to be crowned Lord ofAtlantis.[10] Namor, however,deposes Tiger Shark, who is imprisoned in Atlantis.[11] Tiger Shark escapes from Atlantis during a rebellion caused by theartifact theSerpent Crown[12] and encounters Namor once again.[13]
Tiger Shark battlesOrka, the minion of Atlantean nobleWarlord Krang. The pair cause an underseaavalanche that buries them for several months.[14]
Once free, Tiger Shark discovers he is losing his powers and teams with the villainessLlyra against Namor and his alliesStingray and theHuman Torch. Tiger Shark's powers are restored by Llyra, and Tiger Shark accidentally kills Namor's father, Leonard Mackenzie, as the villains retreat.[15] After encountering theHulk atNiagara Falls,[16] Tiger Shark reunites with Lemuel Dorcas and battles Namor and the heroSpider-Man. On this occasion, Tiger Shark is savagely beaten by Namor and left for dead.[17][18] Tiger Shark, Dorcas, and Atlantean warlordAttuma seize the islandHydro-Base and again battle Namor, who allied withDoctor Doom. Dorcas is accidentally crushed to death, with Tiger Shark and Attuma being defeated and imprisoned.[19]
Tiger Shark joins the supervillain team theMasters of Evil who battle theAvengers.[20] With the Masters of Evil, Tiger Shark aids villainEgghead in a plan to ruinHank Pym, but is ultimately defeated by Pym.[21] Tiger Shark joins BaronHelmut Zemo's version of the Masters of Evil and invadesAvengers Mansion, escaping when the Avengers retake their headquarters.[22] The character flees with fellow Masters memberWhirlwind toCalifornia, where both are captured byAvengers West Coast membersTigra andHellcat.[23]
During theActs of Vengeance storyline Tiger Shark battlesWolverine;[24] feigns illness to escape prison, and eventually battles Stingray. Tiger Shark ceases the hostilities to help rescue his sister, who is trapped in a cave-in.[25]
After being captured for study and then rescued by Namor,[26] a grateful Tiger Shark renounces crime. Renaming himself Arlys Tigershark, he marries a woman from an undersea tribe of nomads. However, he reverts to his savage ways when his pregnant wife and her tribe are killed by savage undersea creatures called the Faceless Ones.[27] He aids Namor againstSuma-ket, the master of the Faceless Ones, who leads an attack on Atlantis that fails when Suma-Ket is killed in battle.[28] Together with theInhumanTriton and the Fantastic Four, Tiger Shark reluctantly aids Namor against an attacking alien[29] and after a battle with NamorcloneLlyron[30] features as part of the teamDeep Six and battles the Avengers.[31]
InThunderbolts, Tiger Shark mutates into a shark-like being. He joinsCrimson Cowl's version of the Masters of Evil and has several skirmishes with maverick superheroes theThunderbolts.[32]
Tiger Shark — once again in human form — joins Attuma's version of Deep Six (consisting of Nagala, Orka,Piranha, andSea Urchin) to conquer Atlantis,[33] initially successful the villains are eventually defeated, with Tiger Shark quickly defeated by cosmic hero theSilver Surfer.[34]
Tiger Shark appears next — again in mutated form — in the titleShe-Hulk, and is imprisoned in the prison facility called theBig House, where inmates are kept at miniature size. Escaping with several other inmates at microscopic size by riding on She-Hulk's hand, Tiger Shark and the other villains emerge and attack when she visits a law firm. Tiger Shark is defeated when She-Hulk throws the villainElectro into the water he is standing in, electrocuting Tiger Shark and Electro.[35] Tiger Shark appears in his original form during a mass breakout at theRaft and is recaptured by theNew Warriors.[36][37]
In the 2007limited seriesFallen Son: The Death of Captain America, Tiger Shark steals an artifact called the Horn of Gabriel and uses it to summon sea monsters and direct them against the surface world. He is defeated by theMighty Avengers.[38] Tiger Shark also features as part of a supervillain enclave solicited by theHood, who hopes to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by theSuperhuman Registration Act.[39]
During the 2008 "Secret Invasion" storyline,Ms. Marvel saves Tiger Shark from being killed by aSuper-Skrull.[40] Tiger Shark also skirmishes withDeadpool at the direction ofNorman Osborn.[41] TheGrandmaster recruits Tiger Shark into theOffenders in a bid to thwart theHulk.[42]
Tiger Shark joins a new version of theLethal Legion, led by theGrim Reaper, during the 2008-09 "Dark Reign" storyline.[43]Quasimodo researches Tiger Shark for Norman Osborn, stating that he has the potential to be a valuable ally with only a few compensations in line like food, frequent combat, and women.[44]
During the 2011 "Fear Itself" storyline,Liz Allan andNormie Osborn encounter two men, one of whom was wounded by Tiger Shark during his bank robbery.[45] Tiger Shark later joins Attuma (in the form of Nerkodd: Breaker of Oceans), Tyrak, and Attuma's sister Aradnea in taking over New Atlantis.[46] As Namor and his allies fight off Nerkodd's forces and theUndying Ones,Loa is attacked by what appears to be a two-headed Tiger Shark.[47]
Tiger Shark attacks a cruise ship which Stingray and Diane Newell are on. Namor breaks up the fight and demands their allegiance. After Namor attacks Stingray, Tiger Shark reluctantly takes up Namor's offer and joins hisDefenders of the Deep.[48] Tiger Shark later returns to crime and is enlisted byJustine Hammer to distractIron Man from her plans to take over Stark Unlimited.[49]
Before gaining his powers, Todd Arliss was a record-breaking Olympic swimmer but otherwise an ordinary human. Via Lemuel Dorcas' experimental genetic engineering process, he was transformed into an amphibious humanoid with the traits of a human, an Atlantean (Homo mermanus), and atiger shark. As Tiger Shark, he possesses the same, albeit weaker superhuman strength, stamina, water speed and durability compared to Namor, although he must be immersed in water to achieve his full strength as he weakens outside of the water. On land, he must wear his special costume containing a water circulation system which bathes him with a thin layer of water, to retain his strength. Tiger Shark also possesses an innate hunting instinct inherited from his shark genes, as once he locks onto prey he cannot stop tracking it until it has been captured or he has been forcibly repulsed. He has the ability to survive indefinitely underwater via gills on his cheeks and has razor-pointedadamantium teeth.[42] Tiger Shark gained the tenuous ability to shift between a more monstrous shark form and his humanoid state, either given to him by the thieves' guild or something he grew into over his criminal career.[32] This vastly increased his physical abilities due to excess bulk and muscle mass, and he even gained a healing factor powerful enough to regenerate damaged brain tissue over time.[50]
During the "Fear Itself" event, the Undying Ones used magic to mutate Tiger Shark into a two-headed monster.[47]
Nicholas Brooks ofComic Book Resources described Tiger Shark as a classic aquatic character.[51]
