| White Tiger | |
|---|---|
.png) Hector Ayala as White Tiger | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | (Hector Ayala) Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 (December 1975) (Bengal tigress) Heroes for Hire #1 (July 1997) (Kevin Cole) Black Panther (vol. 3) #50 (October 2002) (Angela del Toro) Daredevil vol. 2 #58 (November 2003) (Ava Ayala) Avengers Academy #20 (December 2011) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo (writer) George Pérez (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Hector Ayala Kasper Cole Angela del Toro Ava Ayala |
| Species | All: Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | Sons of the Tiger Defenders Avengers Academy Heroes for Hire Mighty Avengers New Avengers S.H.I.E.L.D. |
| Notable aliases | El Tigre Blanco |
| Abilities | All:
|
White Tiger is the name of severalsuperheroes appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The first incarnation of White Tiger,Hector Ayala,first appeared inDeadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 (December 1975).[1] Thesecond incarnation, an actualwhite Bengal tigress mutated into humanoid form, debuted inHeroes for Hire #1 (July 1997). The third incarnation,Kevin Cole, made his first appearance inBlack Panther (vol. 3) #50 (October 2002). The fourth incarnation,Angela del Toro, made her debut inDaredevil vol. 2 #58 (November 2003). The fifth incarnation,Ava Ayala, was first featured inAvengers Academy #20 (December 2011).
The first White Tiger (Hector Ayala) was created by writerBill Mantlo and artistGeorge Pérez.[2]
Born inSan Juan, Puerto Rico,[3] the character can transform into the superhuman White Tiger through the power of the Jade Tiger amulets. In his alter-ego, Ayala fights foes such as the Corporation crime cartel and teams with heroes includingDaredevil andSpider-Man.[4] After years of fighting crime and nearly being killed, having his secret identity publicly exposed by the villainousLightmaster and becoming psychologically and physically addicted to the tiger amulets, Ayala retires. But after a while, the call to don the amulets and fight evil becomes too strong and Hector once again becomes the White Tiger. Soon after, Hector is wrongly accused of murder and convicted despite the efforts of his lawyer, Matt Murdock (Daredevil). Ayala is shot and killed trying to escape, shortly before evidence emerges that belatedly proves his innocence.[citation needed]
The second White Tiger (an actualwhite Bengal tigress mutated into a woman ofEast Indian descent)[5] was created by writerRoger Stern and artistPascual Ferry.
The character is created by theHigh Evolutionary to hunt down an evil evolved wolf he had created, called theMan-Beast. White Tiger's bestial origins give her cat-like speed and reflexes, and she is highly skilled in martial arts. White Tiger meetsIron Fist, and intrigued by him, joins Heroes for Hire. White Tiger tries to keep her origins a secret, but during a training session with Iron Fist, she loses control and reverts to her tiger form. She is a valued member of the team, but finds that human emotions are more complex than her tiger mind can handle. She finds herself growing more and more attracted to Iron Fist. White Tiger attacksMisty Knight when she feels that Iron Fist is attracted to Misty, trying to display dominance to the encroaching female, just as a tigress would do in the wild. When White Tiger finally captures the rogue Man-Beast, she begs the High Evolutionary to remove her human persona, unable to bear the heartbreak of not being able to be with the man she loves. He concedes and turns her back into a white Bengal tiger, promising Iron Fist that he would return her to the rainforests where he found her.[citation needed]
The third White Tiger was Kevin "Kasper" Cole, created by writerChristopher Priest and artistDan Fraga.
The character is a police officer of mixedJewish/African-American heritage who impersonatesBlack Panther after finding T'Challa's costume. Advised by theFalcon that he needs to be more than just a man in acat suit to achieve his goals, Kasper seeks permission to eat the heart-shaped herb and gain enhanced powers like T'Challa by undertaking the Rite of Ascension. The villainousErik Killmonger offers 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 accepts, but then tracks 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 takes on the identity of the White Tiger. He continues to chase promotion,[6] allied withThe Crew (a team of inner city superheroes) against 66 Bridges and Triage.[citation needed]
The White Tiger wears a Vibranium-weave bulletproof costume. It can be cut only along the grain of the webbing, but cannot be punctured conventionally by blunt force. The boots have special Vibranium soles that absorb sound and impact, enabling him to leap off buildings up to eight stories tall and land without injury. He can also run up the sides of buildings and walk on water. The suit's claws are retractable, and contain a new composite of the experimental "anti-metal" Vibranium, which can break down other metal alloys.[citation needed]
The fourth White Tiger is Hector Ayala's niece, Angela del Toro,[7] created by writerBrian Michael Bendis and artistAlex Maleev.
The character is an ex-FBI agent who works on the Daredevil case, and inherits her uncle's Jade Tiger amulets. Angela quits the FBI to understand the amulets and is trained in the use of their powers by Daredevil. Using the amulets' power to foil a robbery, she is touched by the overwhelming gratitude from the shopkeeper. Angela actually saves 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 possesses, she assumes her uncle's identity as the White Tiger. She is stabbed byLady Bullseye and resurrected by theHand, under their thrall until being healed byBlack Tarantula. White Tiger received her own limited series in November 2006, written byTamora Pierce.[8] The Maker gives Angela an amulet from an alternate universe, which she uses to confront the fifth White Tiger, Ava Ayala.[9] Ava is forsaken by her Tiger God, and Angela gains the combined power of the two Tiger Gods.
The fifth White Tiger is Ava Ayala, the youngest sister of Hector Ayala,[10] created by writerChristos Gage and artistTom Raney.
The character first appeared inAvengers Academy #20 (December 2011) and appeared as a regular character in the series through its final issue #39 (January 2013). She has appeared in the 2013 seriesMighty Avengers.[11] Ava also appeared inUltimate Spider-Man, voiced byCaitlyn Taylor Love, where Ava is Hector's daughter instead of his sister.[12]
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion | White Tiger #1–6 | September 26, 2007 | 9780785122739 |
