Yes, White Tiger Has What It Takes to Steal the MCU Spotlight: Who Is the Marvel Hero?

With Daredevil finally making his return to the MCU is Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Reborn, a different, relatively unknown hero is making his official MCU debut. Despite his relative underground status, the White Tiger is a powerfully versatile hero with numerous connections to Marvel’s other heavy hitters. Sure to keep Daredevil on his toes, White Tiger is a mystical Kung-Fu master who could signal the return of another Netflix Marvel favorite.

In the trailer for Marvel’s upcoming Daredevil: Reborn series, we get a brief glimpse at Hector Ayala, aka the White Tiger. Debuting in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 - by Chris Claremont and Rudy Nebres - Hector unwittingly discovered a trio of mystical amulets linked to an ancient Tiger God. When wearing all three amulets, Hector transforms into the White Tiger.

Suddenly thrust into the world of superheroism, Hector would frequently team up with New York City local heroes Spider-Man and Daredevil and Marvel’s biggest names in martial arts. To help pick apart the complex lore of the White Tiger, this guide will give everything you need to know about his origins and powers.

The Divine Origins of the White Tiger

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 (1975) - Written by Chris Claremont; Art by Rudy Nebres; Lettering by Marcos Pelayo; Cover by Bob Larkin

Marvel's Tiger God prowls outside a cave.

Before diving into Hector Ayala’s story, it’s better to begin with the history of the White Tiger. Near the cradle of human civilization, the Tiger God appeared from within the dark corners beyond humanity’s limited communities. The deity is the mystical embodiment of humanity’s primal fear of the dark and the tigers that prowled the night. Loki once suggested that the Tiger God embodies humanity’s fears across all time, even fear that has yet to be felt. However, its power has waned over time as humans have come to conquer their fears.

Before most of humanity’s earliest religions, the Tiger God ruled as Africa’s most prominent god. From the land that would become Wakanda, it commanded a cult of followers called the White Tigers until the emergence of the Orisha, Wakanda’s pantheon of gods. The White Tigers rebelled against the Tiger God to instead form the Panther Cult in service to the god Bast. However, while Wakanda may have abandoned the Tiger God of Darkness and Fear, another mystical civilization would later adopt its power instead.

The Early History of the White Tiger Amulets

The Mystic Source of the Hero’s Power

The Sons of the Tiger, the original wielders of the White Tiger Amulets.

Sometime after being ousted as Wakanda’s primary god, the Tiger God placed its powers within a Jade Tiger statue in the hidden city of K’un-Lun. From that statue’s claws, three amulets were created to harness the deity’s power. While the Tiger God did not have much mystical sway in K’un-Lun, its future followers would harness its powers through the art of Kung-Fu. Many years later, the White Tiger Elements fell into the possession of Kung-Fu Master Kee of the Tiger Dojo. After a ninja clan attempts to steal the Amulets, Master Kee imparts the treasures to his students before dying to protect the ancient powers.

Donning all three, Hector was overcome by the primordial powers of the Tiger God, becoming the first known White Tiger.

Master Kee’s students, Lin Sun, Abe Brown, and Bob Diamond, swore to avenge their master, donning the name the “Sons of the Tiger.” When they joined hands and chanted a magical inscription, the powers of the Tiger God would activate, empowering the martial artists. However, the three eventually fell apart, throwing away the Tiger Amulets before heading their separate ways. Meanwhile, a wandering Empire State University student, Hector Ayala would soon discover the amulets. Donning all three, Hector was overcome by the primordial powers of the Tiger God, becoming the first known White Tiger.

Hector Ayala Becomes the White Tiger

His Powers and Early Story Explained

Hector Ayala receives the powers of the White TIger

Once Hector wears all three White Tiger Amulets, the power of the Tiger God flows through him, imbuing him with the standard mix of superhuman abilities. The White Tiger, as with other godly avatars like Black Panther or Moon Knight, is as powerful as their patron deity. Similarly, White Tiger is usually considered on par with other martial artists like Shang-Chi and Iron Fist. Hector initially struggled to handle the powers of the Amulets, rejecting them in fear of the sickening feeling the relics instilled in him. No doubt, the God of Darkness and Fear leaves its scars.

However, like fellow Empire State University student Peter Parker, White Tiger tried to use his newfound powers for the better good. He quickly became the target of Marvel’s first Prowler, Hobart Brown, who had mistakenly believed that White Tiger had killed Hobart’s brother Manuel. Coincidentally, the Prowler also happens to be the younger brother of former Son of the Tiger Abraham Brown. The Prowler continued to prove himself a frequent villain for the White Tiger, eventually pushing him and Spider-Man into a few action-packed heroic team-ups.

Hector Passes On His Powers to a New White Tiger

A Grim Retire From Super Heroics

White Tiger was introduced to Iron Fist and Shang-Chi early into his career and became fast friends with Spider-Man. However, after helping Spidey defeat one of his enemies, the foe broadcast the White Tiger’s identity to the world. Soon after, a violent criminal named Gideon Mace attacked Hector’s family, slaughtering everyone present. Distraught about the tragedy that his heroics cost him, Hector abandoned the Amulets and his career as the White Tiger. Hector was later wrongfully accused of murder and, despite his lawyer, Matt Murdock’s, best arguments, Hector was found guilty. Sadly, he was shot and killed trying to escape.

Terrified by the responsibility of the White Tiger, Angela sought Daredevil to train her to follow in her uncle’s footsteps.

While still in White Tiger’s crime-fighting days, Hector's niece, Angela Del Toro, frequently spent time with her uncle and his superhero friends. Later growing up to become a police officer, the White Tiger Amulets were sent to Angela after Hector’s death. Terrified by the responsibility of the White Tiger, Angela sought Daredevil to train her to follow in her uncle’s footsteps. Angela would continue to work as a superhero for a few years before passing on the Amulets again to Hector’s sister, Ava.

White Tiger Could Tease Another MCU Debut

Iron Fist Must Be Around the Corner

Iron Fist using his power in Marvel Comics

Despite his relatively short overarching story, Hector Ayala is a fun and action-packed early Marvel martial artist.Deadly Hands of Kung Fu wasn’t necessarily a plot-heavy series, as many of Marvel’s early combat-oriented series historically focussed on action more than story. However, the mystic lore behind the hero’s powers is wide-reaching. As deeply connected as the character is to heroes like Iron Fist, we may see Danny Rand’s debut in the MCU as well. The White Tiger is a spectacle of a hero whose MCU debut is bound to quickly pull Daredevil into a plot far larger than Hell’s Kitchen.

Source: Marvel