White Tiger is a hero from Marvel Comics who may make an appearance in Daredevil: Born Again. Familiarize yourself with their story before they join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 featured the first appearance of White Tiger. Hector Ayala was a college student who acquired magical tiger amulets discarded by a group called the “Sons of the Tiger”. These amulets gave Hector Ayala a connection to a mystic Tiger God. His new powers included superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes. Ayala went on to fight crime in New York City, crossing paths with Prowler, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and more famous Marvel characters.
RELATED: DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN – Bullseye Vs. Punisher…Who Would Win?
Tragically, Hector Ayala was wrongfully convicted of murder and shot to death in an escape attempt following his sentence. His death was not the end of the White Tiger legacy, it was just the beginning. The Ayala legacy is most central to the White Tiger mantle, but the second hero called “White Tiger” was completely unrelated to the bloodline.
WHITE TIGER WAS WEIRD IN THE 1990s
In July 1997, Heroes For Hire #1 featured a literal white tiger who was turned into a human woman by The High Evolutionary. She was not completely in control of her animal impulses, nor was she perfectly comfortable experiencing the human condition. The tiger-woman fought crime with the Heroes For Hire for some time. She even bizarrely developed feelings for Danny Rand, The Iron Fist during that time. Ultimately, the 2nd White Tiger begged the High Evolutionary to return her to animal form. He agreed and released her into the wilderness from whence she came.
The 3rd White Tiger is a man named Kevin “Kasper” Cole, and he is also unconnected to the Ayala family. Kevin was a police officer struggling to provide for his mother and pregnant girlfriend with his meager salary. One day he discovered a Black Panther costume and began working the streets while wearing the protective disguise. Eventually, Killmonger and T’Challa put Kasper through a series of tests.
RELATED: THE PUNISHER – 4 Episodes From Daredevil: Born Again Showrunner Dario Scardapane
When he passed, he was given a White Tiger outfit, the official attire of Panther cult members. On top of that, Kasper was gifted a synthetic version of the same heart-shaped herb that gives Black Panther his powers. His White Tiger costume has the same claws and vibranium weaving as Black Panther’s as well.
The fourth White Tiger is a woman named Angela Del Toro. She is the niece of Hector Ayala and comes into possession of the tiger amulets after the death of her uncle. Her amulets give her the same powers as the original White Tiger, with the added power of camouflage. Angela learns how to be a hero from Daredevil and becomes a street-level vigilante. Eventually, she is killed in a fight with Lady Bullseye, but as death rarely sticks in comic books, White Tiger is resurrected by The Hand. Before she was resurrected, however, yet another individual had begun operating as White Tiger.
AVA AYALA BECAME THE LATEST WHITE TIGER
Ava Ayala is the fifth and most recent character to call themselves White Tiger. Ava is the youngest sister of Hector Ayala, and she acquired the tiger amulets after Angela Del Toro was murdered. Ava trained under fellow big cat-themed hero Tigra in the Avengers Academy comic book. Angela Del Toro was given Tiger Amulets from an alternate reality by the supervillain called “The Maker”. Angela and Ava went head to head, and Angela emerged the victorious White Tiger, claiming the power of two tiger deities for herself.
RELATED: MCU: Daredevil, The Punisher & More Rejoin MCU Canon In Exciting Disney+ Update
Ava is the most popular version of the character, with almost twice as many appearances in comic books than any other White Tiger (approximately 91 issues). Angela Del Toro appeared in 52 issues, and she is the only character to star in a comic book of her own. White Tiger Vol. 1 ran for 6 issues in 2007. Hector Ayala is featured in 42 issues overall and he was the main character of The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu for a period. Kasper Cole stands at 24 issues to date, while the tiger-woman appeared in 20 issues.
IS WHITE TIGER IN DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN?
Photos and videos of Daredevil: Born Again filming in New York have leaked online recently. White Tiger seems to appear in costume at a convenience store.
RELATED: MCU: Daredevil, The Punisher & More Rejoin MCU Canon In Exciting Disney+ Update
The costumed individual could be a different character, possibly the Daredevil supervillain “Muse”. The costume looks homemade, with cargo pants, a solid helmet/mask, and a hood. The white design with black stripes certainly looks like White Tiger, but this design is not a perfect match to the source material either.
The individual in the aforementioned video appears more masculine, suggesting that the White Tiger in the MCU is Hector Ayala or Kasper Cole. The costume and the video quality make it hard to tell who is wearing the outfit, so it could still be Ava Ayala or Angela Del Toro. Del Toro exists in the MCU already, though she has not been seen onscreen. Jessica Jones mentioned Del Toro as a private investigator during Jessica Jones Season 1.
RELATED: Marvel’s ECHO Review: A Strong Starting Point For Marvel Spotlight
Another possibility, though highly unlikely, is that Claire Temple will become White Tiger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rosario Dawson played Claire in the Defenders Saga, where she appeared in every show except for The Punisher. She trains with Colleen Wing, learning martial arts, and she once utilized a distinct clawed weapon in a fight.
Claire Temple has no connection to the mantle in the source material, and she has been trying to avoid the vigilante life no matter how many times she’s thrust into an adventure with any of The Defenders, so I’d advise taming your expectations if you want to see Claire suit up as the hero.
White Tiger is not officially confirmed to be a part of Daredevil: Born Again, but these rumors seem credible, especially with the footage. On the off chance that White Tiger won’t be in Daredevil: Born Again, we have no doubts about the character being a fitting addition to the MCU.
ABOUT – DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN
Directed By: Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson
Showrunner: Dario Scardapane
Starring: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Wilson Bethel, Jon Bernthal, Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll, Sandrine Holt
Release Date: 2025
Synopsis: Longtime rivals Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin try to leave behind their darker alter-egos to serve the people of New York only to have their pasts catch up to them.
Which version of White Tiger do you think should first appear in the MCU? Let us know your thoughts on social media, and thanks for reading! We are always watching.
KEEP READING: CAPTURE HEARTWARMING ADVENTURES IN SPYXANYA: OPERATION MEMORIES – COMING JUNE 2024
