Unlike Muse, who is a recent invention from Marvel (2016), White Tiger dates back to 1975. His first appearance was in the comic Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #19 and he is the first Latin American superhero from Marvel Comics. White Tiger has had several identities, but the most famous is that of the first wearer of the costume, who is none other than Hector Ayala, a fictional character of Puerto Rican origin.
If you're up to date with Daredevil Born Again, this name will not be unfamiliar to you since we meet Hector in episode 2. The latter is in a bad situation: while trying to help a citizen in distress beaten by two men on the subway platform, he involuntarily causes the death of one of them and discovers with dismay that it was, for the victim as for his friend still standing, two plainclothes police officers. A case that goes to court and seems to be off to a bad start for Ayala, wrongly labeled as a "cop killer", it didn't take much to awaken the good Samaritan side of Matt Murdock, who decides to represent him.
It's at the end of the episode that Cherry, a retired cop employed as a detective by Matt's firm - and also a friend of our lawyer - discovers while visiting the couple's apartment Ayala, the White Tiger costume, making us understand what we had already guessed: Hector Ayala is New York's new vigilante. In the comics, White Tiger draws his power from three Jade Tiger amulets, which grant him enhanced skills in several areas (strength, martial arts mastery, speed, and healing ability). In the series, Hector only has one amulet, but it is mentioned in the episode that it still grants him powers. His costume, more handcrafted, is also less comic-accurate.
An impact on Daredevil's future?
A disturbing detail for the character in Daredevil Born Again: in the comics, Hector Ayala doesn't have a happy ending. After abandoning the White Tiger costume, he finds himself unjustly accused of... murder, which is also the case in the series. Once again, it was Matt Murdock who defended him during the trial. Despite the presence of the famous lawyer at his side, Hector, ultimately convicted, was shot dead by the police while trying to escape. A source of inspiration for the creators of Daredevil Born Again? The question may arise, given the similarities between certain Marvel comics (Mayor Fisk in particular) and the series. The answer will be in the next episodes, available every Wednesday on Disney+.
Be that as it may, White Tiger arrives just as Wilson Fisk becomes mayor of New York and seems to want to go on a crusade against vigilantes. Given how Matt struggles to defend him, we can think that Hector Ayala's fate may have an impact on whether or not Daredevil returns. Note that the actor who played the character, Kamar de Los Reyes, died of cancer on December 24, 2023, at the age of 56. In the comics, it was Hector's niece, Angela Del Toro, and then his sister, Ava Ayala, who took over the Jade Tiger costume and amulets after his death.
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