In the midst of the fray, a new Marvel Cinematic Universe hero was born, from the ashes of one who didn’t get a proper due (at all). Now Daredevil: Born Again has a chance to carry that hero’s legacy forward into a whole new era.
In Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, we met Hector Ayala (the late Kamar de los Reyes), a street vigilante named “White Tiger,” who used an enchanted “Amulet of Power” to boost his speed, strength, and reflexes. After being successfully defended in court by Matt Murdock, Hector thought he was free and clear to patrol the streets – only to be murdered in cold blood by Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force. Hector’s death scarred his young, idealistic niece, Angela del Toro (Camila Rodriguez), who vowed never to give up on her “tio’s” mission of bettering the neighborhood. And now she’s getting the chance.
In Episode 2, Hector’s wife, Soledad (Ashley Marie Ortiz), gets snatched by the AVTF while trying to stand up for a local shopkeeper who is deemed a “vigilante” just for protecting his store. Angela is with her “tia” and knows Fisk’s goons disappear people for good, so she turns to her old acquaintance, Matt’s former law partner, Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James), for help. Kirsten just so happens to still have Hector’s White Tiger costume and gear in her stash of evidence, so Angela helps herself to the mystical totem. In the climax of Episode 3, Daredevil and Karen stage a brazen prison break at Fisk’s secret jail, and the plan quickly goes awry. Luckily, Angela shows up to help Karen with the extraction plan; with the power of the amulet and some of her uncle’s old weapons, White Tiger II helps Daredevil, Swordsman, and co. safely escape, and even prevents Kingpin’s forces from pursuing.
Daredevil: Born Again is now directly from Marvel lore. In the comics, Angela del Toro is actually White Tiger IV, although she is still the niece of Hector Ayala, the first White Tiger. She’s older in the books, an ex-FBI agent who starts to investigate both Daredevil and her uncle’s mystical talismans. Daredevil eventually trains Angela, and she takes up the mantle of White Tiger after heorically stopping some crimes, including saving Daredevil from a crime boss.
However, Angela was killed by Lady Bullseye and resurrected by the evil ninja clan The Hand, serving under their thrall for a time, until she was freed and healed back to her normal self. The character has since been active in the Marvel Universe, eventually taking exclusive claim of the White Tiger mantle.
The MCU version of White Tiger II seems like more of a composite between Angela del Toro (White Tiger IV) and Ava Ayala (White Tiger V). The latter was Hector Ayala’s youngest sister, and a teenage girl compared to the adult age Angela is in the comics. White Tiger IV and V eventually dueled for the rights to the mantle, with Angela winning and taking the power of two amulets for herself.
Ava being more youthful led her to partnerships with other young heroes, like Spider-Man, while also joining teams like the Daughters of Liberty, the Avengers Academy, and Heroes for Hire. While nothing is official yet, the MCU Angela del Toro looks like another prime candidate for the Young Avengers team that’s been taking shape across the MCU since Avengers: Endgame
Daredevil: Born Again is currently streaming Season 2 on Disney+. Discuss the show and your best theories on the ComicBook Forum!
