Daredevil: Born Again Introduces Marvel's White Tiger, But What Are His Powers?

This article contains spoilers for "Daredevil: Born Again" season 1

"Daredevil: Born Again" is off to a flying start, with critics praising the show for its dark storytelling, thrilling action, and R-rated violence. In the long-awaited sequel to Netflix's canceled "Daredevil" series, Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin (Vincent D'onofrio), rules over New York City's criminal underworld, forcing Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and a returning Punisher (Jon Bernthal) to continue their vigilante escapades in an effort to stop him. However, they aren't the only heroes who want to clean up the streets, as Hector Ayala, otherwise known as White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes), is also out for justice.

Ayala technically debuts via surveillance footage in episode 1, but he's formally introduced in the second installment, where the out-of-costume vigilante battles two undercover corrupt cops who attack a man in a subway station. The heated exchange results in one of the cops being accidentally killed, forcing Matt Murdock to defend Ayala in court (in what is clearly a nod to writer Max Bendis and artist Manuel Gutierrez's "Daredevil: Trial of the Century" storyline from the comics).

It's only after agreeing to represent Ayala that Murdock learns that his client is actually White Tiger, a vigilante with powers that come from a mystical amulet. But what are these powers, and how effective are they?

White Tiger's hero's journey began in an unconventional way in the pages of Marvel comics. Debuting in Bill Mantio and George Perez's "Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" #19, he rose to power after the Sons of the Tiger got into a dust-up with each other, made amends afterward, and threw the mystical amulets that gave them their powers into the trash. Hector Ayala stumbled upon the amulets afterward (a tiger's head and two paws), and White Tiger was born.

But there's a catch...

Ayala can only transform into his superhero alter ego through the amulets, making him a regular dude when he isn't in possession of the ancient artefacts. That said, he's quite the formidable fighter when he has them, as the power contained within the head and paws gives him super speed, strength, endurance, dexterity, agility, and reflexes. He is essentially the ultimate martial artist when he's all powered up, which goes a long way in helping him fight criminals and supervillains.

White Tiger has the potential to become a standout player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his arrival is long overdue, especially when you remember that he's the first Hispanic superhero in the history of mainstream American comics. However, it remains to be seen what the future has in store for the kung fu hero after "Daredevil: Born Again," especially since actor Kamar de los Reyes tragically passed away in 2023 after filming the series.