Fans of the comics already knew Hector's White Tiger suffers a tragic end, but it's still sad how his fate in Daredevil: Born Again was already spoiled last year.
Daredevil: Born Again opened to raptious fanfare from audiences with the full-fledged return of Charlie Cox's Matthew Murdock. Unfortunately, this revival opened with the tragic death of Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson.
Murdock hung up his horns, but one of his new pro bono clients, another vigilante by the name of White Tiger, has helped reignite the blind lawyer's fix for unlawful justice. Sadly, during the shooting of Born Again, bystanders and, by extension, the rest of the internet got White Tiget's sad fate spoiled.
White Tiger's Tragic Fate Already Spoiled
Kamar de los Reyes made his posthumous debut in Daredevil: Born Again as the original White Tiger, aka Hector Ayala, Marvel's first Hispanic superhero. Hector had made sporadic appearances in Marvel Comics before retiring from heroics in issue #52 of The Spectacular Spider-Man.
However, Hector would return as the White Tiger decades later in Brian Michael Bendis' celebrated Daredevil run in the three-part story, "The Trial of the Century," an arc Born Again is loosely adapting.
While the specifics in the story have changed in Born Again, Hector was still accused of murdering a police officer, with Matthew Murdock left to prove his innocence. Sadly, Murdock failed to prove his innocence, and Hector was found guilty, with his marriage and life left in shambles.
In his panic and despair, Hector fled the courtroom upon the guilty verdict with a gun and was shot by police on the courthouse steps, dying in Murdock's arms, before being proven innocent posthumously. In Born Again, Hector's fate could end in even greater tragedy than in the comics.
Last year, bystanders in the streets of New York caught glimpses of filming for Born Again, including one particularly spoilery scene.
In his White Tiger costume, Hector is seemingly shot and killed by a man appropriating Punisher's skull emblem. From this context, it's possible that instead of being gunned down outside the courthouse after his guilty verdict, Hector escapes with his amulet and costume.
A more tragic possibility is that Murdock is victorious, but the police kill Hector as retaliation instead. Audiences have already seen police in the NYPD attempting to tie up loose ends that could prove Hector's innocence, not to mention his beating at the station.
As for his murderer, one of the many NYPD officers who adulate the Punisher is likely the culprit, as shown by one of the corrupt officers attacking Murdock having a Punisher symbol tattooed on their wrist.
Who will inherit Hector's amulet after he dies? It can only be wielded by members of his family, and in the comics, there are two candidates. However, audiences may have already seen Hector's successor in the series.
Hector's Family Legacy
When Murdock had Cherry search Hector's apartment, a portrait of a young woman that wasn't his wife was hanging in Hector's bedroom. She could only be one of two people: Angela Del Toro, Hector's niece, or Ava Ayala, his youngest sister. Both have inherited the White Tiger mantel and amulet in the comics.
Angela was the first, an FBI agent who received her uncle's amulet in the mail shortly after his tragic death. When investigating Murdock for being Daredevil, she asked him why he put on the mask and helped people. After some sage advice, Angela took up her uncle's duty as the White Tiger.
Sadly, she would be killed and resurrected as a brainwashed puppet of the Hand, once again leaving the White Tiger mantel vacant. Hector's amulet eventually passed to Angela's aunt, Hector's younger sister, Ava.
Ava debuted in Avengers Academy as one of a dozen new teenage heroes, being the estranged sister of Hector. She would often struggle with the powers that came with the amulet, going on bloodlusted blackouts in fights.
As for who this mysterious woman in the portrait could be, it's more likely that it's Ava and not Angela. Not only is she younger (despite being Angela's aunt), but Ava is also a far more popular character than her, appearing in nearly twice as many comic issues and being adapted into multiple cartoons and video games.
Audiences will no doubt see Hector's amulet passed down to his next of kin, with their storyline possibly continuing into Season 2.
New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again will stream every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
