White Tiger (Ava Ayala)

White Tiger (Ava Ayala) is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Christos Gage and Tom Raney, first appearing in Avengers Academy #20 (December 2011). Ava is the fifth character to assume the mantle of White Tiger and is the younger sister of the first White Tiger, Hector Ayala as well as the aunt of Angela del Toro.

Publication history
Ava Ayala first appeared in Avengers Academy #20 (December 2011) and was created by Christos Gage and Tom Raney. She appeared as a regular character in the series through its final issue, #39 (January 2013). She appeared as a main character in Mighty Avengers starting with issue #1 (September 2013),[1] and then in New Avengers starting with issue #1 (December 2015).

Fictional character biography
Ava, the fifth White Tiger, is the sister of Hector Ayala and a student enrolled in the Avengers Academy. She inherited the White Tiger amulet from her brother following the death of him and his family members at the hands of Gideon Mace. Upon her introduction, Ava states the White Tiger is a family legacy that she intends to honor. She also criticizes classmate Reptil for not being more active in the Hispanic community.[2] She has been living with her sister Awilda's family since the death of her parents.[3]

White Tiger joined the Avengers Academy students into fighting the Purifiers.[4]

During the Infinity storyline, White Tiger was seen with Heroes for Hire when they were seen preventing Plunderer's men from stealing robot parts. When the Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Spider-Man's body) stops Plunderer and considers the Heroes for Hire team as mercenaries, White Tiger ends up quitting the team. She later joined up with the Mighty Avengers.[5]

During the Inhumanity storyline, White Tiger bonded with Power Man where they discovered that they can combine their abilities to form a White Tiger Chi.[6] This combination was enough to destroy Shuma-Gorath.[7] White Tiger later repaid Power Man by transferring some of her chi into him. This combination event took out Cerberus where Power Man and White Tiger called it their "New York Tiger-Style Kung Fu."[8] Power Man helped White Tiger when she tried to avenge her parents by killing Gideon Mace.[9] The rest of the Mighty Avengers showed up to prevent White Tiger from crossing the line.[10]

During the "Last Days" part of the Secret Wars storyline, White Tiger goes to reconcile with her surviving family members. They are mad that White Tiger has chosen a life that has led to so much death and threaten to kill her if she does not leave.[11]

As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel event, White Tiger appears as a member of Sunspot's incarnation of the New Avengers.[12]

Ava Ayala later fought with her niece Angela del Toro where the fight had Ava's amulet suddenly going over to Angela.[13] During the New Revengers' attack on the New Avengers at Avengers Base Two, Ava fought Angela again.[14] As the two White Tigers fought, Ava managed to snatch the White Tiger amulets that Maker gave to Angela and destroys them enough to free Angela from the controls of the White Tigers and the Hand.[15]

Powers and abilities
Ava Ayala wears the mystical tiger amulets formerly worn by her brother Hector. When wearing them, her physical strength, speed, stamina, agility, dexterity, reflexes and reactions, coordination, balance, and endurance are enhanced to slightly superhuman levels. She also has razor sharp claws and superhuman martial arts skills.

Marvel Universe vs The Avengers
In the limited series, Marvel Universe vs. The Avengers, Ava Ayala was this version's White Tiger and was one of the remaining four survivors of the Avengers Academy, along with Mettle, Veil, and Striker. While each of them are infected, Ava, along with the remaining Avengers and students wear a Doomstone collar that prevents the virus from taking hold of them fully, while discussing Doctor Doom's motives.[16] After it was revealed that the Doomstones allows the wearer to maintain their humanity while still remain as cannibals, Doom activates the Doomstone, turning it red and allowing the virus to take over. Ava was among those killed while in a fight with the infected Red Hulk and the remaining infected students.[17]