AWILDA AYALA
Real Name: Awilda Ayala Del Toro
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Homemaker
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Blackbyrd (Nathaniel Alexander Byrd), Luke Cage, Detective James D'Angelo, Iron Fist (Daniel Rand), Jack of Hearts (Jonathan Hart), Misty Knight (Mercedes Knight)
Enemies: Hijackers (Mole, Scratch, Table-Top), Gideon Mace
Known Relatives: Maria Ayala (mother, deceased), Nestor Ayala (father, deceased), Hector Ayala (White Tiger, brother, deceased), Filippo "Pito" Ayala (brother, deceased), Ava Ayala (White Tiger, sister), Soledad Ayala (sister-in-law), Mr. Del Toro (husband), Angela Del Toro (White Tiger, daughter), Rey Del Toro (son), Marisol Del Toro (daughter), Soledad Ayala (sister-in-law)
Aliases: Wilda, Tia Willi
Base of Operations: New York City, New York
First Appearance: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#20/2 (January, 1976)
Powers/Abilities: Awilda Ayala is a talented caretaker, focused constantly on the needs of her family, including her parents, sibilngs, and children.
Height: Unrevealed (5'8"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (140 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#20/2 (fb) - BTS) - Awilda Ayala lived in New
York City with her father (Nestor), mother (Maria), and her brothers
(Hector and Filippo, called Pito). She grew concerned when Filippo got
addicted to dope.
(White Tiger I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Awilda married Mr. Del Toro, a police officer, and they had three children: Rey, Marisol, and Angela. Angela grew up to become an F.B.I. agent.
(Captain America and the Mighty Avengers#8 (fb) - BTS) - When Awilda began having children, her parents had another child, a baby girl named Ava.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#29/2 (fb) - BTS) - Filippo left the family, pursuing his addiction, and Awilda felt betrayed.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#20/2 (fb) - BTS) - Awilda spent the evening with Maria. After hearing Hector sneak in in the middle of the night, Awilda peeked in on him and saw him sleeping in his clothes.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#20/2) - When Awilda saw Hector in the morning, she heard him lie about having been out with Angela the night before because she had been with Angela. Hector was sweating as they joined their mother for breakfast, and Awilda worried that he was on dope as well. Just then, policemen, including James D'Angelo, arrived at the door to arrest Hector, accusing him of having been in a gang war the night before.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#21/2) - As the police questioned and searched Hector, claiming he was the suspect in a murder, Hector claimed that he couldn't remember where he was the night before. As Awilda comforted Maria, the police went to arrest Hector, but he punched one of them and then jumped through a window, breaking it, to free himself. Awilda yelled after him, worrying he would be killed.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#22/2) - After reading the paper, where it revealed that a hero named the White Tiger had cleared Hector's name, Awilda told Maria the good news, but Maria was distressed as Hector wasn't home, and she cried over Filippo and Nestor, though Awilda didn't know why. When Nestor got home, he told her he believed that the White Tiger was a good person, but she felt inherently that White Tiger had done something to Hector.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#23/2) - After the White Tiger finished a battle with Jack of Hearts, Awilda rushed past the police (including James D'Angelo and Blackbyrd/Nathaniel Alexander Byrd) to confront him, demanding to know where Hector was.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#24/2) - White Tiger unmasked as Hector, and Awilda was shocked. Hector explained that he'd found an amulet that was granting him abilities, and he recounted some of his recent adventures. Just then, Jack of Hearts began discharging energy, putting the entire hospital at risk. White Tiger rushed to handle things. After things settled down at the hospital, the police asked White Tiger for help on another case, and Awilda lectured him about putting himself in danger, saying he was no hero, but Awilda disagreed. The Hijackers (Mole, Scratch, Table-Top) attacked, wanting Jack of Hearts, and they grabbed Awilda as a hostage.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#26/1) - Awilda was choked during the fight and, as it ended, she clutched her neck, feeling welts raise. Traumatized, she saw the criminal Mole dead, then she lashed out at White Tiger, furious with him for killing someone and wanting her brother back. She collapsed on the ground in front of him, accepting in her mind that Hector was dead and that White Tiger was someone else. White Tiger tried pleading with Awilda, but she seemed unable to hear him, deeply in shock. She simply walked away as he called after her.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#27/1) - Awilda struggled to get back to her routine at home as thoughts of Hector in danger stayed in her head. In a moment of distress, she confessed her fears to Maria, who rushed from the room crying. Just then, Filippo showed up high and collapsed into the Ayala apartment.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#29/2) - Awilda yelled at Filippo for coming home, but he promised he was clean. Filippo showed her that a belt of opium laced with a bomb had been placed on him and he'd been ordered to deliver it to a man named Maris, but Maris hadn't showed, and Filippo now believed his life was in danger.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#30/1) - Drug dealers arrived to hurt Filippo, and Awilda screamed. White Tiger came rushing in, fighting the men. When one of them grabbed Awilda, she stomped on his toe, freeing herself. White Tiger defeated the drug dealers. As Awilda yelled at White Tiger for his vigilantism, Filippo reminded them that he had a bomb on him.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#31 - BTS) - Filippo died when the bomb exploded.
(White Tiger I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Awilda often sent Angela and Rey to be babysat by Iron Fist (Daniel Rand) and Luke Cage, good friends of Hector's.
(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#23) - Awilda had dinner with her family, teasing Hector about his heroic identity.
(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#26) - When Awilda caught Hector sneaking in after a night of being a super hero, she yelled at him for missing classes and disappointing Maria.
(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#30) - Awilda went to Hector's apartment to make sure he was studying, and she worried when he didn't come home all night.
(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#49/2 (fb)) - Awilda lectured Hector about being more responsible, and he asked her to back off.
Hector returned home to his shot up apartment. Nestor and Maria Ayala were killed and Awilda was barely alive. According to Blackbyrd she died in Hector's arms. (see comments)
(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#52 - BTS) - Men working for Gideon Mace, who wanted revenge against the White Tiger, were behind the attack on Hector's family.
(White Tiger I#6 (fb) - BTS) - When Hector was killed as the White Tiger in an altercation with police, Awilda grieved him. She helped comfort Hector's wife, Soledad.
(White Tiger I#3) - Angela called her mother and then went to a big family barbecue, where Awilda was pleased to see Iron Fist visiting as he called her "Tia Willi."
(White Tiger I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Angela stayed in touch with Iron Fist over the years, hoping he would eventually marry Misty Knight.
(White Tiger I#6) - Soledad showed Rey and Awilda that there was a new White Tiger, a female, on television, not knowing it was Angela.
(Captain America and the Mighty Avengers#8 (fb) - BTS) - In time, Awilda learned that her daughter was the White Tiger, and she heard news about Angela being badly harmed by her use of the same amulets Hector had. In time, Ava, Awilda's teenage younger sister, became the new White Tiger, using the same amulet. It caused Awilda great pain to hear of Ava's adventures on the news.
(Captain America and the Mighty Avengers#8) - When Ava showed up at Awilda's home to talk, Awilda was furious and fled, but then Ava seemed ready to attack Rey, while under the influence of the Tiger God. Awilda drew a shotgun and ordered her sister to leave.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, George Perez, and Jack Abel.
Awilda's death was depicted in a flashback, but
she got better. Maybe Blackbyrd lied about her death to underworld
informant Lou Gunther to protect her.
--Markus Raymond
The Ayala family started with Hector, Awilda, and Filippo and their parents. A lot of characters were added later on, including Awilda's little sister, Ava, who became another White Tiger, and then Awilda was given a husband and three children, with her daughter Angela becoming another White Tiger. In order to fit both Angela and Ava comfortably into the family history, we have to presume that Awilda was married with children prior to her first appearance in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
This profile was completed 6/22/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Awilda Ayala has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
White Tiger I#3, p7, pan2 (main)
Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu I#27/1, p4, pan2 (younger)
Captain America and the Mighty Avengers#8, p12, pan2 (holding gun)
Appearances:
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#20/2-21/2
(January, March, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer), George Perez (penciler),
Jack Abel (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#22/2 (March, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer),
Keith Giffen (penciler), Rico Rival (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#23/2 (April, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer),
Gil Kane (penciler), Rico Rival (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#24/2 (May, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer),
Keith Giffen (penciler), The Tribe (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#26/1 (July, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Jim
Sherman (penciler), The Tribe (inker), John Warner (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#27/1 (August, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer),
Ron Wilson (penciler), The Tribe (inker), John Warner (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#29/1 (October, 2976) - Doug Moench (writer), Rudy Nebres (artist), John Warner (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#31 (December, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer),
Joe Staton (penciler), Sonny Trinidad (inker), John Warner (editor)
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#30/1 (November, 1976) - Bill Mantlo (writer),
George Perez (penciler), Sonny Trinidad (inker), John Warner (editor)
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#23 (October, 1973) - Bill
Mantlo (writer), Jim Mooney (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Bob Hall
(editor)
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#26 (January, 1979) - Bill
Mantlo (writer), Jim Mooney (penciler), Frank Springer (inker), Jo
Duffy (editor)
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#30 (May, 1979) - Bill
Mantlo (writer), Jim Mooney (penciler), Frank Springer (inker), Jo
Duffy (editor)
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#49/2 (December, 1980) -
Roger Stern (writer), Denys Cowyn (penciler), Jim Mooney (inker),
Dennis O'Neil (editor)
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man II#52 (March, 1981) - Roger
Stern (writer), Rick Leonardi (penciler), Jim Mooney (inker), Denny
O'Neill (editor)
White Tiger I#3 (March, 2007) - Tamora Pierce, Timothy Liebe (writers),
Phil Briones (penciler), Don Hillsman (inker), Ruwan Jayatilleke
(editor)
White Tiger I#6 (November, 2007) - Tamora Pierce, Timothy Liebe
(writers), Adriano Silva (penciler), Don Hillsman (inker), Ruwan
Jayatilleke (editor)
Captain America and the Mighty Avengers#8 (July, 2015) - Al Ewing (writer), Luke Ross (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 09/26/2021
Last updated: 09/25/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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