Sons of the Tiger
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| Mystical Incantation (Tigers Oath): |
| "When three are called and stand as one...As one they'll fight, their will be done...For each is born anew, The Tiger's Son." |
| –Sons of the Tiger |
Sons of the Tiger were three Martial Arts heroes featured in the comic book magazine published by Curtis Magazines (a short lived imprint of Marvel Comics) called The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. The "Origin" issue appeared in DHKF #1 entitled appropriately enough "The Sons of the Tiger". The series was created by Gerry Conway and drawn by Dick Giordano. This series was published in the early 1970's amids the "Kung Fu" or Chopsocky movie craze. The Sons of the Tiger also made appearances in Marvel's Special Collector's Edition #1 entitled "Savage Fists of Kung Fu". They also appeared in the Special Album Edition of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. As a note; both of these appearances contained the exact story entitled: "The Master Plan of Fu Manchu". In this story the Sons of the Tiger team up with Marvel's two other Martial Arts heroes Iron Fist and Shang Chi. The SCE contained the story in color while the SAE contained it in black+white.
The Sons of the Tiger were three friends and Martial Arts students of Master Kee:
- Lin Sun - Chinese, leader of the trio and adopted son of Master Kee.
- Abe Brown - African American member of the trio from the Ghetto streets of Harlem.
- Robert Diamond - Caucasian member of the trio, Hollywood actor.
[edit] Origin
Lin Sun was walking back from a Martial Arts Tournament with his 1st place trophy when he is suddenly attacked by ninja in front of his school in San Francisco. After defeating the villains he goes into the "Tiger Dojo" which has been ransacked. He finds a dying Master Kee who tells him that there are forces in this world which would destroy us and then points to a box on a shelf after which he dies. In the box Lin finds three amulets made of jade, a tiger's head and two claws: the symbol of their school. The inscription at the base of the box reads: When three are called and stand as one, as one they'll fight, their will be done...For each is born anew, The Tiger's Son. They are later known as "The Amulets of Power".
Soon after Lin meets up with his two friends Abe Brown and Bob Diamond who have also been attacked by ninja. Lin recounts the story of Master Kee's death and gives each of them one of the Jade Tiger claw amulets. They soon discover that when they join hands and chant the inscription from the box they become mystically connected. Their martial arts skill combine to become one force. During the series run the trio run up against "The Silent Ones", an evil organization with mystical ties attempting to rule the world.
[edit] Demise
Beginning in DHOKF # 19 entitled "An Ending", the trio break up and Lin Sun throws all three amulets in a trashcan located in an alley. There Hector Ayala of Puerto Rican decent finds the amulets and wears them to become The White Tiger. The Sons of the Tiger appeared in the next two stories: "A Beginning" and "To Claw the Eyes of Night" during the transition to The White Tiger stories. The character of Abe Brown is mostly seen periodically after that. Interestingly, the book continued using the title "Sons of the Tiger" even though the trio had split up and power was transferred to the "White Tiger".
Following the cancellation of the book, Bob Diamond would make occasional appearances in Power Man and Iron Fist as Colleen Wing's lover.
[edit] Story List
- Sons of the Tiger (Origin) - DHOKF#1
- The Trial of the Ninja - DHOKF#3
- Night of the Death Dream - DHOKF#4
- The Way of the Jackal - DHOKF#6
- Tigers in a Mind Cage - DHOKF#7
- Storm of Vengeance - DHOKF#8
- Slaughter in Central Park - DHOKF#9
- They Who Dwell Within - DHOKF#10
- Gladiators in the Crypt of Tomorrow - DHOKF#11
- Crack of the Whip - DHOKF#12
- Death is My Co-Star - DHOKF#13
- The Valley of Ancestors - DHOKF#14
- The Rites of Every Citizen (Ch. 1) - DHOKF#16
- Politics of Death (Ch. 2) - DHOKF#17
- Fists of Darkness, Fists of Death (With Iron Fist) - DHOKF#18
- An Ending - DHOKF#19
- A Beginning - DHOKF#20
- To Claw the Eyes of Night - DHOKF#21
- Who is the White Tiger? - DHOKF#22
- Revenge is the Jack of Hearts, Tiger - DHOKF#23
- Tiger, Tiger...Burning Bright - DHOKF#24
- White Tiger - DHOKF#26
- Death is a Game Called Handball - DHOKF#27
- Flesh of My Flesh - DHOKF#29
- Threads of Evil...Web of Hate - DHOKF#30
- Dark Waters of Death (With Iron Fist & Shang-Chi) - DHOKF#31
- The Tiger-Sons Must Die - DHOKF#32
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- The Master Plan of Fu Manchu - Special Album Edition Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
- The Master Plan of Fu Manchu - Special Collector's Edition Savage Fist of Kung Fu
