Tigra

For other uses, seeTigra (disambiguation).

Tigra(Greer Grant Nelson) is asuperheroappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.Created by writer-editorRoy ThomasandartistWally Wood(Marie Severinwas then brought in to help layout the art), with her early adventures written byLinda Fite,the character first appeared as the superpowered and gadget-wielding crime fighterthe CatinThe Claws of the Cat#1 (November 1972).She first appeared as Tigra inGiant-Size Creatures#1 (July 1974), by writerTony Isabellaand artistDon Perlin.

Tigra
Tigra. Art byMike Deodato.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	As the Cat: The Claws of the Cat#1 (November 1972) As Tigra: Giant-Size Creatures#1 (July 1974)
Created by	The Cat: Roy Thomas Wally Wood Tigra: Tony Isabella Don Perlin
In-story information
Alter ego	Greer Grant Nelson
Species	Human mutate (Cat Person)
Team affiliations	Avengers Resistance The Battalion The Initiative Avengers Fantastic Four West Coast Avengers Lady Liberators Avengers Academy New Warriors Fearless Defenders
Notable aliases	The Cat Greer Sorenson Werecat Were-Woman Weretiger
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, stamina, reflexes, and senses Retractable fangs and claws Empathy

Publication history

The Cat was introduced in one of a trio of Marvel Comics aimed at a female audience, alongsideNight NurseandShanna the She-Devil.Marvel writer-editorRoy Thomasrecalled in 2007:

[Editor-in-chiefStan Lee] had the idea, and I think the names, for all three. He wanted to do some books that would have special appeal to girls. We were always looking for way to expand our franchise. My idea...was to try to get women to write them. And of course, if we could get a woman to draw them, too, that was great. Stan tapped [artist]Marie [Severin]...forThe Cat....[Writer]Linda Fitewas working on staff, had done a couple ofX-Menback-up features ".

Marie Severin commented on the characters design stating "They wanted her to look like a cat. The sash was my idea, I'm pretty sure. The sash was just an element of flair, not having a tail. She had something on her feet so she could climb buildings. that all made sense in the realm of the nonsense of comic books"

The series lasted four issues, each with a different art team. Severin was teamed with acclaimed 1950sEC ComicsartistWally Woodasinkerfor the premiere, followed by Severin and inkerJim Mooneyin issue #2; newcomer Paty Greer co-penciling with 1940sGolden Age of Comic BookslegendBill Everett,who also inked, in issue #3; andJim StarlinandAlan Weissco-penciling the finale, withFrank McLaughlininking. A fifth issue of the series was drawn byRamona Fradon,but the title was cancelled due to lack of sales on previous issues.Severin attributes the character's sensual appearance to Wood: "I remember saying, 'My God, I drew this woman and Wally inked her like she's wrapped inSaran Wrap.' His storytelling always had lovely inking, nice blacks and everything, but I didn't have her that revealing. The boys loved his work, though. "

The Cat appeared alongsideSpider-ManinMarvel Team-Up#8 (April 1973) during her series' brief run. After a year's absence, she was revamped as the superpowered, part-animal Tigra in a two-part story inGiant-Size Creatures#1 (July 1974; "Giant-Size" refers to the comic's page-count, not giant creatures) andWerewolf by Night#20 (August 1974). WriterTony Isabellarecounted "My memory may be a bit shaky here, but I recall the Giant-Size books were approved and put on the schedule without a lot of lead time... I think I got the assignment one day, pitched the idea on the next, and one day later was sitting down with Roy [Thomas] andGil Kaneto work out what Tigra would look like. "He also namesDon PerlinandJohn Romita Sr.as having a hand in Tigra's appearance, and credits Thomas with coming up with the name.Tigra made her solo-feature debut with a 15-page story in the black-and-whitehorror-comics magazineMonsters Unleashed#10 (February 1975), followed by a brief run in the umbrella seriesMarvel Chillers#3-7 (February–October 1976), and one more solo story inMarvel Premiere#42 (June 1978). LikeThe Claws of the Cat,Marvel Chillerswas also cancelled due to struggling sales.

Tigra went on to guest star throughout the Marvel line, often appearing in issues of the superhero-team comicThe Avengersand later in the cast of the spin-off comicWest Coast Avengers.She starred in the four-issueminiseriesTigra(May–August 2002) by writer Christina Z. and artistMike Deodato,and has since guest starred inShe-Hulk,Civil War,various Avengers comics, and elsewhere.

Tigra appeared as a supporting character inAvengers Academyfrom issue #1 (August 2010) to its final issue, #39 (January 2013).

Fictional character biography

The Cat

The Claws of the Cat#1 (November 1972), cover art byMarie SeverinandWally Wood

Greer Grant was a native ofChicago, Illinois.She was a sophomore at theUniversity of Chicagowhen she met her future husband, policeman Bill Nelson. She left college to marry him. The marriage was a strong one, flawed only by Bill's overprotective nature. Bill was killed in an off-duty shooting, and Greer had to find a job of her own. After weeks of searching, she ran into her old physics professor, Dr. Joanne Tumulo, and signed on as her research assistant.

Dr. Tumulo was working on human enhancement methods effective for women. For several reasons, including distrust for the haphephobic Malcolm Donalbain (Tumulo's financial backer), distaste for Shirlee Bryant (his chosen subject), and Greer's own enthusiasm, Tumolo decided to let her friend undergo the treatment as well.

Greer emerged from the regimen with greatly enhanced physical and mental capabilities, including the peculiar tendency to feel others' pain. Shirlee emerged with similar physical capacity but considerably less mental empowerment, a result they blamed on her lack of adherence to the preparatory regimen.

Tumolo then investigated further, and discovered that Donalbain had created a mind-control device and a set of cat-themed gadgets, with which he intended to make Shirlee his mindless superhuman enforcer. However, she fell to her death while testing the grapple-claw.

Stealing away, Dr. Tumulo presented the story to Greer, along with a spare Cat costume and gadget-set as evidence. However, her intention to call the police was thwarted by a bombing at her lab, which claimed her life. Greer then donned the suit, and set out to put an end to his scheme. With her powers, she adapted quickly to the strange garb and attacked Donalbain's headquarters and he committed suicide rather than let her touch him. A fire set off by the earlier fight then destroyed Donalbain's headquarters, including his copy of the enhancement machine.

Greer then embarked on a brief crimefighting career as the Cat.

Years later, another of Donalbain's Cat costumes surfaced whenPatsy Walkerdiscovered it while accompanying the Avengers. Donning it, she began calling herself theHellcat.

Tigra

"The Tigra" is the historical defender/champion of theCat People,a humanoid race created by sorcery during the Dark Ages. Concerned about the Cat People's uncontrollable population growth and savagery, a community of sorcerers eventually banished the entire original Cat People population to a demonic netherworldly realm.

The two very first Cat People, who were themselves very capable scientists and sorcerers, were able to evade banishment through their magic. They continued to live among humanity in secret and worked to refine the Cat People's biology to make a peaceful integration into the human population possible. They were constantly persecuted and required a protector. Discovering that the original spell for transforming cats into Cat People like themselves had been rendered inoperative, they created a process combining science, sorcery, and focused mental power that could transform a human female into a "Tigra", a humanoidtiger-like being with abilities that far surpassed those of either race.

This unnamed first Tigra defended the Cat People with great effectiveness, and allowed a new community to establish themselves on Earth, separate from the group that had been banished. This new population continued to live amongst humanity in secrecy through the present day, relying on enchantments that cast the illusion of a human appearance.

Nothing is known about the other Tigras who may have existed, or even if there have been more than two. At the time when Greer was transformed into Tigra, "the Tigra" was only remembered by the Cat People as a distant, but powerful, legend. It has been strongly implied that only one Tigra can exist at any given time.

Dr. Tumulo was revealed to be one of these modern Cat People.When members ofHYDRAtracked Tumolo down to obtain "the Final Secret" (the Black Death plague, which was another creation of the first two Cat People), Greer once again donned the Cat costume and drove them off. However, she was mortally injured by a blast from one of their Alpha radiation pistols.

Greer regained consciousness in aBaja Californiacave, surrounded by a gathering of Cat People summoned by Tumolo. Rapidly dying from the radiation's effects, Greer was offered one last hope of survival: a combination of ancient science, sorcery, and mental power that would transform her into Tigra, the Cat People's legendary half-human, half-cat warrior. She readily consented, began wearing only her blackbikinifrom this time on, and arose from the ceremony as a superhumanly-powered human-animalhybrid.Striped fur covered her entire body, her hands and feet bore razor-sharpclaws,her teeth became long and pointed, and her eyes were now cat's eyes. In addition to superhuman strength and senses, she also gained many of the drives and instincts of a cat. Soon after, she encountered theWerewolf.

Though initially unable to change back to her human self, Tigra later received as a mystical cat-headed amulet that allowed her to transform at will.She seldom made use of it, preferring her feline superpowered form and mostly abandoning her civilian identity.

Greer resumed her superhero career, with most of the world unaware that the woman who briefly fought crime as the Cat was now the feline Tigra. She fought alongside most of Marvel's heavy-hitters in wide-ranging adventures. She first battledKraven the Hunter,and then teamed withSpider-Managainst Kraven.She also became a friend and associate of theFantastic Four.

When theAvengersfound themselves shorthanded,Moondragonused her mental powers to compel a dozen unaffiliated heroes (apparently selected at random) to travel to Avengers Mansion and audition for the vacant position. Though he disapproved of Moondragon's methods, Captain America offered Tigra a spot on the team.

Although Tigra's first tenure with the Avengers was brief, she served well. She also aided theX-MenagainstDeathbird.Her time with the Avengers was highlighted by her saving the world from destruction by theMolecule Mansingle-handed, who intended to consume the planet's energy, likeGalactus.Alone among the Avengers, she was able to get close enough to him to talk him out of his plan. She convinced him to seek help from a therapist and the Molecule Man has ceased to be a threat to this day.

The Avengers fought theGhost Rider,who blasted the team with his terror-inducing hellfire. The nature of Tigra's powers caused her to be affected by the exposure on a far deeper level than her teammates. She was left with great self-doubts about her qualifications as a member of Earth's premier superhero team, particularly alongside such heavy-hitters asThorandIron Man.Ultimately she resigned her membership, leaving the team on good terms.

She resumed her modeling career, moving to San Francisco when employers on the East Coast proved unreceptive to the idea of a cat person model.There she befriended private investigatorJessica Drew,and aided her on several cases, but had no better luck with modeling work there than on the East Coast and accepted an offer from theVisionto become a founding member of the Avengers' new West Coast-based team.Alongside the newWest Coast Avengers,she foughtGraviton,and became a close friend ofWonder Man.She also began a flirtation withHenry Pym.

While with the West Coast Avengers, she seemed to have shed the remainders of her hellfire-induced self-doubt. However, the cat-like aspects of her personality (such as a penchant for savagery and a need for affection) had begun to dominate her human intellect, causing her increasing distress. She sought help from her Avengers teammates in overcoming the "cat" side of her personality, which had caused her to become the lover of both Wonder Man and Henry Pym. She also encountered and fought the Werewolf.She was transported with the West Coast Avengers by Balkatar to the realm of the Cat People. Ultimately, she came into contact with the banished colony of Cat People, whose king agreed to resolve her crisis in exchange for carrying out her historical function by murdering the Cat People's longtime foe,Master Pandemonium.Though she initially accepted their terms,when the critical moment came at an arena in the Cat People's realm, Tigra refused to violate the Avengers' code against killing, and failed to kill Master Pandemonium. The Cat People stripped her of her "Tigra soul" (the peculiar articulation of her Tigra powers in this demonic realm). She was reduced to her normal, pre-transformation human state.

TheHellcat,who had accompanied Greer and the West Coast Avengers, lent Greer the super-suit that she used to wear as the Cat, and a battle ensued. As the tide began to turn against the Cat People, their leader released the "Tigra soul" as a means of confusing Greer. The tactic backfired: the cat-suit had been designed by a Cat Person (Tumolo) specifically to amplify Greer's human capabilities, so instead of Greer being dominated by the "Tigra soul" as before, the suit caused her human and feline personalities to successfully integrate together.

This time, Greer's transformation into the legendary cat-warrior was much more complete than before. Her strength and abilities were far greater than they were originally. Her appearance became more feline, and she grew a tail like the rest of the Cat People. She also lost the ability to shift back to a human form, though as before she showed no sense of loss for her human identity.

Her transformation was so complete and the Tigra legend was so strong among the Cat People that they immediately ceased hostilities. Tigra continues to hold a position of significant reverence among the Cat People.

The transformation also resolved the conflicts between the human and feline aspects of her personality. Tigra could now exploit the full range and ferocity of her abilities without fear of going so far that she would lose control of her actions, and she could also indulge her natural feline inclinations (such as hunting and chasing prey for enjoyment) without feeling guilty or self-conscious.This integration was confirmed in concrete ways immediately upon the team's return to Earth. Tigra performed a sport dive off the highest span of the Golden Gate Bridge, exhibiting no signs of any injury or fear of the water. She also terminated her ongoing relationship with Hank Pym, explaining that although she no longer felt a cat-like need to seek affection at every opportunity, she had no conventional human desire to be tied down to one mate, either.

She was captured by Graviton at one point, but freed the Avengers from him.Around this time, the Arthurian Lady of the Lake summoned the West Coast Avengers to England to aid the superhero teamExcalibur.With the others, Tigra ventured into the realm of limbo to help stopDoctor Doom's mad plans to gain power at the cost of killing everyone in Britain.

Tigra briefly left the West Coast Avengers in a dispute over the Avengers' policy against killing. Tigra stated that she believed by her very nature that killing prey was sometimes necessary.She joinedMockingbirdand theMoon Knightin forming an independent group.

After returning to the team, Tigra inexplicably underwent another "inversion" and transformed into a more animal-like feline form, losing her human intellect completely and becoming a danger to her fellow Avengers.This was possibly due to the reality-warping machinations ofImmortus,who at the time sought to distract the team so as to have unimpeded access to theScarlet Witch.Tigra was forcibly shrunken down to sub-house cat size by Hank Pym and kept in a cage in his lab while the team tended to other urgent matters.She escaped and traveled into suburbia, where she lived as a wild animal.She was ultimately rescued and restored to her former appearance and stability by noted witchAgatha Harkness,who was an associate of the West Coast Avengers at the time.

Tigra resumed her membership in the West Coast Avengers. On an intelligence-gathering mission in Japan, she and Iron Man battled a team of Asian supervillains known as thePacific Overlords.During the fight, Iron Man was incapacitated and Tigra suffered a deep, critical stab wound to the abdomen before dispatching her attackers and making her escape. She flew away in the Avengers' Quinjet, intending to report back to headquarters on the Overlords' plans, but severe loss of blood caused her to lose consciousness and crash land inArnhem Land,anAboriginalterritory in northern Australia. Rescued by Aborigines, she decided to stay put while she recovered from her wounds, naming Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) as her replacement. She briefly made Arnhem Land her home, enjoying the company of the Aborigines and the pleasures of living wild.

After the West Coast Avengers disbanded, Tigra resumed her wide-ranging adventures. Though no longer an active Avenger, she continued to participate in Avengers operations when needed as a member of the team's extended family.

With the aid of a new transformation device to disguise her true identity from her fellow officers, Tigra spent some time on the New York City police force. She focused much of her time on a personal case and in combating a force of vigilante police officers.

Later, mystical forces which attacked all Avengers brought her to theAvengers Mansion.There, she and all the other Avengers were entrapped byMorgan le Fay,to live out in an alternate universe where le Fay ruled, fighting alongside the others as one of the "queen" 's guards under the name "Grimalkin". After the defeat of Morgan, Tigra went off into space withStarfoxto enjoy the pleasures found there. She appeared off and on, having a series of adventures as part of the ad hoc space-faringAvengers Infinityteam in which she helps in preventing an extra-universal race from destroying all life in our universe.

Tigra returned to Earth with the Avengers Infinity team during theMaximum Securitystoryline, during which she helped to save the Earth from becoming a penal colony for alien criminals.She played a particularly crucial role in events when the Infinity team were captured after discovering theKree's role in recent events, with the Kree intending to lobotomize the team and make it appear as though they had destroyed another planet; due to the attention the Kree had paid to keeping the more powerful team members contained, they were unprepared for Tigra, the weakest member, to escape her bonds by returning to her smaller human form, allowing her to escape her shackles and free her teammates in time to reveal the truth.

Civil War

Tigra fought along Iron Man's side during theCivil War.She supported theSuperhuman Registration Act,although she expressed sincere concern about the fate ofCaptain Americaand the other heroes who opposed the Act and turned fugitive. Nonetheless, inCivil War Files,Tigra was listed not merely as having registered to comply with the law, but also as having become an agent ofS.H.I.E.L.D.to actively aid in its enforcement.

Pretending to switch allegiances, she infiltrated Captain America's Secret Avengers team as a mole. She passed information to Iron Man undetected until the very end of the conflict, when she was discovered and "outed" byHulkling,Captain America's own spy among the pro-registration forces. Captain America kept quiet, exploiting her presence to feeddisinformationto Iron Man about his team's plan to rescue imprisoned heroes later that day.

The Initiative

Greer has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who are part of theFifty State Initiative.She served as a founding instructor atCamp Hammond,the training compound for the Initiative, and resumed her romantic relationship with fellow superheroYellowjacket,unaware that he had been kidnapped and replaced by aSkrullduplicate.

Tigra was captured by Chilean soldiers controlled by thePuppet Master,who sculpted a figure in her likeness and thus put her under his mental control. He used her and the other superhuman women he had enslaved (includingStature,Dusk,Araña,andSilverclaw) as elite guards at his South American base of operations. Tigra and the rest of the heroes were restored to their normal free will whenMs. Marveland her S.H.I.E.L.D. strike team liberated the compound and killed the Puppet Master.

Later she was shot and severely beaten by theHoodin her home in retaliation for having beatenJigsaw,a member of his fledgling super-criminal organization. While Tigra was incapacitated, the Hood threatened the life of her mother, and Jigsaw stole the mystic talisman she occasionally uses to transform to her human identity.

The Hood and his entire crew later appeared at her apartment, demanding to know the location of theNew Avengers' secret headquarters. Tigra intentionally gave him information that led them into an ambush. She joined in the battle and personally beat down the Hood, saving the life ofIron Fistin the process. By the time of the Hood's second appearance in her apartment, she had completely recovered from her injuries and had either reacquired her talisman or replaced it with a close facsimile.

Tigra continued to serve in the Initiative as a senior staff member of the central organization, and was the leader of the Arkansas Initiative team "the Battalion",until the Initiative was taken over by Norman Osborn and she learned of the Hood's role as his right-hand man.She has also appeared as a member of She-Hulk's "Lady Liberators"team.

After theSkrull invasion,Tigra reveals to the Hellcat andTraumathat she believes herself to be pregnant by Yellowjacket, though she is unsure if the baby is the real Hank's or the Skrull impostor's. She tells Trauma that she has decided to terminate the pregnancy regardless of the father's identity.She later decides to leave the camp for Arkansas, planning to trainRazorback,who had been replaced by a Skrull and recently returned, and was eager to take the impostor's place in the Battalion.When she was nearly injured byRagnarok's hammer, she seemed to show concern for the baby.

WhenNorman Osborntold her that he was going to take her baby forgenetic testingand that moreover he had made the Hood the chief operating officer of the Initiative, Tigra went on the run with Gauntlet despite having been offered her choice of prestige assignments as a registered hero. She co-founded theAvengers Resistance,choosing its name as a means of restoring honor to the legendary team's traditions. Now wanted as an outlaw, she began exacting personal vengeance on members of the Hood's gang, starting by savagely attacking and beating one of theBrothers Grimminside his home.She serves as the team's de facto leader.

Tigra is later approached by Ultra Girl, asking why she and the Avengers Resistance are going after the villains in the Initiative. In response, she shows her a video of the Hood savagely beating her. Now, she wants to get back at them, by showing them that they are vulnerable...by making them scared and broken. Tigra later ambushesMandrill.

She claimed her final retribution against the Hood not on the battlefield, but after he was rendered powerless and taken into custody. After telling him that she was perfectly comfortable with the idea of taking his life, the sight of his baby in the hallway outside convinced her that dooming him to either a life in prison or on the run would be a far worse punishment, as he would never get to hold his child ever again; and to kill him would jeopardize her future with her own baby. Tigra gave birth to what is apparently a normal Cat Person kitten during the transition between Tony Stark's administration of the Initiative and Norman Osborn's; the gestation period was a mere two months, due to her feline physiology. She hid the infant from Osborn, entrusting its care to the Cat People until the end of hostilities. She named the child William, after her late husband.

Heroic Age

At the conclusion of the Siege, Tigra stated a new motivation not only to restore the good name of the Avengers, but also to ensure that her child will grow up in a safer world.

Following the arrest and incarceration of Norman Osborn, the dismantling of his criminal superhero teams, and the repeal of the Superhuman Registration Act, the President names Steve Rogers (the original Captain America) as America's new head of national security. Rogers seeks to assemble a collection of heroes to inspire the nation and the world as a new organization of Avengers. Tigra is among the 25 heroes he personally invites to join him in creating a new Heroic Age.

Alongside Hank Pym, Quicksilver, Jocasta, Speedball and Justice, Tigra serves as part of the founding faculty ofAvengers Academy,training a new generation of heroes in the traditions of the world's elite superhero team.

During this time, Tigra learns that the Skrull posing as Pym was indeed William's father, but as he had disguised himself as Pym at the genetic level, it means that William is half-human, rather than half-Skrull, with Pym technically being the genetic father. After learning this, Tigra asks Pym to take care of William in the event of anything happening to her.

When a former associate of The Hood plans to release the video of Tigra's beating commercially, Tigra arranges to have the footage air in its entirety during a live interview, so that her own experience may serve as an example to other trauma survivors and inspire them to seek help. During this same interview, she announces her formation of a series of "Always an Avenger" centers to provide veterans, children, spouses and any other trauma victims with needed counseling and resources.

Members of the existing Avengers Academy class react to the initial news of the video by tracking the unpowered Hood down, attacking him, and releasing video of the attack on the Internet, rather than taking the escaped Hood into custody and returning him to jail. Tigra becomes furious at their counter-heroic actions and by their refusal to appreciate the seriousness of their transgression; she summarily expels all those involved.Later, after talking with the rest of the faculty staff, they decide to put all those involved on probation instead.

She has slowly grown closer to Henry Pym and the two have resumed their romantic relationship.

Tigra was one of 10 female heroes recruited by Misty Knight to aid her and the Valkyrie in repelling a group ofAsgardianDoom Maidens. At the end of this adventure, the Valkyrie comes to realize that Tigra and three of the other heroines are among those deemed by the All-Mother to be worthy to become shield-maidens like herself, symbols of honor and valor and courage, to one day be led by the Valkyrie into battle and death.

During theSecret Empirestoryline, Tigra appears as a member of the Underground, a resistance movement againstHYDRA.

Tigra appeared in theFresh Startrevival of the West Coast Avengers, in which she had been changed into a giant 200-Foot tall woman with her mind set in a feral state.After the new West Coast Avengers roster defeated her, they worked on stopping other feral giant women mutated into such by M.O.D.O.K. in his failed quest for love. Once returned to her original self, she thanked the WCA, went to hunt M.O.D.O.K. and wished the new WCA the best of luck.During the 17th birthday party forNadia van Dyne-Pym, the long lost daughter of Hank Pym, Tigra introduced William to Nadia as her half-brother. With the introduction serving as her birthday gift, Tigra had tears of joy that Nadia happily accepted her new brother and would be a big part in William's life.

Powers and abilities

Tigra's powers are the result of a combination of science, magic, and mental energy utilized by Dr. Joanne Marie Tumulo and the otherCat People.Her physical appearance is distinctly cat-like. A thick, sleek coat of orange fur with black stripes covers her entire body. She has pointed ears, sharper-than-normal teeth with pronounced upper and lower canines, eyes with enlarged irises and vertically slitted pupils, and retractable claws on her feet and hands instead of nails. Her claws and teeth are sufficiently strong to puncture sheet steel, such as that found in a car body. Tigra also has a long semi-prehensile tail, and can willfully contact (but not grasp and lift) objects with it. Tigra's feline physiology grants her various superhuman attributes including superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and resistance to physical injury. If she is injured, her physiology enables her to heal much faster and more extensively than an ordinary human.

Tigra's senses of sight, smell, and hearing extend far into the superhuman range and are also superior to those of ordinary cats. Tigra can see farther, and with much greater clarity, than an ordinary human. She has this same level of clarity at night, and her vision also extends slightly into the infrared spectrum, allowing her to see in complete darkness.

Her hearing is similarly enhanced, allowing her to hear a wider range of frequencies than a normal human as well as clearly hear sounds that would be far too faint for a human to detect. Exposure to intense, high-frequency sound is far more painful for Tigra than a normal human.

Tigra's sense of smell is developed to the point that she can recognize a person by scent alone, and track an individual across great distances and through complex environments. She can also sense changes in a person's mood through changes in their scent.

Thick pads on her feet, combined with her natural grace, allow her to move in almost complete silence.

Tigra's thick coat of fur prevents her from losing body heat quickly. She has stated that she wears bikinis partly because a full set of clothes over her fur would cause her to overheat in warm environments and possibly pass out. In addition, she is completely comfortable with her feline appearance and is not annoyed by the inevitable attention.

The unusual feline-human hybrid configuration of her brain makes her somewhat resistant to telepathic assaults. Though Tigra is not immune to such tactics, attackers have been forced to focus their powers carefully in order to use them effectively against her.

Like all cats, the interconnective tissues of Tigra's skeleton are unusually resilient. On at least one occasion this allowed her to shift her bones to slip out of mechanical restraints that would have effectively held a normal human, though doing so was quite painful.This resiliency also contributes to many of her other super-powered abilities, such as her body's resistance to injury.

Tigra possesses a mystical talisman that allows her to change her appearance from feline to human at will. She rarely uses it and only appears in her human form whenever circumstances require it. She regards her feline body as her natural form.

She formerly possessed what was referred to as a "cat-soul" in addition to her "human soul". Though vaguely defined, her "two souls" were consistently depicted merely as a means to describe her conflicting human and feline instincts, and not as separate personalities or personas, and her "cat soul" was not the soul of any specific Cat Person from the past. Regardless of the definition of her "two souls", they were fully merged during Greer's second, more complete transformation into the legendary figure.

Greer received a form of empathic ability when she became the Cat. She retains this ability as Tigra. With careful concentration, she can sense the emotions of others within her immediate proximity. She appears to prefer to achieve this same effect through her enhanced feline senses.

Tigra is an experienced and formidable hand-to-hand combatant, with a unique fighting style that exploits her feline speed, agility, senses, and instincts. She is a superhumanly adept athlete and gymnast. Like all Avengers of her generation, she has sparred and trained extensively with Steve Rogers, the original Captain America.

She is also a capable leader and pilot, qualified to operate Avengers aircraft as well as interstellar spacecraft.

While working undercover in human guise, Tigra attended the New York Police Academy to investigate the decade-old murder of her husband Bill Nelson. After bringing the murderers to justice, she completed her training under her Greer Grant Nelson identity. While she does not serve as an active-duty police officer, she retains legal authority under both her civilian and superpowered identities and unofficial ties to the police community.

Tigra possesses mystical abilities that have largely gone unexplored. In addition to using her mystic talisman to change her appearance from feline to human and back, she has been shown magically summoning the Balkatar, the Cat People's designated emissary to the Earthly plane. When Dr. Strange abdicated his position as Sorcerer Supreme, the Eye of Agamotto created a vision showing the many mystic beings who were potentially worthy or capable of assuming the title. An image of Tigra was included in this vision.

Tigra's physiology is more feline than human. When she became pregnant via the Skrull pretending to be Hank Pym, she carried the baby to term in two months, producing a single Cat Person son named William after her late husband.William does not have any traces of Skrull DNA as the Skrull pretending to be Hank Pym imitated him down to a cellular level; thus, genetically, William is Hank Pym's son.William matures more quickly than a human baby would.

Other versions

Spidey Super Stories

An alternate universe variant of Tigra from Earth-57780 appears in "Spidey Super Stories".

Marvel Adventures

An alternate universe variant of Tigra from Earth-20051 appears inMarvel Adventures.This version is initially a private investigator before joining the Avengers.

House of M

An alternate universe variant of Tigra from Earth-58163 appears in "House of M".This version is a member of the Avengers who is in a relationship withLuke Cageand is later killed saving him fromTaskmaster.

Marvel Mangaverse

An alternate universe variant of Tigra from Earth-2301 appears inMarvel Mangaverse.This version isDoctor Strange's assistant who was previously cursed to remain in her werecat form until she completes 1,000 good deeds.

Marvel Zombies

A zombified alternate universe variant of Tigra from Earth-2149 appears inMarvel Zombies.

Ultimate Marvel

An alternate universe variant of Tigra from Earth-1610 appears inUltimate Marvel.This version isMarie Grant,a police officer who was imprisoned for using excessive force and subsequently joined the West CoastUltimates,gaining her powers fromS.H.I.E.L.D.scientists.

Infinity Warps

Greer Baptise / Wentigra,a fusion of Tigra and theWendigocreated by theInfinity Gems,appears in "Infinity Wars".

Reception

Accolades

• In 2011,Comics Buyer's Guideranked Tigra 61st in their "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.
• In 2018,The Mary Sueranked Tigra 4th in their "7 Female Superheroes Who Should Join Marvel’s Cinematic Universe" list.
• In 2021,Comic Book Resources(CBR) ranked Tigra 17th in their "20 Most Powerful Female Members Of The Avengers" list.
• In 2022,Screen Rantincluded Tigra in their "10 Iconic West Coast Avengers" list,in their "10 Best Street-Level Heroes Not Yet In The MCU" list,and in their "10 Most Powerful Members Of The Lady Liberators" list.
• In 2022,CBRranked Tigra 3rd in their "10 Best Cat-Themed Superheroes In Comics" list.

In other media

Television

• Tigra appears inThe Avengers: United They Stand,voiced byLenore Zann.This version was an athlete who underwent genetic treatments to give her a competitive edge, but was left resembling an anthropomorphic tiger and gained superhuman abilities. Following this, she became a member of theAvengers.
• Huluintended to air aTigra &Dazzleranimated series to be written and executive produced by Erica Rivinoja andChelsea Handler.Additionally, the two would have also teamed up withMODOK,Hit-Monkey,andHoward the Duckin the animated specialThe Offenders.In December 2019 however, Rivinoja and the entire writing staff were fired due to creative differences, though Handler was still attached to the project.In January 2020, it was announced thatTigra & Dazzler,along with theHoward the Duckseries, was cancelled, makingThe Offendersunlikely.

Film

The Avengers: United They Standincarnation of Tigra appears inChip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers,voiced byLiz Cackowski.She is a washed-up actress whose main source of income is convention appearances.

Video games

• Tigra appears inHawkeye's ending inUltimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3as a member of hisWest Coast Avengers.
• Tigra appears as a playable character inMarvel Super Hero Squad Online,voiced byGrey DeLisle.
• Tigra appears as a playable character inMarvel: Avengers Alliance.
• Tigra appears as a playable character inLego Marvel's Avengers.
• A teenage version of Tigra appears inMarvel Avengers Academy,voiced byBella Thorne.
• Tigra appears as a playable character inMarvel Contest of Champions.

Miscellaneous

Tigra appears inThe Avengers: United They Standtie-in comic book series.

Toys and collectibles

• In 1997, a Tigra action figure reworked from a preexistingBlack Catfigure was released as part of Toy Biz'sMarvel Hall of Fame: She-Forceline.
• In 2000, an action figure based onThe Avengers: United They Standincarnation of Tigra was released as part ofToy Biz's "Avengers United" tie-in toy line.
• In 2006, Bowen Designs released a Tigra mini-bust sculpted by Jim Maddox and based largely on a 2001 sketch bySean Chen.
• In 2009, Hasbro released a Tigra action figure as part of theirMarvel Legendsline, reflecting her appearance in the then-current mainstream Marvel continuity.
• In 2021, Hasbro released an updated Tigra figure as part of their retro carded line, representing her time with the West Coast Avengers.
• In 2023, Hasbro released a new variation of their previous Tigra action figure, as part of a West Coast Avengers 5 pack box set. This version's lighter coloring and new headsculpt more accurately represents Tigra during her tenure with the team in the 80's.

Collected editions

Title	Material collected	Published date	ISBN
Tigra: The Complete Collection	The Cat#1-4,Marvel Team-Up#8, 67, 125,Giant-Size Creatures#1,Marvel Chillers#3-7,Marvel Two-In-One#19,Marvel Premiere#42,Tigra#1-4, material fromMonsters Unleashed#10	December 2019	978-1302920692

External links

• Tigraat Marvel
• The Tigra Gallery
• TigraatDon Markstein's Toonopedia
• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
• TigraonMarvel Database,aMarvel Comicswiki