Tai (comics)
Encyclopedia
Tai is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics
universe
. A Cambodia
n, Tai was something of a mentor for the New Warriors
in the first 25 issues of their first series.
a unit of American soldiers calling themselves the Half-Fulls encounter the temple but were captured by Tai. Tai tells them the story of her people and that the six soldiers had to marry and procreate with the six maiden brides. All but one of them agree to do so (Daryl Taylor was already married).
After their tour the soldiers return home to America with their new brides. Tai remains in Cambodia. Tai had married her only daughter Miyami off to one of the soldiers Andrew Chord
, who was an African American. Miyami soon gave birth to two children Silhouette
and Aaron Midnight's Fire
. Miyami did not want her children to be used as Tai's pawns so she fakes their deaths as well as her own and leaves her children to be raised in Manhattan's Chinatown.
and was briefly a part of a team with Tai's grandchildren Midnight's Fire and Silhouette. At the time the three were unaware of the relevant biological relationship. Later Night Thrasher founds the New Warriors. Tai influences the group from behind the scenes. In "New Warriors" #8, she bets the safety and security of the Warriors on a conflict with Emma Frost
. The other woman had brought her own super-powered teens in order to bring back one of the Warriors, who used to be her student. Frost's team is defeated.
Tai hopes to sacrifice the New Warriors to the well instead of the super-powered members of the 'Folding Circle
' (the children born from the mating of the soldiers and the brides). Tai and Chord's illegal business dealings are exposed and Chord attempts suicide rather than admit the truth. While in the hospital his wife Miyami visited him. Tai discovers this and is enraged that her daughter had faked her death and the death of her grandchildren. Tai murders her daughter in a fit of anger. Tai also uses her power to heal Chord of his brutal injuries, though she is unable to completely restore him.
Tai later returns to Cambodia. She was soon followed by the Folding Circle, now led by the Left Hand, a rogue powered villain influenced by the energies of the well. The New Warriors also follow in an Avengers Quinjet. Tai attempts to sacrifice both groups to the well. They work together to try and save each other, but it comes down to Dwayne himself in "New Warriors" #25. Dwayne uses a submachine-gun (specifically, an Uzi) to injure and seemingly kill Tai. Both she and the Left Hand are sucked down into the well.
, Tai's granddaughter Silhouette is sent back in time to stop Tai from murdering Miyami. In a storyline in the "Night Thrasher" comic book series, Silhouette is sent back in time to Tai's childhood. She encounters Tai and her peers as children in the cult. The five year old Tai tells Silhouette she can send her home if Silhouette will murder one of her rivals. Silhouette refuses and murders her grandmother as a child.
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Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
. A Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n, Tai was something of a mentor for the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
in the first 25 issues of their first series.
Fictional character biography
Tai is an elderly Cambodian mystic who was indirectly responsible for the formation of the New Warriors. Tai was born into a cult called the Dragon's Breadth. Her people derive mystical energy from a well inside their temple that was a nexus into various alternate dimensions. The temple is constructed around the nexus point where vast amounts of mystic energy are constantly released. Throughout the centuries Tai's people absorb the energy from the well. They devise a detailed program of interbreeding the goal of which was for each successive generation to be able to tap into the energies of the well more than the previous generation had and that eventually one generation would use that power to rule the world (this plan was called 'The Pact'). Tai's generation are actually able to harness the energies of the well. Tai's generation is led to believe that their generation were the ones who would rule the world. Tai refuses to share powers and slays everyone in the cult but six maiden brides and a series of guards for the temple.Vietnam War
During the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
a unit of American soldiers calling themselves the Half-Fulls encounter the temple but were captured by Tai. Tai tells them the story of her people and that the six soldiers had to marry and procreate with the six maiden brides. All but one of them agree to do so (Daryl Taylor was already married).
After their tour the soldiers return home to America with their new brides. Tai remains in Cambodia. Tai had married her only daughter Miyami off to one of the soldiers Andrew Chord
Andrew Chord
Chord is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is African American. His first appearance was in Thor #411. Chord was the mentor of Night Thrasher and the New Warriors...
, who was an African American. Miyami soon gave birth to two children Silhouette
Silhouette (comics)
Silhouette is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in New Warriors #2, , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley...
and Aaron Midnight's Fire
Midnight's Fire
Midnight's Fire is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in New Warriors #2, , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley...
. Miyami did not want her children to be used as Tai's pawns so she fakes their deaths as well as her own and leaves her children to be raised in Manhattan's Chinatown.
Chord's mercenary efforts
Chord, thinking his family is dead, became a mercenary and travelled the world. Eventually he arrives in Cambodia and renews his association with his mother-in-law. Together they return to America. Tai worries her son-in-law fears his place in the pact would be moot now that his son was dead. Tai urges Chord to resume his friendship with army buddy Daryl Taylor (the one who rejected the pact). Chord did so and became godfather to Daryl and his wife's son Dwayne. Tai demands Chord kill Daryl and his wife Melody. Chord did so, unwillingly, in front of Dwayne. At which point a six year old Dwayne is introduced to Tai and his memory wiped.'Motherhood'
Chord and Tai raise Dwayne and train him to be a crime fighter. They also take care of Daryl Taylor's charitable organization the Taylor Foundation...often using it to finance questionable activities all over the world. Dwayne became Night ThrasherNight Thrasher
Night Thrasher is a fictional character, a superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Thor #411 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.-Publication history:...
and was briefly a part of a team with Tai's grandchildren Midnight's Fire and Silhouette. At the time the three were unaware of the relevant biological relationship. Later Night Thrasher founds the New Warriors. Tai influences the group from behind the scenes. In "New Warriors" #8, she bets the safety and security of the Warriors on a conflict with Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
. The other woman had brought her own super-powered teens in order to bring back one of the Warriors, who used to be her student. Frost's team is defeated.
Tai hopes to sacrifice the New Warriors to the well instead of the super-powered members of the 'Folding Circle
Folding Circle
The Folding Circle is a team of comic book supervillains in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe. They were created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley in New Warriors Volume 1 #21...
' (the children born from the mating of the soldiers and the brides). Tai and Chord's illegal business dealings are exposed and Chord attempts suicide rather than admit the truth. While in the hospital his wife Miyami visited him. Tai discovers this and is enraged that her daughter had faked her death and the death of her grandchildren. Tai murders her daughter in a fit of anger. Tai also uses her power to heal Chord of his brutal injuries, though she is unable to completely restore him.
Tai later returns to Cambodia. She was soon followed by the Folding Circle, now led by the Left Hand, a rogue powered villain influenced by the energies of the well. The New Warriors also follow in an Avengers Quinjet. Tai attempts to sacrifice both groups to the well. They work together to try and save each other, but it comes down to Dwayne himself in "New Warriors" #25. Dwayne uses a submachine-gun (specifically, an Uzi) to injure and seemingly kill Tai. Both she and the Left Hand are sucked down into the well.
Post-Death
Tai has appeared a couple times since her death in time travel storylines. In a storyline in DarkhawkDarkhawk
Darkhawk is a fictional comic book superhero who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1...
, Tai's granddaughter Silhouette is sent back in time to stop Tai from murdering Miyami. In a storyline in the "Night Thrasher" comic book series, Silhouette is sent back in time to Tai's childhood. She encounters Tai and her peers as children in the cult. The five year old Tai tells Silhouette she can send her home if Silhouette will murder one of her rivals. Silhouette refuses and murders her grandmother as a child.