Traditionally none beyond the physical qualities of a tiger; some versions of the character give him shapeshifting abilities from man to tiger, or the ability to transform into a giant Smilodon.
Created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck in Captain Marvel Adventures #79, the traditional version of Tawky Tawny is a humanoid and well mannered tiger who wishes to be a part of human society.[1] A friend of the Marvel Family, Tawny often participates in their adventures.[2] Later versions introduced in the 2000s and beyond often feature Tawny as more tiger-like, though typically retaining his ability to talk.
Fictional character biography
Fawcett Comics and pre-Crisis DC Comics
Mr. Tawny made his first appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures #79 (1947), published by Fawcett Comics. The story "The Talking Tiger" introduced him as an anthropomorphic Bengal tiger who traveled from India to the United States to integrate into American society. Although he makes efforts to be sociable, his presence terrorizes the public, leading to Captain Marvel intervening. After learning of his motives, Marvel helps him get a job as a tour guide at the local museum. Tawny's second appearance, Captain Marvel Adventures #82 (1948), reveals that he gained his anthropomorphic form from a serum created by a hermit.
Tawny became a regular recurring character in Captain Marvel Adventures, appearing as the best friend of Captain Marvel, until it ceased publication in 1953. As a respectable gentleman, Tawny typically dressed in a tweed suit, and spoke and acted in a dignified manner. Tawny was only referred to by his last name before Fawcett let the fans decide his first name, with Mary Garrisi and Pat Laughlin deciding on Tawky (a deliberate misspelling of "talky").[3] Tawny's creators, Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, unsuccessfully attempted to launch a newspaper strip featuring him in 1953.[4]
After Fawcett Comics shut down, DC acquired their characters, including Tawky Tawny.
Following the cancellation of The Power of Shazam! in 1999, Tawny appears sporadically in DC Comics stories.[5] In Final Crisis, Tawny kills Kalibak and replaces him as the leader of the Tigermen.[6]
The New 52
In The New 52 continuity, Tawky Tawny is a normal tiger who Shazam shares his power with to battle Black Adam.[7]
DC Rebirth
The anthropomorphic version of Tawky Tawny returns in Geoff Johns' Shazam! series, making his first appearance in Shazam! (vol. 3) #4 (May 2019).
This Tawny originates from the Wildlands, a magic realm populated by anthropomorphic animals. Despite this, the Wildlands segregates tigers from regular society and treats them as normal animals. Tawny is arrested for breaking the Wildlands' rules and later moves in with the Shazam Family.[8][9]
Other versions
An alternate universe variant of Tawky Tawny makes a cameo appearance in Kingdom Come.[10]
An alternate universe variant of Tawky Tawny appears in Flashpoint. This version is an ordinary tiger owned by the Shazam Family who can transform into a Smilodon and has a passive cloaking effect that disguises him as a regular cat.[11]
Tawky Tawny appears in the Young Justice episode "Alpha Male", with vocal effects provided by Dee Bradley Baker.[12] This version is a normal tiger whom the Brain augmented with Kobra-Venom injections and intelligence-enhancing treatments.[13]
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 304. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^ abc"Mr. Tawny Voices (Captain Marvel / Shazam)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved May 18, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
