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As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
- I've spent decades building my brand. I am feared around the world and unknown to most of it. I am a ghost, a terrifying ghost. This has made me powerful and wealthy.
- — Tobias Whale src
Tobias Whale is a shadowy and mysterious crime figure, feared and respected by criminals worldwide. This has brought him into conflict with his nemesis, the vigilante Black Lightning.
History
Imposter
His "Tobias Whale" identity was appropriated by his nephew, who used it for his crime ventures in Los Angeles.[1] This caused him to cross paths with vigilantes like Black Lightning and Blue Devil.[2] As a secretive and feared crime figure, Tobias did not approve of his nephew's use of his identity, viewing him as incompetent and an embarrassment. He eventually had him killed in secret, but did so in-person out of respect for him as a blood relative.[1]
DC Rebirth
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Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Notes
- Tobias Whale was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor von Eeden, first appearing in Black Lightning #1. However, in the rebooted Prime Earth continuity his first appearance as part of the DC Universe is in Tony Isabella and Clayton Henry's DC Rebirth Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands series.
- On why Tobias Whale was reinvented for DC Rebirth, co-creator Tony Isabella explained "What sparked the change was my desire to do different things with Black Lightning. The Tobias Whale from my 1970s series was greatly inspired by Marvel's Kingpin. I felt Marvel was making [Kingpin] too sympathetic, what with him having a son and a wife and teaming up with Captain America against Hydra. The new Tobias Whale does not physically resemble [Kingpin] in this new series. He has the body of LeBron James with the modified head of the Brow, one of my favorite Dick Tracy villains. While he was an African-American albino in his previous incarnations, this Tobias Whale is not an albino. But he is more evil and ruthless than ever."[3]
Trivia
- The reveal that the previous Tobias Whale is an impostor mirrors how DC Comics previously retconned Lobo in Prime Earth continuity, temporarily replacing him with Lobo I.
Related
- 6 Appearances of Tobias Whale (Prime Earth)
- 7 Images featuring Tobias Whale (Prime Earth)
- 2 Quotations by or about Tobias Whale (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Tobias Whale (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
Black Lightning Villain(s) This character is or was primarily an enemy of Black Lightning in any of his various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Black Lightning villains category." |