Tai (comics)

Tai is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. A Cambodian, Tai was something of a mentor for the New Warriors in the first 25 issues of their first series.

Fictional character biography

Tai was 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 derived mystical energy from a well inside their temple that was a nexus into various alternate dimensions. The temple was constructed around the nexus point where vast amounts of mystic energy were released. Throughout the centuries Tai's people absorbed the energy from the well. They devised 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 were actually able to harness the energies of the well. Tai's generation was led to believe that their generation were the ones who would rule the world. Tai refused to share powers and slew everyone in the cult but six maiden brides and a series of guards for the temple.

During the Vietnam War a unit of American soldiers calling themselves the "Half-Fulls" encountered the temple but were captured by Tai. Tai told them the story of her people and told them that the six soldiers had to marry and procreate with the six maiden brides. All but one of them agreed to do so (Daryl Taylor was already married).

After their tour the soldiers returned home to America with their new brides. Tai remained 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 Midnight's Fire. Miyami did not want her children to be used as Tai's pawns so she faked their deaths as well as her own and left her children to be raised in Manhattans's Chinatown.

Chord thinking his family was dead became a mercenary and travelled the world. Eventually he came to Cambodian and renewed his association with his mother-in-law. Together they returned to America. Tai perhaps fond of her son-in-law feared his place in the pact would be moot now that his son was dead. Tai urged 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 demanded Chord kill Daryl and his wife Melody. Chord did so, at which point a six year old Dwayne was introduced to Tai and his memory wiped.

Chord and Tai raised Dwayne and trained him to be a crime fighter. They also took care of Daryl Taylor's charitable organization the Taylor Foundation...often using it to finance questionable activities all over the world. Dwayne became Night Thrasher and was briefly a part of a team with Tai's grandchildren Midnight's Fire and Silhouette...but no one knew this at the time. Later Night Thrasher founded the New Warriors.

Tai had hoped to sacrifice the New Warriors to the well instead of the members of the Folding Circle (the children born from the mating of the soldiers and the brides). Tai and Chord's illegal business dealings were exposed and Chord attempted suicide rather than admit the truth. While in the hospital his wife Miyami visited him. Tai discovered this and was enraged that her daughter had faked her death and the death of her grandchildren. Tai murdered her daughter in a fit of anger.

Tai later returned to Cambodia. She was soon followed by the Folding Circle and the New Warriors. During the ensuing battle Night Thrasher shot Tai in the back and she fell into the well along with the Left Hand who was the leader of the Folding Circle.

Tai has appeared a couple times since her death in time travel storylines. In a storyline in Darkhawk, Tai's granddaughter Silhouette is sent back in time to stop Tai from murdering Miyami. In a storyline in Night Thrasher, 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.

Resources

* [http://www.coreyblake.com/nwcc/characters/villains/tai.html A Tai chronology at Continuity Conundrum]