Tawky Tawny is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

, an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

who appears as a supporting character of Captain Marvel and the

Marvel Family The Marvel Family, also known as the Shazam Family (or "Shazamily"), are a group of superheroes who originally appeared in books published by Fawcett Comics and were later acquired by DC Comics. Created in 1942 by writer Otto Binder and artist Ma ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

talking animal A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

stories published by

Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel, the alter ego of radio reporter Billy Bats ...

and later

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

Publication history

Created by

Otto Binder Otto Oscar Binder (; August 26, 1911 – October 13, 1974) was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books. He is best known as the co-creator of Supergirl and for his many scripts for '' Captain Ma ...

and C.C. Beck in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #79, the traditional version of Tawky Tawny is a humanoid and well mannered

who wishes to be a part of human society. A friend of the Marvel Family, Tawny often participates in their adventures. 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

. The story "The Talking Tiger" introduced Mr. Tawny as a humanoid talking

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...

who travels from his native

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in hopes of integrating himself into American society. Although he makes every effort to be sociable, the simple presence of the talking tiger in the city terrorizes the public, leading to Captain Marvel intervening. Upon learning through the Wisdom of Solomon that Tawny is a friendly and reasonable fellow who did not mean to cause trouble, Captain Marvel helps Tawny become a respectable part of society and secures a job for him as a

tour guide A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people on organized sightseeing and individual clients at educational establishments, religio ...

at the local museum. Tawny became a regular recurring character in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'', appearing as the best friend of Captain Marvel and his juvenile alter-ego Billy Batson, until it ceased publication in 1953. As a respectable gentleman, Tawny typically dressed in a

tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

suit, and spoke and acted in a dignified manner. His second appearance, "Captain Marvel and the Return of Mr. Tawny" (from ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #82 in 1948), featured Tawny's origin story: Tawny had been a regular tiger who was accused of killing a man. To allow Tawny to clear his name, a local hermit gave him a serum that gave him the ability to speak and stand upright like a human. A contest was introduced in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #90 for the readers to submit entries for what Mr. Tawny's first name might be, with the winning entry by Mary Garrisi and Pat Laughlin of

Detroit, MI Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at the ...

, "Tawky" (a deliberate misspelling of "talky"), being introduced in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #96. Writer

and artist

C. C. Beck Charles Clarence Beck (June 8, 1910 – November 22, 1989) was an American cartoonist and comic book artist, best known for his work on Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel (today known as Shazam!) at Fawcett Comics and DC Comics. Early li ...

unsuccessfully attempted to launch a newspaper comic strip featuring Mr. Tawny in 1953. Following the end of the publication of ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' when Fawcett Comics discontinued all of their superhero comics (see ''

National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications was a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in a twelve-year legal battle between National Comics (also known as Detective Comics and DC Comics) and the Fawcett Comics division of Fawcett Publications, concerning ...

''), Tawny later resurfaced when

licensed (and later bought) the rights to the Fawcett characters and began publishing new Captain Marvel stories, along with Fawcett reprints, under the comic book title ''Shazam!'' beginning in 1973.

Post-''Crisis'' DC Comics

Tawky Tawny was written out of continuity following DC's ''

Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...

maxiseries In the field of comic books, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined before production, and it differs from ...

in 1985-86. A new version of the character was introduced by

Jerry Ordway Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books. He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths' ...

and

Peter Krause Peter William Krause (; born August 12, 1965) is an American actor, director, and producer. He has played lead roles in multiple television series, portraying Casey McCall on '' Sports Night'' (1998–2000), Nate Fisher on '' Six Feet Under'' ( ...

in DC's ''

The Power of Shazam! ''The Power of Shazam!'' is a 1994 hardcover graphic novel, written and painted by Jerry Ordway for DC Comics. The 96-page story, depicting the revamped origins of former Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel, was followed by an ongoing series ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

in 1994 and its subsequent comic book series spinoff in 1995. In the graphic novel, "Tawky Tawny" was a popular children's toy doll owned by Billy Batson's sister

Mary Batson Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in '' Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18 (cover-dated Dec. 1942). The ...

; the doll plays a key part in the origin story of

Black Adam Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' '' The Marvel Family'' comic ...

by being used to hide part of the scarab necklace which allowed him to first access his powers. The subsequent comic series features the stuffed doll gaining the power from the evil demon Lord Satanus to transform into a six-foot anthropomorphic tiger who self-describes as a pooka, with ''The Power of Shazam!'' #4 being his first appearance in the series. Tawny is given life by Satanus to help Billy Batson and the Marvel Family in their fight against his sister, the demon Blaze. Under Satanus' spell, Tawny only appeared sentient to Billy, Mary, and Uncle Dudley; everyone else only sees a doll. Towards the conclusion of this story arc in ''The Power of Shazam!'' #11, Tawny is given permanent anthropomorphic form by the magical superhero

Ibis the Invincible Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular com ...

, after he proves to be more of an aid to the Marvels than Satanus intended. Following the cancellation of ''The Power of Shazam!'' in 1999, Tawny only appeared sporadically in DC Comics stories. In ''52'' #16 (2006), he appears as a guest of the wedding of reformed Marvel Family villain

and his bride

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

. In ''

The Trials of Shazam! ''The Trials of Shazam!'' is a comic book published by DC Comics from 2006 to 2008. The twelve-issue limited series, written by Judd Winick and illustrated by Howard Porter and Mauro Cascioli, was later reprinted in three paperback collections ...

'' #10 (2007), Tawny helps Freddy Freeman (formerly Captain Marvel's sidekick

Captain Marvel, Jr Captain Marvel Jr. (Frederick "Freddy" Freeman) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A member of the Marvel/Shazam Family team of superheroes associated with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was created by Ed Her ...

) fight the evil Sabina, revealing a new ability to transform into a giant and powerful

smilodon ''Smilodon'' is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the felids. It is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals and the best known saber-toothed cat. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely related ...

. In ''

Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely b ...

'' #6, the key miniseries of DC's 2009 ''Final Crisis''

crossover event A crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, unofficial efforts by ...

, Tawky Tawny joined up with the

All-Star Squadron The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League, Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its se ...

and faced off against

Kalibak Kalibak Kalibak () is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the eldest son of Darkseid, half-brother of Orion and Grayven, and an enemy of Superman and the Justice League. Created by Jack Kirby, being debuted w ...

and his Tigermen. Tawky manages to slay Kalibak and gain leadership of the Tigermen.

The New 52

In September 2011,

The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...

rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Tawny appears as a recurring character in the ''Shazam!'' backup stories published in ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

'' (vol. 2) from issue #7 through #21. In these stories, Tawny is a regular tiger at the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

city zoo who is a friend of young Billy Batson. When Billy gains the power to transform into Shazam (the Captain Marvel character's name was changed at this time), Shazam finds that he can share his power with anyone he considers family. When a fight with Black Adam lands them in the zoo, Shazam attempts to give Tawny the power to turn into a giant smilodon but casts the spell incorrectly.

DC Rebirth

The anthropomorphic version of Tawky Tawny makes his proper post-Flashpoint return in Geoff Johns' current ongoing ''Shazam!'' series, making his first appearance in ''Shazam!'' (vol. 3) #4 (May 2019). This Tawny is a citizen of the Wildlands, one of the Seven Magiclands connected to each other via the

Rock of Eternity The Rock of Eternity is a fictional location appearing in American comic books featuring Captain Marvel / Shazam and/or his associated characters, first in publications by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. In many versions of the Capta ...

. Despite being a realm exclusively populated by anthropomorphic animals and its humans have become extinct, the Wildlands segregates tigers from regular society and still regards them as wild animals kept in zoos. As such, Tawny is arrested for breaking "the Laws of Nature" by wearing clothes and reading a self-help book they view as 'forbidden literature' called ''How to Stop Eating Your Friends''. When Tawny is detained, the Wildlands' African elephant mayor Krunket stated that a tiger sided with the humans during a battle which gave Krunket his facial scars. When Tawny states that he is not like that tiger, Mayor Krunket struck him with his cane while reaffirming his belief that tigers are worse than humans.Johns, Geoff (writer): ''Shazam!'' (vol. 3) #4-7 (2019). Burbank, CA: DC Comics. Tawny finds himself stripped naked and thrown into an enclosure where he tries to appeal to the other tigers there, declaring they can rise up against prejudice and should not be judged for what their predecessors have done. The other tigers refuse to cooperate out of fear of the mayor executing them, ignoring Tawny's protests. Tawny befriends the Shazam Family after Freddy and Darla find themselves trapped in the Wildlands and sentenced to be fed to tigers. Instead of eating them, Tawny saves the two children from his fellow tigers (all the while expressing his distaste of violence) and accompanies them on their adventures through the Magiclands after proper introductions. Tawny later moves in with Victor and Rosa Vasquez. He helps to make dinner at the time when the Marvel Family was fighting King Kid. When Tawky Tawny tries to attack

Doctor Sivana Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, the character is a recurring enemy of the superhero Captain Marvel/Shazam, both of whom first appe ...

during the Shazam Family's fight with the

Monster Society of Evil The Monster Society of Evil is a supervillain team created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. It is led by Mister Mind against their mutual enemy Captain Marvel. The team is significant as one of the first supervillain teams in comi ...

, a

Mister Mind Mister Mind is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics, he made a cameo appearance in ''Captain Marvel Adventures'' #22 (March 1943) before making his full f ...

-controlled C.C. Batson regressed Tawky Tawny to a cub. When Mister Mind is defeated, the spell used on Tawky Tawny was undone.

Other versions

''Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil''

In Jeff Smith's 2007 miniseries ''Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil'', Tawky Tawny was presented as an

ifrit Ifrit, also spelled as efreet, afrit, and afreet (Arabic alphabet, Arabic: ': , plural ': ), is a powerful type of demon in Islamic mythology. The afarit are often associated with the underworld and identified with the spirits of the dead, and ...

whose natural form was a tiger, but disguised himself at times as a homeless man or a domesticated cat. Tawky, in human form, was a friend of Billy Batson when the boy was homeless living on the streets. He became the voice of reason for Captain Marvel and

Mary Marvel Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in '' Captain Marvel Adventures'' #18 (cover-dated Dec. 1942). The ...

, a role the character continued in when DC began publication of a ''Monster Society of Evil'' continuing series spin-off, ''

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! ''Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!'' was an all-ages comic book series published by DC Comics as a part of its Johnny DC imprint. The series debuted in September 2008, and was originally written and drawn by Mike Kunkel.Flashpoint'' reality, Tawky Tawny is a companion of Captain Thunder. He appears to be an ordinary tiger, kept on a leash by one of six children who each possess one of the powers of Shazam. When the children transform into Captain Thunder, Tawny becomes a

Smilodon ''Smilodon'' is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the felids. It is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals and the best known saber-toothed cat. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely related ...

in armor. Pedro Peña, the child who keeps Tawky on a leash, claims that due to the magic surrounding the tiger, most people only see him as a regular tabby cat.

''Kingdom Come''

Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Dar ...

and

Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wi ...

' '' Kingdom Come'' miniseries, Tawky Tawny makes an appearance in the

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

meta-human bar.''Kingdom Come'' #2 (June 1996)

In other media

Television

* Tawky Tawny was a supporting character in ''

The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! ''The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!'' is an NBC Saturday-morning cartoon produced by Filmation Studios in 1981. The half-hour show included two cartoon stories, with a variety of live-action wraparound segments. '' Hero High'' featured a gr ...

'', voiced by

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...

. * Tawky Tawny appears in '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' as Mary Batson's stuffed toy tiger. * Tawky Tawny appears in the ''

Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...

'' episode "Alpha Male". This version is a genetically-enhanced

that Captain Marvel freed from

Brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

and

Monsieur Mallah Monsieur Mallah is a fictional character, a superintelligent anthropomorphic gorilla supervillain in the . He is the loyal servant of and, in time, the partner to Gorilla Grodd, and the Brain while serving as an enemy of the Doom Patrol and the ...

's control. * Tawky Tawny appears in the "Shazam" segment of ''

DC Nation Shorts ''DC Nation Shorts'' are animated shorts featuring characters from DC Comics that aired in a series on Cartoon Network on Saturdays at 10/9c. Production On March 3, 2012, the shorts premiered as part of the '' DC Nation'' block, produced by Warn ...

'', voiced by

Brian George Brian George (born 1 July 1952) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Pakistani restaurateur Babu Bhatt in ''Seinfeld'' (1989–1998), the Indian gynecologist father of Raj Koothrappali in ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019 ...

Film

* Tawky Tawny appeared in the animated short film '' Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam'' (2010), voiced by

Kevin Michael Richardson Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, he has mostly voiced villainous characters in animation and video games. In film, Richardson voiced Goro in ''Mortal Kombat'' (1995) ...

. He appears as a grungy homeless man calling Billy Batson "Captain". But when

threatens to continue his wave of destruction, Tawny reveals his real identity as a mystical tiger to

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

and Captain Marvel. Black Adam recognizes Tawky Tawny as a servant of Shazam, the wizard who gave Adam and Marvel their powers. To prevent Adam from causing any further havoc, Tawny threatens to have him banished even further from Earth than before, causing the fearful Black Adam to quote the wizard's name and revert to his mortal form, which withers to dust in an instant due to being 5,000 years old. Before leaving, Tawny confirms that Shazam is indeed dead, but hints that there may have been more to his death than previously thought. * Tawky Tawny is referenced in the 2019 live-action film '' Shazam!''. In one scene, Shazam gives a large tiger plush to a girl and her father during the battle at the winter carnival. Billy's backpack also has a cloth patch of a tiger on the front pocket, and Shazam has a tiger symbol on the front of his cape, etched into the golden discs that secure it.

References

External links

Tawky Tawny
at DC Wiki
Tawky Tawny
at Comic Vine {{Shazam Comics characters introduced in 1947 Characters created by Otto Binder Characters created by C. C. Beck DC Comics animals DC Comics male characters DC Comics characters who are shapeshifters DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds DC Comics characters who use magic DC Comics characters with superhuman strength Fictional anthropomorphic characters Fictional characters who can change size Fictional characters with superhuman senses Fictional therianthropes Fictional tigers Marvel Family 1947 comics debuts Legion of Super-Pets