This week's episode of Daredevil: Born Again, 'Sic Semper Systema,' is something of a transitional instalment. In it, both Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk find themselves pulled back towards their old lives as Daredevil and the Kingpin respectively. Meanwhile, a serial killer is stalking the streets of New York, and Frank Castle finally prepares to step out of the shadows.
We're not here to talk about any of those characters, however. We're here to discuss the young woman introduced at the start of the episode. This is Hector's niece, Angela Del Toro, as played by Camila Rodriguez – a character with a pretty significant history in Marvel Comics, as the second hero to bear the name White Tiger.
Who is Angela Del Toro in Marvel Comics?
Angela Del Toro is a child of New York City, who grew up hearing all about her uncle's exploits as White Tiger. Her way of helping people was quite different, however: she joined the NYPD and served as an officer for several years, before moving to the FBI.
When tragedy struck and her uncle Hector was first wrongfully convicted of murder, and then shot dead, however, she ended up in possession of his mystical Amulets of Power. Leaving the FBI she decided to become a superhero, turning to Matt Murdock – at this point in the comics publicly outed as Daredevil – and Black Widow for help.
After several years working as a hero, however, things took a sinister turn when Murdock was made a target of ninja clan/cult The Hand, which had also set its sights on Matt's friends and allies. Angela was assassinated by Lady Bullseye, then resurrected as a Hand operative. While Carlos LaMuerto – AKA Black Tarantula – was seemingly able to cure Angela, it was later revealed that she was still very much evil, as was Matt who was possessed by a demon!
This period of Daredevil comics is pretty wild – Matt murders Bullseye in cold blood before the demon inside him is finally banished, while the still corrupted Angela goes on to stab Black Tarantula in the back (literally as well as figuratively), throwing him off a roof and leaving him for dead. Eventually, however, she is captured and thrown in jail and stripped of her powers.
This isn't the end of Angela's story, however. In prison she encounters the Maker, who gives her some Amulets of Power from an alternate universe. She uses these to fight Hector's sister Ava – now inhabiting the role of White Tiger. She wins and becomes more powerful than ever. In a later rematch, however, Ava is able to destroy Angela's Amulets of Power, an act that finally frees her from The Hand's evil influence once and for all.
Who is Angela Del Toro in the MCU?
As yet we know relatively little about the role that Angela will play in Daredevil: Born Again. There are a few immediate differences between this version of the character and her comic book counterpart: she's younger here and has an antagonistic relationship to the police, who she rightly believes killed her uncle.
There's still reason to believe that she may take on the mantle of the White Tiger, however. It's very noticeable that the scene immediately before her introduction shows Hector's suit and his amulet being bagged up and locked away. Perhaps these will make their way to Angela sometime this season or next, just as they do in the comics.
Whatever the case, Camila Rodriguez is terrific in the scene and her introduction here feels significant and, just perhaps, like a sign of things to come.
Daredevil: Born Again is streaming now on Disney Plus. Keep up to date on new episodes with our Daredevil: Born Again release schedule, or, check out our Daredevil: Born Again review. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need to know about.
