HOTW- Tigra/The Cat

art by Will Meugnoit

"The Tigra" is the historical defender/champion of the Cat People, a humanoid race created by sorcery during the Dark Ages.  This Tigra is Greer Grant Nelson, who had earlier been fighting crime as The Cat.  She had been given superhuman abilities and a suit that enhanced them.  While battling Hydra (heel Hydra!) she got blasted in the back and was dying.  Dr. Tumolo revealed she was cat person, and they offered to save her life, but she would not be able to look human again.  "Life is precious to me, in any form."  She became the new Tigra!

This all happened in GIant Sized Creatures #1 (July 1974) which starred Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night.  I am not sure the two characters interacted again, which is an opportunity missed.  Tigra would later become a member of the Avengers.  John Byrne had her mutate more, which included a tail.  I have never thought that was even possible, and the tail is not needed.  I always wanted a team up between her and Atlas Comics Tiger-Man.  I have a partially drawn story from back in the 70s, one of the many projects I started and never finished it. 

Tigra was my second tattoo.