GOLDEN TIGERS

The Golden Tigers Membership: Kwai Chang, Chaka (Thomas Arn), Chaka Khan (Robert Hao), Chen Wu, Cynthia Wu, Teng, Chin, Lee, Tommy, and many others unnamed

Purpose: To steal, rob, extort and many other illegal activities

Affiliations: Kevin Chang

Enemies: John Byrne, William Hao, Ward Meachum, Iron Fist (Daniel Rand), Joey Meachum, Davos, Power Man (Luke Cage)

Base of Operations: New York, USA, especially Chinatown and the area from Canal Street to Battery

First Appearance: Iron Fist I#8 (October, 1976)

The Tigers' back patch

Traits: The Golden Tigers were a street gang mainly composed of teen-aged boys and girls. They were all well-trained in the martial arts and street combat techniques, as well as in the use of some bladed weapons like knives, scimitars and sais, or common objects such as chains, sticks, broken bottles and so on. Their "street" uniform consisted of black leather jackets with a big golden tiger's head on the back and a little pendant with a tiger's head. They also used a battlesuit with an oriental-styled mask very similar to Chaka's in order to hide their identities. 

History

(Iron Fist I#8 - BTS) - The Golden Tigers were involved in many illegal activities. They became important and feared in the Canal Street area under Chaka Khan's leadership.

(Iron Fist I#8) - Chen Wu and other four other Golden Tigers gang members tried to rob John Byrne and some of his colleagues in the subway of Canal Street, but Iron Fist defeated the thieves, who were considered to be the best among the Golden Tigers. However, the bandits succeeded in fleeing.

    The day after, at the meeting about the Meachum Building operations, Cynthia Wu tried to assert that the females could be warriors at the same level of the boys, but she was smacked by Chaka who roughly stated that the Golden Tigers comprised only males. The gang later attacked the Meachum Building and included Kwai Chang, Teng and Chen Wu. However, they were easily knocked out by Iron Fist and Davos, but Chaka Khan reversed the situation, defeating Iron Fist.

Battlesuit(Iron Fist I#9) - The Golden Tigers were later sent to pursue Iron Fist, but even poisoned, the K'un Lun champion was superior to them, knocking them out.

(Iron Fist I#10 - BTS) - With Robert Hao's defeat, many members of the gang were arrested.

(Power Man & Iron Fist I#72) - The Golden Tigers were gathered again by Thomas Arn, who took on the mask of Chaka Khan. The people of Chinatown and surrounding neighborhoods suffered their raids. Repeated crimes commited by the Golden Tigers, as well as extortion, forced the Lindon Street Property Owners' Association to send Power Man and Iron Fist to protect its businesses in the Chinatown area. Chin, Lee and Tommy had a bad and hard encounter with Luke Cage. 

    The Tigers were then sent by Chaka to kill William Hao and make his death an example of how things went with the Golden Tigers. They injured Hao, but the arrival of Power Man and Iron Fist saved the lawyer's life. Chaka Khan confronted the two heroes and managed to let his band withdraw freely.

    In the following days, Power Man stalked the bandits and successfully thwarted all the Golden Tiger's activities.

    A pack of ten Golden Tigers tried to rob a rich young "Anglo" man. Kevin Chang, who had some friends among the Tigers, tried to dissuade them but he couldn't. A fight arose among the Tigers and the "Anglo" man, who was actually Daniel Rand. Power Man and Chaka Khan joined in the fight and eventually Chaka was defeated and arrested thanks to Kevin's witness testimony. Other victims of the Golden Tigers affirmed the gang's criminal efforts and the rest of band was arrested.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne (pencils) and Dan Adkins (inks).

Kevin Chang was probably Kwai Chang's brother, a member of the original Golden Tigers. However, Chang is a very common name among Chinese people.

Profile by Spidermay.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Golden Tigers have no known connections to:

The Golden Tigers' pendants have no known connections to: 

Chen and Cynthia Wu have no known connections to:

Kwai Chang is probably a relative of:

and has no known connections to:


Kwai Chang

Kwai Chang

Kwai Chang was one of the Golden Tigers. He participated in the attack on the Meachum Building alongside Teng, Chen Wu and the best warriors under Chaka's leadership. However, they were easily defeated by Iron Fist.

 

--Power Man & Iron Fist#8


Lee

Tommy, Chin and Lee

Tommy, Chin and Lee were among the Golden Tigers led by Thomas Arn. They didn't seem to be very expert in martial arts, but knew street-fighting and used common weapons like blades and sticks. Near the Wong Tea House, Tommy, Chin and Lee were threatening an old man to extort money from him. They were surprised by Luke Cage who effortlessly defeated Chin and Lee and terrorized Tommy, who released the old man and fled.

 

 

--Power Man & Iron Fist#72


Chen Wu

Chen Wu

Chen Wu was one of the best warriors of the Golden Tigers and used a short scimitar. He was probably Cynthia's big brother. Chen Wu and other Golden Tigers members tried to rob four "Anglos" in the subway of Canal Street. A policeman tried to arrest them but Chen wounded him with a shuriken. Iron Fist saved the policeman and knocked all the Tigers down, almost breaking Chen Wu's arm. One of the Tigers managed to push Iron Fist into the path of an arriving train, and the crowd going out hid the Tigers who managed to flee. Later, Chen Wu and the others met Chaka Khan to prepare for the assault on the Meachum Building. The day after, the Tigers invaded Joey Meachum's meeting in her offices. Davos took Joey Meachum away, but Chaka captured Iron Fist. Later, Chen Wu and an accomplice tried to kill Iron Fist using a stolen police car. However, Iron Fist beat them, even though he was poisoned. Eventually, Iron Fist defeated Chaka Khan, and the Golden Tigers were arrested.

--Power Man & Iron Fist#8 (9,10


Cynthia Wu

Cynthia Wu

Cynthia Wu was one of the girls belonging to the Golden Dragons, and as the boys, they were trained in the martial arts. She was probably Chen's little sister. Cynthia was known by Bill Hao, who followed her to find the Golden Tiger's hideout under the bridge of Manhattan near Pell Street. The meeting gathered boys and girls, and Cynthia proposed to Chaka to let the girls fight in the next mission. Chaka had other ideas; he harshly claimed that girls had only to obey to his order and slapped the girl. The girls of the Golden Tigers were never seen again in any other appearances of the Golden Tigers.

--Power Man & Iron Fist#8


images: (without ads)
Power Man & Iron Fist#72, p1, pan1 (Golden Tigers' crest on Lee's jacket)
Iron Fist I#8, p17, pan1 (battlesuit)
Power Man & Iron Fist#72, p2, pan4 (Lee wearing a Golden Tigers' pendant)
Iron Fist I#8, p15, p6 (Kwai Chang)
Iron Fist I#8, p4, pan1 (Chen Wu)
Iron Fist I#8, p8, pan3 (Cynthia Wu)
Power Man & Iron Fist#72, p3, pan5 (Tommy)


Other Appearances:
Iron Fist I#9 (November, 1976) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Iron Fist I#10 (December, 1976) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Power Man & Iron Fist#72 (August, 1981) - Mary Jo Duffy (writer), Kerry Gammill (pencils), Ricardo Villamonte (inks), Christie Scheele (colors), Dennis O'Neil (editor)


First Posted: 03/17/2008
Last updated: 12/05/2013

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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