I had to accept it. "I still suffer from ignorance and bias," Jones III said. Anyone who's ever been "othered" can relate to how people with pronounced differences can become targets for hostility or microaggressions. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Tobias later told his unnamed sister that her son was dead for using his name for his "half-assed" ventures and that he was an idiot.[8]. Right: Who is Anissa? Here is Pierce, smoldering with electric, superhuman rage, making himself smaller and more docile to avoid confrontation that could turn fatal in front of his children. "It's dealing with the truths and the realities that you may deal with of substance in your own life. But Jones also shared that a big part of playing Whale is making sure that hes not just a bad guy that there are layers: I was figuring out how much of me was in Tobias, and how much of Tobias is in me. Are your parents black?" The moment Black Lightning has been working towards ever since he returned to a life of crimefighting has finally arrived -- his nemesis, Tobias Whale, was finally arrested for the murder of his father, Alvin Pierce. Lesbians. "And trust me: Before the rewrites? Here are five things that you may or may not have known about Tobias Whale: Sometimes, Whale is called the Great White Whale as a nickname of sorts. You can help by contributing.Please be sure to edit in accordance to our Manual of Style. [9], Tobias, Khalil and Syonide breach the A.S.A. Bullets also kept bouncing off her body. This Black Lightning article contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 4, Episode 12. He is irredeemable. Like Black Lightning himself, Tobias Whale doesnt have a huge comic presence, so the TV series can pretty much take the character in whatever direction they choose. He began working ata local research center but became disgruntled when the board denied him aresearch grant and gave it to the son of a wealthyindustrialist who had funded the construction of a new wing. He made Lala docile with the phrase, "The devil deals the card" and sent him to Proctor by implanting a bomb in him. Thanks for reading! The killing was accidental since Jefferson often had a no-kill policy like Bruce Wayne. Tobias Whale is a highly intelligent criminal strategist who is a skilled planner and mastermind. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Powered by WordPress VIP. Tobias sends Syonide to retrieve the formula. Whatever it may be! As the mayor, Tobias pumped up his efforts to get rid of all good metahumans. Speaking of growth, JJ finally feels solidified as a hero. Jones admitted. Us: How does the show mirror todays society? Tobias refused Lala the chance of ratting him out and promptly strangled him in his cell. Fury of the Gods Brings Back the "Shazamily": Inside DC's New Superhero Adventure, Scream 6's Brutal NYC Trip: "You Can't Trust Anyone" This Time, Cocaine Bear Is Not Just About a Killer "Coked-Up" Bear, It's Also an "Underdog Story", How Marvel's Wastelanders Podcast Created an Exciting Story with No Visual Safety Net, Black Lightning: The Consistent Villainy of Tobias Whale. It was the end of a long and chaotic era, but Tobias wouldn't have caused havoc for so long if it wasn't for the anti-aging serum. She writes commentary and critique about film, television, and popular/nerd culture. The resulting battle ended with Joey Toledo being killed by a League of Assassins operative. Marvin Jones III. This prevented them from harming each other whenever they had the opportunity. He struggles to gain influence over the mysterious food deliveries, as this is something the city values. Partly about when she decided to protest (on the night of a big Garfield High fundraiser), partly about the overturned cars and smashed windows hed seen on the news. Its been my job, and its been a wonderful job, to bring those things out, when the opportunity permits.. Even the intelligent Tobias was held captive inside the A.S.A facilities, and as a result, he was temporarily relegated to a secondary antagonist. Anissa and Jeffersons back-and-forth is a good moment: two people reaching the exhaustion that comes after exasperation, one young, one old, and neither wrong. And I think Anissa would be, too. In order to. Black Lightning airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW. Powered by a serum that grants him enhanced strength and longevity, which has given him decades of experience, Tobias was one of the most dangerous criminals alive. Learning that the war is finished, Tobias tells the corpse of the nurse that it is time to return to Freeland.[13]. Envy's co-hosts groaned, noting how he'd turned Jones III into an attraction but the awkward moment illustrated how even a presumed safe space filled with other African-American people who should know the sting of separation can quickly turn venomous. Tobias is not just a violent criminal who perpetually exploits and endangers Freeland, he is also a Black man who is anti-Blackdangerous as hell. Anissa (Nafessa Williams) is a med student who teaches at Garfield High. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. He had an underling killed by feeding him to carnivorous fish. Tobias did not originate as a way to prompt complex commentary, but for the Akils, Tobias' identity is a gift to Black Lightning -- a suddenly vital series that runs towards, rather than away from, sometimes painful conversations about issues within the black community. ET. For decades, people have complained that the reflex to portray villains with dark skin reinforces racist notions that light-skinned people are inherently better than others; at the same time, the 'Mystical Albino' and 'Evil Albino' tropes have persisted in genre and fantasy stories, turning people with albinism into otherworldly creatures outside the human experience. Images. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. He has never been likable, and Black Lightning has not spent a single second attempting to justify his malevolence, or soften it. He is the archenemy of Black Lightning. Played by Marvin "Krondon" Jones III, this version of Tobias was tough and possessed extraordinary powers that quickly made him a fan favorite. With that said, it remains to be seen how Whale will be depicted in Black Lightning. The Pierces have excelled against increasingly worse odds, and their triumph is more or less assured. Superhero stories tend to couch social critique in allegorythe Batman cellphone surveillance thing, Marvels Sokovia plotline, the Sokovia Accords, the border run in Logan. awful. To prevent him from saying no, Tobias wired $100,000 to his account. Tobias was born on April 20, 1946, to Eldridge and an unnamed woman. I have never seen a Black man fail up like this, it was honestly a treat. While attempting to assassinate the reverend, Black Lighting appeared, and thus, Tobias was able to confirm that the hero that had been presumed dead was indeed alive. Jefferson's strikes could only push him away,not harm him. Or so it seems, as we turn the page on Black Lightning: The Book of Resurrection: Chapter One: Crossroads. Mayor Billy Black appeared reluctant to work with Tobias, so the villain had him killed by Red. "), Why Black Lightning Has a Heavier Burden to Bear than Other Superheroes, "Yes, I'm aware of that," he replies, humiliated for the difference he's been singled out for all his life. This made him an enemy to Black Lightning, who eventually had him sent to jail. With the adequately sage help of Harry Morgan (James Remar as Gambi, Pierces tailor and cut man), of course. Tobias respected his nephew enough as a blood relative to kill him personally. As a result, his stint as a villain was a productive one. One that you can neither stop nor defend yourself from. They hatch a plan to get rid of Black Lightning, with Tobias making a visit to Khalil Payne's hospital room, assuring him that his paraplegia was due to the vigilante. Discover short videos related to tobias racist on TikTok. There was a lot happening in the Black Lightning premiere episode, but one person who certainly stood out was the mysterious Tobias Whale. [3], Tobias visited Gambi's Custom Tailoring, hoping to gain the identity of Black Lightning from Peter Gambi, but was unsuccessful. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. All we know about Lopez is that she is a woman who feels pressured by that fact to do the absolute most in her position as Chief. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! On the set of Black Lightning here in Atlanta, Marvin Krondon Jones III spoke to me about playing Tobias, who he is on the television series, and his motivations: Tobias started off as a politician / ruler of the underworld, and his corrupt dealings led him to no longer to be on the board of politics in the land of Freeland. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first, In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies. Whale returned in the miniseries Gotham Underground[6] and has moved to Gotham City, where he is attempting to become the Capo di tutti capi boss of bosses, following the death of Black Mask I. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). During the talk, host DJ Envy asked Jones III to explain why he worked to hard to keep out of the sun. Shortly following, after Lala antagonized the vigilante, Tobias had Lala brought to him, injuring him and threatening death. I know Im the bad guy, but I enjoy creating this necessity for something good., Another topic hell highlight: Albinism, which both the rapper known as Krondon and his character live with. ", Black Lightning Is The CW's Most Personal Superhero Story, So for Jones III, Tobias Whale is the role of a lifetime. Fury of the Gods Star Adam Brody Reflects on Being Cast as The Flash in Canceled Justice League Movie (Exclusive). They also gave birth to a younger sister, Tori. Later that night, Tobias rode in a car with Syonide and Khalil Payne, assuring Khalil that he would help him walk again, despite being paralyzed. Todd was skeptical due to the villain's reputation. "I would use some of that albino magic to get it done, because if you don't, my partners are going to turn you into dust. In fact, ask someone to name a famous person with albinism and the answers will come slowly, if at all. While Tobias was alone in his penthouse, Black Lightning broke in and entered through the window causing the two to fight in a furious battle with the vigilante getting the upper hand. - January 23, 2018 09:09 pm EST. For his disobedience, Khalil's spine was ripped off. I really tried to see it for him, but he couldnt take out Jefferson when mans was having a blackout. Thinking thatJefferson was the oppressor, Khalil began working for Tobias. ** #AlternativeFactuals #Arrowverse #DCComics When he started acting, Jones III knew that the odds were against him. In the most basic terms, he leadsthe criminal organization The 100, and is a mortal enemy of Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams). [4], Joey organized a fight for him. WhileTobias has been transposed to Freeland in the TV series, he is still teamed up with Syonide (Charlbi Dean Kriek) in this iteration as well. ", Jones III can easily mine his own experiences to inform Tobias' humanity. Black Lightning'sprimary antagonist never had a shortage of schemes up his sleeve. And theres a similarity being African-American and having Albinism. Its worth noticing all of the marine imagery when it comes to Tobias Whale, of course, including his whale pin, and his love of a harpoon gun (another holdover from the comics). He works on a lot of levels as an archetypal organized crime villain and is regularly referenced across all of DC as one of their central crimeboss characters, but he also is well remembered as the archnemesis of Black Lightning.