Benjamin Turner (New Earth)

Ben Turner is Bronze Tiger, one of the world's greatest martial artists. He studied with Richard Dragon under the O-Sensei, and was later brainwashed by the League of Assassins. This made him one of the world's deadliest killers. He would later resist their programming, and become a full-fledged superhero.

Origins

Ben Turner comes from an upper middle class black neighborhood in Central City. When he was only 10 years old, he saw a burglar attacking his parents, and he proceeded to murder the man with a kitchen knife. In an effort to control the rage inside him, Turner turns to martial arts (and eventually, crime). After some time, Turner decides to travel to the Far East in order to finally come to terms with his demons. There, he meets the O-Sensei, and studies under him, together with later recruit Richard Dragon. Some time after they are approached by Barney Ling, from the organization known as G.O.O.D. (Global Organization of Organized Defense), and they begin (reluctantly) working for Ling.

League of Assassins

Richard Dragon discovered that Turner has been brainwashed into becoming the Bronze Tiger by Prof. Ojo, then used by Barney Ling (who turns out to be a traitor). Dragon and Turner prove to be equals in the fight, which only ends when Ling is accidentally knocked out a window.

Later, Turner and Dragon are hired by King Faraday to work for the CBI (Central Bureau of Intelligence). Assigned to take down the League of Assassins, Dragon and Turner are discovered by the League, who kill Turner's fianceé, Myoshi, and proceeded to brainwash Turner. Turner was rid of his demons by channeling them into the identity of the Bronze Tiger, a masked assassin working for the League.

During this time, he also trains the assassin David Cain's daughter, Cassandra, together with other members of the League. As the Bronze Tiger, Turner developed a fearsome reputation in the world, his identity remaining a secret to everyone but the League.

As the Bronze Tiger, Ben was feared around the world, and the Sensei was smart enough to ensure that Ben hardly ever took off the mask, sending him on a new mission as soon as he finished another. For a time, his identity was secret and he became one of the most wanted criminals, the Bronze Tiger being a professional assassin, killing on three continents. Bronze Tiger was at one point sent to murder Kathy Kane, the Batwoman. Shortly after he fought Batman (and defeated him), another assassin killed Kane.

Learning of Bronze Tiger's true identity, King Faraday set up a rescue squad of Rick Flag and Nightshade. They retrieved the Tiger, and he was deprogrammed by Amanda Waller, who would later run the Suicide Squad.

Legends

Main article: Legends

Amanda Waller and Rick Flag put together a new Suicide Squad, and Bronze Tiger is their first recruit. Flag trusts Bronze Tiger, and uses him as security when they recruit Deadshot.^[2] They are sent to destroy Brimstone at Mount Rushmore, and Bronze Tiger knocks out Enchantress when her evil persona has finished its work.^[3] He stays with the team for personal reasons when the prisoners are released.^[4] Waller sends them to rescue or kill Captain Boomerang when Boomerang threatens to expose the Squad.^[5] Bronze Tiger is sent to take down G. Gordon Godfrey, but Godfrey uses his persuasive powers to make the Tiger a mind-controlled slave.^[6]

Suicide Squad

Main article: Suicide Squad: Trial by Fire

Bronze Tiger becomes a permanent member of the Suicide Squad living in Belle Reve, because Amanda Waller promises to help him regain his memories. He is second-in-command under Rick Flag, and helps keep the inmates in line.^[7] Their next mission is destroying the terrorist group Jihad in Qurac, and Bronze Tiger is selected to deal with Thuggee assassin Ravan. Bronze Tiger breaks Ravan's back, and Ravan demands an honorable death, but Bronze Tiger insists that he does not kill anymore.^[8] When Belle Reve is attacked by the Female Furies of Apokolips, Bronze Tiger tries to fight Stompa and is defeated.^[9] He goes undercover as the supervillain Wipeout when they take down the racist vigilante William Hell.^[10] Ben poses as a butler in Russia's American embassy when the team goes undercover in Moscow.^[11]^[12] This leads to a battle with the People's Heroes, and Bronze Tiger defeats the speedster Bolshoi.^[13] Waller relieves Flag of his command after this mission and puts Bronze Tiger in charge. Bronze Tiger takes Enchantress to Madame Xanadu for help controlling her powers, and Xanadu tells him that Enchantress is a ticking time bomb. He is given a ring to control her.^[14] Warden Economos sends the Suicide Squad to destroy Manhunters during Millennium.^[15] They do not receive public credit for this mission.^[16] Bronze Tiger is about his ability to take command, and the androids break his leg during a fight.^[17] Waller relieves Tiger and puts Flag back in charge, when Flag proves himself against Batman.^[18]

Turner develops a relationship with Vixen, while Flo Crawley, a part of the Squad's support crew, nurses a crush for him. Meeting Ravan again later, Turner convinces him to join the Squad, and the two become an effective fighting duo. The almost corrupting nature of the Squad eventually leads to Rick Flag's departure from the Squad and seeming death in a nuclear explosion. Turner becomes the leader of the team, in which he excels, often disobeying direct orders to save the lives of his men (even if they were "expendable"). The Squad member Duchess, in reality the Apokilptian soldier Lashina, betrays the team and takes many, including Flo, home to Apokolips. Flo does not survive the kidnapping.

Later Turner is confronted for his actions by his superiors, and in the ensuing meeting, Turner's mind snaps. He flees, traveling back to the East (leaving Vixen in the process), where he spends some time as a janissary. Shortly afterwards, the Suicide Squad is disbanded and Amanda Waller is sent to jail.

Eventually, after a year, Amanda Waller reforms the Squad and again recruits Turner. In the missing year, Turner had become a deeply troubled man, who distances himself from Vixen and was constantly egging on Ravan to confront him. In one mission shortly after the team had reformed, Vixen is hurt, and this unlocks Turner's feelings for her once more. He mostly returns to his old state of mind. Vixen later leaves the team, and she and Turner part on good terms.

In the team's last mission, the Squad struggles to free a small island nation from the tyranny of it's seemingly immortal ruler. The team must pass through a forest known for causing hallucinations. While the others experience their own mind-trips, Bronze Tiger faces himself. Defeating himself, and thereby exorcizing his demons, Turner once again becomes a complete person. The tyrant is later defeated by Waller.

Justice League Task Force

Shortly after leaving the Squad, Turner is part of the Knightquest: The Search adventure, which covered Bruce Wayne's search for Jack Drake (father of Tim Drake, the most recent Robin) and Shondra Kinsolving, who had been kidnapped. He teams up with Green Arrow and Gypsy, a member of the short lived Justice League Task Force. Gypsy becomes romantically involved with Tiger. He later becomes her mentor in the martial arts.

Cassandra Cain begins a search for her birth mother, who she believes is Lady Shiva. She tracks down Turner in Detroit, where he has opened the "Tiger Dojo". Both are able to come to terms with Turner's involvement in Cassandra's training, and he expresses his pride at her becoming a hero.

52

During World War III, Bronze Tiger was shown to have retired, but was coaxed back into action by Amanda Waller.

One Year Later

Bronze Tiger rescues Rick Flag from a secret Quraci prison, where Flag had been imprisoned for four years. Notably he is seen wearing a variant on the costume he wore while with the League of Assassins, complete with a tiger head mask (reportedly he wears the mask to prove it no longer has any power over him). Afterwards, Amanda Waller appears at the Tiger Dojo, revealing to Ben that she leaked the information about Flag's whereabouts. She then enlists their aid in tracking down a supposedly rogue Suicide Squad team, a team which in reality was being run by Flag and Turner at Waller's behest.

Bronze Tiger was among the Suicide Squad members trying to bring in Pied Piper and The Trickster during Countdown.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

Martial Arts

Notes

Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.

External Links

Bronze Tiger at Wikipedia.org

Footnotes

Batman Villain(s)
This character, team or organization, has been primarily an enemy of the Batman, or the Batman Family as a whole. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Batman Villains."

League of Assassins member
This character is or was a member of the League of Assassins, a international organization of the world's greatest killers, operating both for hire and their own agenda, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "League of Assassins members" category.

Justice League member

This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.

Suicide Squad member
This character is or was a member of the Suicide Squad, a team of imprisoned super-villains who perform high-risk missions for the U.S. Government in exchange for commuted sentences, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Suicide Squad members" category.

[1] Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #10

[2] Legends #2

[3] Legends #3

[4] Legends #4

[5] Legends #5

[6] Legends #6

[7] Suicide Squad #1

[8] Suicide Squad #2

[9] Suicide Squad #3

[10] Suicide Squad #4

[11] Suicide Squad #5

[12] Suicide Squad #6

[13] Suicide Squad #7

[14] Suicide Squad #8

[15] Millennium #4

[16] Millennium #5

[17] Suicide Squad #9

[18] Suicide Squad #10

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