“ | Have you ever seen the ocean, Mr. Toledo? It is a thing of many moods. When it's calm, it's the most beautiful creature mortal man can conceive of. When it's angry, strong men tremble. Its mighty fury can reduce the sturdiest of ships to mere kindling. I miss the ocean very much, Mr. Toledo. But I carry a part of it with me always. You see, I am very much like the ocean. I am angry! No one makes a mockery of The 100!. | „ |
~ Tobias Whale. |
“ | I've spent decades building my brand. I am feared around the world and unknown to most of it. I am a ghost, a terrifying ghost. This has made me powerful and wealthy. | „ |
~ Whale defining himself. |
Tobias Whale is an antagonist in the DC Universe, serving as the main antagonist of the Black Lighting franchise and media, and a minor antagonist in the Batman franchise.
He is a powerful and ruthless African American crime lord, recognizable for his seemingly overweight appearance and albino skin. He is the original leader and founder of the criminal syndicate known as The 100, using them to gain power through drug trafficking, arms dealing, and various other criminal activities. He is notable for being Black Lightning's first enemy, and the one indirectly responsible for starting his crimefighting career after murdering one of his students.
He appears as a villain in numerous storylines, serving as the main antagonist of Black Lighting: Year One, Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands, and the secondary antagonist of Gotham Underground. He is Black Lighting's archenemy, and an enemy of numerous other heroes, including Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and the Outsiders.
Biography[]
Tobias Whale was born an albino African American. He worked his way up from the rackets to become a crime lord and the leader of the 100. Often called "the Great White Whale" behind his back, Whale weighs close to 400 lbs. However, most of his considerable bulk is muscle.
Whale is eventually sent to jail by Jefferson Pierce, otherwise known as Black Lightning. When he is released months later, he teams up with Syonide II in order to distribute a new, highly addictive drug. The drug's formula was supposedly in the possession of a woman named Violet Harper. Whale sends Syonide to retrieve the formula. Unable to gain any information or find any trace of the formula, Syonide kills Harper. Violet Harper returned from the dead when an Aurakle possesses her lifeless body, this new being called herself Halo. Once he learned of Harper's resurrection, Whale assumed that she must have memorized the formula. But since Harper has no memories from before her death, a frustrated Syonide killed her parents after Whale had them kidnapped.
Whale returns in the limited series Gotham Underground and has moved to Gotham City where he is attempting to take control of its organized crime, following the death of Black Mask. Whale uses Kord Enterprises as a front for the Intergang's criminal syndicate after losing to Bruno Mannheim. He is later killed by the Penguin, and Johnny Stitches takes over Mannheim's empire.
In The New 52, the 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe, Tobias Whale gets word that his drug deal was disrupted by Black Lightning and Blue Devil. He decides to have them hunted down in order to get revenge on them.
Other Media[]
Beware the Batman[]
Tobias Whale worked his way up the ranks of the underworld to eventually become one of the most feared crime lords in Gotham City's organized crime underworld.
He is voiced by Michael Leon Wooley.
He made his debut in the episode "Broken", in which he is kidnapped by Humpty Dumpty, along with Jim Gordon and several other people. Once a brilliant accountant in Whale's employ, Humpty Dumpty went insane after an attempt on his life orchestrated by Whale. Eventually, Batman finds out that Humpty Dumpty took Whale and Gordon in miniature castle, which is outside the city. Batman locates Whale first and drags him behind the Batmobile, ordering the mobster to stay there. Whale refuses and runs off, stating that it isn't his fight.
He then made an appearance in the episode "Allies", in which he and his men are looting weapons from a Stagg Industries warehouse, the fifth one they have hit in a month. However, they are interrupted by Batman, who quickly incapacitates the thugs and captures Whale. IN GCPD, Gordon tries to interrogate Whale and tells him that he would go easy on him if he would co-operate. Whale remains silent as his lawyer, Milo Match, whispers in his ear and tells Gordon they would like a deal. Gordon agrees at first, but Match goes on to demand that Whale be released and cleared of all charges by midnight. Gordon refuses and vows to see them in court. Then, Match kidnaps Gordon's daughter Barbara, threatening to kill her to strong-arm Gordon into releasing Whale from prison. In the end, Batman rescues Barbara, both Whale and Match go to prison.
In the episode "Reckoning", when Ra's al Ghul frees the inmates of Blackgate Penitentiary, including Whale, he hires them to bring him Batman, dead or alive. Batman needs to get to Ra's, so Whale, apparently reformed, offers to help him by pretending to capture the Caped Crusader and bring him before Ra's. Just as Ra's is about to kill Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth and sidekick Katana, he gets a message from Whale claiming to have captured Batman, so he spares Batman's allies. When Whale brings Batman to Ra's, the Dark Knight quickly frees himself and gives Whale a gun. Whale then turns on Batman, his supposed redemption having been a ruse to lull him into a false sense of security in order to kill him. However, Whale's gun backfires due to a fail-safe mechanism, knocking him unconscious.
Black Lightning[]
- Main article: Tobias Whale (Black Lightning)
Tobias Whale appears as the main antagonist in the 2018 series Black Lightning. He is the leader of the 100 Gang and the arch-enemy of the superhero Black Lightning. Whale is portrayed by Marvin "Krondon" Jones III.
Catwoman: Hunted[]
Tobias Whale appears as a major antagonist in the 2022 animated movie Catwoman: Hunted. He is the bodyguard of Barbara Minerva and a member of the Leviathan Organization.
Trivia[]
- Whale appears to be greatly inspired by Marvel Comics' Kingpin, who shares a similar appearance, personality, and occupation. This is even noted by writer Tony Isabella, who, when reinventing Whale for DC Rebirth, decided to make him more physically distinct from Kingpin; believing that Marvel had made Kingpin far too sympathetic in recent years.
- In another likely nod to Kingpin, Whale's similarly obese appearance is largely composed of muscle rather than fat.
- Whale serves as the inspiration for Steven Mandragora, a villain from Justice League Unlimited.
[]
Villains | ||
Comics Television |
Villains | ||
Amanda Waller | Anti-Monitor | Bad Samaritan | Bane | Black Adam | Blackfire | Black Lantern Corps | Bolt | Brain | Brainiac | Bronze Tiger | Brother Blood | Brotherhood of Evil | Captain Boomerang | Captain Fear | Chemo | Clayface | Crazy Quilt | Darkseid | Deadshot | Deathstroke | Doctor Pyscho | Doctor Sivana | Doctor Light | Doomsday | Eclipso | Egg Fu | Eradicator | Fearsome Five | Felix Faust | Firefly | General Wade Eiling | Gorilla Grood | Guardians of the Universe | Intergang | Java | Joker | Killer Croc | King Shark | Kobra Cult | Lady Shiva | Lex Luthor | Manhunters | Marine Marauder | Meltdown | Mister Freeze | Monsieur Mallah | Multiplex | Nuclear Family | Parallax | Penguin | Plastique | Psimon | Ra's al Ghul | Red Hood | Secret Society of Super Villains | Shockwave | Shrapnel | Simon Stagg | Sinestro | Star Sapphire | Steppenwolf | Talia al Ghul | Tattooed Man | Terra | Tobias Whale | Vandal Savage | Veronica Cale |