Tobias Whale

—Slade Wilson[src]

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## General Information

### Occupation

**Original multiverse**
Leader of The 100
Criminal
Freeland city council member (formerly)
**New multiverse**
Criminal (formerly)
Leader of The 100 (formerly)
Mayor of Freeland (formerly)
Member of the Shadow Board (formerly)

### Affiliation

**Original multiverse**
The 100 (formerly)
**New multiverse**
The 100 (formerly)
Shadow Board (formerly)

### Family

Eldridge (father; deceased)
Unnamed (mother)
Tori Whale (sister; deceased)
Syonide (adoptive daughter; deceased)

### Actor

Marvin "Krondon" Jones III

"*I adhere to the law of the jungle. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. Either you're dining or you're dinner.*"
—Tobias Whale to Kwame Parker[src]
**Tobias Whale** (April 20, 1946 - 2021) was the most notorious crime boss in Freeland as well as the archnemesis of Black Lightning. Powered by a serum that grants him enhanced strength and longevity, which has given him decades of experience, Tobias is one of the most dangerous criminals alive.

Fueled by anger due to the abuse he received for being an albino in an African-American community, by his father in particular, he worked his way to the top of the city’s criminal underworld as the leader of his gang The 100 as well as a high-ranking position in the city council. However, Alvin Pierce exposed him as a corrupt politician, for which Tobias killed Alvin in front of his son, who would grow up to battle Tobias as Black Lightning.

After the multiverse was rebooted by the Spectre, Tobias would later become mayor of Freeland, using his knowledge of the Pierce family's secret identities to continue his war against Black Lightning.

He eventually presumably killed Black Lightning, though he was revealed to have survived after regaining his powers. During a final confrontation with his archnemesis, Tobias was killed once and for all, allowing Black Lightning to retire.

## Biography

### Original multiverse

#### Early life

Tobias was born on April 20, 1946, to Eldridge and an unnamed woman. They also gave birth to a younger sister, Tori. The woman left the family at some point, leaving Tobias and his sister to be raised by their father. However, their father was constantly abusive towards them, especially Tobias due to his albinism.

Many years later, Tobias began working as a member of Freeland's city council, but eventually lost his position, going underground and pursuing a criminal career, eventually being given leadership over The 100. Having a newspaper article about his corruption written by Alvin Pierce, he approached Alvin in his home, having him held down and stuffing his mouth with shredded bits of his article, killing him. He was wanted by the police for the murder.

At some point, Tobias seemingly killed Black Lightning, dumping his body in a river. He paid a coroner to retrieve the body and confirm it was indeed Black Lightning. However, it wasn't the correct body, out of the many that were dumped into the river, and it was cremated by the coroner's boss before he had the chance to identify it.

#### The return of Black Lightning

Over nine years later, Tobias was the leader of The 100. He had an underling killed by feeding him to carnivorous fish. He then proceeded to watch a news report regarding the possible return of Black Lightning. Shortly following, after Lala antagonized the vigilante, Tobias had Lala brought to him, injuring him and threatening death.

 File:Tobias kills Lala.png
Wishing to extinguish the "bootleg Black Lightning," Tobias ordered some of his people to up their security around the town. Wishing to punish Lala, he had him gagged. Later on, after Lala was arrested for the murder of Lawanda White, Tobias entered his jail cell with the help of some corrupt police officers. Tobias refused Lala the chance of ratting him out and promptly strangled him in his cell.

Sometime later, Tobias visited Lady Eve at Blackbird Funeral Parlor, bringing money as an apology for Lala's actions. Lady Eve informed him that Reverend Jeremiah Holt had organized a rally throughout Freeland as a protest against The 100, and asked him to take him out. Tobias appointed a gunman, stabbing him in the hand to assert fear over him. Although, his attempt failed when Black Lightning interrupted the shooting. Tobias quickly discovered Black Lightning to be alive, having his henchwoman shoot for the vigilante; instead of the bullet reaching the vigilante, it hit the reverend and Khalil Payne.

Shortly following, Tobias visited Lady Eve again, who reminded him that his reputation was built upon him having killed Black Lightning, a fact which now meant it was dwindling. Soon after, Tobias' sister Tori came into town, greeting her brother. 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.

Tobias visited Gambi's Custom Tailoring, hoping to gain the identity of Black Lightning from Peter Gambi, but was unsuccessful. He returned home, revealing to Tori that he'd gone to see Gambi. His sister scolded him, before revealing that she'd found his first enemy, Eldridge. They went to pay him a visit. Initially, Tobias called his father out for being a terrible father but appeared to come round. The two embraced, before Tobias, however, crushed his father's back, allowing him to die slowly. Not long after, Tobias was sent an envelope full of dust, calling back to a prior conversation with Lady Eve and her references to ritualistic grinding up of albinos.

Because of the threat, Tobias had a protection team tail Tori. Shortly following, Joey Toledo returned, explaining that he'd come face to face with Black Lightning but let him go. This angered Tobias, holding him up by his neck, but when he explained that he'd tipped off the police, Tobias let him down, mildly annoyed. A couple days later, Tobias was called in by his doctor, Henry Mayfield, who wished to test him for psoriasis. 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.

Joey organized a fight for him. Taking longer than usual, he finally knocked him out, the pair discovers that the man was high on Green Light. Two days later, Tori broke the news of Joey Toledo's death to Tobias, having found a box of albino dust along with his body. Later that night, Tobias attended 555. He and his crew were ambushed by Black Lightning, but before Tobias could fight him, he was shot with a blast of lightning. As they attempted to escape, Tori was shot, with the bullet also penetrating Tobias, escaping without his sister.

Tobias was later healed by the A.S.A. Martin Proctor, the leader of the A.S.A. of the Freeland area, asked him to pay him back by bringing him Black Lightning alive. Tobias accepts the mission. After his return, Tobias killed Dwayne, the man who saved him during the shootout at 555 because he did not save Tori. Tobias attacked Garfield High School with Syonide, Khalil Payne, who can then walk with a technology A.S.A. provided. They lured in Black Lightning to Garfield and killed him.

 File:Tobias, Khalil and Syonide breach the A.S.A. headquarters.png
Tobias decides to kill Martin Proctor. He brings in Lala, who was revealed to be resurrected by him. He made Lala docile with the phrase, "The devil deals the card" and sent him to Proctor by implanting a bomb in him. Tobias comes to know, Martin survives the explosion and breaches the A.S.A. headquarters along with Khalil and Syonide. He could not kill Martin but he retrieved his briefcase. Meanwhile, Peter Gambi kills Martin Proctor. With the death of Lady Eve and Martin, Tobias is now the most powerful person in Freeland.

Kara Fowdy breaks into his office in an attempt to kill him and secure the briefcase. Tobias, angered by Synonide's murder, shoots Kara in the stomach with a harpoon and pulls her towards him. Kara manages to cut herself loose and throws herself out of a window to safety.

 File:Tobias gets arrested.png
Tobias eventually gets arrested by the Freeland Police Department after an anonymous tip.

***This section is a stub. You can help expand this section by adding some information.***

#### Anti-Monitor Crisis

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Tobias as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019, only to be restored a month later, after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.

### New multiverse

With the help of Lynn Stewart, Tobias escapes captivity.

***This section is a stub. You can help expand this section by adding some information.***

Tobias goes to the house of a nurse and kills his father; then he goes into the man's bedroom, removes the bullets from his gun, and waits for him to awaken. When the nurse awakens, he sees Tobias sitting there, playing with the bullets to show him that he is powerless. Tobias promises the nurse that his father dies valiantly and his mother will not be harmed if he takes Tobias to where the Meta-humans of Markovia are hidden.

As the War for Freeland gets international press coverage, Tobias watches television and, when the nurse's mother brings him food, he calls her "ma". Learning that the war is finished, Tobias tells the corpse of the nurse that it is time to return to Freeland.

#### Revenge for Tori

***This section is a stub. You can help expand this section by adding some information.***

#### Mayor of Freeland

***This section is a stub. You can help expand this section by adding some information.***

#### Final fight and death

 File:Tobias Whale's corpse after Lala's escape.png

***This section is a stub. You can help expand this section by adding some information.***

## Personality

"*That's why I hate these church-going Negroes. Always praying and singing, singing and praying. They all wanna go to heaven, but don't none of them wanna die.*"
—Tobias Whale to Syonide[src]
Tobias is shown to be ruthless and has little tolerance for failure. He is clever in doing business and would kill anyone who would come in front of it. Although he does have one exception to killing people: mothers, to the point that he calls it “a no mamas rule.”. Although being ruthless and merciless, Tobias is shown to have a caring attitude towards Tori. He was also generous enough to take in Syonide and raise her as his own.

However, he seems to display a strong hatred of other African-Americans with few exceptions. He often refers to them with stereotypes and racial slurs.

## Powers and abilities

### Powers

"*He takes a kind of a serum which is like a super steroid. It makes him age slower and get stronger over time. At this point, he's got the strength of three men.*"
—Peter Gambi to Jennifer Pierce[src]
 File:Tobias uses a serum.png
* **Meta-human physiology:** Through the usage of an anti-aging serum, Tobias's DNA and cells are augmented, pushing his physical parameters well-beyond normal humans.
	+ **Enhanced longevity or Ageless longevity:** The serum granted Tobias lifespan that seemingly never ends nor causes him to show any signs of physically aging. While in his physical prime thirty years ago, he remains looking exactly the same while likewise retains the same health and vitality.
	+ **Superhuman strength:** Another benefit of the serum is granting Tobias a tremendous boost in raw strength, which from regular usage will gradually increase. After thirty years of regular dosages, according to Gambi, Tobias has gained the strength of at least three men, although he actually displayed much greater strength. With said strength, it enables him to strangle and lift into the air a full-grown man with a single hand, as well as snap and break a man's back from the sheer pressure of his hug.
	+ **Superhuman durability:** The serum also imbues Tobias with considerably inhuman durability and endurance, enough for him to withstand most blows from other physically augmented foes with little to no damage or discomfort. His serum was change also to render him immune to Black Lightning's electric attacks.

### Former powers

* **Abilities via meta booster**: After taking Lynn Stewart's meta booster serum, Tobias could grant himself powers.
	+ **Invisibility**: Tobias was able to turn invisible for an hour.

### Abilities

* **Master hand-to-hand combatant:** Tobias is shown to be a highly proficient barehanded fighter. Against a massive man with an extensive fighting history, Tobias was able to defeat him with relative ease, even when it was revealed that he was boosted on Green Light. He defeated Khali Payne in a fist-fight before his resurrection and further training. He was even able to fight against Black Lightning, though the latter was able to gain the upper hand and only defeated him with Painkiller's help. When Black Lightning was without his powers, Tobias was able to overpower and defeat him.
* **Master marksman:** Tobias is a very skilled shooter, shooting Lala from a distance with a harpoon, as well as shoot Fowler in the stomach. He also gunned down many A.S.A. with his handgun. He shot Summers in the head.
* **Master strategist/Tactician/Manipulator:** Having been around for more than 70 years, Tobias is a highly intelligent planner and has manipulated multiple people as well as the legal system to his own benefit. He was able to manipulate events to take over the Cobra Cartel, become the leader of the Shadow Board, and become the mayor of Freeland.
* **Leadership skills:** Tobias has demonstrated leadership both in the political and organized crime fields. Tobias is a rather shrewd, calculating ruthless leader especially when it comes to his duty as the crime lord and leader of The 100.

### Weaknesses

* **Power-dampening tech:** The A.S.A. invented power-dampening collars to dampen meta-humans’ powers.
* **Serum withdrawal:** Beneficial as the serum is, its effects wear off after a certain period of time, requiring Tobias to take more of it regularly. Without the serum for long enough, Tobias' body will revert to its natural age and health. Even more, the sudden withdrawal will ravage his body, leaving him sickly. At the same time, sudden exposure to the serum will instantly restore him to his physical peak.
* **Sunlight:** Due to his albinism, Tobias’ skin is severely lacking in melanin, to the extent that concentrated UV radiation burns him in one minute as it would a normal person in one hour.

## Equipment

* **IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX:** Tobias uses this handgun as his main weapon. Using it to kill many members of the A.S.A. during his attack on their headquarters.
* **Harpoon gun:** Tobias used this harpoon gun against Lala. He later used this harpoon gun to fatally wound Kara Fowdy in the stomach, which ultimately lead to her death.
* **Twin handguns:** Tobias used twin semi auto handguns in a last ditch attempt to kill Black Lighting before his own death.
* **Electric proof under-suit:** Tobias wore this under his suit when fighting Black Lighting at the high school, which rendered him immune to his opponent's electrical attacks. After his serum was upgraded to resist Black Lightning's electric powers, he seems to have discarded its use.

## Appearances

### *Black Lightning*

Season 1
* "The Resurrection"
* "Lawanda: The Book of Hope"
* "Lawanda: The Book of Burial"
* "Black Jesus"
* "And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light"
* "Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder"
* "Equinox: The Book of Fate"
* "The Book of Revelations" (mentioned)
* "The Book of Little Black Lies" (mentioned)
* "Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption" (mentioned)
* "The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain"
* "Shadow of Death: The Book of War"

Season 2
* "The Book of Consequences: Chapter One: Rise of the Green Light Babies"
* "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Two: Black Jesus Blues"
* "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry"
* "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Four: Translucent Freak"
* "The Book of Blood: Chapter One: Requiem"
* "The Book of Blood: Chapter Two: The Perdi"
* "The Book of Blood: Chapter Three: The Sange"
* "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter One: Exodus"
* "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Two: Gift of Magi"
* "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Three: Angelitos Negros"
* "The Book of Secrets: Chapter One: Prodigal Son"
* "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Two: Just and Unjust"
* "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Three: Pillar of Fire"
* "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Four: Original Sin" (mentioned)
* "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter One: The Alpha"
* "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter Two: The Omega"

Season 3
* "The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of Blackbird"
* "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two" (mentioned)
* "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three"
* "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Five"
* "The Book of Resistance: Chapter One"
* "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Three: The Battle of Franklin Terrace"
* "The Book of Markovia: Chapter One: Blessings and Curses Reborn" (mentioned)
* "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Two"
* "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Three"
* "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Four"
* "The Book of War: Chapter One: Homecoming" (mentioned)
* "The Book of War: Chapter Two" (mentioned)
* "The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation"

Season 4
* "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter One"
* "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two"
* "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Three"
* "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Four"
* "The Book of Ruin: Chapter One"
* "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Two"
* "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Three"
* "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Four: Lyding"
* "The Book of Reunification: Chapter One"
* "The Book of Reunification: Chapter Two"
* "The Book of Resurrection: Chapter One"
* "The Book of Resurrection: Chapter Two: Closure"

## Gallery

#### Promotional images

##### *Black Lightning*

Season 1
Tobias Whale promotional image.png
Season 2
Tobias Whale promotional image 2.pngBlack Lightning - stream the first 5 episodes.pngBlack Lightning characters promo.pngBlack Lightning season 2 promo 1.png
Season 4
Tobias Whale promotional image (Season 4).png

## Trivia

* Tobias appears to be an atheist, as when asked by Lady Eve if he was a churchgoer, he responded that his life hadn't led him down a "spiritual path."
* According to Jefferson, Tobias is 6 feet tall.
* Tobias likes Jazz music, and also considers it to be "One of the only things brothers got right."
* Tobias enjoys Pool, considering it to be "a beautiful game of symmetry and geometry."

## Behind the scenes

* In the DC comics, Tobias Whale is a ruthless albino crime lord who led the criminal organization The 100. His first appearance in the comics was *Black Lightning* #1.
	+ However, his use of the strength-enhancing, anti-aging serum is unique to the show; in other media, he is always depicted as an ordinary man, albeit uncommonly large and muscular.
* Tobias served as the main antagonist of *Black Lightning*, especially in the first arc of Season 1 and the entirety of Seasons 2 and Season 4.
* Troy Faruk was a stunt double for Marvin Jones III in the role of Tobias Whale.

## References

1. ↑ "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Three: The Battle of Franklin Terrace"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light"
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Black Jesus"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder"
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "The Resurrection"
6. ↑ "Lawanda: The Book of Hope"
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Lawanda: The Book of Burial"
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Equinox: The Book of Fate"
9. ↑ "The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain"
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Shadow of Death: The Book of War"
11. ↑ "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three"
12. ↑ "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four"
13. ↑ "The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation"
14. ↑ "The Book of Blood: Chapter One: Requiem"

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