Tai (comics)

Tai is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. A Cambodian, Tai was something of a mentor for the New Warriors in the first 25 issues of their first series.

Tai is an elderly Cambodian mystic who was indirectly responsible for the formation of the New Warriors. Tai was born into a cult called the Dragon's Breadth. Her people derive mystical energy from a well inside their temple that was a nexus into various alternate dimensions. The temple is constructed around the nexus point where vast amounts of mystic energy are constantly released. Throughout the centuries Tai's people absorb the energy from the well. They devise a detailed program of interbreeding the goal of which was for each successive generation to be able to tap into the energies of the well more than the previous generation had and that eventually one generation would use that power to rule the world (this plan was called 'The Pact'). Tai's generation are actually able to harness the energies of the well. Tai's generation is led to believe that their generation were the ones who would rule the world. Tai refuses to share powers and slays everyone in the cult but six maiden brides and a series of guards for the temple.

During the Vietnam War a unit of American soldiers calling themselves the Half-Fulls encounter the temple but were captured by Tai. Tai tells them the story of her people and that the six soldiers had to marry and procreate with the six maiden brides. All but one of them agree to do so (Daryl Taylor was already married).

After their tour the soldiers return home to America with their new brides. Tai remains in Cambodia. Tai had married her only daughter Miyami off to one of the soldiers Andrew Chord, who was an African American. Miyami soon gave birth to two children Silhouette and Aaron Midnight's Fire. Miyami did not want her children to be used as Tai's pawns so she fakes their deaths as well as her own and leaves her children to be raised in Manhattan's Chinatown.

Chord, thinking his family is dead, became a mercenary and traveled the world. Eventually he arrives in Cambodia and renews his association with his mother-in-law. Together they return to America. Tai worries her son-in-law fears his place in the pact would be moot now that his son was dead. Tai urges Chord to resume his friendship with army buddy Daryl Taylor (the one who rejected the pact). Chord did so and became godfather to Daryl and his wife's son Dwayne. Tai demands Chord kill Daryl and his wife Melody. Chord did so, unwillingly, in front of Dwayne. At which point a six-year-old Dwayne is introduced to Tai and his memory wiped.

...
Wikipedia