| “ | This I swear! | ” |
| — Rodolfo Rivera | ||
White Pantera (real name: Rodolfo Rivera) is the overprotective and heroic father of Manny Rivera, son of Manny's Granpapi, and ex-husband of Maria Rivera. He often wears his costume including the mystical Bronze Boots of Truth, which gives him power and speed to fight villains. He advises Manny to become a superhero to his family as he teaches him many lessons of being a good family member and doing good deeds.
Description
"Manny's father Rodolfo Rivera is a good old-fashioned dad, complete with rules and orders that Manny doesn't always follow. Although Rodolfo was once the greatest superhero Miracle City has ever seen (thanks to his Bronze Boots of Truth), he's since semi-retired and is focusing these days on fatherhood and his regular 9 to 5 job. That is, unless there's a major emergency, in which case Rodolfo will become White Pantera in a pinch. Rodolfo has a love-hate relationship with his dad, Manny's Granpapi, who just so happens to be the evil villain Puma Loco. Despite their differences and Grandpapi's desire to pull Manny over to the dark side, Rodolfo always puts his family first."[2]
Appearance
White Pantera is a tall and muscular man with fair skin with brown-colored eyes and always wears the costume with or without a mask. When he's unmasked, he has a short, black hair with black sideburns and white highlights and black mustache. He often wears a black wrestling mask with red decorative outlines and yellow circular-shaped opening for the eyes and square openings for the mouth, and black panther-like ears. He also wears black gloves with a yellow small star and the most-powerful bronze boots.
When he's in his alter-ego superhero, he wears his black mask, white vest with white collared, uniform, red tie, yellow-buttoned stars, black long pants, bronze boots, and black gloves. He occasionally wears a light-grey vest with light-blue uniform and blue tie, black small buttons, light-grey small hat with a grey band and some of the similar outfits he wears from his superhero costume.
Personality
History
Pre-series
Prior to the beginning of the series, Rodolfo was and still is a legendary superhero. He inherited the Bronze Boots of Truth from his ancestors, battling many super villains in his career, even his own father's alter ego Puma Loco. At one point in time, he met Maria, with whom he would marry and later father Manny. However, Maria became unbearably concerned and afraid of Rodolfo putting himself in danger in his quest for ridding Miracle City of crime, which prompted the woman to separate from him. Though very distraught, Rodolfo continued to fight evil and raise Manny with Granpapi.
Powers and Abilities
- Boots of Truth: White Pantera derives his abilities from his Bronze Boots of Truth. These boots give him super speed, strength, and agility along with the ability to walk up vertical surfaces and forces whoever touches them to tell the truth. The boots can also make someone tell the truth against their will. Granpapi, Frida, and the Titanium Titan are 3 of those who have been made to tell the truth. Of those, Granpapi was the only one shown whom White Pantera himself tried this particular power on. Frida touched intentionally to try them. Titanium Titan had a Truth Proof Vest though that rendered him immune to the effects.
- Super Speed: His boots allow White Pantera to move at super-fast speed, letting him catch up to criminals much faster.
Sightings
Gallery
Click here to visit White Pantera's Gallery!
Trivia
- Rodolfo was inspired by Jorge R. Gutierrez's father, who worked as an architect.[1]
- He is inspired by Lucha Libre films produced from the late 1960s and early 1970s including some of the most famous Mexican luchadores: El Santo, Blue Demon, and Mil Máscaras.[1]
- Rodolfo wearing glasses is a nod to both Clark Kent (civilian) and Superman (superhero).[1]
- White Pantera's name was chosen because Gutierrez father's only drove white cars when he was a young kid.[1]
- Pantera means "Panther" in the Spanish language.
- In "Eye Caramba", it is seen on Rodolfo's superhero license as White Pantera that he is an organ donor.
- Before the series was in development, Jorge R. Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua originally conceived Rodolfo as "El Super Super" with black suit and claws.
References
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