Lin Sun, Abe Brown (the brother of Hobie Brown, the original Prowler), and Bob Diamond were all students training under their sensei, Master Kee. However, their life was disrupted when Master Kee was attacked by ninjas representing the extradimensional Silent Ones. Shortly before dying, Master Kee gave each of his three students a jade amulet in the shape of a tiger's head and paws. The amulets give the three men advanced martial arts skills which they used to fight evil.

In time, they meet a woman named Lotus Shinchuko, who had been offered as a gift from the Silent Ones to one of their agents on Earth-616, a man named Harrison Budge. She renounced them and joined Brown, Diamond, and Sun.

The team would later help Spider Man and Human Torch against the Crime Master, Big Man, and the Enforcers. Though Shinchuko was originally romantically involved with Bob Diamond, she soon found herself herself in a love triangle with both Diamond and Lin Sun. The conflict escalated until all three men fought, ending in the disbanding of the team. Lin Sun, Shinchuko, and Abe Brown would continue to run the martial arts school, while Bob Diamond returned to acting, and would later date Colleen Wing. He even went on various missions with the Heroes for Hire.

For a time, Hector Ayala wore the amulets as the hero, the White Tiger, but after being nearly killed by Gideon Mace, Ayala retired the identity. A mutual ally, a detective named Blackbyrd, returned the amulets to the Sons, until they were stolen by Master Khan. Diamond was injured during the theft, but the Sons of the Tiger reunited to help the Heroes for Hire against the immortal.

The team would gather again to help Wolverine against the Black Dragon death squad during the events of Manifest Destiny.