| Tiras | |
|---|---|
 "Marauder of the Mediterranean" | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Race | Philistines |
| Age | Unknown |
| Height | Unknown |
| Weight | Unknown |
Tiras, the self-proclaimed "Marauder of the Mediterranean," is a slippery convict who makes his way in life by various disreputable means. Principally, he is a plunderer who earned his "Marauder" reputation (he claims) raiding the Philistine coastline with his pirate crew of fortune hunters. Sadly for him, his chosen method of supporting himself has led to several incarcerations, one of which consisted of sharing a cell with Branan's father Samson while the latter was still alive.
There is also a distinct possibility that Tiras is one of the bandits from the "Bringand's Lair" installment of the Adventures of Young Branan. Not only is Tiras the spitting image of the gang's leader from that story, the chapter itself takes place ten years before the series proper begins, which is right around the time that he would be out earning his nefarious reputation as a criminal.
Tiras makes two definite appearances in the comic in volumes two and four, and one possible appearance at the end of volume three, as mentioned above.
Personality[]
Tiras is surely one of the most colorful characters in the comic and quite possibly the most difficult to get a read on, at least initially. On the one hand, he comforts Branan immensely in Delilah's prison by sharing anecdotes about Branan's father to pass the time; he also joins Branan's party to rescue Uncle Mathias from Sidon's garrison in Joppa without much hesitation, inclining one to think that maybe he has a bit of a soft heart. On the other hand, the pride he takes in his greedy nature is quite off-putting, and he also has a creepy tendency to place his sword at other people's throats, even in jest.
But what probably tells us all we need to know about Tiras is that during the raid to break Uncle Mathias out of Sidon's garrison, Tiras deserts his comrades on the roof of the fortress to sneak off with a chest full of treasure. When Branan catches Tiras just before he sails away with the the booty, Tiras justifies the deed by rationalizing that his avaricious crew would have ditched him the same way, given half the chance.
Disgusted with Tiras's perfidy, Branan bends down the mast of the ship and uses it to whip Tiras far out to sea, and the marauder is never mentioned again in the comic.