Tanya Walker (Phyllis Davis) was an antagonist in the 1982 pilot episode "Knight of the Phoenix" for the TV series "Knight Rider".
She was unwittingly responsible for the origin of the main protagonist Michael Knight.
Events[]
Tanya is an industrial spy who is stealing technology secrets and embezzling money from a computer company. She was also the lover of an international criminal by the name of Cameron Zachary.
She attempted to murder Lt. Michael Arthur Long, a LAPD detective (whom she was dating but in reality was planning to betray him) who was investigating a case that unbeknownst to him, actually involved her.
She shot him at point blank rage in the head and left him for dead. However, thanks to the metal plate in Michael's head, the bullet was deflected but it still caused severe facial damage. He was rescued by millionaire Wilton Knight, who with constructive surgery gave him a new face along with a new identity "Michael Knight" and a special supercar named K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Two Thousand) creating Wilton's dream of an organisation that fought for truth and justice named F.L.A.G. (The Foundation for Law and Government) and sent him to solve the case of his own attempted murder and further crimes that pointed to Tanya.
After much investigating and a confrontation with Tanya, who was amazed that he was still alive, Michael pursued her to an airport where she tried to make her escape, but it failed. Tanya, in a fit of unthinking vengeful rage tried to shoot him again while he was inside K.I.T.T. Despite Michael and one of her partner Wilson's warnings that K.I.T.T was bulletproof, Tanya shot at Michael, resulting in the bullet ricocheting off the window and killing her. Though Tanya had received her ultimate comeuppance and was now gone for good, Michael still had terrifying flashbacks of the night of her shooting him.
Her link to Cameron Zachery was revealed to Michael three years later. It was Zachery who originally planned the hit on Michael and his partner during their original investigation.
Once Zachary discovered Michael Long was still alive as Michael Knight, he wished to avenge her. However, Zachary failed and was captured by Michael and K.I.T.T. and imprisoned finally closing the case of Michael Long's murder.
Trivia[]
- Phyllis Davis appeared as Sugar Harris in the 1982 TV movie "The Wild Women of Chastity Gultch".
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