A human Royal Guard was the original form of the soul animating Cave of Wonders in the Diamond Universe.
Description[]
In this parallel timeline, the Cave of Wonders did not originally possess a consciousness or impose limitations on who would be allowed to enter and collect its treasures. Instead, the mind who would become the familiar giant tiger was originally a former Royal Guard of Agrabah who was friends with the Mage and joined him in his endeavor to hide the Genie's Lamp out of Jafar and Iago's reach. In the ensuing magical battle, the dying Royal Guard vowed to protect the Lamp forevermore, and when the Cave closed down around him, his resolute soul merged with its magic; he then imposed the "Diamond in the Rough" condition in memory of the Mage, about whom he'd originally said those words.
Behind the scenes[]
This version of the Cave of Wonders appears in the 2015 tribute comic Diamond in the Rough, written by Theo Dolev and illustrated by Ophir Sheriff. Despite some minor differences in circumstances, it is Diamond in the Rough’s intent that it serve as a loose prequel to the events of Aladdin, though of no other entry in the Aladdin series; as such, it can be assumed that the Diamond Universe the Cave of Wonders tiger-head's later fate, beyond what is shown in the comic, matches up to the actions of his Prime Universe counterpart in the movie.