The Lion God Lives!

In an African village, a reporter named Umbala arrives to investigate reports that they worship an actual African deity. Seeing this as a chance to win a Pulitzer, Umbala is amazed when he witnesses the Lion God for himself.[1] However, Umbala was lured here so that he can be used in a sacrifice that allows the Lion God to take possession of his body.

Four days later, at Avengers Mansion, Iron Man uses the team’s downtime to try and hit on the Black Widow. However, his efforts are rebuffed by Natasha as she only joined the Avengers to sort out her feelings for Hawkeye and Daredevil.[2] That’s when the Scarlet Witch arrives to show Natasha the room Jarvis set up for her. The Black Panther is glad that Natasha has been brought aboard because he has been facing increased pressure to return home and rule his homeland of Wakanda.

Suddenly, a group of African-American protestors appear outside of the mansion and begin demanding that the Black Panther come out and address them. This mob is led by Umbala who orders his followers to force their way inside when T’Challa refuses to come out fast enough. Forcing the invaders outside, the Avengers learn that these Black protestors have come to force the Black Panther to return to Africa where he belongs. Although T’Challa refuses to bend to their will, when Umbala orders him to bow the other Avengers are shocked when the Panther does as told. With the heroes suspecting Umbala is more than he appears, the Lion God sheds his disguise and introduces to himself to the Avengers. He then orders his followers to attack. While the Avengers are busy with the protestors, the Lion God teleports away with the Black Panther as his prisoner. With their leader gone, the gang of protestors suddenly stop fighting and walk away as though nothing happened.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, a woman named Mantis greets her mysterious lover.[3] He has news that Hawkeye has left the Avengers.[4] This comes as good news to both are seeking to join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Elsewhere, the Lion God has the Black Panther in shackles. He wants T’Challa to renounce the panther and worship him so that all Africans in an effort to make all Africans worship him.[4] Back at Avengers Mansion, the team tries to figure out where the Lion God may have taken the Black Panther. Unfortunately, their resident god doesn’t know much, as Thor and his people rarely interacted with any other pantheon save the Olympians.[6] However, they don’t have to search for their foe after all as the Lion God reappears in their headquarters with the imprisoned Black Panther.

The Avengers try to attack the Lion God, but between his mystical Totem Stick and his ability to summon two lions, they find themselves out of their depth.[7] Ultimately, the Lion God is defeated when Thor summons a powerful storm over the mansion. When a bolt of lightning strikes the Totem Stick, the Lion God is banished from Earth’s dimension. In the aftermath of the battle, the Black Widow has made up her mind and has decided that she is going to leave the Avengers and rejoin her partner, Daredevil.[8] The battle also helps T’Challa realize that he has a responsibility to the whole world to use his powers to fight evil and has decided to remain with the Avengers. Observing this from another dimension, the Lion God vows to return and get his revenge.[9]

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, the Vision, Black Widow), Hathor-Sekhmet (identified as the “Lion God” here), Mantis, Swordsman (unidentified)

Continuity Notes

1. The Lion God is never mentioned by its real name here. All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4 and Avengers: Roll Call #1 confirms that the Lion god is Hathor-Sekhmet of the Ennead (or Egyptian) pantheon of gods.

2. The Black Widow dated Hawkeye from Tales of Suspense #57 until Avengers #76. More recently she began working with and fallen in love with Daredevil in Daredevil #81. She joined the Avengers last year to spend time away from both men to sort out her feelings.

3. Hawkeye quit the Avengers because the Vision cock-blocked his attempts to romance the Scarlet Witch. See Avengers #109.

4. The identity of the man with Mantis is unrevealed here. He is revealed to be the Swordsman in Avengers #114.

5. T’Challa and his people worship the panther god known as Bast. This was first identified in Black Panther (vol. 3) #5.

6. The Asgardians first interacted with the Olympians centuries ago, as detailed in Thor Annual #5. What Thor doesn’t know is that Odin is a member of the Council of Godheads, the rulers of various pantheons that first gathered to assess the potential threat of the Celestials. See Thor #300.

7. Wanda states here that her hex bolts are a mutant power. However, she is not really a mutant. It’s explained, years later, that she was actually experimented upon by the High Evolutionary as a child. To cover up his work, he made it so she and her brother (Quicksilver) would register as mutants. See Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5.

8. The Black Widow will return to Daredevil in Daredevil #101. It is mentioned here that the Widow was recruited to help the Avengers against Magneto. See Avengers #110-111 and Daredevil #99.

9. The Lion God will return again in Avengers #114.

Topical References

• T’Challa states here that he has been receiving telegrams from Wakanda asking for him to return home. While telegrams are still a thing, they have fallen on the wayside in a world with the Internet. As such its reference here should be considered topical it seems unlikely that a technologically advanced nation like Wakanda would restore to telegrams to contact their leader.