Black Panther: Panther's Prey #3
The Black Panther is frolicking in the jungle with a panther. As he leaps through the trees he thinks about the dual nature of Wakanda. A society steeped in culture and tradition that is also quickly embracing science and technology. This has led to some divides between traditionalists and those embracing new areas of study. T’Challa recounts the time when he had one of his scientists study the rare heart-shaped herb that gave him his powers. W’Kabi found this an affront to their beliefs, but T’Challa was still interested in hearing the findings none the less. He learned how the herb had altered his physiology, allowing him to pull off cat-like feats of strength, speed, and agility. Eventually, T’Challa overstays his welcome with the big cats and decides to head back for home as he needs to prepare for his trip back to America.
That evening, at a jazz club outside Washington, DC, Monica Lynn — former flame of the Black Panther — puts her heart and soul into her performance of the evening. As she sings she thinks about the struggle it has taken to build her singing career as well as thoughts about her past relationship with T’Challa. After her song, she briefly talks to a couple in the front row. The woman interpreted the song Monica just sung to be about a woman that was left with a broken heart. Monica explains that she didn’t experience anything like that at all. The man she loved came from a completely different world and after some time together they drifted apart and returned to the worlds they knew. She then heads to the back of the club to talk to the booker, a sleazy guy named Percy. He underpays her and blames it on a lack of turn out. When he promises to pay her better next week, she declines to take the job. Before she leaves she knees Percy in the groin and storms out.
As she walks home, Monica laments her sore feet and once more thinks back to her romance with T’Challa.[1] It was fun when things were going well but after a while it seemed as though it was going nowhere and they eventually drifted apart. In the time since, she didn’t go out of her way to figure out what he was up to, but remembers catching a news story about the Black Panther recently being in South Africa.[2] However, when the news didn’t explain why he was there, Monica didn’t bother looking into why.
Meanwhile, the Black Panther is being flown to Washington by his reformed foes Kazibe and Tayete.[3] When they arrive over the Wakandan embassy, T’Challa climbs onto the wing of the plane in order to leap down. As he does so, his mind drifts back to earlier, when they held a funeral for Kantu, a young man who recently died of a drug overdose.[4] It was a traditional Wakandan funeral, and a somber affair. T’Challa is still troubled by it due to the fact that his foe Solomon Prey was somehow smuggling drugs into Wakanda. As the plane approaches the embassy, T’Challa leaps off the wing and swings down a nearby flagpole.
On the ground he is greeted by his ambassador, Jacomba and his staff, which includes Alicia Wallencott and her co-worker and lover Gabriel Mason. T’Challa recognizes them and warmly greets them. Gabriel also offers his condolences as he had heard what happened to Kantu back in Wakanda. When Jacomba strictly tells Alicia and Gabriel to stop making public displays of affection — as it is unprofessional — T’Challa tells him to chill out. Once T’Challa and Jacombe are behind closed doors, the ambassador expresses his displeasure at having his authority questioned — even from the king himself — however, T’Challa says questioning authority is good every once and a while. If not to keep those in power honest, at the very least it will keep them alert.
Back in Wakanda, Solomon Prey, his lover Tanzika, and the Lightning Lancers have sneaked into the Wakandan Vibranium mound using an under utilized shipping port. At this time of night, there is only a skeleton crew running security as the automated machines work on extracting the precious ore. One such guard, a man named Ibe, runs into them and has his face slashed open by Solomon’s talons. As the man writhes on the ground in agony, Prey flies up and sets up explosives along the ceiling of the mound while Tanzika reprograms on of the drilling drones. As the machine inches closer to Iba, the couple decide to strip down and raw dog it right there, taking extreme pleasure as Iba is slaughtered by the drill and spatters them with his blood (gross).
When evening comes to Washington, DC, the Black Panther heads out into the capital. He soon arrives at Monica’s apartment and knocks on her window. She isn’t upset so much about the unannounced visit as she is about not having time to do herself up. T’Challa assures her that even unkempt she considers her the most beautiful woman he ever met. This smooths things over and T’Challa explains that reason why he has come. He realizes that he still loves her and wants Monica to come back to Wakanda and become his bride. This leads to a lengthy conversation where the couple discuss the cultural differences between them, how the people of Wakanda are reluctant to accept outsiders, and Monica’s ambition to pursue her singing career. While they have a lot of challenges to face together, the two ultimately realize that they love each other enough to fight through them all. Eventually, their desires for one another become so strong that talking is next to impossible so they head into Monica’s bedroom together.
Recurring Characters
Black Panther, Solomon Prey, W’Kabi, Monica Lynn, Tayete, Kazibe, Tanzika, Zambata, Jacomba, Alicia Wallencott, Gabriel Mason
Continuity Notes
Monica Lynn and T’Challa first met in Avengers #73. The pair started a relationship and were mostly together from Jungle Action (vol. 2) #6-24 and Marvel Premiere #51-54. The couple had been apart since T’Challa appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #13. The flashbacks in this story of Monica and T’Challa all occur at various different points in history. Let’s cover them all at once, credit to the MCP:
Page 9: Monica struggling with her singing career. These events take place following the events of Marvel Premiere #54.
Page 10, Panel 5: Monica and T’Challa spending time with her parents happened after Jungle Action (vol. 2) #22.
Page 10, Panel 6: Monica in T’Challa’s throne room with Tanzika giving her the stink eye happened between panels 4 and 5 on page 7 of Jungle Action (vol. 2) #9.
Page 14, Panel 8 & 10 to page 15, panel 3: Monica and T’Challa dating. This also occurs after Marvel Premiere #54.
Page 38, Panel 7: Monica and T’Challa about to get down. This took place prior to Jungle Action (vol. 2) #6.
Page 41, Panel 6: Monica fighting with her sister when they were children. This took place years prior to her fist appearance in Avengers #73.
The Black Panther at recently traveled to South Africa to investigate rumors that his step-mother, Ramonda, was still alive after being missing for years. See Marvel Comics Presents #13-37.
Don’t remember Kazibe and Tayete? They were minions of Erik Killmonger. See Jungle Action (vol. 2) #6-18.
Kantu was a young boy who helped T’Challa defeat Killmonger Jungle Action (vol. 2) #17. T’Challa discovered that Kantu was hooked on crack in Black Panther: Panther’s Prey #1. The boy died of a drug overdose last issue.
Topical References
When referring to South Africa, this story frames it as a country still an Apartheid nation. this was true when this comic was published in 1991. However, South Africans voted to abolish the practice in 1993. As such, all references to Apartheid should be considered topical. Sadly, racial tensions continue in that country to this day and modern readers may assume that the Apartheid racism implicitly mentioned here is now the institutional and societal racism that still exists in that country since, depressingly, racism just doesn’t go away when you outlaw it.
