Kiber the Cruel

Following his battle with Jakarra, T’Challa has been plagued with the same nightmare every night. In it, he finds himself in a strange city being stalked by demonically garbed warriors. The dream ends with T’Challa fighting these attackers until he is knocked off the edge of a building and falls to his death.

Screaming himself awake, T’Challa is checked on by his cousin, Joshua Itobo, a brilliant doctor. Joshua is convinced that the nightmares are some side effect to T'Challa being exposed to raw Vibranium during his battle with Jakarra. As N’Gassi comes to T’Challa to sign some papers, Joshua continues his examination and concludes that their ruler may have gained some kind of psychic powers due to his Vibranium exposure.

Meanwhile, Khanata — another one of T’Challa’s cousins — decides to go on a joy ride through Wakanda. As he races around the streets he ends up at the mountain barrier that separates Wakanda from the rest of the world. He wishes for the day when the country will open itself up and fantasies about creating an African version of the Grand Prix. Suddenly, the demonic creatures from T’Challa’s dreams phase through the mountain walls and grab Khanata when he is not looking.

At that same moment, T’Challa has been blind folded and asked to try and see what is printed on a series of flash cards. Amazingly, he is able to correctly guess 100% of the time, leading Joshua to conclude that T’Challa has gained the power of ESP.[1] Suddenly, T’Challa senses that Khanata is in danger but the process of using his new powers have greatly weakened him, causing T’Challa to collapse as he tries to leave the room. N’Gassi and Joshua then look into T’Challa’s claims and learn from security that Khatana has vanished without a trace.

Khanata has been taken to the hideout of a man calling himself Kiber the Cruel. Kiber responds to Khanata’s questions by beating him, telling the Wakandan that he is only to speak when spoken to. Spotting a gun on a nearby table, Khanata lunges for the weapon and opens fire on Kiber. Somehow, his kidnapper manages to teleport to the other side of the room before any of the bullets can strike him. When Khanata tries to fight back with his fist, Kiber also demonstrates the ability to render parts of his body both invisible and intangible. Easily overpowered, Khanata is tossed into a cell with a number of other people from all over the world that Kiber has kidnapped for some unknown purpose.

Meanwhile, T’Challa’s strength has returned and he insists on going out to investigate Khanata’s disappearance despite Joshua’s orders to stay in bed. Changing into the Black Panther, T’Challa is driven out to where Khanata’s car was found and begins searching for clues.

While back at Kiber’s hideout, two of his guards enter the room where the prisoners are being kept and grabs one of them at random. Khanata tries to fight back but is easily overpowered by one of the guards. He and the other captives are then forced to watch in horror as the prisoner they took is shoved into a machine that completely converts him into energy which is then stored in a receptacle on top of the device. When Kahanta asks why Kiber is doing with the energy, he refuses to divulge the purpose but assures the Wakandan that he and the other prisoners will all share this fate eventually.

In Wakanda, the Black Panther reaches the edge of his kingdom and begins looking around. Although there are no physical clues his new ESP powers picks up emanations of the ones responsible for capturing Khanata, making him realize that his dreams were perhaps a vision of things to come.

Recurring Characters

Black Panther, Kiber the Cruel, Joshua Itobo, Khanata, N’Gassi

Continuity Notes

1. These powers were gained after exposure to Vibranium last issue but will eventually fade. By Black Panther #14, they had faded to the point where they only heighten his instincts and loses the ability to see the future and read minds.