Drums!

The Black Panther has been forced to obtain a sample of life prolonging waters of an ancient samurai civilization. However, Shinzu, the ruler of this society refuses to allow T’Challa and Abner Little leave with the water alive. T’Challa, having grown tired of being manipulated by the Collectors, explains how he was forced to steal the sacred waters. Having no interest in them and just wanting to return home, T’Challa forces Abner to relinquish the stolen water so they can leave with their lives intact. Shinzu is impressed with T’Challa’s nobility and sends them away in one of the samurai’s high tech submarines.

On their way back to civilization, T’Challa explains his desire to return home after spending such a long time away from Wakanda. He then decides to tell Little about the legend of the Panther Clan, who has ruled over his people for thousands of years. The first of their leaders was Bashinga, who led the people of Wakanda. One day, a meteor crashed in the jungles. It contained the ore that would one day become known as Vibranium. Seeing how the Vibranium turned men into monsters, Bashinga and his followers secured the meteor in a protective mound and the Panther Clan was formed to defend its power from escaping.[1] Abner Little thinks this legend is nonsense, but T’Challa assures him that it is real.

Meanwhile, back in Wakanda, T’Challa’s half-brother Jakarra has captured N’Gassi, the elder left in charge during their king’s absence. Jakarra intends to use the power of the Vibranium mound to conquer Wakanda and then the world. N’Gassi is horrified to discover that Jakarra has exposed himself to the raw Vibranium and warns him of the ancient legends about the mount. Jakarra dismisses this but suddenly he begins transforming into a massive pink-skinned monstrosity.[2] Horrified by his transformation, Jakarra flees the palace. Fearing the destruction and possible contamination of others, and with T’Challa unaccounted for, N’Gassi orders the other members of the Panther Clan to be summoned to deal with this crisis.

By this time, the Black Panther and Abner Little have been picked up and brought back to Nirobia to face the Collectors.[3] When T’Challa explains that they have come back empty handed, Princess Zanda threatens to blow up Wakanda with a nuclear missile. However, knowing that there would be international repercussions from such an action, T’Challa calls her bluff. That’s when Abner Little reveals that he smuggled a vial of the life-extended waters of Samurai City. Seeking eternal youth, the other members of the Collectors swarm Abner to get their hands on the vial. The Black Panther manages to wrest the vial away from them and tries to flee. As he races back to the chopper, a bullet strikes the vial, shattering it in T’Challa’s hand. Having had enough of the Collectors, T’Challa blows up a fuel dump to cover his escape.

Back in Wakanda, the first of the Panther Clan answers the call. He is Joshua Itobo, a young doctor who despite his youth and profession is willing to do whatever it takes to defend his homeland.

Recurring Characters

Black Panther, Jakarra, Abner Little, N’Gassi, Joshua Itobo, Princess Zanda, Collectors (Nigel Pigman, Silas Mourner, Andreas Zorba), Jiru, Shinzu, Bashenga (flashback)

Continuity Notes

1. Bashinga is stated as being the first leader of the Panther Clan. However, this is not entirely true as a Black Panther was recorded as being active in the year 1,000,000 BC in Marvel Legacy #1. One could assume that the existence of the earlier Black Panther had been lost to antiquity at the time of this story.

2. Here, N’Gassi curses T’Chaka from marrying another woman and spawning Jakarra. However, this statement proves to be inaccurate. As explained in Rise of the Black Panther #5 which reveals Jakarra was the love child of T’Chaka and Mateena, a member of the Wakanda spy agency known as the N’Charu Silema whose purpose was to ensure that Wakanda’s existence would remain secret to the outside world. Presumably, N’Gassi is mistaken or unaware of the particulars of Jakarra’s birth probably due to the nature of Mateena’s job as a spy.

3. Other than Mourner, the full names of the other collectors are not revealed here. Their names are revealed as Andreas Zorba and Nigel Pigman in Iron Man (vol. 3) #16 and 22 respectively.