Of Shadows and Rages

After a year of planning, Erik Killmonger launches his attack on Central Wakanda in an attempt to overthrow the rule of T’Challa, the Black Panther. The city is attacked by Killmonger’s minions who come riding on brachiosaurus that have been domesticated for this very conflict.[1] As the Black Panther goes into action to stop these attackers, he finds himself divided between stopping the invaders and making sure his friends and allies are not trampled to death by the dinosaurs.

As more and more dinosaurs arrive in the village, Kantu — a young boy whose father was murdered by Killmonger’s men — races to Central Wakanda to warn them of the attack, even though he is already too late.[2]

While back in the city, the Black Panther fights through the invading armies — including the dimwitted Tayete and Kazibe — in order to stop Erik Killmonger once and for all. Seeing his foe coming for him, Killmonger tells T’Challa that they will fight where their battle first began.[3]

Inside the local hospital W’Kabi — the head of security — is undergoing emergency medical attention after he was injured by the escaping Venomm.[4] Standing over his bed are his two sons and his wife, Chandra. With their marriage on the rocks, W’Kabi and Chandra try to reconcile their differences but unfortunately W’Kabi’s devotion to duty is preventing them from making amends.

Moments later, Killmonger’s dinsoaur hordes trample through the royal palace, reducing it to rubble. This allows many of Killmonger’s captured minions — Malice, Lord Karnaj, and Baron Macabre — to escape. Unfortunately, Salamander K’Ruel is trapped under rubble and abandoned by his teammates.[5] As the Black Panther fights to stop these escapees from joining the rest of Killmonger’s forces, W’Kabi’s family watches from the hospital window in horror. Through sheer force of will, W’Kabi pulls himself out of bed so he can be by his family’s side no matter the outcome of the battle. However, when a dinosaur is sent toppling toward the hospital, W’Kabi pushes his family out of harms way. Unfortunately, W’Kabi is not so luckly as a crumbling chunk of concrete strikes his arm.

Nearby, Taku -- in his role as chief communicator — uses radio to keep the Wakandan soldiers in constant communication with one another. He is ambushed by King Cadaver who tries to hypnotize him. As Taku resists Cadaver’s power he is saved by Venomm, who had a change of heart following his escape. Using one of his pet snakes a whip, Horatio throws Cadaver into the path of one of Killmonger’s dinosaurs and is trampled to death. While not far away, Monica Lynne does her own part by knocking out Malice.

Meanwhile, the Black Panther has reached Warrior Falls for his final showdown with Killmonger. Exhausted after his ordeals, T’Challa finds himself struggling for his life against the more powerful Killmonger. As what happened the last time they fought, Killmonger manages to overpower T’Challa and is about to throw him over the falls. That’s when Kantu arrives on the scene and seeing the man responsible for his father’s death charges at Killmonger with all his might. The boy manages to shove Erik over the edge instead, saving T’Challa’s life in the process and sending Killmonger falling to his doom.[6] With the boy having finally gotten his revenge and the leader of the insurrection now dead, the Black Panther escorts Kantu back to Central Wakanda so they can start the long process of rebuilding the kingdom.

Recurring Characters

Black Panther, Erik Killmonger, King Cadaver, Malice, Lord Karnaj, Baron Macabre, Salamander K’Ruel, Chandra, Kono, Tayete, Kazibe, Kantu

Continuity Notes

1. The presumption here is that these dinosaurs somehow survived the mass extinction from millions of years ago. However, Marvel Universe #4-7 reveals that these dinosaurs were actually created by the Deviants.

2. This first battle took place at Warrior Falls in Jungle Action (vol. 2) #6.

3. Kantu’s father was murdered by Baron Macabre in Jungle Action (vol. 2) #9.

4. Venomm had been a prisoner since his defeat in issue #7 and escape last issue.

5. Malice, Baron Macabre, and Lord Karnaj were all captured in issue #10, while K’Ruel was incarcerated in issue #15. The final fate of K’Ruel is as yet unrevealed, however a future version of him exists in Reality-11236 seen in Black Panther (vol. 3) #36-37.

6. Erik Killmonger does indeed die here, but it doesn’t stick. His body is recovered from the river and preserved by Madam Slay and later resurrected by the Mandarin to use as an agent against Iron Man. See Iron Man Annual #5.