Jungle Action (vol. 2) #18
Epilogue!
With Erik Killmonger dead and his insurrection crushed, the Black Panther and his people begin the long process of rebuilding after the war. As the royal palace is being rebuilt, T’Challa has arranged for a piano to be shipped in so that his friend, Monica Lynne can play music as a way of encouraging the reconstruction efforts. Although such a musical instrument is foreign to Wakanda, T’Challa finds its music soothing. Their conversation is interrupted by Taku who has brough Venomm — recaptured during the final battle — to say goodbye before being deported from Wakanda.[1] Horatio warns T’Challa that the dinosaurs that Killmonger used in his invasion will become a larger problem for his kingdom once they start breeding.[2]
Venomm is then escorted to a nearby hanger where his shackles are removed so he can take a plane out of Wakanda. Seeing him off are the Black Panther, Taku, as well as Tayete and Kazibe — Killmongers two dimwitted associates. When the plane takes off, Tayete’s loincloth gets caught and is yanked off, much to the amusement of T’Challa.
While at the Amber Pagoda, W’Kabi deals with the fallout from Killmonger’s reign of terror. Saving his family from falling debris came at the cost of W’Kabi’s left arm, which has now been replaced with a cybernetic appendage. Despite this sacrifice, he has been unsuccessful in reconciling the growing problems in his marriage to Chandra. In the end, Chandra and W’Kabi have agreed that they are no longer the same people they were when they got married and she has decided to leave him, taking their two sons with her.[3]
Meanwhile, in the jungle outside of Central Wakanda, two hunters corner a leopard for the kill. However they are stopped by a woman calling herself Madam Prey, her bodyguard the massive Mute, and her pack of leopards that include Killmonger’s pet Preyy.
When the bodies are found by a shepherd, word gets back to the Black Panther who leaves with W’Kabi to investigate the murder. When they arrive at the bodies they find hyena’s feasting on the corpses which W’Kabi drives away using the laser built into his mechanical arm. As they search for clues they are ambushed by Mute, who wordlessly attacks the pair, knocking them both out with his tremendous strength.
When the Black Panther wakes up he finds himself and W’Kabi chained up in a cave which is the home of Madame Prey. She reveals that she is the lover of the late Erik Killmonger and explains she killed the two hunters because she worships leopards and made many of them her pets.[4] To avenge the death of her lover, Madam Slay has T’Challa arms tied to the collars of two of her leopards, one of them being Preyy. She then sends the two big cats running across the rocky terrain, hoping that the Black Panther will be dragged to his death. Dragged behind the two cats, T’Challa sees that he is heading toward a jagged rock that could split him in half and laps over it. He lands on the leopard’s backs and rides them back into the cave where he ambushed Mute.
While busy with the strong man, the Black Panther is stabbed in the back by Madam Slay. Luckily, W’Kabi has managed to free himself with his laser and manages to knock Madam Slay out before she can murder T’Challa. With his mistress defeated, Mute surrenders and carries her back to Wakanda with T’Challa and W’Kabi for punishment.
Recurring Characters
Black Panther, Madam Slay, Monica Lynn, Taku, Venomm, W’Kabi, Preyy, Tayete, Kazibe, Chandra, Sono
Continuity Notes
As explained in Jungle Action (vol. 2) #16, Venomm was smuggled into the country by Erik Killmonger to be part of his army. Venomm was captured in issue #7 and escaped in issue #16, only to betray Killmonger in the final battle last issue.
The dinosaurs used by Killmonger were first gathered in issue #14 from Serpent Valley. It is assumed that these dinos survived the great extinction. However, as revealed in Marvel Universe #4-7, they were actually created by the Deviants.
W’Kabi and Chandra’s marital problems began in Jungle Action (vol. 2) #13. He sacrificed his arm to save his wife and children last issue.
Killmonger died last issue. What’s unrevealed here is the Madame Slay actually recovered Killmonger’s body from the river and preserved it. It will later be reanimated by the Mandarin and used against Iron Man. See Iron Man Annual #5.
