Death Regiments Beneath Wakanda!

Investigating the civil unrest in Wakanda, the Black Panther has learned the leader of this movement is a man calling himself Erik Killmonger. Defeated in their first battle, the Black Panther is then thrown over the edge of Warrior Falls to his doom. Assuming that T’Challa is dead, Killmong and his minions — Tayete and Kazibe — leave to prepare the next phase of their take over.

Back in Central Wakanda, Monica Lynne is brought to the River of Grace and Wisdom to bathe by Tanzika. Tanzika makes little effort to hide her dislike to the out-worlder, but declines to explain herself when called out on it. Left alone, Monica enjoys the waters until the nearly lifeless body of the Black Panther floats ashore. Quickly getting dressed, Monica begins dragging T’Challa out of the water to get help.

Meanwhile, in the village of N’Jadaka, the snake charmer named Venomm dances with his pets. This unnerves both Tayete and Kazibe, much to the amusement of Killmonger. Calling Venomm to his side, Erik tells him that he will be leading the Death Regiments into Wakanda. When Tayete takes issue with a white man leading their army, Killmonger punishes him with a slap for speaking out of turn.

A week later, T’Challa has recovered from his injuries and called his closest allies together to tell him more about the threat posed by Killmonger. Attending the meeting are Monica Lynne, Tanzika, his second-in-command W’Kabi, communications expert Taku, and Zatama, one of T’Challa’s advisors. As it turns out, despite his western name, Erik Killmonger is actually a Wakandan named N’Jadaka. When Wakanda was attacked by Ulysses Klaw, the battle that claimed the life of T’Challa’s dather, N’Jadaka was among those who were captured an enslaved by Klaw.[1] Following Klaw’s defeat at the hands of T’Challa, N’Jadaka managed to escape but found himself stranded in America. There N’Jadaka grew embittered because he believed he was abandoned by his people. Seeking to find a way back to his homeland, N’Jadaka contacted T’Challa when he first joined the Avengers and asked to be brought back home.[2] However, not long after returning to his homeland N’Jadaka disappeared into the jungle where he reinvented himself as the revolutionary named Erik Killmonger.[3]

When T’Challa vows to make Killmonger pay, this upsets Zatama who is upset that violence is his king’s only response. The debate is interrupted by Taku who has received reports from Warrior Falls about an army of men approaching from the north. The Black Panther heads out to face these invaders at the falls. After ambushing Tayete and Kazibe, the Panther follows the Death Regiments into a cave hidden behind the falls. There he is shocked to discover that Killmonger’s men are secretly mining Vibranium for their war effort. While he is distracted by this discovery, T’Challa is attacked from behind by Venomm. The horribly scarred man has an incredible chip on his shoulder as he was always regarded as a freak until he befriended Killmonger.[4] Angered by Venomm’s talk of respect, the Black Panther manages to turn the battle around and defeat his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. With Venomm defeated, the Panther vows to him that he will crush Killmonger’s Death Regiment and any other threat to his kingdom.

Recurring Characters

Black Panther, Killmonger, Venomm, Monica Lynn, W’Kabi, Taku, Tanzika, Zatama, Tayete, Kazibe, Malice

Continuity Notes

1. The version of the Black Panther’s origins that are told here mirror the events told by T’Challa in Fantastic Four #53. There have been many conflicting accounts of the Panther’s origins. I address those issues here. Killmonger’s time in America was explored in detail in Killmonger #1-5

2. T’Challa first joined the Avengers in Avengers #52.

3. T’Challa states that Killmonger contacted him during the “Panther Island” incident. This happened in Fantastic Four Annual #5, which predated T’Challa joining the Avengers. Perhaps, T’Challa is mixing up the series of events Occam’s Razor and all that. (I never really understand how fans expect characters to have spot perfect memory when people in real life often get facts mixed up all the time) Here, T’Challa says it has been a few years since Killmonger’s return to Wakanda. This would be an accurate measurement. Per the Sliding Timescale about about 2 years between Fantastic Four Annual #5 and this story. That all said, the Black Panther’s chronology places Killmonger’s rescue as happening after the events of Captain America #114.

4. As revealed next issue, Venomm was shunned after a classmate threw acid in his face as a child.

Topical References

• Monica Lynne makes a reference to singer Isaac Hayes and Shaft, the titular character a movie by the same name. These should be considered topical references, particularly since Hayes died in 2008.