Black Panther (vol. 3) #23
Cat Trap, Part 2: More of that Business With the Avengers
This story continues from Deadpool (vol. 3) #44….
Deadpool (Wade Wilson) and his allies Constrictor (Frank Payne), and Titania (Mary MacPharran) have been captured by the Avengers. While they are imprisoned, the trio explain who they are to Everett Ross, although why Wilson looks like popular actor Thom Cruz is far too complicated for them to get into.[1]
Meanwhile, the Avengers — Iron Man (Tony Stark), Goliath (Hank Pym), the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), and She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) — are en route to Wakanda in one of their Quinjets. Upon their arrival in the country they are intercepted by the local Air Force who deny their request to enter the country. However, the team is urged on by their latest member, Erik Killmonger, who has taken up the mantle of the Black Panther.[2] He insists that they press forward because their teammate Triathlon (Delroy Garrett, Jr.) has been kidnapped and T’Challa refuses to answer their calls for assistance. He insists that they meet the threat with violence with another threat of violence. The other Avengers balk at this, but Killmonger grabs the radio from the Wasp. He announces himself as the current leader of the Panther Clan and warns them that an attack on the Avengers is an attack in the clan and its ancestors and will be met with retribution. Sure enough, the threat is read loud and clear and the Air Force fighters depart.
Meanwhile, Triathlon — who was kidnapped along with Preyy, Killmonger’s pet — wakes up and finds himself a prisoner of the madman known as Achebe. However, Achebe assures Triathlon that he is not a prisoner and can go free at anytime, informing him that the Avengers are on their way to get him now. As Achebe fiddles with a device, Delroy uses his enhanced vision to provide a more accurate measurement.
Back in the holding cells, Deadpool and his companions bicker with one another. When Titania complains about there being no bathrooms, the Constrictor uses it as an opportunity to accuse her of his transphobic fear that she is actually a man. That’s when Deadpool is suddenly teleported away. Frank and Mary hope they’re next, but when they aren’t teleported away moments later, they both agree to kill Wade when they see him again. Deadpool materializes before Achebe, and demands payment for his job. The madman assures Wilson that he will be paid in due time and suggests he gets freshened up first.
By this time, Killmonger and the Avengers have arrived in central Wakanda. They are greeted by Everett Ross and Zuri. While Killmonger demands to see the real King, Everett insists that, as long as T’Challa has named him regent of the country, they will have to deal with him. The Wasp then speaks up, saying that while she and the Avengers have had a long standing respect for T’Challa and his national sovereignty, she demands that their teammate be returned to them.[3]
Concurrently, Triathlon has been set free by Achebe and he takes this opportunity to run with a herd of gazelles. He’s then shot at by Deadpool, but the mercenary is merely doing so to get Garrett’s attention. Wade explains that he is tagging along to make sure that Triathlon makes it home safe. When asked why he was running with the herd, Delroy tries to explain the sensation of being in his native homeland for the first time. However, Wilson — who has been to Africa many times — doesn’t see it. Triathlon realizes that Deadpool seems to be missing something and offers to share his experiences in the hopes it might help.[4]
Meanwhile, the Avengers have been allowed to search for Triathlon and Preyy. Iron Man connects to the tracking device in Preyy’s collar. The trail leads them into the techno-jungle that exists beneath Wakanda. Their presents and movements are detected by Taku who reports them back to T’Challa. Killmonger complains the entire way, taking a swipe at Goliath for being useless in his giant size and mocking the team for accepting Triathlon on their team as a token Black man.[5] Pym retorts that Erik should be wary of how his pride might be his downfall, something that Hank is very familiar with.[6] That’s when they are attacked from behind by members of the Hatut Zeraze, Wakanda’s team of assassins. With Goliath incapacitated, She-Hulk stays by his side while the other Avengers press onward on Killmonger’s orders.
Up ahead, Killmonger kicks down the door to another room where he and his companions are ambushed by Deadpool. Wilson is pissed because he tried to teleport back home and got stuck in the techo-jungle instead. The merc manages to collapse the ceiling on Iron Man, then knocks out the Wasp with bug spray. When Killmonger demands Wade return Preyy, Deadpool refuses to do any such thing until he gets paid for his job. Elsewhere, Triathlon tries to make sense of where he is after being separated from Deadpool mid-teleportation. He is visited by T’Challa, who keeps hidden behind the mechanical trees. He tells Delroy that he is still in Africa, and his being stranded here is the work of Achebe, who seeks to complicate T’Challa’s life. He gets Delroy to reveal the crisis of faith that he has been struggling with since joining the Avengers. This is all poignant to T’Challa, who tells Triathlon to walk his own path and that wisdom is where you find it, before silently drawing away.
By this point, the fight between Killmonger and Deadpool has spilled up to the surface. There they are stopped by Everett Ross as he found both Preyy and Triathlon. With that, Deadpool manages to escape without being capture. In the aftermath of the battle, Killmonger decides that his desire to become an Avenger was a foolish dream and quits the team. This is something Iron Man and the others are more than happy with. Everett, meanwhile, hopes that the Avengers can give him a lift back to the United States. When asked when who would lead Wakanda, W’Kabi offers to lead the country. However, this gets more protests from Zuri, who reminds him that T’Challa chose Everett. The request is a moot point, as the Avengers had also come to deliver a message to Everett directly form the State Deparment. When Ross reads it, he is shocked to read that his US citizenship is going to be revoked.
In the aftermath of the battle, Taku confirms to T’Challa that the Avengers are returning home. This is good news to the former King of Wakanda, who has other concerns. Namely, that someone had murdered members of the Hatut Zeraze in the battle. This could have been Killmonger or Deadpool, but T’Challa is certain that this is the work of Malice. His hunch is correct as, elsewhere in the techno-jungle, the former member of Dora Milaje prepares to strike against her former king.[7]
Recurring Characters
Black Panther (Killmonger), Deadpool, Achebe, Avengers (Iron Man, Goliath, Wasp, She-Hulk, Triathlon), Constrictor, “Titania”, T’Challa, Everett Ross, W’Kabi, Taku, Zuri, Malice
Continuity Notes
The opening page is an exposition dump for people who weren’t reading Deadpool at the time of this story. Let me break it down for you all:
Deadpool was cursed by Loki, making him look like actor Thom Cruz following the events of Deadpool (vol. 3) #35-37. He will retain this appearance until the curse is undone in issue #45 of that series.
Constrictor states that he once held his own against the Hulk, that was in Incredible Hulk #212. Here he complains about the Matador having a poster and he doesn’t. Manuel Eloganto, aka the Matador is a z-list villain who mostly clashed with Daredevil and mostlty early on in the heroe’s career starting in Daredevil #5. Given his garish costume and motif he has become a bit of a joke in modern times.
“Titania” states that she had a falling out with her husband. She is referring to Carl “Crusher” Creel, aka the Absorbing Man. He and the real Titania got married back in Avengers Unplugged #4. However, this isn’t the real Titania, but Copycat in disguise as we’ll learn in Deadpool (vol. 3) #45.
Everett mentions that “business with the Avengers” when talking about Titania’s criminal past. He is referring to when the Masters of Evil laid siege to Avengers Mansion. The real Titania was a member of the group at that time. See Avengers #273-277.
Killmonger won the Black Panther title by defeating T’Challa in battle in Black Panther (vol. 3) #20. Triathlon was kidnapped by Deadpool and Co. in Deadpool (vol. 3) #44.
The Wasp states here that she and Goliath were one of the first embrace the Avengers back when he first joined. This was back in Avengers #62. Her need to say this stems from the then-recent revelation that T’Challa first joined up with the Avengers to spy on them an assess their threat to his kingdom, as was revealed in Black Panther (vol. 3) #8.
This whole “missing component” in Deadpool’s life refers to the fact — at the time of this story — he was attempting to atone for some of his past and become a hero. This followed Wilson recently saving the world (Deadpool (vol. 3) #23-25) and confronting his past misdeeds (in Deadpool (vol. 3) #31-33).
At the time of this story, the Avengers were at odds with a religious group known as the Triune Understanding. This was not helped by the fact that its leader, Jonathan Tremont, was using his influence to turn the public against the Avengers as part of a mission to apparently save the world from a galactic threat. Part of this plan involved using public opinion to force Triathlon (a Triune follower) onto the team. See Avengers (vol. 3) #8, 15, 26-27 and 50 for the protracted story.
Hank experienced a terrible fall from grace after striking his then wife, the Wasp, and then getting his ass kicked off the Avengers. See Avengers #212-213, 217, and 228-230.
Malice was exiled from the kingdom for making an attempt on the life of Monica Lynne in Black Panther (vol. 3) #11 as seen in issue #13. It is also mentioned here how she slit the throat of Brother Voodoo, an injury he miraculiously survived as seen in Black Panther (vol. 3) #21-22.
Topical References
Deadpool’s fee for the job of stealing Preyy is specified as $300,000 dollars. Adjusting for inflation this would be the equivalent of about $750k in 2023.
The She-Hulk quips that Hatut Zeraze look like rejects of “Black Panther for a Day” or “That Regis show…” She is referring to TV personality Regis Philbin who, at the time this comic was published was the host of Live with Regis & (insert name of host) and the American version of the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. This should be considered a topical reference as Philbin ended his tenure on Live in 2011 and Millionaire in 2002. He subsequently died in 2020. This should be considered a topical reference as a more contemporary celebrity can be used in his place.
Deadpool jokingly refers to Preyy as “Felix the Cat”, who is an animated cat that made his debut way back in 1919. Since the character has endured for over a century, the early works featuring the character would be considered classics. As such, this wouldn’t necessarily be topical, but it could be because you could easily replace the usage with a more contemporary cartoon cat (Your Garfields, your Heathcliffs, you get the idea…)
When talking about getting paid, Deadpool states that he accepts Visa and Mastercard. This would be a topical reference as these are real world credit card companies.
Deadpool asks Killmonger if he is wearing Polo. Polo is a brand of high end cologne for men sold by the Ralph Lauren Corporation. It is commonly associated with the wealthy. Deadpool is likely being sarcastic because Killmonger probably doesn’t wear cologne. Anyway, this should be considered a topical reference as Polo could be replaced with a more contemporary brand.