Black Panther (vol. 3) #26
Stürm und Drang: A Story of Love & War, Book 1: Echoes
Now
In the state of Texas, Vibraxas (N’Kano) is on the run from the authorities after his powers flared out of control. Stealing a truck, he finds himself in a police chase while frantically trying to call Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) of the Fantastic Four for help.[1] N’Kano realizes that things are out of control when a bullet fired by the officers grazes his forehead. Luckily, his metal tiara deflects the bullet so he is not seriously harmed. Using his vibrational powers, Vibraxas shatters both vehicles. However, to avoid injuring anyone (let alone himself), he vibrates himself and the two pursuing officers to the point where the debris from the crash harmlessly passes through them. Since his cell phone got trashed, N’Kano borrows one from one of the cops so he can make another phone call.
Years Ago
Years ago, fate brough the mutant orphan Ororo Monroe and T’Challa, Prince of Wakanda, together. After some time together their journey has come to an end and Ororo will be parting company with him soon. Having established a romantic connection, T’Challa asks if he can kiss her. Monroe doesn’t turn him down but suggests saving that kiss for a later date as she feels they will reunite some day.[2] As she flies away, T’Challa asks what if they never share that kiss. Ororo responds back to say that she would be poorer for it.
Now
Ororo has long since become Storm of the X-Men and T’Challa is now king of Wakanda and the current Black Panther. Storm had been summoned to Wakanda to assist T’Challa in his time of need.[3] As the pair travel across the kingdom, T’Challa assures Ororo that she needn’t have come as things are fine, desipite his recent activites leaving the world to think he is mad.[4] Still, Storm wanted to come in and check on him to see how he is doing.[5] They stop at the site of the Resurrection Altar where operatives for the American Commission on Superhuman Activities are rounding up the remaining aliens that were recently imprisoned on Earth.[6] Storm takes particular concern over how one of the CSA men, Captain Fiddler, is treating one of the prisoners. As the alien is being hauled away, it surprises both T’Challa and Ororo by saying the word “omode” which is the word for child in the Yoruba dialect. This alarms the soldier into calling his troops and telling them to be on the lookout for an alien child. Both the Panther and Storm do not want to see this innocent child — alien or not — to be harmed and decide to find it before the CSA do. T’Challa enlists Yaku to scan for this alien and report to him once it is found.
Meanwhile, Vibraxas has finally gotten ahold of Mister Fantastic in New York. Reed tells N’Kano that his powers flaring out of control might have been a result of a recent “sonic cancer” that was causing global Vibranium supplies to explode before it was stopped.[7] Richards suggests that Vibraxus has to go to the leading expert on Vibranium, the Black Panther, the king that N’Kano has renounced.
Back in Wakanda, the Black Panther has taken an audience with Lord Ghaur, the Priest-Lord of Deviant Lemuria. He is furious with the treatment of one of his people, the alleged alien that the CSA had recently captured. T’Challa explains that due to the Deviant’s unstable genetics, it was impossible to differentiate the captive from the alien invaders that are still loose on Earth.[8] Ghaur gives T’Challa one hour to return his people otherwise this will be viewed as an act of war between their nations. That’s when Everett Ross and Monica Lynne enter the room to announce that their flight back to America is about to leave.[9] However, T’Challa has to postpone that trip given these recent developments. He then takes off with Queen Divine Justice to help Storm locate the missing child and its mother.
At that moment, Storm has found the child and is surprised to see that (aside from being totally nude) it appears to be an ordinary human child. However, the moment she picks the child out of the now, Ororo and the child are connected via a mental link that knocks them both out. They are found seconds later by the CSA team that is also out looking for the child. When the Black Panther arrives moments later, he finds only Storm and no sign of the baby. When she wakes up she starts screaming out in Yoruba and begins flying around and wildly shooting bolts of lightning from he hands. She then attacks the CSA ship, downing it with a jolt of electricity. The soldiers fire back until T’Challa figures out what’s going on and starts attacking the soldiers as well. When he explains the situation to Captain Fiddler, Storm frees the Deviant they captured earlier. The Panther explains that somehow, the child and Storm had swapped minds. Finding the baby in the ship confirms this when it identifies itself as Ororo.
By this time, Vibraxas arrives in Wakanda in a ship loaned to him by the Fantastic Four. His arrival is spotted by the Black Panther’s adopted brother, Hunter, leader of the Hatut Zeraze. He shoots down the craft, but N’Kano survives the crash thanks to his vibrational powers. Hunter then introduces himself and welcomes Vibraxas back to Wakanda.
Meanwhile, Storm is able to convince the baby to swap bodies again, restoring them both back to normal. That’s when Lord Ghaur arrives and demands that they hand over the baby and the mother. However, it becomes clear that Ghaur considers the human-looking child an abomination and when called on it, he admits that he will see the baby destroyed upon returning to Lemuria. T’Challa then offers the two rogue Deviants sanctuary in his own land. Ghaur warns that this will make war between their two nations. When the Panther doesn’t back down, Ghaur promises him that there will be a war over this and leaves.[10]
By this time, Hunter and the Hatut Zeraze have brought Vibraxas to the Vibranium Mound. There they pelt him with automatic weapons fire causing his vibrational powers to go haywire again. The resulting soundwave reverberates off the mount, causing the exact thing that Hunter was trying to accomplish: Reviving Klaw![11]
Recurring Characters
Black Panther, Storm, Vibraxas, Everett Ross, Monica Lynne, Queen Divine Justice, Hunter, Ghaur, Taku, Mister Fantastic, Thing, Klaw
Continuity Notes
This opening scene is briefly recapping N’Kano’s activities over the last two issues. He is calling Richards as they have been allies since Fantastic Four #391.
This story references Storm and Black Panther’s first published meeting which was originally told back in Marvel Team-Up #100. This flashback is also setting up the the then upcoming Storm (vol. 2) #1-6, which would expand upon Ororo and T’Challa’s childhood exploits together.
Storm was asked to come to Wakanda in Uncanny X-Men #387 and arrived at the end of last issue.
Black Panther goes through all of the things that he has done over the course of this series to date:
The Tomorrow Land Fund Scandal, which led to T’Challa investigating the murder of a young girl in New York in Black Panther (vol. 3) #1-5.
His strained relationship with the Avengers: It was revealed in Black Panther (vol. 3) #8 that when T’Challa first joined the Avengers in Avengers #52, he had done so in order to spy on the group in order to determine if they posed a threat to Wakanda.
Accusing the US government of backing a coup of Wakanda. He is referring to when Achebe took over his homeland in Black Panther (vol. 3) #1. By issue #10, he had learned that this was backed by the United States and accused them of such at a meeting with the UN. Achebe was eventually defeated in Black Panther (vol. 3) #12.
Hydro-Man’s drowning of a plane. This took place in Black Panther (vol. 3) #13-14, in an attempted hijacking. T’Challa defeated Hydro-Man and prevented the plane from crashing.
Nationalizing his business interests, dissolving the Wakandan Parliament, and crashing the local economy. This was done to frustrate Erik Killmonger’s attempt of seizing control of the country in Black Panther (vol. 3) #18-20. He reversed these edicts last issue.
The Black Panther mentions that he posed as an American school teacher for a time. To learn more about America, T’Challa adopted the identity of Luke Charles and became a school teacher in New York for a time. This was first seen in Avengers #77.
This story takes place after the Maximum Security event, which primarily took place in Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet #1, and Maximum Security #1-3. The Black Panther was involved in the conflict last issue.
This sonic cancer was stopped by Captain America as seen in Captain America (vol. 3) #21-22. The narration here states that the Fantastic Four are temporarily headquartered at the offices of Damage Control. This story follows the destruction of the team’s Pier Four headquarters in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #36. They would remain at this location until their new headquarters — the new Baxter Building — was completed in Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #39.
A footnote here reminds readers that Ghaur has been leader of the Deviants since Eternals (vol. 2) #2. For more on the genetic instability of the Deviants, see Eternals #1.
Everett mentions his citizenship hearing. After Everett was named temporary regent of Wakanda in Black Panther (vol. 3) #13, the United States government considered this to be an act of treason. In response, they revoked his citizenship in in issue #23. T’Challa was working on helping him get it back last issue.
Ghaur mentions he past clash with Storm. This was during the Atlantis Attacks event, specifically in Uncanny X-Men Annual #15.
Klaw’s sonic form was seemingly destroyed in Wakanda by Captain America in the aforementioned Captain America (vol. 3) #22.
Topical References
The cell phones in this story are depicted as having physical buttons and antennas poking out of the top, as was the style at the time this story was published in 2001. This should be considered topical as this technology is either or on its way to obsolescence.
When explaining the Deviants, Everett Ross’ narration asks the reader if they remember the Groovy Ghoulies. Unless you were born prior to 1970 you wouldn’t catch this obscure reference. The Groovie Goolies was a cartoon that ran from 1970 to 1972 and 16 shorts packaged with the Sabrina the Teenage Witch cartoon from 1972-1973. Other than a few obscure crossovers with the Looney Tunes and Archie, they haven’t been seen outside of the 70s. As such, this should be considered a topical reference as a more contemporary example can be used in its place.
Ross also describes Ghaur as “Bugs Bunny’s evil Uncle Fester”. Bugs Bunny is the iconic character from Looney Tunes series of cartoons. He first appeared 1938. While Uncle Fester is a character from the Adams Family which started off as a series of cartoons published in the New Yorker in the same year. Both characters have been made multiple appearances in other media well into the present day. However, this would be a topical reference as these are characters not owned by Marvel and you could use a more contemporary example that would be more relevant to modern readers.
He then goes on to compare anti-mutant bigotry to people hating on N’Sync. N’Sync was a boyband at the height of their popularity at the time this comic was published in the year 2001. As their target demographic were teenaged girls they were regularly the target of ridicule by those outside of that demo. That said, this is another one of those topicals that you could replace with a more contemporary example.
When trying to think of what the alien child might look like, Ross uncharitably suggests it might look like what would happen if you crossed Chelsea Clinton with an iguana.
