Black Panther (vol. 3) #30
The Story Thus Far
Wakanda, 1941
Early on in his career, Captain America (Steve Rogers) was sent on a mission to the insular African nation of Wakanda in order to secure a supply of a rare metal known as Vibranium. Upon entering the country, they were ambushed by the Black Panther of that era.[1] The Panther was easily able to out fight Cap, so he stops fighting as a way of demonstrating that they hadn’t come to kill them. Still, the Panther wraps a garrot around Steve’s neck and then order his troops to come out of hiding.
The American soldiers are shocked when they realize they are completely outnumbered and surrounded by Wakandans armed with rifles. Still wanting to remain peaceful, Rogers orders the troops to remain at ease. That’s when the Panther finally speaks, showing off his ability to speak many western languages. He also knows why Captain America is there because he reads the New York Times. Captain America then explains that they have come to secure the Vibranium in this land in order to prevent it from getting into the hands of the Nazis. While the Panther views this as a war between nations that see themselves as the only ones of import, he is aware that the Nazis are slowly making their way into Africa. He then asks why he should trust Captain America, Steve wisely remains quiet. This is enough to convince the Black Panther to allow Cap — and only Cap — into Wakanda.
Now
Captain America is relating this to a Senate intelligence hearing on the recent conflict between Wakanda and Deviant Lemuria.[2] Also present are T’Challa, the current Black Panther and king of Wakanda, and his State Department attaché, Everett Ross. The hearing is to determine if T’Challa should be welcome in America after the incident. Cap, concludes his story by saying that his first trip to Wakanda led to the creation of his indestructible shield by Doctor Myron McLaine.[3] Steve then tells the committee that he cannot get into anymore detail due to national security.
That’s when Everett Ross asks Cap if he has ever been angry with his client. He is referring to when it was revealed that T’Challa originally joined the Avengers in order to spy on the group and learn their intentions, particularly since it was Rogers who recommended him for the team.[4] Cap explains that he understands T’Challa’s reasoning as he had to be sure of the team’s motives. Everett uses this statement to pivot to more recent events when the Panther discovered that the United States had been involved in the recent failed coup of Wakanda.[5]
Next they call in Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four, to question him about his team’s first encounter with the Black Panther.[6] The Panther had summoned them to Wakanda. This was all in order to battle the team by himself as a test of their character.
When it’s Everett’s turn to question, he characterizes T’Challa’s actions that day as an assault and questions whose character was being tested that day. In fact, he calls his client crazy, suggesting that he has always been so for as long as the western world has known him. The entire ouvre of the Black Panther was to do the unexpected.
To prove this point, Everett calls in the police officer who arrested both T’Challa and Everett the day before.[7] This was after the Black Panther seemingly slew Klaw after stopping the villain from plunging the world into a war. Because Wakanda was painted as the primary agitator, the gathered bystanders suddenly became an angry mob ready to beat the Black Panther to death. Rather than leave the officer and Everett Ross to get beaten in his place, T’Challa — while still wearing handcuffs — picked them both off and carried them up the side of a building using his Vibranium soled boots to get them all to safety.
Everett gets the office to confirm that T’Challa is a hero, pointing out that she is both a woman and Black. Ross then tells the committee that they have underestimated the Black Panther. They had assumed he was nothing more than another superhero and wrote him off for years until his actions suddenly inconvenienced everyone. He reminds the Senators that T’Challa isn’t actually a superhero at all, he’s the king of a sovereign country that doesn’t have a need for the United States. He points out that T’Challa isn’t wearing a costume, but a ceremonial habit worn by the leader of the Panther Clan. He’s not Captain America and Iron Man rolled into one, he’s like the Sub-Mariner, but without the attitude. He is beyond their backward understanding of them, making him one of the most brilliant and peaceful men of the modern world. If you look past all the hype about him, all the token characterizations they have made, they will come to realize that T’Challa represents everything each and every person should be. He then tells the Senate that the only thing they need to do to protect themselves from the Black Panther is to tell him to go home and he will honor that wish. However, Everett warns them that if they do that, God help them all.
Everett’s words strike a chord and T’Challa is eventually allowed to go free by the US government and the United Nations. The first thing he does is goes to speak to Monica Lynn because he wants one more chance to make their relationship work. Monica isn’t interested in it, reminding him that when he hasn’t been putting their romance on the back burner, she’s been used as a hostage by her enemies.[8] When she asks how that will change this time around, T’Challa presents her with an engagement ring. She tells him to get out and when she turns around, he’s gone. Monica then rushes out to the fire escape of her apartment and finds T’Challa waiting outside for her. The two kiss, but she then tells him goodbye before going back inside.
The Black Panther then goes to Avengers Mansion to thank Captain America for his testimony earlier in the day. Steve admits that when they had first met, he didn’t make a connection between T’Challa and his ancestor from the war.[9] T’Challa reveals that he always knew and presents Captain America his original triangular shield….
1941
Once Captain America was brought into Wakanda and shown their society, the Black Panther then gives Steve the chunk of Vibranium that would later be used to create his iconic shield. The Panther pledges Steve to keep the truth about Wakanda a secret in order to protect his people from genocide at the hands of the western world.[10] When Steve can’t commit to the idea that whites wouldn’t come to Wakanda and murder everyone to get their hands on Vibranium, he pledges to keep this a secret. To represent this, Cap hands over his triangular shield. This makes the Black Panther laugh and he believes that he and Captain America will be great friends in the future.
Now
T’Challa hands back Cap’s shield and he is happy to see it after all of these years. He then asks T’Challa if they are friends. The Panther corrects him that, no, they aren’t friends. In fact, what they really are are brothers. With that, T’Challa heads out the door to return home. However, he is stopped by Captain America who gives him back the shield and gives T’Challa a honorable salute.
Meanwhile, Everett Ross has returned to the apartment he shared with his late girlfriend, Nikki Adams. The place is still in shambles after the fight they had before her death.[11] He thinks back to when he was first assigned to the Black Panther and how he thought the assignment was going to be a walk in the park. Little did he know back then how wrong he was. Praying to Nikki, he solemnly tells her how he help win the inquiry for their client. That’s when there is a ring at the door as Everett’s new boss has come to meet him. It turns out to be none other than the Commission on Superhuman Activities resident prick, Henry Gyrich. All Gyrich says is to be in his office by 9 am the next morning and then he storms off.
This is not a good sign to Everett who starts to undress to go to bed. That’s when he finds a pair of pants under the pair he is wearing and then another and then another. That’s when Mephisto — the demon who did this to Ross last time — appears before him once more.[12]
Recurring Characters
Black Panther (T’Challa), Captain America, Black Panther (“T’Chaka”), Everett Ross, Mister Fantastic, Monica Lynn, “Mephisto”
Continuity Notes
This story identifies to the Black Panther of 1941 as T’Chaka, T’Challa’s father. However, due to the Sliding Timescale, this has since become impossible without alternate means (see below). Per Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers #1-4 (which expands upon this encounter), it has since been stated that the Black Panther during this time period was Azzuri (aka T’Chanda).
Wakanda and Lemuria almost went to war over the bastard child of Lord Ghaur, the high priest of the Deviants, who wanted to hide the fact that he sired a human looking child. This conflict was escalated by T’Challa’s old foe, Klaw. See Black Panther (vol. 3) #26-29.
McLaine’s creation of Captain America’s shield was first revealed in Captain America #303. It was given to Cap to replace his original triangular shield (the switch happened between Captain America Comics #1 and 2) as seen in Captain America #256. At least that’s what was believed at the time of this story. It is later revealed in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (vol. 2) #1-6, which reveals that the shield was actually created by a Wakandan scientist named Doctor Agboje to hide a message to Captain America, warning him of the Outer Circle. It’s a whole thing.
Captain America nominated the Black Panther for Avengers membership after they worked together in Tales of Suspense #97-99 and Captain America #100. T’Challa joined the Avengers in Avengers #52. However, the truth behind his motivations for joining weren’t revealed until Black Panther (vol. 3) #8.
The United States were secretly backing Achebe in his bid to take over Wakanda, a protracted conspiracy that ran from Black Panther (vol. 3) #1-12. Here, we’re shown a flashback from when the Black Panther confronted Captain America about it in Black Panther (vol. 3) #9.
This happened way back in T’Challa’s first appearance in Fantastic Four #53.
This happened at the end of last issue after T’Challa saved the world from the brink of war. Although it is stated here that Klaw was seemingly killed, the villain will turn up alive again in New Thunderbolts #1.
Monica and T’Challa have had an on-again-off-again relationship since they first met in Avengers #73. The two had been engaged since Black Panther: Panther’s Prey #3, however when his nation came under threat he broke it off as seen in Black Panther (vol. 3) #8. She also mentions how she was shot out of a plane, that happened in issue #11. Monica eventually called it quits in Black Panther (vol. 3) #26.
Captain America references how he was put in suspended animation between the war and the present, this was explained in Avengers #4. What’s not being clearly elaborated here was that the reason why Cap likely didn’t make that connection initially was because he had issues with his memory after being frozen for decades. This was first addressed in Captain America #253.
Azzuri’s concerns about white people colonizing Wakanda are not unfounded. As we’ll learn in Black Panther (vol. 4) #1, the nation has fought back would-be colonizers in the past.
It is specified that the shield that was given to the Black Panther in 1941 wasn’t the only triangular shield Captain America used during the war. In fact, it makes a point of saying that this one is different from the one destroyed by Baron Zemo back in Avengers #275. What, did you think they only gave Cap one shield back when they were able to break? That’s stupid.
Everett was assigned to be the Black Panther’s attaché way back in issue #1. The flashback we see here is from that issue. The damage in Everett’s apartment was from when he and Nikki fought over in issue #18. It was over the fact that she and T’Challa dated in university, something readers learned in Black Panther (vol. 3) #6, but Everett didn’t find out until issue #17. Nikki was murdered by Malice in Black Panther (vol. 3) #24.
Everett was famously cursed with infinity pants between Black Panther (vol. 3) #1-5. This, however, is not the real Mephisto but as will be revealed in Black Panther (vol. 3) #38, this is actually the dragon Chiantang in disguise as part of a revenge scheme being orchestrated against the Black Panther by Nightshade.
Topical References
Everett Ross describes the Black Panther of 1941 as being “dressed up like Pepe le Peu”. Pepe was a romantic skunk that was featured in many Loony Toons cartoons created by Warner Brothers over the last century. His solo outings usually involved him falling in love and trying to romance a black cat that had the unfortunate luck of having a white stripe painted down its back. He spoke in a stereotypical French accent. This should be considered a topical reference as this is not a character owned by Marvel or its parent companies.
When the Black Panther of 1941 mentions the New York Times, this would not be considered a topical reference as this is a historical reference as the Times was published in this era. As a time locked period not subject to the rules of the Sliding Timescale, all real world references here would be considered factual.
Translations
Some dialogue in this story is depicted in other languages without translation. It’s the Black Panther asking Captain America what language he speaks in various dialects including Somali (iborzi naga ciobaratta), Guarani (kenu sawatzabe tochero se thwalikizame tuhero), French (vous préfereriez Francais?), German (oder deutsche?), and Latin (latnus).
Which Black Panther did Cap Meet in 1941?
This story was published at a time when stories featuring T’Chaka were set during World War II. Certainly, it was entirely possible for T’Chaka to have been alive back then during the period in which these stories were published. However, as time went on, and the Sliding Timescale began pushing the Modern Age forward, this became increasingly impossible without some kind of explanation. An easy explanation could have been saying that the heart shaped herbs that give the Black Panther his powers also slowed their aging process, however, it seems as though (at least for the time being) the Black Panther ages normally as anyone else.
This is reinforced by the 2010 series Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers and later Black Panther stories that now state that the Black Panther that Captain America encountered in 1941 was actually Azzuri (aka T’Chanda).
As such, this would be one of the few instances where there is a hard retcon in Marvel Continuity.
An imaginative writer would probably go a step further and explain all these uses to T’Chaka being identified as the Black Panther of World War II. The Patron Saint of Continuity, Mark Gruenwald, would have at least. Perhaps the reason is that Wakanda — which was an insular country for the longest time — have intentionally spread misinformation to the outside world. Perhaps they spread the idea that T’Chaka was alive during World War II to make it seem as though he was immortal as a means for scaring off any would be colonizers.
