Saddles Ablaze, Part 1

1875

An elderly cowboy rides into the Texas town of Danville and enters the local saloon. Inside was the scene of a brawl, but finds an old man who is still alive. The old man is praises the All-Father that the man he has been waiting for has finally arrived.[1]

Meanwhile, in nearby Alberdeen, an entourage from the future unexpectedly arrives in this era thanks to the magic of King Solomon’s Frogs. They are the Black Panther (T’Challa), his double,[2] Queen Divine Justice of the Dora Milaje, the Black Panther’s former lover Monica Lynne,[3] and State Department employees Everett Ross and Henry Gyrich. Quickly assessing the situation, they are try to figure out what to do next. While Monica suggests they get out of sight until they can find era appropriate clothing, Everett wants to try using the brass frogs again. As Gyrich tries to take command of the situation, they start attracting unwanted attention.

That’s when Everett — confused for a local cowboy named Sundance — is confronted by the sheriff and his posse. The sheriff is pissed off at Sundance because he lost four hundred dollars to the young gunslinger while playing poker. Everett tries to get out of this jam by offering to pay the man back, only to learn that the sheriff is also mad about the affair that Sundance had with his wife. Realizing that this is a case of mistaken identity, Everett tries to prove his identity by showing the sheriff his business card. This does little to convince him and when Ross turns to get help, everyone else has managed to run off.

The others have fled to a nearby barn to regroup and figure out their next moves. Monica and Queen Divine Justice are especially concerned as they fear they might be in a part of American history prior to the abolishment of slavery. Gyrich assures them that, based on his analysis, they are likely in the later part of the 19th century, after emancipation. The group then begins working on a way to have Gyrich to go out and rescue Ross and get them all era appropriate clothing.[4] The other Black Panther, however, suggests that the way back home is going to the Pavilion of the Panther God in this era. He exceptionally looks forward to the possibility of meeting their ancestors in this era.[5] However, this idea is shot down because getting a ship to take them to Africa in this era would be incredibly difficult to pull off. Eventually, the Black Panther finishes fashioning a sheriffs star for Gyrich so he can go and get Everett out of jail. Henry is confident that this ruse will succeed, after all, he actually does work for the US government.

Meanwhile, Everett Ross is locked up in the local jail, wondering how he is going to get out. That’s when he hears someone calling for him at the window. The person (who starts calling Everett “Oxford” when Ross jokes about attending that university) turns out to be Sundance himself and Everett calls for the guard to let him out. That’s when Sundance comes in and gets the drop on the deputy guarding the jail. He forces the man to hand over the keys so he can free Ross, as he doesn’t believe another man should be hung for his crimes. As they escape on horseback, Everett gets a good look at Sundance and notices an uncanny resemblance between him and the cowboy. This leaves him to wonder if Sundance might be a distant relative of his.

By the morning, Gyrich has returned to the barn with era appropriate clothing for everyone. Once they have all changed, they head back into town to convince the sheriff to let Ross go. Gyrich claims that his allies are part of a traveling circus and Everett is their lawyer and this was all a case of mistaken identity. That’s when the sheriff informs them of the jailbreak from the night before and how a posse is being formed in the local saloon to find them. The other Black Panther decides to head to there to try and get in on the posse for the sense of adventure. Once inside, T’Challa’s telepathic abilities detect there is something strange about the elderly man forming this posse and sits down to talk to him. Both men know that they are not what they seem. T’Challa can tell that the old man is using magic of some kind, while the old man can tell T’Challa is not from this era. He tricks T’Challa into forming a mind-link just as Queen Divine Justice goes to check on him. This is just as the old man is using his magic against the Panther.

Meanwhile, our Black Panther and Monica Lynne head to place to get something to eat. The first place refuses to serve them because they are Black, upsetting Monica. However, before she can give the owner a piece of her mind, T’Challa gives him a gold coin for his troubles and they go someplace more welcoming. This time alone, Monica once more pleads with T’Challa to stop dragging her into his adventures. The subject then changes to the Panther’s other, and how he is capable to do all the things Monica wishes her T’Challa could.

As this is happening, Sundance and Everett have been laying low in a nearby inn. Their sleep is interrupted by the elderly cowboy from earlier. Thinking that this is someone come to arrest him, Sundance tries to shoot the man but all his shots miss. Back outside, some thugs try to rob T’Challa, but discover he is much more spry than he appears. Meanwhile, Ross recognizes who the old cowboy is. It is the Asgardian thunder god known as Thor and when Ross begins openly calling him by his name, the thunder god pulls him out of the room so they can speak in private.[6] Thor can tell that Ross comes from a different era and tells him that they have yet to meet for the first time. This makes Ross remember that Thor is immortal, explaining how he could be alive in this era.[7]

In the saloon, the other elderly man has finished probing the other Black Panther’s mind and learns that in the future Odin will die and Thor will replace him as ruler of Asgard.[8] While outside, T’Challa finishes beating up the ruffians when he is approached by the outlaw heroes of this era, the Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt, and the Two-Gun Kid. They had received a telegram summoning them to Alberdene by the other T’Challa. It’s then that Queen Divine Justice goes into the saloon to rescue the other T’Challa with guns blazing. However, the man she thinks is the Panther, turns out to be the old man in disguise. Capturing her, the old man assures her that his day has yet to begin and puts on a horned helmet that identifies him as Loki, the god of mischief!

Recurring Characters

Black Panther (616 & 1145), Everett Ross, Queen Divine Justice, Monica Lynne, Henry Gyrich, Sundance, Kid Colt, Two-Gun Kid, Thor, Loki

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place during the events of Thor #370, which was set during the year 1875. However, the arrival of Black Panther and his entourage creates a divergent reality. This alternate version of events takes place in this as Reality-86870, per Thor: Asgard’s Avenger #1.

2. As will be explained in Black Panther (vol. 3 ) #48-49, this other Black Panther comes from some 10 years into the future. As Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4, this timeline exists in Reality-1145.

3. The narration refers to Monica as the Panther’s former fiancé. Lynne and T’Challa had been in an on-again-off-again relationship since they first met back in Avengers #73. He had eventually proposed to her in Black Panther: Panther’s Prey #3, before abruptly calling it off circa Black Panther (vol. 3) #1. Monica eventually got fed up and ended their relationship permanently in Black Panther (vol. 3) #30. Despite this break-up, she still gets sucked into his mad world, hence why she is here.

4. It is briefly mentioned here that both Black Panthers need anti-seizure medication that is not available in this era. T’Challa-616 suffered serious head trauma fighting Iron Fist back in Black Panther (vol. 3) #39. His Reality-1145 counterpart has the same condition, suggesting that he is the future version of our T’Challa. However, Panther-616 will eventually recover and no longer have symptoms starting in Black Panther (vol. 4) #1, confirming that Panther-1145 is a variant.

5. Here, T’Challa states that Azzuri the Wise would have been a child in this era and refers to him as his grandfather. Per Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers #1-4, Azzuri was the Black Panther who was active during World War II. Depending on how old he was in the 1940s, the idea that he was a child in 1875 is very possible. However, Azzuri being the Black Panther’s grandfather, well….

6. Everett mentions the time that Thor fell on him in Times Square. That humiliating episode happened in Black Panther (vol. 3) #8.

7. I mean, the gods of Asgard are mostly immortal. Per Journey into Mystery #100, the Asgardians need to consume the Golden Apples of Idunn to maintain their vitality. In fact that’s the whole reason why he and Loki appear to be old in this story.

8. This story takes place after the events of Thor (vol. 2) #40, when Odin perished fighting Surtur. This led to Thor taking up the throne of Asgard for a time. Odin will later be resurrected in Thor #618.

9. As will be explained in Black Panther (vol. 3 ) #48-49, this other Black Panther comes from some 10 years into the future. As Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4, this timeline exists in Reality-1145.

Topical References

• The other Black Panther is referred to as “Loony Tunes”, which is the name of a series of cartoons created by Warner Brothers. However, it has also become a slang term to describe someone who is mentally ill. Some people still use this slang but it has fallen out of common use, so this should be considered topical because it can be replaced with more contemporary slang.

• When seeing that they are in 1875, Everett hopes that they are actually at Disneyland. The Disney corporation owns a number of theme parks which include a Frontierland section that is themed after the days of the American Frontier (albeit a very sanitized representation). Since Disney now owns Marvel Comics, this would be considered brand synergy instead of a topical reference.

• Everett offers to pay the sheriff back using his Visa card. This should be considered topical as this is a real world credit card company.

• Henry Gyrich is depicted having a palm pilot, which were all the rage for business types in 2002 when this comic was originally published. They have since fallen out of common use and into obsolescence thanks to the advent of smart phones and tablets. Its depiction here should be considered topical.

• When concerned about the treatment of Black people in this era, either Queen or Monica (it’s unclear who) references the film Birth of a Nation. This was a 1915 silent film adaptation of the a 1905 novel called The Clansman. If you haven’t figured it out, it is cringingly about the history of the Klu Klux Klan. Regardless of its problematic subject matter, it is considered a groundbreaking film and a technical achievement in the early days of cinema. That said, since it is a classic film, its reference here wouldn’t be considered topical, they don’t make movies glorifying the Klan these days anymore for the obvious reasons.

• As Black Panther-1145 bounces around the room, Queen Divine Justice suggests that he get on Ritalin. This is the commercial name for a drug called Methylphenidate, which has been used to treat children for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), particularly back when this comic was published back in 2002 and the condition was simply known as ADD. There was a bit of a moral panic about “out of control children” during this time and Ritalin became a proprietary eponym at that time. However, as diagnosis and treatment has changed over the years, Ritalin has fallen out of common use and its reference here should be considered topical as you could replace it with a more appropriate drug.

• Everett states that they are trapped 127 years in the past relative to the present day. This should be considered a topical reference as the Sliding Timescale slowly bumps the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe forward in time, widening the gulf between this time period and the “present”. As such, the number of years stated here should be considered relative to the date of publication.

• Ross tells Sundance that he has a Miata back home. This should be considered a topical reference as this is a real world car brand.

• Ross also wonders if Sundance could be his grandfather. Which could have been possible when this story was originally published in 2002. However, as per the Sliding Timescale rules I mentioned above, that would become increasingly impossible. One could assume that Everett wonders if Sundance is his ancestor as opposed to his grandfather.

• QDJ name drops a few people that are associated with westerns:

  • Sam Elliot, who has been acting since 1966 and has seen a resurgence in popularity because when you look at him and hear his voice you instantly go “Yeah, that’s a cowboy”. Anyway, at 79 years old (as I write this) he’s not long for this world and you can probably find a more contemporary example to replace his name drop.

  • Cleavon Little, a Black actor best known for his role in the comedy western Blazing Saddles, which was released in 1974. Little died in 1992. Since Blazing Saddles is considered a cult classic and Little an icon of Black entertainment, this wouldn’t necessarily be considered a topical reference.

T’Challa’s Family Tree Through the Ages

Stories prior to this point (particularly, Black Panther (vol. 3) #30) have stated that the Black Panther’s father, T’Chaka, was the Black Panther of World War II, and earlier. Astonishing Tales: Dominic Fortune #1-6 shows T’Chaka being an adult in the 1930s as well. This has since changed as the Sliding Timescale has pushed the Modern Age forward in time as it seems that despite their enhanced abilities Black Panthers seem to have an ordinary human lifespan. That said, Azzuri has been cemented as the Black Panther of World War II as seen in Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers. There is going to be a point where Azzuri existing between the 1870s and World War II and still being T’Chaka’s father and T’Challa’s grandfather will become impossible. Marvel has yet to address this problem, but to me, it would seem simpler to lock Azzuri to this era and change his relationship to T’Chaka and T’Challa so you’re not recasing the Black Panther of this era every couple of decades. I choose to interpret Azzuri to be a direct ancestor of T’Challa as opposed to any specific title so these types of changes won’t have to be done all the time.