Black Panther (vol. 3) #49
The Death of The Black Panther, Book 2 : The King is Dead
A Few Years Ago[1]
The Black Panther (T’Challa) has discovered a version of himself from 10 years in the future. After running tests to prove his double’s identity, T’Challa tries to make sense of the situation. Particularly since his future self seems addled because of a brain injury that will eventually kill him. This future version of himself insists that they are one in the same. However, when the present day T’Challa asks how he will suffer this illness, his future self refuses to say for fear of making things worse.[2] What the future Black Panther will say is that T’Challa should be spending his remaining days being merry and having fun!
Three Days Ago
After murdering the future version of T’Challa, the Man-Ape (M’Baku) has fled back to the frozen wastelands of the exiled Jabari Tribe. In response, the Black Panther has mobilized the Wakandan military and arrived at the border of the Crystal Forest. He demands that the Jabari turn over M'Baku or face destruction. However, the Man-Ape has mobilized his own people and would rather face death than imprisonment. M’Baku accuses the King of persecuting his people for their religious belief and refuses to surrender to this continued bigotry.
That’s when Queen Divine Justice (Queen of the Jabari and a member of the King’s Dora Milaje) and Vibraxas (N’Kano) get between the two leaders and try and sew for peace. However, the Black Panther will not listen to them, and consider them both complicit in the murder of his future self. As far as the Panther is concerned, regicide was committed and those responsible must be punished. Vibraxas points out the hypocracy in T’Challa’s condemnation of the Jabari, reminding him how his edicts led to the murder of Queen’s parents many years ago.[3] Still, the Panther is unmoving and says that Queen Divine Justice will face death for her part in all of this. He, however, does give Vibraxas a chance to spare himself by re-pledging his allegiance to the Wakandan throne, but this will come at a cost of 50 to 60 years in prison for his crimes.[4]
It’s then that the Black Panther is haunted once more by the image of Magneto. The evil mutant boasts that T’Challa did not kill him earlier because he is a hallucination. A product of the brain injury that will soon drive him mad and lead to his death.[5] When the Black Panther attacks this hallucination of Magneto, he is actually attacking Vibraxas. The youth is able to avoid harm by vibrating his body enough that T’Challa’s claws pass harmlessly through him. He then uses his power to draw up some roots from the ground and pull the Panther deep into the packed snow. This worries Queen Divine Justice as she doesn’t want to see T’Challa killed and she begins trying to dig him out. In his frenzied mind, T’Challa sees QDL as Magneto attacking him again. He reacts to her aid by ramming his claws deep into her stomach, seemingly killing her in the process.
This causes the Black Panther to snap back to reality and, upon realizing what he had been done pleads to his father and his ancestors to forgive him for what he has done. Seeing their leader injured, the Man-Ape order his forces to attack, leading to a war between the Jabari and the Wakandan army. W’Kabi and a medic run to T’Challa’s aid while Vibraxas cradles Queen. As the Panther gets ahold of himself, he refuses to leave the battle and refuses to back down. That is until Queen Divine Justice — still holding onto life — pleads with T’Challa to stop this madness and orders her own armies to stand down. The Panther realizes that she is right and orders his own forces to stand down as well, ending the war mere moments after it began. To repent for what he has done, T’Challa offers to grant Queen any petition she wishes. She asks that she and her people be set free.
Today
As Everett Ross stands outside the king’s throne room deciding what to do, T’Challa has one last audience with the hallucination of Magneto. Magnus is amused that the Black Panther relinquished authority to the Wakandan Tribal Council. When he asks why, the Panther tells the vision that he did it to prevent becoming just like Magneto. Putting his helmet back on and turning to leave, Magneto tells T’Challa that it is too late for that now and then vanishes for good. Moments later, when Everett Ross enters the throne room, he discovers that T’Challa has abandoned his throne and the religious gab of the Black Panther behind.[6]
Recurring Characters
Black Panther (616 &1145’s corpse), Everett Ross, Queen Divine Justice, Vibraxas, Venomm, Man-Ape, W’Kabi, Zuri
Continuity Notes
This story frames this flashback as happening 18 months prior to Everett Ross’ assignment to T’Challa in Black Panther (vol. 3) #1. According to the Marvel Chronology Project places Panther-1145’s arrival in this era as happening between the events of Avengers: Collector’s Edition #1 and Fantastic Four Unlimited #1. This is supported in the Black Panther profile in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #1. Per the Sliding Timescale this would place 1145’s arrival as being about 3 years prior to the main story. Based on this measurement his arrival would have happened 2 years prior to Ross’ assignment. See below for more on this. The reality designation for this future Panther was identified in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4.
It has already been established that the brain injury was apparently caused by the Black Panther’s fight with Iron Fist in Black Panther (vol. 3) #39. While this is ultimately the fate of Black Panther-1145 (who died last issue), the present day T’Challa somehow finds a cure as his symptoms will have completely abated by his appearance in Black Panther (vol. 4) #1.
As revealed in Black Panther (vol. 3) #34-35, Queen Divine Justice were considered Jabari royalty. When they were outlawed, her family fled to America to live in exile where they were murdered by assassins. T’Challa then had Queen raised by one of his operatives until she became of age to be recruited in the Dora Milaje as seen in Black Panther (vol. 3) #13.
As explained in Black Panther (vol. 3) #26, Vibraxas renounced his king after the Black Panther decided to disband the Fantastic Force, the group that N’Kano helped form in Fantastic Force #1. The group disbanded shortly after their final appearance in Fantastic Four #416.
The reason why T’Challa is hallucinating images of Magneto is inspired by a conversation the Panther had with Storm of the X-Men in Black Panther (vol. 3) #26. During this conversation, she feared that T’Challa would become just like Magneto. T’Challa was first visited by this specter last issue and seemingly slew the hallucination.
I probably shouldn’t have to tell you that T’Challa’s abandonment of the Black Panther role doesn’t stick. He’ll be back in the habit (literally!) by Black Panther (vol. 3) #62.
Topical References
Queen Divine Justice refers to Vibraxas as NFL. This is because his armor looks like football padding. Usually, a real-world reference like this would be considered topical however, there isn’t really a way to generalize the reference without changing the joke.
The Timeline
Based on my analysis of all texts, it seems to me that it is commonly accepted that the Black Panther of Earth-1145 ended up on Earth-616 between T’Challa’s appearances in Avengers: Collector’s Edition #1, and Fantastic Four Unlimited #1. This places those events as happening in the 1993 year of publication. Based on my Sliding Timescale chart, this would place those events as happening roughly midway through “Year 8” of the Sliding Timescale. While Black Panther (vol. 3) #1, published in 1998, would land about midway through “Year 10” and this story in “Year 11”.
The Chronology Project lists this flashback in particular happening after the one from last issue, which in itself is placed in the 1993 era of publications. Taken at face value, that would make Everett’s “eighteen month” measurement is more or less correct as long as you accept that the Sliding Timescale is inexact.
