Black Panther (vol. 4) #26
Two Plus Two, Part 1: Home Invasion
The Negative Zone, Weeks Ago
The United States has opened Prison 42, a superhuman prison facility in this anti-matter dimension. This has angered the local alien species of insects who vow to repel the invaders. As their leader rallies their people they are crushed under the heel of one of Prison 42’s guards. As it turns out, the insects are so small, they are beneath the notice of the invaders.[1]
New York, Now
In the aftermath of the superhero civil war, the Black Panther (T’Challa) and his wife, Storm (Ororo Monroe), return to the Wakandan Embassy only to discover it has been left in ruins following the conflict.[2] In the meantime, T’Challa summons a Wakandan airship from its hiding place in New York Harbor.[3]
The ship is detected by SHIELD, and Agent Maria Hill asks Iron Man (Tony Stark) — the spy agency’s new director — if they should shoot it out of the sky. Tony tells her to leave it be since they have T’Challa backed in a corner and they can leverage this to their advantage. Hill reluctantly accepts this, but says that she will act if the ship doesn’t leave New York airspace within 24 hours. Tony points out that Hill would better spend her time figuring out how many ships the Panther has hidden around the country.
The Negative Zone, Weeks Ago
In order to repel their invaders, the insect colony has set up a gladiatorial arena to determine who their champion will be. This champion turns out to be a strong and crafty cockroach who has defeated all other warriors.[4]
New York, Now
T’Challa receives a conference call from his uncle S’Yan. He is impatient to know when T’Challa intends on returning home to Wakanda. T’Challa states that he needs to sort out the political fiasco in following the end of the superhero civil war in America and will need to rally all support from the United Nations. S’Yan is upset to hear this and before remembering he is talking to the King, he points out that T’Challa put himself in this situation and sarcastically tells him that he hopes it can be sorted out before Wakanda is invaded. When T’Challa suggests relieving S’Yan of his position and having Storm deal with domestic matters, S’Yan profusely apologizes for speaking out of turn. T’Challa then gets to the matter of constructing a new embassy and has drawn up new plans for a state-of-the-art facility. S’Yan has concerns over the safety of embassy staff, but T’Challa assures him he’ll find them a secure and temporary location within the next 48 hours.
At the United Nations, Storm is meeting with members representing various OPEC nations. It’s not going very well. Primarily because one of them is the representative of a nation that recently created their own state sponsored superhero, the Arabian Knight, someone that recently fought the Black Panther and Storm.[5] When Ororo admits that she doesn’t remember this, she inadvertedly insults them and they all walk out of the room. When T’Challa calls to see how she is doing, she expresses her frustrations dealing with diplomacy. She tells him that she has already met with representatives from France, Cuba, Venezuela, and the Pacific Rim. They are either too frightened to stand up to the US, have little clout in the UN, or are building superhuman armies of their own. He can tell Storm needs a night out and tells her to come back to the ship as they have a dinner date that evening.
They meet up with Reed and Sue Richards (aka Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four) at rented out restaurant in the city. Following the end of the civil war, in which Reed and Sue found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict, the couple have decided to take time away from the Fantastic Four to work on their marriage.[6] In order for the team to continue to function, they would like to have the Black Panther and Storm take their place.[7] As long as the Thing (Ben Grimm) and the Human Torch (Sue’s brother Johnny Storm) agree with this arrangement, both T’Challa and Storm agree to help out.
When Reed and Sue return to the Baxter Building and tells Ben and Johnny that they are going on a second honeymoon, they are both elated to hear it.[8] This leads to the usual squabble between Ben and Johnny, which Sue promptly breaks up as they are to meet her and Reed’s replacements. When Ben and Johnny see that they’ll be working with the Black Panther and Storm, Ben commends Reed on such a classy choice.
The announcement is soon made public and one media report — from the Spin Zone — decries this announcement due to the fact that the Black Panther opposed the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA). They have less flattering things to say about Storm, referring to her as a mutant terrorist due to her affiliation with the X-Men. Soon, Wakandan embassy staff are relocated to the Baxter Building. As they are busy redecorating the main lobby, Ben and Johnny are called upstairs by the emergency signal. When they meet up with the Panther and Storm, T’Challa asks Ben where Reed’s fastest spacecraft is being kept. Ben immediately makes a crack about the Panther wanting to see Reed’s toys, but relents when he notices that T’Challa is not in a joking mood.
Meanwhile, back in Wakanda, Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) continues his investigation into the strange presence he detected at T’Challa and Storm’s wedding. He is told that the person he seeks is the Cannibal, an entity that consumes the souls of the bodies he inhabits. According to the local mystics, Drumm has sufficient mastery of sorcery to confront the Cannibal. However, the question is if Jericho has the nerve to kill the Cannibal without hesitation once he has been found, as that will be the only way to survive the encounter.[9][10] While at the royal palace, guards watching over Shuri — T’Challa’s sister — observe the American Naval fleet at the shores. Their concerns are if the Americans will try to invade Wakanda while the King is away. One of the guards, wonders out loud why Shuri isn’t put in charge while her brother is absent and offers to follow whatever she decides to do about the matter.[11]
Back in New York, the Fantastic Four take off into space on a mission that T’Challa believes won’t take very long to investigate.[12] However, while they are gone, the insectoid’s champion fights his way past the Prison 42 guards and accesses the Negative Zone portal back to Earth. He emerges in the Baxter Building ready to fight whoever he encounters and relishes the idea of being the invader this time.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Black Panther, Storm, Human Torch, Thing), Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, S’Yan, Brother Voodoo” SHIELD (Iron Man, Maria Hill), “G’Mal” (unidentified), Shuri, Taptor (unidentified)
Continuity Notes
This story follows the conclusion of the Civil War event which primarily took place in Civil War #1-7. Prison 42 was first opened in Civil War: Front Line #5.
As we saw last issue, the embassy was wrecked by the pro-registration’s Thor clone. The war ended (obviously) in Civil War #7.
T’Challa has been hiding Wakandan military vehicles around New York and other major population centers for years, as we first learned in Black Panther (vol. 3) #11.
The champion of this insectoid race is not named in this story. He is identified as Taptor in the Negative Zone entry of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #8.
This Arabian Knight was created and fought T’Challa and Ororo in Black Panther (vol. 4) #15. He got the shit kicked out of him. It is stated here that this Arabian Knight was created to counter Israel’s resident superhero Sabra, aka Ruth Bat-Seraph who has been active since Incredible Hulk #250.
Sue was initially supportive of the Super Human Registration Act until her brother Johnny was beaten up by an angry mob and the later discovery that Reed had predicted all of this with a mathematical equation and kept it a secret from her. See Civil War #1-7 and Fantastic Four #538-542.
Which obviously they do. T’Challa and Storm will function as members of the FF in Fantastic Four #543-550 as well as this issue and Black Panther (vol. 4) #27-34.
When commenting on going on a second honeymoon, Sue states here that they never went on a first honeymoon. This is not accurate. Reed and Sue were married back in Fantastic Four Annual #3. However, it had since been revealed in Fantastic Four: 40th Wedding Anniversary Special #1, that Reed and Sue did have a honeymoon. They spent time at the Watcher’s home on the Moon. One could assume that Sue is merely joking since Reed is traditionally known for his obsessions with science often leading him neglecting his duties as a husband.
According to incorrect sources, the man who appears to be Brother Voodoo here is actually a Skrull impostor who took Jericho’s place just prior to this story. However, that’s the product of sloppy research. The Skrull doesn’t take his place until sometime prior to Black Panther (vol. 4) #38.
The Cannibal has been loose in Wakanda since Ulysses Klaw’s failed invasion of Wakanda happened in Black Panther (vol. 4) #1-6. However, his presence wasn’t discovered until Black Panther (vol. 4) #18. Upon discovery he jumped bodies again, prompting “Brother Voodoo” to remain in Wakanda to try and sniff him out ever since.
This young man soldier goes unnamed here. He is identified as G’Mal next issue. If it’s not obvious, this is who the Cannibal is now possessing as we’ll learn in issue #38.
The Fantastic Four’s mission in space will be chronicled in Fantastic Four #544-546.
Topical References
Storm and T’Challa debate what hotel to stay at now that the Wakandan Embassy has been destroyed. While Storm wants to stay at the Waldorf, T’Challa prefers the Mandarin Oriental Hotel instead. While these are real world businesses, they also have condos for residents that live in New York all year round. That said, ownership of these hotels may change in the future so any indicators of who owns these buildings should be considered topical.
T’Challa, Storm, and the Richards have dinner at the famous Tavern on the Green restaurant near Central Park in New York City. It is depicted as the original high end dining establishment it had been between 1934 and to 2009. It later went out of business and became city property. It was eventually re-opened as a restaurant in 2014, but now caters to a less exclusive clientele. That said, since it is historical property and owned by the city of New York and not a corporation you could go either way on if this is a topical reference or not. One could argue that it wouldn’t be very likely for T’Challa to rent the place out since it had become a less inclusive venue. It’d be like renting out a McDonalds by comparisson. But hey, who knows, right? YMMV.
The Initiative Reading Order
Civil War: The Initiative #1, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Thunderbolts #112, 113, 114, 115, Omega Flight #1-5, Moon Knight (vol. 3) #13, Captain America (vol. 5) #26, 27, 28, 29, 30, New Avengers #27, 28, 29, 30, 31, New Warriors (vol. 4) #1-8, Black Panther (vol. 4) #27, 28, 29, 30, Iron Man: Agent of SHIELD #15, 16, 17, 18, Avengers: The Initiative #1, 2, 3, Fantastic Four #547, 548, 549, 550, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #6-11, Mighty Avengers #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Sub-Mariner (vol. 2) #1-6, The Order (vol. 2) 1-4, Penance: Relentless #1, 2, 3, 4, 5