Back to Africa, Part 3

Erik Killmonger has taken over the neighboring nation of Niganda and captured Shuri and Monica Rambeau. In response, the Black Panther (T’Challa) has invaded the country to depose his old enemy and free his friend.[1] Using a drill tank to reach the capital city, T’Challa gets past the force field defenses so he can challenge his old foe directly. T’Challa gives Killmonger one chance to release his prisoners or else no mercy will be shown.

Erik uses this challenge to his advantage. Before the gathered people, he accuses T’Challa of not caring about Niganda and will deny them of the wealth Wakanda has to offer. Killmonger then boasts that he cares about Niganda and will give them everything they have been craving. Observing this from the war room back in Wakanda are W’Kabi and S’Yan. W’Kabi knows this is some kind of trick, but S’Yan has confidence that T’Challa won’t let himself get played.

Meanwhile, Zuri leads a strike force into the government building in Niganda. They then fight their way down to the dungeon to rescue Shuri and G’Mal. Zuri is impressed to see that Shuri — despite being chained to the wall of her cell — was able to hold her own against a bunch of men.

Outside, Killmonger is still making to surrender to see what T’Challa will do. He knows that this is a trick when he refuses to divulge where he has taken Monica. Seeing that there is no other way around it, he orders the Dora Milaje to take Erik into custody. T’Challa then addresses the Nigandan people gathered there and tells them that Killmonger is going to face justice for his past crimes and that he will provide aid to Niganda moving forward. Sure enough, when the Dora Milaje try to put restrains on Killmonger, he fights them off, leading to the inevitable brawl between him and his old enemy.

Elsewhere in the country, soldiers on the ground and in the air are finding it difficult to press forward. This is because they are under siege from mutant animals and force fields that making things difficult.[2]

At the same time, Zuri and his team get Shuri and G’Mal aboard the drill tank so they can head back to Wakanda. On the ride back, Shuri apologizes for being so hard on G’Mal sometimes but thanks him for his help when push came to shove. To show her affection, she takes G’Mal’s hand in hers.[3]

Meanwhile, the battle between T’Challa and Killmonger is cut short as the Black Panther has no patience for a protracted battle. When Erik lunges at him, the Panther punches him full force in the dick and then knees him in the face so hard he is knocked to the ground.

While below the government building, Zuri and his team search for the source of the force fields. In the sub-basement they find a huge lab where apes and other animals are being experimented upon. One such ape is a gorilla who has been made intelligent enough to talk. It pleads with the men to put it out of its misery because all it knows is pain. Taking pity on the poor creature, Zuri instructs one of its men to end its life.

Back in America, Everett Ross has been watching events unfold via satellite feed all day and night. When one of his colleagues reports in for work, he asks what will happen depending on who wins this battle. Ross figures that either Killmonger wins, and the US is forced to intervene and set up bases in the region or T’Challa wins and the US invades Wakanda and try to set up military bases.[4]

In Africa, Killmonger recovers from the last attack and tries stabbing T’Challa with a knife built into his gauntlet. However, it breaks against the Vibranium weave of his Black Panther habit. Killmonger decides to even the odds by having his men bring out a specially prepared suit of armor he had made up just for this occasion.

Lastly, Zuri and his team break into the main control room of the lab. They are shocked to discover that Killmonger’s benefactor has been a highly intelligent ape with the power to create force fields. He is amused that the humans have uncovered him as he just discovered how to use Monica Rambeau’s energy form to power his new laser weapon. When the troops open fire, he shields himself with a force field before activating his new weapon in an attempt to kill them all.

Recurring Characters

Black Panther, Erik Killmonger, Shuri, “G’Mal”, Zuri, W’Kabi, S’Yan, Ramonda, Monica Rambeau, Everett Ross

Continuity Notes

1. This situation has slowly been escalating over the last two issues.

2. These mutant animas were created by a geneticist named Erich Paine until he was taken out of commission by the Black Panther and the X-Men. See X-Men (vol. 2) #175-176 and Black Panther (vol. 4) #8-9.

3. This tender moment is more than it seems. Over the last two issues, G’Mal has professed his love for Shuri only to be rebuffed because they were being held prisoner. In reality, G’Mal is dead and his body is inhabited by a body thief known as the Cannibal who has been hiding out in Wakanda since Black Panther (vol. 4) #5. He has been living in G’Mal’s body since issue #18, something that won’t be made clear until next issue.

4. Everett refers to the Black Panther as a former client. Ross was assigned as T’Challa’s State Department attaché from Black Panther (vol. 3) #1-49. He mentions how the current administration has alienated him. This is in reference to the passage of the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA) which kicked off the Civil War event. T’Challa was opposed to the law and fought against it fearing that it would spill out beyond US borders. See Black Panther (vol. 4) #19-25.

Topical References

• Everett Ross’ computer is depicted as being an Apple model computer. This should be considered topical as Apple is a real world company.