Power, Part 6

Since she became the Queen of Wakanda and the new Black Panther, Shrui has been attacked by parties unknown. Those involved have been using the Desturi extremist group to attack her and also attempted to frame the Sub-Mariner (Namor) for the attack.[1] With the help of the Fantastic Four, she has been able to trace this all back to the criminal weapons dealer known as the Broker (Walter Declun).

Deciding to deal with Delcun directly, the Black Panther flies there with members of the FF — Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and the Thing (Ben Grimm) — as well as the Sub-Mariner (Namor), and her support team, which consists of Professor N’Lix, Zakar, Flea, and M’yra. As they make their approach toward the Broker’s private island in the Pacific, they are all aware of the fact that they are likely flying into a trap and are preparing for a big fight.

Meanwhile, back in Wakanda, Queen Storm (Ororo Monroe) is making a public appearance to celebrate the nation’s education program. However, with the country’s economic security disrupted people are out in protest. The matter is made worse because Ororo defended herself against a seemingly violent protestor, which has further inflamed people against her. In a panic, Storm calls her husband T’Challa, who tells her that he is no longer the King and he can no longer dictate to his people. That’s when two guards come to arrest her. T’Challa tells Ororo to surrender to them as fighting would lead to unnecessary violence. Then, shockingly, T’Challa terminates the call. At that moment, T’Challa is boarding a plane. He gets on the phone with someone to tell them that he has just thrown his wife to the wolves and begins the final part of his master plan.

At that moment, Shuri and her team arrive over Delcun’s island. There they are attacked by someone wearing a suit of Mandroid armor. They all laugh at first, but when the armor is able to wreck their aircraft, they realize that they are facing a modified suit that is stronger than usual.[2] They are forced to land where they are engaged by an army of supervillains that are waiting for them that includes the Rock, Killer Shrike, Lady Octopus, Absorbing Man, the Porcupine, and Hydro-Man. As the battle begins, Delcun reports back to Doctor Doom who has been orchestrating things from behind the scenes. Doom tells the Broker as well as Desturi leader T’Kan to follow the plan as it is reaching a critical juncture. Doom specifically tells Delcun to kill whomever he wants, but not risk his own capture to do so. Within the hour, none of the resistance will matter as Doom will have won.

On the ground, the Black Panther and her allies find the villains they face are stronger than ever before because they have been outfitted with weapons that enhance their superhuman abilities. While this battle rages, in Wakanda, the Desturi strike, seizing control of Wakanda’s government and military. Soon T’Kan has control of Wakandas entire defense arsenal. Whn Shuri and the others get into the Broker’s facility and confront him, he turns on the news to show them the coup that has been happening in Wakanda before teleporting away.[3]

Meanwhile, technicians loyal to Doctor Doom have gotten into T’Challa’s secret lab and have discovered that it has twelve more floors that they are unaware of. Doom soon teleports himself to Wakanda so that he can be there as they crack the vault into the nation’s supply of Vibranium.

Little do they know that T’Challa and Shuri have been in communication with one another this entire time and have been aware of everything going. This is because they have a plan to stop Doom from taking over Wakanda!.

This story is continued in Doomwar #1….

Recurring Characters

Black Panthers (Shuri & T’Challa), Storm, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, Thing), Sub-Mariner, Doctor Doom, Desturi (T’Kan, Akeja), Broker, Rock, Killer Shrike, Lady Octopus, Absorbing Man, Porcupine, Hydro-Man, Mandroid, N’Lix, Zakar, Flea, M’yra, Ramonda, N’Dega, M’Toka

Continuity Notes

1. One last time for feeling: T’Challa was seriously injured by Doctor Doom, leading to Shuri becoming his successor in Black Panther (vol. 5) #1-6. From issue #7 onward, Doom has been using others to attack at all aspects of Wakandan society in an attempt to destabilize and take it over in able to gain control of its supply of Vibranium.

2. Shuri and the others are laughing about the Mandroid armor because they are notoriously easy to defeat. This has been the case since SHIELD first tried using them against the Avengers back in Avengers #94.

3. It is stated that Walt Declun was the man who enhanced Nitro’s powers, causing the disaster that kicked off the superhero civil war. It is also mentioned that he was the former CEO for Damage Control Inc, a restoration company that makes repairs after superhuman battles. He since pivoted to being a weapons broker. This was all revealed in Wolverine (vol. 3) #43-47. Nitro’s explosion was in Civil War #1.

Topical References

• Two of the news channels displayed by Walter Declun are CNN and the BBC. This should be considered a topical reference as these are real world networks.