BP Sighting: Spider-Man/Deadpool #12

Meet... M'wabu

Name: M'wabu

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #54

Last Appearance: Fantastic Four #54

Significance

- First Wakandan named on panel other than T'challa himself

Current Status: Unknown/Limbo

- M'wabu is a servant or waiter who had the great privilege of serving T'challa and the F4 during the victory celebration after the defeat of Klaw.

And that is it. Let us assume he is the greatest waiter of all time and that T'challa is a generous tipper.

Avengers, vol 1, #51 Retro-Review

Issue: Avengers, vol 1, #51
Date: 04/1968
Writer: Roy Thomas

General Black Panther Spoilers

- The Collector watches BP and Cap during their adventures in Tales of Suspense #97-99 as he contemplates collecting them along with the other Avengers. 

- Cap asks Pym (I think) if BP can take his spot on the Avengers and Pym agrees. 

Importance to the Mythos

- BP was accepted onto the Avengers on the recommendation of Captain America


Other Thoughts

- n/a


Should You Read It?

- Nope. 

Shuri Fan Art

RIP T'chaka

Daredevil #52 Retro-Review

Issue: Daredevil, vol 1, #52
Date: 05/1969
Writer: Roy Thomas

General Black Panther Spoilers

- Black Panther is looking for Hawkeye but instead starts to hunt for Daredevil at the behest of Froggy Nelson.

- Daredevil ends up knocking him out on accident.

- BP wakes up and tracks and follows Matt.

- BP hears a girl scream from Murdock's apartment and finds Saxon holding Karen hostage.

- DD bursts through and knock Saxon out. Saxon eventually wakes up and gets away with BP and DD in pursuit.

- BP acts like he is letting pursue DD alone but ends up stealth following him and overhears that Matt Murdock is Daredevil. He decides to keep that fact a secret should they meet again.


Importance to the Mythos

-  First meeting between Daredevil and Black Panther

- Black Panther discovers Daredevil's secret identity


Other Thoughts

- Without much background on what is going on in DD's book at the time, it is a bizarre little story that while features Black Panther a lot... he really doesn't do anything noteworthy. I guess being able to track DD is cool and all but story wise I am not sure he served much of a purpose. Maybe in future issues the whole secret identity thing is brought back up.

- This is some pretty dope art though.

Should You Read It?

- While BP is in a hefty amount of the book, I really wouldn't recommend it for BP fans as it seemed pointless and aimless and isn't a lot of fun, unless the secret identity thread became important in future issues.

Black Panther #11 SPOILERY Thoughts

Ten issues have been building to this... the confrontation between The People lead by Tetu and Zenzi vs T'challa. While this isn't the true conclusion to "season 1, " it is the conclusion of this particular story line that all started when Zenzi made some Wakanda miners act-a-fool in issue #1. 

When you build something up like this, 10 issues, 10 months, to tell one story, it really needs to deliver and make it feel worth the wait. Especially in a series that has been so slow moving with 3-5 story lines happening at the same time. You can make mistakes with shorter arcs or one-offs but when fans are spending nearly a year waiting for this confrontation... that builds a lot of anticipation. Even if I should have known better based on the previous nine issues... I still had hope. 

Unfortunately, while the issue wasn't bad in isolation... it fell flat. 

And once again, it came down to the same culprits that have plagued this entire run. The action scenes were only slightly improved from previous issues but were still flat, stiff, and unimaginative. At one point. Akili walks RIGHT UP TO TETU, gun in hand, and... hits his legs with the butt of the gun to trip him. 

There was no sense of scale with this invasion. The People seem to consist of 25 soldiers while the Wakanda army consisted of 12 with additional support from six Dogs of War. There were no tanks nor jets as teased at the end of issue #10. This is a massive failure in the art. Why are we to believe Wakanda could be taken by 25 mindless goons with AK-47's? The same country that beat back the Black Order, the same country that destroyed Atlantis... is bothered by this pathetic number of people? If Wakanda is truly this weak, then every villain in the Marvel Universe ought to be salivating right now. 

Art issue aside, the climatic fight between Tetu and T'challa was ridiculously brief. As in, one panel fight brief. There were no great philosophical discussions, no battle of powers between the mage and the warrior. Just one, well placed, force ghost spear to the chest and Tetu was done. 

I am being incredibly negative and it is hard not to be. But the issue was borderline good, but it just needed to be undeniably great. Coates world building came full circle, as Shuri, Akili, Hodari, Changamire, Eden, and Kwabena all played their roles in the climatic battle. Akili was a pleasant surprise and it was a nice touch to see Kwabena's story go full circle. In fact, that whole fan service page worked for the fanboy in me. 

However, the book is called Black Panther and Black Panther alone. Not World of Wakanda. Not The Crew. Black Panther. And, well, he did what he did for ten other issues. In the book but not really the main focus (in this case, the book really had not main focus as it was spread rather evenly). However, his plan and his powers were what saved the day: not Shuri or the Midnight Angels. His King of the Dead powers returned in a way that made much more since than commanding zombie fodder. And while I have huge misgivings that one of T'challa most talked about moments (The Cry) was essentially hand-waved off panel, it was nice to see T'challa and T'chaka reconcile once again. 

And well.. he won. Outright won. No speeches necessary. No dead relatives to mourn. I would have preferred a much more emphatic, physically dominating performance but at least it was a true win. Tetu is captured, The People were stopped, Zenzi is out there so she can come back in three years...

Now we just see what Coates has in store for the Wakandan government. And while I was hopefully excited for issue #11, I am dreading #12. 

Fantastic Four Annual, vol 1, #5 Retro-Review

Issue: Fantastic Four Annual, vol 1, #5
Date: 11/1967
Writer: Stan Lee

General Black Panther Spoilers

- BP searches for intruders on his newly purchased Panther Island

- He is attacked by Medusa and then attacked by Karnak. He gives Karnak the business before stopping due to Black Bolt's presence.

- BP decides to help the Inhumans after he realize they share a common friend in the Human Torch.

- They fight the minions of Psycho-Man

- Psycho-Man creates a monster humanoid beast using the Mind Ray that is what "Panther fears most." It beats up Panther as it is faster, stronger and more agile.

- Eventually the Mind Ray machine is broken and this beast disappears. BP uses this opportunity to take out the Psycho-Man at the last second... only the costume is empty.

Importance to the Mythos

- First meeting between BP and the Inhuman Royals

- First time BP gave Karnak the business


Other Thoughts

- All I want to know is, where is Panther Island now? Doesn't T'challa still own it?

- Old comics are so bizarre with their team-ups. "Hey, we just randomly ran into each other on a island... Let's go punch bad guys!"

Should You Read It?

- Not mandatory, but a pretty significant guest appearance for T'challa. If you like old school comics, this would fit the bill.

January 2017 Sales Report

Black Panther #10, featuring the best issue yet...

38,741

Welp, we found are sales area. 35-42 is likely our "sales niche" for the long foreseeable future.


Here is the complete publication history of T'challa's solos...

Ultimates² #3, doin' its thing...

24,362

Ultimates has its cosmic floating head audience who are in it for the long haul.


Black Panther: World of Wakanda #3, showing us that anyone can write comics, even if you suck...

24,248

This is much more accurate than last week, as it wasn't massively overshipped. Surprisingly solid numbers for a book that isn't any good.

Tales of Suspense #97-99, Captain America #100 Retro-Review

Issue: Tales of Suspense #98-99, Captain America, vol #100
Date: 01/1968- 04/1968
Writer: Stan Lee, Archie Goodwin

General Spoilers

Tales of Suspense #99

- Black Panther visits an outpost that has been attacked.

- He tracts the henchmen response and attacks. He gets blasted by a stun ray.

- BP sends a jet to Captain America's whereabouts and asks him to come to Wakanda because this invasion of Wakanda is somehow related to him. Cap gets in the ship and agrees to come.

Tales of Suspense #98

- Captain America is in a Wakanda ship heading to meet the Black Panther. He is shot at by a laser from above and thinks it might be Wakanda. When he lands in the Techno-Jungle. Cap and BP briefly fight and then realize they are who they say there were.

- They discuss the giant laser beam in orbit and how it could destroy a whole city. They agree they need to take it down.

- They find and attack bad guys that were on the ground... and are hit by stun rays. They wake up, charge towards the bad guys again... and fall in a pit set-up as a trap. The mystery villain reveals himself to be... Zemo. Who Cap thought was dead.

Tales of Suspense #99

- Cap and BP are... let out of the pit? They then attack and are knocked out again.

- They wake up in the Laser space ship bunker thing. Zemo then beats on them a bit while they are weak. He wants them to be his underlings. Instead BP and Cap attack again... and are taken out again. Zemo then wants Agent 13 (who is undercover) to shoot and kill them.

Captain America #100

- Cap and BP wake up. Agent 13 hesitates and she misses on purpose as BP knocks Cap out of the way. She convinces Zemo to save them for later as the Laser machine is more important.

- A13 ends up shooting the controls of the machine. BP, Cap, and A13 then brawl with bad guys and Zemo a bit. An army of people show up and the trio block themselves off and end up the area of The Destruction. They fight him and take him down eventually.

- Zemo and his forces arrive and Cap ends up unmasking him... and it wasn't Zemo, but Zemo's pilot. The rest of the forces then surrender to T'challa to face trial in Wakanda.

- Fury blows up the Laser Death Machine.

- Cap offers BP a spot on the Avengers.


Importance to the Mythos

- First meeting and fight between Captain America and Black Panther. However, we later learned in future issues that Captain America has been to Wakanda and interacted with a Black Panther before.

- Captain America offers T'challa his vacant spot on the Avengers.


Other Thoughts

- These old comics are just so damn goofy. How many times did Cap and BP get knocked out only for the bad guys to let them recover... to get knocked out again... and repeat... and repeat. This was like every old comic trope smashed into three issues.


Should You Read It?

- If you enjoy old stories, yes. This is a fairly extensive guest appearance and T'challa is in the story just as much as Steve. It relies heavily on old comic tropes however, so for new readers, it may be a little ridiculous.

Symbiote T'challa

You Can't Escape T'challa Voorhees

Fantastic Four, vol 1, #60 Retro-Review

Issue: Fantastic Four, vol 1, #60
Date: 03/1967
Writer: Stan Lee

General Black Panther Spoilers

- He gives the F4 a really fast ship. Only these two panels...

Importance to the Mythos

- Only continues to show the technological wonders in Wakanda


Other Thoughts

- How did Reed become the pre-eminent "build stuff" guy when T'challa keeps droppin' these techno bombs on him?

Should You Read It?

- Nope.

Fantastic Four, vol 1, #56 Retro-Review

Issue: Fantastic Four, vol 1, #56
Date: 11/1966
Writer: Stan Lee

General Black Panther Spoilers

- Klaw returns as living sound and attacks the F4 in order to draw Black Panther out and kill him.

- Klaw is about to take out Reed until a mysterious package arrives via a rocket containing vibranium bands, which Reed uses to knock out Klaw. Reed deduced that living sound would have a weakness to vibranium.

- The bands came from Black Panther, who sent them upon Reed request.


Importance to the Mythos

- Introduction of Klaw as his more known living sound version

- Introduction to Klaws weakness to vibranium


Other Thoughts

- This is comics for ya. Instead of Klaw simply attacking T'challa in Wakanda, he has some convoluted plan to attack the F4 first to draw out T'challa. Okay... lol. Poor Klaw has been a joke since 1966 I guess.


Should You Read It?

- Nope, not unless you are a really, really big fan of Klaw.

Possible Shooting Site for Wakanda in Black Panther

If this doesn't scream Warrior Falls, I don't know what does.

Killmonger or T'challa is taking a tumble for sure.

Fantastic Four, vol 1, #54 Retro-Review

Issue: Fantastic Four, vol 1, #54
Date: 10/1966
Writer: Stan Lee

General Black Panther Spoilers

- T'challa and the F4 play... baseball

- T'challa treats the F4 to another party like thing showing off his wealth. He then gives them each a gift. Reed and Sue get the finest clothes, Johnny gets a "sonic fishing pole" that would impress Stark, Wyatt gets a book of sporting records which includes his fathers, and Ben gets an exercise machine.

- T'challa then gives Johnny and Wyatt a Gyro-Cruiser so they can go try and rescue the Inhumans.


Importance to the Mythos

-  Just showed off more of T'challa's wealth and technology

- First appearance of M'wabu


Other Thoughts

- M'wabu is the first red-shirt Wakandan given a name


Should You Read It?

- Nope. Offers nothing of consequence for Black Panther fans unless you really wanna see M'wabu wait tables.

MCU Black Panther Movie Fan Art

Wouldn't We All

Black Panther vs. Captain America (Tales of Suspense #98)

Story: Tales of Suspense #98

Background: Black Panther has Captain America locked in a Magna ship, heading for Wakanda. Cap doesn't know T'challa and was leery to trust him at all. The ship is shot out from above and then heads straight into the jungle and into the Techno-Jungle. Cap exists the ship and, well, decides to start bustin' some heads.

[Scan Tip: Click to enlarge the images and they are easier to read. You can scroll through them all that was as well. --- Shadow]

This was actually the first meeting between Captain America and the Black Panther (well, this Black Panther we learned later on)

So how many heroes fell for the "get in random space ship and get ambushed by Black Panther" trick lol?

This fight is eerily similar to the fight between Cap and BP in Hudlin's Civil War arc. 

Fantastic Four, vol 1, #52-53 Retro-Review

Issue: Fantastic Four, vol 1, #52-53
Date: 07/1966-08-1966
Writer: Stan Lee

General Spoilers

Issue #52

- The F4 are sent a highly advanced aircraft and are invited to Wakanda by the Black Panther, which they graciously accept.

- T'challa prepares for his greatest hunt.

- The F4 and Wingfoot arrive in the Techno-Jungle and are soon ambushed by the Black Panther.

- Black Panther takes out Human Torch.

- Wyatt leaves the F4 to go investigate the surroundings.

- Black Panther takes out Sue, then the Thing, and then Reed.

- Wyatt free Johnny, Sue, and Reed and they surround and confront Black Panther.

- Black Panther unmasks and begins to explain to the F4 what is going on.

Issue #53

- T'challa treats the F4 to a royal reception. We get more hints at his wealth and technological advancements. We get an introduction to Vibranium, and T'challa' first origin story.

- In this origin story, T'chaka and many Wakandan warriors are killed the guns of Klaw, who has come for the vibranium mound. This is the first time they have seen such weapons. T'challa ends up stealing/taking Klaw's sound gun, blowing up Klaw's hand, and driving off the men.

- In the process, he said he would be as strong and fearless as a Black Panther... hence the costume. We also learn his powers come from and herb and ritual... and that he built the Techno-Jungle for fun as he is a genius.

- Since Klaw first showed up, T'challa has been training and waiting for his return. Fighting the F4 was his last and supreme test. At this same time, Klaw's constructs appear at the edges of Wakanda.

- BP and the F4 go towards the constructs. The constructs take out Ben and Human Torch while BP takes off on his own to hunt down Klaw.

- BP fights Klaw's construct and then Klaw. He uses the power of his brain, pulls a switch on Klaws, machine, and blows the machine and the cave apart as he escapes the explosion, having avenged his father's death.

- BP is about to give up being the Black Panther, but the F4 convince him the world needs heroes essentially. BP agrees to fight for all of mankind.

- Klaw lived through the explosion... and decides to go inside the sound converter machine, hoping to gain powers to defeat the Black Panhter


Importance to the Mythos


- The introduction of T'challa, Wakanda, and the Techno-Jungle

- Origin of T'challa, and therefore the first mention of T'chaka

- First mention of the "herb" which would later be the Heart Shaped Herb

- Establishes T'challa's powers, including his speed, agility, and enhanced senses

- Establishes the technological superiority of Wakanda

- Establishes T'challa's prep skills that would be heavily expanded on by Priest

- Establishes T'challa's genius

- Establishes T'challa's and Wakanda's wealth

- Introduces Vibranium

- Introduces Klaw as well as giving the origin of Klaw as living sound


Other Thoughts

- This issue highlights forward thinking and progressive nature Stan and Kirby. They successfully introduced an African king who had technology that made Reed blush that could prepare and defeat the premier super hero team in comics at the time. They also provided an iconic location, great costume, succinct origin story for BP, and the introduction of arch-nemesis Klaw, who would go on to be a re-occurring Fantastic Four, Black Panther, and Avengers villain.

- This first origin story is just so bizarre when you look back at it. The origin story for T'challa, Wakanda, and what the Black Panther means has changed so much through the years. Going from a simple, one-off costume to being a mantle passed down from warrior-to-warrior was a welcomed change to the mythos.

- A lot of times, people without a firm grasp on the Black Panther mythos claim Priest changed the character too much. These two issues 100% show that nope, the other writers before Priest just forgot or just didn't care. In his very first appearance, he used prep, was enhanced, and was a confirmed genius... just like Priest Panther. Priest just brought those ideas to the 90's.


Should You Read It?

- Absolutely.

MCU Panther

Sensual Salting from T'challa

Concept Art of Wakanda from Captain America: Civil War

There is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much water for my liking. But I see what they are going for in keeping the country isolated due to natural land barriers. 

Just too much water. 

Excited for the real deal in February!

T'challa in Monsters Unleashed #2