Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, HRL
Ta-Nehisi Coates Reveals A Wakanda Built On Lies In Black Panther #167
The history of Wakanda in the Marvel Universe has not been excavated that much. Jack Kirby gave us these scenes in Black Panther #7 back in the seventies:
The revelation of a vibranium meteor that forms the basis of a new country, but also mutating Wakandans into monsters. And the rise of a new leader, Bashenga, the first Black Panther.
This remains his only in-comics appearance.
In recent issues of Black Panther, Wakanda has been attacked by other mutated creatures known as the originators, seemingly as part of people experiments with fake vibranium. And in today's Black Panther #167 by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Leonard Kirk, Marc Deering, Laura Martin, and Matt Milla, they may have exposed a fault line in the origin of Wakanda beyond that.
The Originators are the original population of Wakanda. And the humans are pilgrims, founding fathers, travellers to the land who settled there.
These settlers then seem to somehow set the place on fire, triggering war. And, with heroes and gods who emerged, they won power and banished the Originators from their own land.
This paints Wakanda as a nation of invasion, of appropriation, of exploitation, and of murder, as much as any other…
Quite the change to the history of Wakanda there — and something that may throw the storyline in the upcoming Black Panther movie into sharp relief.
Maybe it's time to bring Bashenga back and get him to answer for his crimes?
Black Panther #167 is published today by Marvel Comics.
BLACK PANTHER #167 LEG
(W) Ta-Nehisi Coates (A) Leonard Kirk (CA) Brian Stelfreeze
KLAW STANDS SUPREME Part 2
• The Black Panther's greatest enemy springs his trap! And with T'Challa off fighting the former gods of Wakanda, who will come to Ayo and Aneka's aid?
• And this is only the beginning. A cadre of villains returns as Wakanda comes to its knees!
Rated TIn Shops: Nov 22, 2017
SRP: $3.99