Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Marvel Comics | Tagged: black panther, joe quesada, priest

Marvel Has A New Black Panther And He Will Cause Headlines (Spoilers)

Today's The World To Come #1 from Marvel Comics features a new Black Panther and Bleeding Cool expects that he will cause headlines (Spoilers)

There are major spoilers here for the new Black Panther project from Marvel, being released today. The World To Come, by Christopher Priest, Joe Quesada, Richard Isanove and Richard Starkings. Published today, the first of six issues telling the story set in the Marvel Universe's near future, starring the Black Panther, it begins with T'Challa's death as an old man, before cutting to white, flashing back to his later years.

And it will end with a revelation that you just know Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, the Daily Mail, the New York Times, the New York Post, Deadline, TMZ, everyone will be spoiling in their headlines. So, if you were planning to read the comic, stop now, stay off social media, and especially entertainment news headlines, until you have read it. In fact, I would hurry to your comic book store the first chance you get, I know a second printing is coming, but if you want that first printing, and you want it today, I think you might have to be sharpish about it. Or pay $30 on eBay instead. You could grab it digitally on Kindle I suppose…

If you weren't intending to read it, hey, well, then you will have read it first on Bleeding Cool. And maybe you might pick up a copy of the first issue of The World To Come to see how it got there, and subsequent issues to see where it goes next. If you get to a shop in time, of course.

Okay, here we go. In The World To Come #1, we see the past, the present, the future and the future of the future. What happens to T'Challa, what happens to his former wife and queen Storm (it's not good)…

As T'Challa seeks to preserve his lecagay, and his history with an heir, And with Monica Lynne.

Monica Lynne was created by Roy Thomas, Frank Giacoia, Herb Trimpe and first appeared in Avengers #73 in 1969, as an American songstress and activist and who was one of the Black Panther's early love interests.

She moved to Wakanda at the royal palace, T'Challa stayed at her parents' home in Georgia, were engaged to be married until… the marriage didn't happen and the book meant to contain it back in the 90s, Panther's Vows, was never published. In his noughties Black Panther run, Priest revealed that a future T'Challa had told a present day version that he was lowly dying of a brain aneurysm, a burden he did not want to place on a future wife.

Eventually Monica returned to the music industry, seen singing sad love song after the marriage of  T'Challa and Storm. She had not been seen since, But it seem that in The World To Come, the future T'Challa has made up for what, well, the future T'Challa once did to her past. As they now have a future together. And a child.

And it seems that this is who is challenging T'Challa to the throne, to the death for the mantle of the Black Panther.

The young Ketema, meaning a fortified emcampment, and dressed head-to-toe in the traditional Black Panther suit, fighting an old, barely dressed King.

You know, as sons often do. The battle commences, it goes this way and that. And at this point, we're going to run that Spoiler warning again, because seriously.

Right. If you are still here, it is all on you. The fight continues and eventually goes the way one might expect. Eventually.

So Ketema beats T'Challa. It won't be to the death, we know T'Challa has a life to leave and so, it seems, does Ketema. But we do get to see Ketema underneath the mask.

Despite the seeming surface genealogy of his parents, Ketema looks pretty much like a white young man. Certainly white presenting. Blond hair, blue eyes as well… I am sure there will be an explanation. Recessive genes, mutation, swapped at birth, this is the Marvel Universe after all. Or could it be that he has two sons from two former girlfriends, as potentially depicted on the cover of issue 3? One from Monica Lynne…

…and the other from Nicole Adams? Also co-created by Roy Thomas with John Buscema in Avengers #77 in 1960 but who died in Black Panther #24 in 2000, in Priest's run, at the hands of someone trying to kill Monica? Death is for wimps at Marvel, right?

Or will there be some other explanation? Because for The World To Come, the new Black Panther for all the world to see looks like a white guy. He's not an alternate-universe Black Panther; he is the future King of Wakanda. And T'Challa's biological son, that's who we presumably see at the beginning of the story, too. In the future, where premium water will be traded like wine,… I understand that in future issues, T'Challa will continue to be the focus of the story, and his son Ketema will be the main antagonist of the series, narrating past events from the future. A bit like how The Sovereign recently played out in Wonder Woman…

And yesterday Christopher Priest thought he was going to get cancelled over next year's comic book… I mean, he is the longest-standing Black comic book writer in mainstream comics, he recreated the Black Panther into the version that would land him a movie, and he continues to write comic books like Vampirella that have told some of the most nuanced stories about race in mainstream comics, while still also 100% being an exploitation comic, and now about to do similar with Red Sonja. So he does like the nuance, but he also likes the headline. I get the feeling, today, he is going to get them.

I would also like to point out that when Black Panther debuted in the Fantastic Four comic book, created out of whole cloth by Jack Kirby, he was forced to cover T'Challa up in a full-body costume, including a face mask. Marvel Comics was told by distributors that they couldn't possibly have a character who was visibly black on the cover with the rest of the Fantastic Four and expect to still be sold and distributed on the newsstand. So, instead, the Black Panther got the more familiar look. Today, we have the son of the Black Panther, covered from head to toe, with a full face mask, all the way through the comic, and on the covers of future solicited comics as well, to hide the fact that he was white. There are ironies there… or should that be vibraniumies?

The World To Come #1 by Christopher Priest, Joe Quesada and Richard Isanove is published today.

MARVEL KNIGHTS THE WORLD TO COME #1 (OF 6)
(W) Christopher Priest (A/CA) Joe Quesada
THE FUTURE OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE IS HERE! The future of the Marvel Universe is here as two of the most visionary creators in comic history show you THE WORLD TO COME! The King of Wakanda is DEAD, leaving unguarded the world's most advanced technology, most precious metal, and a cryptic vault of dark secrets while triggering global conflicts among Marvel's heroes, villains and mutants. With T'Challa gone, the future of the Marvel 616 Universe will be determined by a final tribal challenge for the Wakandan throne and the mysterious victor who will change Wakanda, and the Marvel Universe, forever. MARVEL KNIGHTS visionary creators JOE QUESADA & CHRISTOPHER PRIEST collaborate on a future of the 616 through the lens of the revolutionary MARVEL KNIGHTS line of books that changed comics as we know it. You do not want to miss this landmark project! Jun 04, 2025 SRP: $5.99

MARVEL KNIGHTS THE WORLD TO COME #2 (OF 6)
(W) Christopher Priest (A/CA) Joe Quesada
THE WORLD TO COME and how it got that way is revealed! What is happening in Mexico? What does Everett K. Ross have to do with what's happening? And who is T'Challa's heir?! Rated T+In Shops: Jul 09, 2025 SRP: $4.99

MARVEL KNIGHTS: THE WORLD TO COME #3 (OF 6)
STORY BY JOE QUESADA & CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
CHRISTOPHER PRIEST (W) • Joe Quesada (A)
WRAPAROUND COVER BY JOE QUESADA
VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS ALLEN • VARIANT COVER BY GREG LAND
VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
The most shocking story of 2025 goes from Wakanda to New York City as some of T'Challa's history is revealed for the first time in the wake of his death. The key to saving the future lies in both T'Challa's past and the past of the man who will destroy the world!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!