"Black to the Future!"

[flint_marko]

As requested, here's Hudlin's Black Panther annual. I'm posting eleven pages out of a thirty-four page issue.

"...a dynasty that would rule the world."



Storm goes and finds T'Wari, who's sulking over the wedding. He says he knows the wedding is just to give the Americans comfort and asks why they care what they think.

Comments

[darkknightjrk]

...So...did they ever explain WHY seemingly all the white Avengers decided to just take over the world?

[mrstatham]

Because they were all taken over by the spirit of Raul Julia's M Bison, and somewhere along the way, the Pax Bisonica became the Pax Americana?

....

Seriously, nothing could explain this bullshit. I got nothing.

I like the bit where they imply, no, flatout STATE the female Black Panther's handling of the role is just a fucking cover for T'Challa. Great stuff. Does Hudlin have any respect for women?

[venatosapiens]

Because reasons?

Although I suppose an argument could be made that it was the logical conclusion of the post Civil-War atmosphere. Government owned, imperialist, military industrial complex superheroes. Especially since Tony Stark is explicitly positioned as the villain.

Still, some of these ideas I like. Luke Cage leading the Avengers, for example, is great. But the execution, predictably, is kind of off.

[lieut_kettch]

Not to mention that supposedly "American" crew includes a Canadian, an Zenn-Lan, and an Asgardian (who if pressed to claim ties with an Earth nation, would most likely claim Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, or Icelandic citizenship).

[auggie18]

...um, the Avengers aren't the army. If the US decided to take over the world, I'm pretty sure the Avengers would be against that.

Also, way to exposit there, Panther kid. I know repeating information people already know is a comic book convention, but damn.

Also also, man has Wolverine gained a lot of weight. And it's nice to know that Captain America and War Machine are now totally cool with the country that murdered Tony Stark.

Also also also, wouldn't War Machine be a better choice for president, if Hudlin wanted a black superhero president? Though I suppose War Machine doesn't have a daughter for T'challa's son to marry. I also suppose Luke Cage will have to be president forever so the US can keep dealing with Wakanda. Maybe he can talk them into forking over that cancer cure.

Thanks for posting this!

[icon_uk]

If Tony Stark felt it was a good idea for the continued existence of the human race, and he was in the position he was in after Civil War, then he might well start taking pre-emptive action, and some would agree with him. I guess.... kinda...

[robinzegblu]

So he killed Iron Man and half the Marvel superheroes still came to his kid's wedding? And is that Super-Skrull in the audience?

[espanolbot]

Considering the art choice for Frank Castle and Wolverine, I'd have to say yes.

[shadowpsykie]

this is all VERY bad writing....

VERY bad writing...

that's all i have to say...

[lucky_gamble]

You mean that enormous exposition dump? Or the offensive writing?

[theflames]

The only moral I can see here is that only black people can talk and 'handle' other black people, even if they don't know each other to well. Plus, that logic allows just about any available black guy to become president if a scarier black guy is taking over.

My chances look a whole lot better in that universe.

This is really silly, and lol at female Black Panther, your just as useless as the white man apparently /s.

[mortimerwclankitybritches]

Dear sweet merciful bahomet.... I knew hudlin was pretty bad with his racist and masturbatory wish fulfillment and laughably self righteous and repetitive tirades against "evil imperialist america/west", but this is just painful.

I mean, setting aside the utter character derailments of just about everyone, the pretty damn unambiguous racial supremacist bigotry being spouted and celebrated, the insurmountable plot holes regarding literally everything in this thing, i have just one question

How the absolute hell is marrying off his son to the daughter of the president suppost to "unite the two countries"? setting aside the fact that this is not the middle ages, PRESIDENCY IS NOT FECKING HEREDITARY!!!!!!!!!!

God damn.... I think I have had far, far too much stupid for one day.

(also I couldn't help noticing this, and it's kinda really really random, but the Watcher narrating how "Black panther/Blatant hudlin insert and Storm marrying will bring about a dynasty that will rule the world" really reminded me of something out of Sonichu. And what is worse is that I think that when Sonichu did it, it was both more subtle and better written)

[maseiken]

"And then, after the international summit on wheat subsidies August 2032, Wakanda and it's neighbors in the Central African (and Associated Parties) Trading Alliance formed an additional subcommittee to- mother, are you listening mother?! This documentary was very informative!"

[icon_uk]

Win!

[fredneil.livejournal.com]

Let's see: In the government ops force attacking Latveria, you've got Spider-Man, who wouldn't kill the man who'd just murdered the love of his life, Thor and the Silver Surfer, neither of whom I can picture getting involved in Earth politics or working for the US government (Also, if you suggested to Thor that the entire world be united under one rule, he might think "Good idea, that of a god would be an even better one), and the Hulk who not only just wants to be left alone but also isn't all that fond of the military.

Then you've got them attacking Atlantis. We don't see who was involved, but I'd expect Sue Richards (Tangentially, why do I think of her as "Sue Storm?" They were married years before I started reading comics) and Captain America, at least, to have objections to that. Maybe also the Hulk, too, Namor being one of the few people he liked.

But if we handwave all of that, why wouldn't Luke Cage have gone along with everyone else? I mean, I know why he wasn't written as going along with them, but is a plausible in-story reason possible?

Also, interesting choice for the butt-shot in the group scene. How, if you've being lifted by wings just below your shoulders, do you manage to both bend in mid-air and lift your butt higher than your waist?

[sir_mikael]

"Sue Storm" is catchier I think. That's always how I think of her.

[kd_the_movie]

I understand that Hudlin wanted to elevate the Panther and other black heroes to what he felt was equal or superior standing among their non black contemporaries, i understand that.

But holy shit.

Like forreal? This is terrible. And it reeks of pettiness and mean spiritedness. Part of writing in a shared universe is to be somewhat respectful of the other characters, concepts, and previous stories. Hudlin writes any other marvel character besides BP and Storm as if they were gross parodies from another rival comic book company.

[blackruzsa]

Yes! Yes, thank you!
I can see that the intention behind it was... well, an attempt at positivity, but he fell of that plane before it even got off the ground.

[sir_mikael]

Well Spider-man looks pretty happy that they've killed Dr Doom. Or maybe he's about to hit Wolverine. Who knows?

Also I don't know if it's just me but it seems to me like they're saying "Pax Americana" is a really bad idea yet Black Panther said he hoped to create a "Pax Africa" earlier. It just struck me as really omnious, like T'Challa is more like those he fought than he thinks.

PS. I really want to know what the deal is with those two Fantastic Four blobs. Are they new members? New children? Reed's testicles having achieved sentience?

PPS. The Golden Frog things can talk?!

[lissa_quon]

I'm also curious what's up with the King Pin Wolverine here? The Baron Harkonen took over his identity and no ones noticed?

[skemono]

Yeah... how's that Storm / Black Panther dynasty working out, Uatu?

Also, in the panel with the bridge & groom kissing, what are the people in the background doing? It looks like they're tossing scrap metal into the air. I'm not sure if that's supposed to connote cheering or rioting.

[wizardru]

Yeah, Uatu making declarations like this has become an empty literary tool to try and trump up an event in comics. Unfortunately, it's resulted in him becoming not only a trope, but an ineffective tool. When he shows up in the original Galactus story, it's at an Extinction Level Event, where Uatu is breaking his sacred charge to stand for those he has come to love, at least indirectly.

When he shows up in other places, its grown weaker and weaker, like in House of M and such.

[maniaxe]

Hudlin is proof of an deep deep concern i've had about African-Americans for awhile now. That there are a certain amount who aren't satisfied with equality, they want to be "Better" than the white man, and they want everyone to know it. At their worst, they want us (the white man) to be "their" slaves now.

The fact that most White families in this country came to it after the Civil war was over, and thus never owned slaves, is meaningless to them. They themselves never suffered under slavery, and neither did any of their family, but this is meaningless to them as well.

These people are a minority, i'm sure, but minorities can have loud voices, and extremists can force the bigger part of their communities to forcibly answer to their demands.

It's something I think about.

[flint_marko]

[donnblake]

So...

Registration leading to a slippery slope whereby metahumans are deployed preemptively against potential threats- Ultimates did that too, I guess. Not implausible for a What-If (though the specific teams sent in...)

Wakanda kicking the ass of the American team (despite it apparently involving Dr. Strange (magic doesn't work if you change the universal constants in the area, which totally won't kill the hell out of the Black Panther despite him being in the area because Vibranium!) and Silver Surfer (You can just put him in a joint lock, because concepts like joints definitely apply to the metal space god) whatever, it's Black Panther's comic. (Although seriously, if the US military brought Silver Surfer into line, the rest of the conflicts would look like this:

Tony: "Surfer, go cripple Wakanda for-"
Surfer: "Done.")

Wakanda beats up America so hard that they elect Luke Cage because he's the only one qualified to deal with Black Panther. One can only speculate why this might be.

Wakanda makes peace with America in such a way that apparently involves forcing them to adopt a monarchy with Luke Cage as President-King, and his daughter as American Princess.

Giant Panther Robot.

[donnblake]

It occurs to me that cripple may be considered an able-ist term, even given it's context here. If so, I apologize, that was not my intention.

[selke]

Uh...huh... This... I... I've got nothing.

[espanolbot]

Dear God, what happened to Frank Castle and Wolverine?

In the latter's case, are they implying that Wakanda taking over the world means that he can retire from superheroics? And in the former, does that mean Crime is Over? How was that done exactly?

[seisachtheia]

Since everyone has covered everything else pretty well already, I'd just like to say that the babies in the last scene are going to give me nightmares (they're coming to steal our souls! Or something.) There's just something really scary looking about them, though I can't put my finger on it. It feels like an uncanny valley kind of thing, but I can't see *how*, since it's not exactly trying for realism. Urgh. Major heebie-jeebies nonetheless.

[md84]

Wow, this story is pretty mean-spirited. And as mentioned above, the inconsistencies needed to make it work are pretty ridiculous. Yes, BP defeated Mephisto once, but that was under very special circumstances (like having an angry panther god on your side).

[flidgetjerome]

What always got me most was how Hudlin's POV as a writer was always just really, really American. Everything about his T'Challa is framed by it, all struggles are against White Americans, no other Global Powers need apply, no other ethnic tensions or social inequalities existed for Black Panther to deal with.

He had T'Challa going to New Orleans to help clean up after Katrina but wrote a Wakanda that was strictly isolationist and refused to help with its neighbours' problems. I've never been able to stop head-desking over that.

[espanolbot]

He also reused various random stuff from numerous different African cultures and said that they were Wakandan, like they use a Zulu warcry when fighting Skrulls for example.

[wizardru]

I can't help but think that the fourth page should read:

"No tears were shed over the death of Doom.

...well, of course, it wasn't actually Doom, but a Doom-bot. But no tears were shed the SECOND time over the death of Doom.

..well, that time it was a clone grown to full adulthood. But no tears. Not one. Nor the THIRD one. But, well, OK listen that one involved a spell and Cersi. It's complicated. Now, the FOURTH one...did I mention Doom has a time machine. Totally true. But man, no tears.

...

..I'll come in again."

[yvonmukluk]

I sincerely hope that the title of your entry is a joke, rather than the actual title of this story.

[flint_marko]