Black Panther Sturm und Drang: T'Challa and Storm and Namor and Magneto and Doom

[salinea]

I've lately been slowly reading through Priest's Black Panther run, and yesterday I read an arc which was rather amusing given recent event. I think I saw someone mention part of it in the comments of scans_daily recently, actually, something about sort of Illuminati like gather involved Black Panther, Doom, Magneto and Namor. It also involved T'Challa flirting with Storm way before Hudlin's run. Funny stuff.

Anyway, I hope it's not overly complicated, but it's Priest's run which tends to have a bazillion things happening at the same time and also is tough to cut to 7 pages.

Black Panther v3 #26, ~7 pages

It starts with a flashback:





While frolicking, they happen on a guy working for some sort of international force outfit arresting an alien creature (actually a Deviant). He's not very gentle about it.



The Devient cries out for a child, in Yoruba.















Black Panther v3 #27, 7 pages

Where international tension starts ramping out, and also the flirting:















The issue ends with Wakanda shooting on a ship due to machinations by the White Wolf between all this.


Black Panther v3 #28, ~7 Pages

The one with the Illuminati-like meeting:



Cutting some cute Doom & Magneto banter for size *sighs*









Ross negotiates with Ghaum and does find out/guess that the child is his own kid which is why he wants the problem dealt with as quickly as possible, then makes some more negotiation to solve the situation. Meanwhile:



Cutting some exchanges of blows, sorry!







Not sure that's the best way to show you're understood those words, but hey, whatever.

Black Panther v3 #29, 3 pages

Mostly concluding the stuff between Namor and Black Panther:






I think that's it. Well, where up to I've read, maybe other stuff happens after picking up on this.

Comments

[randyripoff]

Thanks for posting this. I had planned to, but discovered I didn't have all the relevant issues.

The political intrigue is really a lot of fun here. The various leaders each have points, and Priest did a great job of capturing each one.

[salinea]

Ah! So it was you talking about it :) I hadn't been able to track down that comment.

Yeah, it works very well and in a credible way with those characters leading their own country and protecting their interest without making it something much less or more "superhero" in a silly way; and all of their characterisation are respected.

[icon_uk]

Some terrific stuff here, the international politics works well, as opposed to the usual "Illuminati" type stuff which just depresses me.

[salinea]

I haven't read Illuminati yet, but I was hoping it would fare well compared to that. Oh well :(

[icon_uk]

This feels like something akin to real world politics, (but without all those messy things like ambassadors, politicians, democratic consultation and people who spend their entire lives devoted to maintaining international arrangements by keeping things like trade deals and the like going)

The Illuminati things I've read seem to be just a lot of rather smug ego-stroking/stoking sessions with bugger all actual impact (Did it prevent Civil War? Did it prevent "The Fall of the Mutants" or any of the incidents it really should have done? Nope, but we did give the Infinity Gems, six of the most unimaginably powerful objects in the entrie freaking universe to six rather flawed humans, and who has Xavier's now I wonder?)

[magus_69]

Nobody has it right now. They don't know where Xavier hid his, but they have the other five and will use them to retrieve it. As for the future owner: Hank McCoy is going to join the cast.

[bewareofgeek]

By the Panther God, I miss this T'Challa.

[salinea]

Priest's run is awesome.

Although Hickman doesn't seem to have a horrible handling of him.

[doomisay]

Priest's "King Batman" portrayal of T'Challa was always awesome. His way of continually using Ross to frame the stories to provide levity were great too.

I miss Priest writing comics.

[salinea]

Why doesn't he anymore, anyway?

[bewareofgeek]

I think he became rapidly disenchanted with the industry (in particular the Big Two) and how he was being pigeonholed as a "black writer".

He still posts to his website occasionally.

[crinos]

Now see, this is how Monacrchs of rival nations should act, not necessarily liking each other, but at least showing one another mutual respect.

Also, for some reason seeing Ghaur appearing on Night Line with Ted Koppell is hilarious to me.

[salinea]

It's an actual TV show?

[crinos]

Yes, Nightline is a late night news show on ABC. Ted Koppel was its anchorman from its beginning in 1980 to his retirement in 2005. Its still running today as a matter of fact.

I don't watch it, but I know of it, enough to recognize the reference they were making.

[salinea]

Cute!!

Yeah it's hilarious to think of an outlandish comics character in that sort of show :D

[crinos]

I think its the fact he says "Thank you Ted." when he's introduced. I do not know why, but having him say that line just deflates any potential menace the guy might have.

I mean imagine Darkseid coming on a show and saying "Thanks Ted.", Or Thanos, or anyone really. And it just instantly negates about 40% of their intimidation factor right there.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Ghaur's a giant smurf. He was never gonna win any intimidation contests ;)

[donnblake]

T'challa looks a bit different than usual here. Not just that he's bald, but his face seems- fuller? rounder? I'm not sure exactly.