Image/Marvel Comics
Despite the unfortunate passing of its lead actor, Marvel Studios' [[OBJ_5704]] (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) successfully shifted direction and continued filming, set to be released this November.
Everyone knows that this film's antagonist is [[OBJ_5912]], King of Talocan, who in the comics is the Prince of Atlantis. In the movie, his reason for leading his army to invade Wakanda is to protect his homeland from the threats of change brought by Wakanda's opening. But what about in the comics? What issues exist between his nation and Wakanda?
To answer this, we must first look back at the 2012 comic event, Avengers Vs. X-Men. At that time, the Phoenix Force came to Earth seeking a new host, Hope Summers, but was accidentally shattered into five pieces by Iron Man using the Phoenix-Killer Armor. It then possessed Cyclops, White Queen, Colossus, Magik, and [[OBJ_5912]], transforming them all into Phoenix hosts.
The "Phoenix Five" immediately embarked on a mission to save the world, using their immense power to bring new life and resources to the planet, and demanding that all governments disarm. However, as their actions grew increasingly radical and extreme, the Avengers constantly clashed with them. [[OBJ_5912]] gradually grew impatient; eventually, he broke away from the other four Phoenix hosts to act alone, leading his army to flood Wakanda, where the Avengers were hiding!
Wakanda suffered devastating damage in this invasion; its people and homes were utterly destroyed. The entire Avengers team mobilized, and even the Scarlet Witch eventually joined the fray, finally managing to defeat this Phoenix host and end the war.
Some time later, conflict erupted again between the Wakandans and the Atlanteans, resulting in the deaths of over sixty Wakandans. Both Black Panther and [[OBJ_5912]] were working together in the Illuminati at the time to resolve the Incursion crisis, which created a very awkward situation.
Given the situation caused by both sides' soldiers, [[OBJ_5912]] decided to present Black Panther with a very generous peace proposal, stating that Wakanda would be wise to accept it. At this time, T'Challa was still Black Panther, but he was the Black Panther of the Necropolis, while Wakanda's current Black Panther was his sister Shuri, so he only promised to relay the message.
However, at the war council, T'Challa was the only one who opposed launching a full-scale war against Atlantis to defend Wakanda's honor and restore its national prestige, and so things spiraled out of control.
While [[OBJ_5912]] coincidentally traveled to the Illuminati's base (the Necropolis), the Wakandan army launched a full-scale invasion of Atlantis. T'Challa felt remorseful about this and still warned [[OBJ_5912]] to return and protect his people.
But it was too late. During another major event, Infinity, Thanos dispatched his forces to Earth to search for several targets, including the missing Time Stone. Proxima Midnight led her army to Atlantis, only to find [[OBJ_5912]] roaring amidst the blood of his people......
Realizing he could not defeat the enemy before him, [[OBJ_5912]], with his nation destroyed and people lost, had no choice but to submit. Since the Time Stone was not there, Proxima Midnight accepted his surrender based on his promise of the gem's whereabouts.
In retaliation, [[OBJ_5912]] told her that the Time Stone was in Wakanda, instructing her to unleash Thanos's entire army upon Wakanda.
After Wakanda's destruction, it was already the eve of the major event, Secret Wars. [[OBJ_5912]] was tasked with trapping Thanos and the Cabal on another Earth that was about to be destroyed, and then escaping himself. However, Black Panther intercepted him midway, plunging the dagger passed down through generations of Black Panthers into his chest!
Even so, this couldn't kill [[OBJ_5912]], and T'Challa knew it. So he enlisted another king from the Illuminati, Black Bolt, to knock [[OBJ_5912]] back down to the Earth that was about to explode.
While this still wouldn't kill [[OBJ_5912]] from the fall, at least he would realize that T'Challa had won in the end before the world was destroyed. Everything he did to Wakanda would ultimately come at a cost!
Unfortunately, the Cabal, including [[OBJ_5912]], still managed to escape. In the subsequent Secret Wars, Black Panther and [[OBJ_5912]] teamed up again, as both their nations and worlds had been annihilated, leaving nothing left to fight over......
By: Marthus