Tag Archives: Wakanda

BLACK PANTHER: PANTHER’S RAGE

 

Black PantherHere’s Balladeer’s Blog’s examination of Don McGregor’s 1973-1975 Black Panther story Panther’s Rage. I’m no comic book expert but in my opinion Panther’s Rage surpasses much of the work done by the overrated and overpraised Alan Moore.

As always, since I’m neither a liberal nor a conservative I was surprised by some of the intense political reactions to my reviewing this Black Panther story. Many people who call themselves conservatives seem to think this Marvel Comics character has some connection to the hate group called the Black Panthers.

Actually this figure came BEFORE the Black Panthers. In fact Marvel flirted with changing the character’s name a few times – once to just simply “the Panther” and once to “the Black Leopard” – to keep their character separated from the racist hate group.

Erik Killmonger

“Memes … memes, everywhere.”

On the other side many people who call themselves liberals huffed and puffed indignantly that I was covering a 13-part story written by (GASP) a white guy about a black character! Hey, a white guy even CREATED the character. I wonder if that invalidates the Black Panther entirely in their narrow minds.   

Anyway, here are chapter by chapter links to my review –

ONE: PANTHER’S RAGE – Prince T’Challa, the Black Panther, returns to his isolated African kingdom of Wakanda to try to put down a violent rebellion led by a Wakandan calling himself Erik Killmonger. CLICK HERE 

TWO: DEATH REGIMENTS BENEATH WAKANDA – The Black Panther battles Venomm, the supervillain in charge of Killmonger’s operation tunneling toward Wakanda City while simultaneously mining and stealing the nation’s vibranium reserves. CLICK HERE 

THREE: MALICE BY CRIMSON MOONLIGHT – Killmonger sends a super-powered woman called Malice to help Venomm escape from the Royal Palace’s prison on the same night that T’Challa is undergoing his renewal of the Panther Herb ritual. CLICK HERE   Continue reading

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PANTHER’S RAGE THIRTEEN – AFTERMATH: A STUDY IN ASHES AND RUIN

AftermathFOR PART ONE CLICK HERE   

JUNGLE ACTION Volume 2, Number 18 (November 1975)

It’s the Epilogue chapter to Panther’s Rage! After Killmonger’s defeat and the foiling of his uprising against the Black Panther last time around, Wakanda City is being rebuilt. Various loose ends are wrapped up as T’Challa must get to the bottom of a series of revenge killings by an obvious Killmonger sympathizer. 

XIII. AFTERMATH: A STUDY IN ASHES AND RUIN

Synopsis:  We are told two months have gone by since Killmonger’s death at Warrior Falls and the defeat of his army in Wakanda City ended the war. Much of the capital city is still being reconstructed after all the damage done by Killmonger’s forces, especially his trained dinosaurs from Serpent Valley.

The Black Panther has been sagely overseeing his people during this period of rebuilding and struggling to make food supplies, etc last until stability can be fully restored. He also oversaw the return to Serpent Valley of those dinosaurs still alive at the end of the last issue’s battle royal. 

One newly arrived piece of furniture is a piano from America and T’Challa’s Royal Consort Monica Lynne plays that piano while she and T’Challa chit-chat amid the ruins of the partially rebuilt Royal Palace.

Madame SlayHidden in the jungle Madame Slay plots revenge killings on behalf of the late Killmonger and plans to slay the Black Panther himself. 

Venomm (Horatio Walters) is being released on time served because of consideration over his defection to Wakanda City’s side during Killmonger’s army’s inhumane assault on the capital’s hospitals. Not to mention Venomm’s saving of Taku’s life when King Cadaver was killing him.

Taku – the Chief of Communications Technology – is on hand with T’Challa and a Quin-Jet crew as Venomm is released from his chains. Horatio says his farewells with Taku and then the Quin-Jet crew flies off with him to return him to his homeland in America.

Tayette and Kazibe are on hand for another comic relief bit at Venomm’s departure. They too have been pardoned (or something – it isn’t made clear) by the Black Panther, presumably for leading him to Resurrection Altar back in part seven. Continue reading

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BLACK PANTHER: PANTHER’S RAGE OVERVIEW

Black PantherMarvel’s Black Panther movie has prompted a lot of Balladeer’s Blog’s readers to ask for more and more items on the figure. My favorite was one from just today which said “I don’t like actually reading comic books but I like the way you describe them and review the stuff so could you do Panther’s Rage?”

Since many of the characters in the Wakanda vs Atlantis War made their first appearance during Panther’s Rage (1973-1975) I figured why not.

Panther's RageJUNGLE ACTION Volume 2 Number 6 (September 1973)

PANTHER’S RAGE

This 13-part story dealt with a rebellion aimed at overthrowing T’Challa – the Black Panther – as the ruler of Wakanda and replacing him with N’Jadaka/ Erik Killmonger. This was the rebellion that caused T’Challa to take a leave of absence from the Avengers in our previous Black Panther article.

Synopsis: The Black Panther has been agilely making his way through the jungle like Douglas Fairbanks, Sr in the Silent Movie The Gaucho. He’s freshly returned to Wakanda and is trying to recapture the rhythms of the kingdom he has spent far too much time away from in his adventures.   

Erik Killmonger

“Memes … memes, everywhere.”

He comes across Tayette and Kazibe, two of Killmonger’s men, torturing an old man in a makeshift cage. It’s part of the rebels’ ongoing campaign of terror against all Wakandan villages and citizens who are still loyal to T’Challa (The Black Panther).

Our hero attacks and drives away Tayette and Kazibe, then frees their victim from the cage. The dying old man reaffirms his loyalty to T’Challa and says he never doubted that he would return to Wakanda to help his troubled people. Continue reading

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BLACK PANTHER’S WAR PITTING WAKANDA AGAINST ATLANTIS CONCLUDES

With Marvel’s Black Panther movie making such a splash right now here’s the conclusion of the Summer of 1980 script-doctoring bit about Wakanda and Atlantis fighting each other. 

FOR PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK  HERE 

Defenders 86 Quiet Riot

DEFENDERS Vol 1: Number 86 (Aug 1980) – D-Day on Kiber Island  (My title – the original title was The Left Hand of Silence)

On Kiber Island the Defenders are caught between two armies about to collide: On one side an Atlantean army with troops riding on a large number of those subsea monsters Sub-Mariner often uses to attack the surface world. On the other a Wakandan army with troops riding and flying around on a large number of dinosaurs from Serpent Valley. 

Our heroes – Hulk, Sub-Mariner, Valkyrie, Clea and Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) try to shake off the Mandrill’s taunts as his viewscreen shuts off. The Defenders’ actions vary from struggling just to survive amidst all the lumbering monsters and high-tech weaponry of the clashing armies and trying to stop the violence since they know both sides are being manipulated. Foolkiller would be his usual battle-crazed “Emilo Estevez in Young Guns” self while Valkyrie would remind him to spare lives as much as possible.   Continue reading

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FOOLKILLER 11: D-DAY ON KIBER ISLAND

Foolkiller hands on hips

So Foolkiller walks into a bar and the bartender says “Hey, buddy … Why the long neck?” Oh, wait – that’s all wrong.

Since it’s the superhero film time of the year Balladeer’s Blog’s “Script Doctoring” of Marvel’s handling of Foolkiller continues with Part Eleven. 

FOR PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK  HERE 

This time around I rewrite all of The Defenders # 86 and bring my war between Wakanda and Atlantis to a close.

There are also new revelations about Foolkiller’s Purification Gun as his time with the Defenders rapidly nears its end.  Continue reading

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FOOLKILLER 10:THE WAKANDA/ ATLANTIS WAR CONTINUES

Foolkiller upper body GOOD

Foolkiller with his Purification Gun and red hat-sash

Summer brings superhero films so in that spirit Balladeer’s Blog’s “Script Doctoring” of Marvel’s handling of Foolkiller continues with Part Ten. 

FOR PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK  HERE 

I rewrite virtually the entire story again this time around as The Defenders # 85 is on the schedule. My war between Wakanda and Atlantis proceeds, with Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) and the other Defenders caught in the middle. Will a certain Latverian dictator also get into the act? Continue reading

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FOOLKILLER 9: WAR BETWEEN WAKANDA AND ATLANTIS

Foolkiller alone but like spidey cover

Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) and his Purification Gun after he just had mouth-enlargement surgery.

In recognition of all the summer superhero films Balladeer’s Blog’s “Script Doctoring” of Marvel’s handling of Foolkiller continues with Part Nine. 

FOR PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK  HERE   

This time around my script-doctoring extends to virtually the entire issue of The Defenders # 84. It’s easy to see why this comic book was financially iffy by this point. In researching these stories for this series of blog posts I couldn’t believe how many issues ended with readers probably thinking “So, did anything really happen this month? Well, no … Again.”

In this particular installment I rewrite the whole damn book to present the breakout of a war between Marvel’s two greatest hidden realms – the Black Panther’s Wakanda and Namor’s Atlantis – with Foolkiller and the rest of the Defenders caught in the middle.  Continue reading

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