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Black Panther is officially dead in Marvel lore, and the latest installment of the publisher’s Marvel Knights imprint is here to ask “what now?” in the wake of the Wakandan leader’s passing. Of course, with the story’s unfortunate parallels to the real world, it also immediately stands out as potential future MCU source material.
In an interview with AIPT, Priest discussed Marvel Knights: The World To Come #1, a lore-changing Black Panther limited series he produced in collaboration with artist and former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. In the story, the death of Black Panther prompts a succession crisis, and as the author noted, whoever inherits the Wakandan throne will also be heir to the late hero’s secrets and plans for the future.
“It’s very scary if Black Panther dies,” Priest explained, “because he’s got a lot of toys that we know about and a lot of toys we don’t know about.”
Marvel Knights: The World To Come #1; Written By Christopher Priest; Art By Joe Quesada; Available Now From Marvel Comics
As Christopher Priest told AIPT, The World To Come is not about Black Panther’s death, but rather the fallout from it. Accordingly, the hero and Wakandan ruler will make a quick exit from the story, setting the stage for the battle for the throne, and all the messy, and potentially deadly, implications that come along with it. According to Priest, something that should be on readers’ minds is the advanced technology in Black Panther’s possession, and perhaps in some cases, under his guardianship. Priest said:
Oh, he dies on page 2, so… ‘Woah, what happened here? Did somebody put something in his soup?’ We’ll you’re gonna have to read to find out…The story is not about him dying, it’s about how we got to this point. And I think that’s the more significant thing. That’s the good stuff that we don’t want to reveal.
We know sooner or later everybody dies. Now, the question is what happens to all the toys? It’s very scary if Black Panther dies, because he’s got a lot of toys that we know about and a lot of toys we don’t know about. And we established in our series, 30 years ago, that in a desk drawer, he’s got all these plans for how to defeat, you know, Batman. He knows how to take down Galactus. He’s got all these like, contingency plans. Or as Jack Nicholson said, ‘All these marvelous toys.’ So the crisis is, what now? OK, Black Panther’s dead, what now?
Translation: those “toys” in the wrong hands could be devastating for the Marvel Universe.
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The future of Black Panther lore has been shaken forever as the son of T’Challa takes the throne, and he’s unlike anything fans would have expected.
As Marvel fans know, T’Challa is among Marvel’s smartest characters, and also one of the most powerful, in terms of his access to resources as the leader of Wakanda. Further, more than just technology, Black Panther has detailed plans “how to take down” the most over-powered beings in the Marvel Universe; Priest drew the parallel to DC’s Batman, notorious for his “contingency plans“, and as DC readers are acutely aware, things can go horribly awry if and when someone with the wrong intentions gains access to these plans.
The Return Of Marvel Knights Is A Fitting Way For Marvel To Shape “The World To Come”
The World To Come Promises Mysteries And Major Consequences
Marvel’s official synopsis for Marvel Knights: The World to Come #1 boldly claims that this story will have a milestone impact. It reads:
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 [the] 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!
Note the reference to “the world’s most advanced technology” as well as “a cryptic vault of dark secrets,” both things alluded to by author Christopher Priest. Even more tantalizing, though, is the prospect that “the future of the Marvel 616 Universe,” or in other words, the mainstream Marvel canon, “will be determined by a final tribal challenge for the Wakandan throne.“
This promises an ambitious story in The World To Come, which is fitting for the revival of the Marvel Knights brand, considering it played a pivotal role in shaping Marvel Comics at the turn of the century. Marvel Knights originated in 1998, with Black Panther as one of its inaugural titles, and continued for fifteen years; the imprint was pivotal in elevating Joe Quesada to the role of Marvel Editor-in-Chief in 2000, a role he held until 2011. For both Christopher Priest and Quesada, this is a return to form at Marvel, and the issue is set to be appropriately significant.
The Death Of T’Challa’s Unfortunate MCU Parallels Have Fans Watching “The World To Come” Closely
A Black Panther Sequel Could Draw Inspiration From The Series
Without delving into spoiler territory, it is fair to say that The World To Come honors Black Panther while still using T’Challa’s death as a plot device, something that reflects the struggle of the MCU’s Wakanda Forever film, made in the wake of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing. With a third Black Panther film currently in limbo, The World To Come stands out as a potential blueprint for how to tell a story about a post-T’Challa power struggle in Wakanda.
The mysteries and tensions introduced in the wake of T’Challa’s death at the start of the first issue are only just being set up, maneuvered into place so that they can have the major impact Marvel is promising.
That is, from its premise at least. Marvel Knights: The World To Come is slated to run for six issues, meaning that the mysteries and tensions introduced in the wake of T’Challa’s death at the start of the first issue are only just being set up, maneuvered into place so that they can have the major impact Marvel is promising. Once all is said and done, and the “mysterious victor” of the fight to succeed Black Panther is revealed, then fans can truly decide whether they want to see it happen on-screen.
Source: AIPT, Christopher Priest interview
Marvel Knights: The World To Come #1 is available now from Marvel Comics!
Black Panther
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