The Ally Or The Enemy?

As they close in on the final hours of their two-week honeymoon, the Black Panther and his new Queen, Storm, find themselves returning to a matter they'd tabled before departing: a message delivered to them on their wedding day by Victor Von Doom, which suggested, in so many words, that they meet to discuss a possible alliance. Normally such a proposal would be out of the question for the nation of Wakanda, and perhaps it remains so with T'Challa; yet he does counter that he and Ororo handle the situation by including Latveria as part of a "goodwill tour" of nations--visiting some of the larger centers of global power, to assuage possible fears of those who see the new couple as the embodiment of "too much power, too much wealth, too well connected." A combination of factors that, in the minds of some, might indicate a desire to take over the world.

An almost laughable leap to make for the sane, but we live on the planet Earth, after all. In any case, the undertones of Doom's message make him the logical first stop for the pair, if a cautious one--because you never know how the man known as Dr. Doom will take rejection.

But we can make a good guess.

Though let's not get ahead of ourselves, since writer Reginald Hudlin obviously realizes the value of formalities when it comes to a man like Doom, who typically observes them as a means to an end which he has already planned. On their arrival at Doom's castle in Latveria, T'Challa and Ororo find their host gracious to a point, acknowledging their nuptials with a tasteful gift--before using those same nuptials as a segue to more pressing concerns.

Even more than the main Civil War book itself, the various titles which carried its banner were often fascinating reads that explored many facets of the characters who in one way or another had a stake in the conflict, if only indirectly. Secure enough in his own power base, it's doubtful that Doom had any serious concerns about either the U.S. government or Tony Stark becoming an eventual threat to him; but it's clear from this conversation that he's keenly interested in establishing ties with Wakanda, a nation of resources technological and otherwise, and a formidable power in its own right. This particular issue of Black Panther bore no such banner on its cover, perhaps due to the absence of the conflict's main players--but the fact that Doom currently sees it as affording him an opportunity to further his plans makes perfect sense.

Unfortunately, in perhaps what he views as a cat-and-mouse encounter with T'Challa and his queen, Doom makes a rare slip-up that threatens to blunt the momentum he wishes to build here--and in so doing, we see a glimpse of an aspect to his character that is as unexpected as it is distasteful.

Since we must assume that T'Challa makes no idle boast here of his country's achievements, the scene is reminiscent of Hudlin's story synopsis where mention is made of Wakanda being in an advanced state of development "since the dawn of time." It seems absurd to consider, unless Wakandans, like the Inhumans, were subjected to an evolutionary "jump-start" by the Kree; nor can we point the finger at the Celestials' experiments with humans, since those produced only a latent gene which would take millennia to manifest. That leaves the presumption that the indigenous Wakandans were made up of an isolated faction of Eternals, wild speculation at best.

As for Doom, he pivots back to his main objective, in order to avoid alienating the Panther--but that ship may have already sailed.

As they say in the announcement booth: "Annnnd that's the ball game."

As a "power couple" in the truest sense, the Panther and Storm are well-balanced in terms of their abilities in taking on a hostile force--though admittedly Doom is a cut above the normal super-powered threat, in addition to having a plentiful supply of Doombots for his foes to contend with. It's unclear how Doom has armed his robotic lackeys; it's safe to assume that their armor isn't as formidably equipped as that of Doom himself, but they're probably not simply limited to their strength and a few energy weapons. Yet the difference seems enough here, since Storm has any number of resources to bring to bear on a large task force.

But while the Panther appears confident enough in his own suit's enhancements to challenge Doom, it's difficult to believe the triumph wouldn't eventually belong to his foe.  Fortunately, T'Challa has covered his bases in that regard, with a device on board his jet that even now hums into life.

We see how quickly the tide has again turned in Doom's favor, given how it's never a good idea to underestimate him. On the other hand, he appears in his arrogance to have forgotten that he's now outnumbered here--and the Panther's queen has more than enough power to deal with one who now lacks it. When all is said and done, we see that even Doom recognizes a lost cause when he sees one.

Earlier in this story, there has also been a scene that shows there are some in the U.S. government who are closely keeping an eye on the Panther's movements, highly suspicious of his overtures toward other world powers. It would probably occur to the reader at this point that if the Panther were truly involved in a clandestine attempt to insinuate and expand Wakanda's influence and/or control, he and Storm would be in a position now to do so vis-à-vis Latveria. It also wouldn't be surprising if the government is perhaps having unpleasant reminders of the Fantastic Four's own actions three years prior (in Mark Waid's FF story arc, "Authoritative Action").

In any event, Storm and the Panther depart Latveria without further incident--but clearly this goodwill tour could stand a little more good will on the part of those they wish to placate.

Black Panther #19 Script: Reginald Hudlin Pencils: Scot Eaton Inks: Andrew Hennessy Letterer: Randy Gentile