Hudlin Entertainment Forum

We need that.

Maybe start a petition, or something?

That is all.


https://shadowandact.com/remembering-a-man-called-hawk-the-coolest-brother-on-tv/















"

Television
Remembering 'A Man Called Hawk' - The Coolest Brother On TV
 Facebook
 Twitter
April 20th 2017
nullTonight I got into a conversation with some friends about old TV shows from the past that we really liked, and I brought up A Man Called Hawk. You remember him don't you? A brother so cool that he could literally drive a car at night with tinted windows with shades on. Now, THAT'S one bad mutha'.



ADVERTISING

inRead invented by Teads

For those you youngsters out there, you who don't know what I'm talking about, Hawk was a spin-off series from the ABC Network popular detective TV show Spencer For Hire. Hawk, who was played by Avery Brooks, was Spencer's sort of friend and occasional partner.

Yet, thankfully, he was his own man, and never took risks or sacrficed his own safety for Spencer. No devoted servant was he. Spencer was his friend, but only up to a point. He looked out for No. 1 and if Spencer needed him, which seemed to be all the time, he would help him out. Maybe. If he had the time.

But Hawk was so charismatic and became so popular that ABC gave the character his own show, which premiered in January 1989. Unfortunately, it only ran for 13 episodes.

In the show, Hawk had relocated  from Boston, where Spencer was based, back to his hometown of Washington D.C. Once settled there he became a kind of do-gooder helping out desperate people in trouble who had nowhere to turn. It was full of action and had a certain gritty vibe to it. It was sort of like a 70's blaxplotation movie every week.

But with the show centered on Hawk, Brooks gave him some depth. He was a jack-of-all-trades and a Renaissance man to boot. He collected African art, played the vibes and chess, and was skilled in martial arts. He was a man's man, and a real genuine black masculine presence on TV when they were so rare (even today).

And when you look at the talent who appeared on various episodes, you'll be amazed. Aside from Angela Bassett, who played Hawk's girlfriend in a few episodes, other guest stars included people such as Charles S. Dutton, Wendell Pierce, Keith David, Deroy Lindo, Kasi Lammons, Wesley Snipes, Joe Morton and, oh yes, some unknown by the name of Samuel L. Jackson.

Of course after Hawk went off the air, Brooks later became the lead on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for several seasons. But I still think A Man Called Hawk was his best role.

Since the show was produced by Warner TV, perhaps there's a chance that the Warner Archive DVD-on-demand label, which has been releasing old Warner Bros TV shows from the 70's and 80's, will release a complete Hawk series multiple DVD set sometime soon. It would be fun just to revisit them again. Maybe we need Hawk more than ever now."


We DO need Hawk MORE THAN EVER, now. What would his reaction be to Trump?

So. This is a touchy subject to some, but I concur with first Christopher Priest [ the first man to proclaim that T'Challa is "the shrewdest man in the Marvel Universe" ] and Reginald Hudlin, here. I refer specifically to this quote by Priest:

"Where paths diverge between my vision of Panther and those previous is the character of T’Challa himself. I can’t speak for Mr. McGregor (whom I do not know), but my impression was he saw Panther as the ultimate realization of human potential whose bravery was exemplified in his willingness to risk his life in the service of others.

I see T’Challa that way as well, but I defer to Stan Lee, whose bedrock for this character was he was a man who outsmarted Reed Richards and out-fought the Thing. "--CHRISTOPHER PRIEST

https://www.newsarama.com/25496-priest-looks-back-at-black-panther.html

The trick, though, is how can we imbue T'Challa with that premier intellect WITHOUT violating the canon and history and pinnacle expertise of the other megabrains in Marvel...including all 3 versions of Shuri, starting with RH's Shuri BP, the MCU's ultragenius teenage Shuri, and TurnCoates' "Ancient Future" Shuri [ which I actually like; and please my brethren...let us not speak of the vomitous Star Wars rip off cosmic feces that TurnCoates is writing, now ].

I think that the answer to both accenting how uniquely ultra-brilliant T'Challa himself [ not Maberry Era Wizard Killer T'Challa, not King of the Dead T'Challa, not T'Challa post HSH sippage, no, just pure unaugmented T'Challa ] actually is. I think that we as fans and writers are still bamboozled about T'Challa's ultramegagenius to some extent because imo the distinctions between T'Challa himself, peak human ability as a catchall category, the powers of The Black Panther, the KOTD, and Wizard Killer T'Challa are STILL NOT CLEARLY DEFINED.

Regarding specifically T'Challa's intelligence and how to distinguish him from everyone else? Well...remember the unfettered, boundary breaking, jaw dropping world changing genius of the Lamtuna and Godala [ miscalled Moors ] whom are the literal source and inspiration for The Renaissance and by extension The Academic Decathlon? T'Challa is the ultimate incarnation of that.

Which means? He's either smarter than, as smart as, or in the Top 3 intellects engaged in literally any human endeavor. This allows Tony to still be the best blaster maker, T'Challa is just a superior all around WEAPONS maker because T'Challa himself possesses vastly superior experience and training in every form of weapon Earth has ever seen, conjured or imagined...as well as a similar advantage regarding every weapon that every EarthLING has ever seen, conjured or imagined.

He is actually better than both Pym and Reed in Biology, he simply doesn't let on that he is.

T'Challa would not be as good as Shuri in the areas of tech that MCU Shuri showed are her bailiwick, but all other areas of tech? T'Challa holds the edge. As Shuri matures? We could even split that. Some areas of tech T'Challa is superior to her, others he is inferior to her, the majority of the rest they are essentially evenly matched...but T'Challa still has the edge in SWIFTER UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION because he has the unanswerable edge of EXPERIENCE over Shuri.

As RH showed, T'Challa would cleanly outperform Doom in every category except for actual magic use...as T'Challa is overall superior to Reed Richards in the IQ department, whereas Doom is overall INFERIOR to Reed in the IQ department.

I think this kind of approach prevents T'Challa from being "overpowered" but at the same time stamps him with a uniquely formidable form of intellect

What do my fellow HEFfas think about T'Challa's intellect, and how it differs from the other Marvel Big Brains?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/663070/chapters/7174307


Sabertooth stalked the verdant emerald jungle with such matchless feral grace and silence, that he disturbed not the chorusing jungle birds. He disturbed not the hunting python as it slithered across the top of one of his taloned feet, as it searched for its morning meal. He moved with such amazing grace that he disturbed not the exceptionally foul tempered Wakandan Pomboo [ "Honey Badger" ], known for millenia for its legendary ferocity and infinitely cantankerous temperament far more irascible than that of the "ordinary" and already foul tempered territorial wolverine of other lands. After expertly and warily scenting, examining, tasting the very air and casting about, Sabertooth entered the narrow waterway of a small river wending its way through the jungle. He caused not a single ripple. Disturbed not a single fish flitting to and fro, up and down in schools that looked like living multichromatic light in the refracting blue and silver crystal depths of Wakanda's rivers and lakes. Drew attention from not a single crocodile hunting the verdant, teeming, picaresque river shores; despite passing within a finger's breadth of four of them. Wary as the prehistoric beast from which he derived his name, Sabertooth did not just scent the atmosphere about him...he immersed himself and merged with the Natural World. He could see each flap of a nearby hummingbird's wings. He could taste the process of photosynthesis of the nearest clump of jungle trees on this far side of the river bank. He could leap aside as suddenly as the prehistoric predator from which he drew his name as an invisible, soundless, scentless force bolt flashed down upon the space his skull occupied fractions of a second ago.

The force bolt surged into the loamy earth, yet not only did no damage to the land itself...but the green grass blades stood all the taller and all the more densely after the force bolt hit. A new flower...already in the beginning stages of blooming...turned its fresh face for the first time to the golden glory of the sun. The force bolt would have probably killed Sabertooth with even a glancing strike, yet its energy matrix was crafted and calibrated with such superb care for the natural world that it actually enhanced the life energies of Nature.

Only one nation in the history of Earth regularly employed such incredible, innovative technologies and energies: Wakanda.

The second force bolt did not follow hard upon the first...a first in Sabertooth's long and cruel experience. In every preceding instance in Sabertooth's life, there were next to none who dared to hunt him. Only one...Logan...consistently survived such an experience. At all costs, any and all who hunted Sabertooth NEVER allowed him to regain or equalize the initiative once they seized it, because all knew that allowing a creature such as Sabertooth to retaliate against any being or beings that ever threatened him almost invariably ended in the horrific deaths of said being or beings at Sabertooth's merciless claws.

This assailant did not press his/her/their/its advantage. For this failure, Sabertooth resolved to rip out the entrails of his hunter and make them watch him devour their guts before they died.

"Victor Creed. You have some skills that Lady Bullseye does not possess," the firm, strong, feminine voice stated. "Logan was right about you."

Sabertooth scanned the environment about him with his hyperacute senses ratcheted up to the highest levels of sensitivity he could muster. He heard each individual beat of a humming bird's wings. He could smell the photosynthetic activity of the greenery around him. He could see and discern individual identifying characteristics of each bit of pollen on the legs of bees buzzing lazily by him. He could taste each mote of dust in the air nearest him. He could feel the organic processes of life under the bark of trees ten feet away. But of his assailant? He found nothing.

"Another Wakandan?" Sabertooth noted the unique musical lilt of the accented English the disembodied voice spoke with flawless diction; and huffed with huge disdain. " I killed two of your best, last time I was here. Ripped their throats out. Made them watch as I lapped their blood off of my claws as they lay dying. And was about to off yer King when that runt Logan and that lightning bitch Ororo interfered."

With the condescending insufferable arrogance that Wakandans are internationally known for, the disembodied voice replied:

"You killed no one. You were provided the opportunity to escape and assault two LMD's...Life Model Decoys...as part of what you Outworlders would call a 'high school experiment' cataloging your low intellect, and your mutant abilities. You resoundingly confirmed our low opinions of you, in every regard." The voice paused, letting the significance of the statement sink in. Sabertooth was a mortal threat to practically any organization worldwide, and always amongst the Most Wanted criminals and assassins the world has ever known. yet to Wakandans? He qualified only as a "high school experiment". 

The disembodied voice continued, its insufferable arrogance and condescending tone never wavering. "You never. Ever. Menaced our King. Luckily for you, he was engaged in other matters of more import...else he would have killed you out of hand. As part of my training, I observed chronospatial data showing that in the House of M alternate reality, you made the stupid mistake of attempting to assault our King. For which he easily, dismissively and summarily beheaded you. With your own sword.

In fact, I would not have been tasked to sully myself with your repulsive presence...the Wakandan Guard is far more than capable of handling the likes of you...were it not for the fact that I was nearest to you at this moment. Thus was I tasked with delivering this message to you:

You will take your friend Lady Bullseye and yourself out of Wakanda immediately. Or I will execute you."

"Ha!" Sabertooth roared. "You couldn't hurt me if you trie--"

There came not a series of blows but one multipronged assault, savvily striking nerve points in Sabertooth's superhumanly powerful and muscular upper torso pelvic girdle and lower torso at the same time. Sabertooth vibrated with a pain so intense that he couldn't even formulate a thought. He hit the ground and felt his muscles spasm contort coil tight and explode to full length tautness dozens of times per second. His fangs gnashed and gnoshed upon his tongue and inner cheek meat, making them into bloody hamburger. He clouted his head against the unyielding earth and trees with all of his great strength two dozen times per second. His spine howled with pain like a live thing, and flexed so powerfully against his body that it seemed on the verge of tearing itself from his flesh and freeing itself from his brain.

"Your healing factor will not save you," the strong feminine disembodied voice continued, without an ounce of concern. "You managed to dodge the invisible force bolt fired upon you, but you missed entirely the fact that the force bolt was a tactic employed to move you onto a Phased Inhibitor Field which promptly bereft you of your mutant healing power."

A single, acutely accurate throw of a rock hit several nerve ganglia in an arcane sequence. Sabertooth wheezed-growled-shuddered...then vomited blood his own flesh and undigested food...as the convulsions subsided to a mere twitch and then halted entirely within thirty seconds.

With the same erudite tone as a professor lecturing on a college campus, the strong feminine disembodied voice stated: "The next blow will be fatal. Unless you agree to undertake the mission you are charged with: You and Lady Bullseye are to leave immediately. Inform your less scientific and more nefarious employers that you have failed. Inform them that they are never to have any part of any attempt to assail Wakanda again. Else we will utterly slay them all.

Do you agree to engage in this undertaking?"

Drooling vomit and snot, Sabertooth nodded once. As best as he could. Even as his mind was aflame with the unquenchable desire to rend his tormentor apart and savor the taste of her blood. He knew that he would find her again. If it took him centuries, he would find her and nothing would save her from him.

But today he was going to carry Lady Bullseye to their employers.

 

 

Just a snippet of what I wrote, years ago. We begin already in the midst of the encounter between T'Challa and Hercules


"...or we could settle this via trial by combat," Hercules finished for TChalla." Brother TChalla. Truly you are courageous and formidable, which you have just proved yet again. No mortal. And no other. Has met and defeated the incredible warrior you have just bested prior to meeting me.

However. No matter how elated you may be from such a glorious win over such a worthy opponent, you have ever been amongst the very keenest of minds. Even at your worst, you have never been a fool, or suicidal. Wakanda is not a land where the suicidal or the fools are born. Nor is it a land that fools can survive.

Challenging the Son of Zeus is a fool's mission, certain suicide; doomed to the most heinous of failures. Ne'er would I have believed any tale that you uttered such folly, were I not here to hear such myself.

 I am the Prince of Power, Brother TChalla. I am beyond your ability to defeat. You know this, whatever you may say to yourself; whatever you may say to others or allow others to think."

"Brother Hercules. You could not possibly believe that, upon request, I would relinquish The Heart and The Hammer after having gone through such great lengths to acquire and retain them. You must know...whatever you told someone else. Like Athena, for instance...That such prizes would have to be wrest from my hands. Therefore, Brother Hercules, before you came here you knew that you would have to wrest these items from me. And that is precisely what you have set your mind upon. Wresting from me that which I will not willingly relinquish.

Perhaps you made this decision to prevent the Heart and Hammer from falling into the clutches of others whom you may have good reason to believe have their eyes on these items and have, in your opinion, the power to wrest them from me. The clutches of someone like..."

"...perhaps Hades," Hercules supplied. His incredibly deep, compelling bass voice rumbling with a power that could punch a hole in a mountain." Or Persephone. She has long treasured The Heart, for herself alone. Any of the Theoni Khthonioi would lust for it with a hunger beyond mortal ken to comprehend. Perhaps even..."

"...Athena." TChalla shrewdly interjected.

There was a brief moment of silence, as each Brother gazed upon the other, and calculations were calibrated and recalibrated.

" Therefore," TChalla continued, " you have taken the task of protecting these items upon yourself. And in the process, save your younger Brother and the thousands of mortals of Wakanda and elsewhere who would leap to his defense from a certain and gruesomely horrifying death at the hands of not just their betters. You believe you save us from the unanswerable wrath of Gods like yourself."

Another calculating pause. And then Hercules replies: "I am seeking to help you, younger Brother. You are involving yourself in the affairs of Gods. Men are not capable of understanding. Or surviving. The affairs of Gods. Relinquish this dreadful burden. I will repair with these items to a mighty Vault which Zeus himself has enspelled. It is proof from all violation, all malice, all villainy, all mishap. What Zeus...mighty Zeus...wrought is more powerful and safer by far than any place you may secrete or store these artifacts in Wakanda, however doughty the defenses you erect are.'

'As I recall, Gods are who brought this calamity down upon us all in the first place. " TChalla reminds Hercules.

"Tis sooth! Therefore it falls to we, the Gods...not men...to rectify our mistake." Hercules passionately enjoins.

"Perhaps tis time for we, the Wakandans, to save the Gods from themselves. By removing these items from the grasp of all beings. Gods and mortals alike. We have never failed to meet whatever threat or threats with prompt and proper action. We are prepared to successfully dispense with these matters as well."

"Hubris, Brother TChalla. Hubris. You reek of it. I recognize its sweet vapors,for hubris is the rum I have sipped upon and come to learn more than a little something about over the many millennia of my life. In fact, TChalla, I know much more about this than even you. Despite your nigh peerless intellect. And you are awash in hubris, younger Brother. Drunk with it. As evidenced by your current decision making, you are too inebriated with hubris to make the kinds of cold, calculated, brilliantly flawless decisions that you are justly known for."

"I am somewhat well versed regarding the sins of hubris," TChalla commented impassively. "And I disagree with your assessment. I will not relinquish the Heart and Hammer."

"You know not what perils you court, Brother TChalla." Hercules warns. "These items are vaunted by virtually all creatures of the cosmos. Creatures beyond your ken. The Celestials seek these artifacts. Lord Chaos. Master Order. The Mapmakers..."

"...and even beings like The Black Priests, and Annihilus would seek these artifacts. I am aware, Brother Hercules. Even heroic Hercules seeks these artifacts, for his own agenda. An agenda which is heroic and noble...but which I do not see as superseding my own.  And I am prepared to deal with all threats that come."

"What mean you by this agenda that you ascribe to me, TChalla?" Hercules' voice held the beginnings of the terrifying wrath that leveled many cities and spawned hundreds of legends.

TChalla replies: "How came you to this spot, Hercules? At this time? On this day? Expecting to meet me? Aware of my possession of The Heart and Hammer, when I informed no one save a mere handful of preselected others who DID NOT include you?"

Hercules lapsed into silence.

"That agenda, Brother Hercules. The agenda that keeps you silent, now, when you should be talking. If you were without an agenda."

"What stops me from simply taking them from you, younger Brother? Ah. Your vaunted Wakandan technology and resources."

"No."

"You would use something other than your technology and resources? Magic, perhaps? An interesting option; but you are well aware that I have done more than well against wizards and sorcerers much more powerful than you are, Brother TChalla."

"No, Brother Hercules. As you are well aware, I mean that I will not use my technology or other resources against you in the contest that I propose..."

"I note that you did not deny that you are a wizard or sorcerer, Brother TChalla..."

"...The contest that I propose is simple. I. TChalla son of TChaka. Without my tech. No support from my near limitless Wakandan resources. And you, Hercules. Prince of Power. Lion of Olympus. Son of Zeus. Engage in a contest of combat, of honor to determine who on this day is the more worthy warrior. The winner receives The Heart and The Hammer. Our personal friendship and our treaty between Olympus and Wakanda remain inviolate."

"..nor did you confirm that you are a wizard or sorcerer. So in classic TChalla fashion, you have managed to not say quite a lot while leaving the rest of pretty much everything else cloaked in shadow. You relentlessly cultivate whatever your mysterious agenda is while simultaneously emulating being engaged in a bilateral conversation." Hercules mused aloud.

"Hercules."

"Oh, yes. Your honorable combat suggestion. TChalla. Because of the esteem that I hold for you...and because of the great concern I hold for your survival... I know that you cannot mean what you are suggesting. We both know that a single blow from me even at a fraction of my awe inspiring, legend building strength is sufficient to deprive you of life. I would not be the cause for Wakanda's loss of her King."

"If you land." TChalla replied, with imperturbable calm.

"Therefore, even were I to entertain your plan to essentially court suicide via combat by me, I would never unfurl more than a twenty thousandth of my mind boggling power. In this way I ensure your continued existence."

"I propose a contest not to the death, Elder Shield  Brother Hercules, but rather a contest that places the victor as the first to land a blow, hold, throw, displacement, push,  pinion, strangle, choke, lock, sweep...any hand to hand blow tactic skill etc. or combination or series of the preceding, in order to land an uncontestably clean, clear, obvious, focused but near fatal technique that causes no damage upon the recipient of said technique. This technique is so clearly a fatal or near fatal technique that the only reason the recipient of such a technique still lives and/or remains conscious, is because the warrior executing said technique does not wish to inflict fatal harm upon the recipient of the technique. The honor of the recipient of such a technique by the victor will compel him to admit defeat, on this day. The victor may then decide the fate of The Hammer and The Heart. What say you, Son of Zeus?"




Interesting, or nah?

https://www.newsarama.com/37407-mcgregor-priest-hudlin-lashley-back-for-new-black-panther-stories.html


Four of Black Panther's most iconic creators are reuniting with the character for a new Black Panther Annual #1 coming out this February. Don McGregor, Christopher Priest, Reggie Hudlin, and Ken Lashley are working on stories for the anthology - along with Daniel Acuna and several more artists to be named later.

"I had wanted to do this opening sequence for years, but hadn’t determined how to pull it off," McGregor told Newsarama of his new story. "But I figured out a way to do it, and do something that focuses emotionally on T’Challa and the people around him – some of them being characters readers liked back when I was writing Black Panther regularly. This turned into what I’m calling 'Panther’s Heart,' with Wakanda’s heart-shaped herb being one of the meanings for the title of the story. But for the story itself, I go into more detail about the heart-shaped herbs and how they’re used."

Here is the solicitation for that issue - and look for Marvel's full February 2018 solicits later this month at Newsarama.



Credit: Daniel Acuna (Marvel Comics)
BLACK PANTHER ANNUAL #1
DON McGREGOR, CHRISTOPHER PRIEST & REGGIE HUDLIN (W)
DANIEL ACUNA, KEN LASHLEY & MORE (A)
Cover by DANIEL ACUNA
Variant Cover by BRIAN STELFREEZE
LEGENDARY PANTHER WRITERS RETURN!
Three legendary BLACK PANTHER writers return to Wakanda! Don McGregor’s famous storyline “The Panther’s Rage” has become one of the most well-respected runs in comic book history. Now, the author who redefined Wakanda for a generation is back to expand the mythos! Bearing the heart-shaped herb that defines the Panther legacy, King T’Challa leaves his beloved country for a heart-wrenching mission in the streets of New York. Then: For half a decade, comics legend Christopher Priest made his mark on the Panther. The acclaimed writer returns with an all-new story – and with it, of course, U.S. State Department employee Everett K. Ross! And finally, no Panther history would be complete without Reggie Hudlin, author of more than 50 Black Panther stories, including the famed “Who Is The Black Panther?” Don’t miss the sequel to his “Black to the Future” story, featuring original artist Ken Lashley!



THE REAL T'CHALLA IS BACK!! AND WILL SELL A GAZILLION COPIES!!!

EFF THAT OLE T'CHUMPA THE BLAND PANTHER!!


BLACK TO THE FUTURE...LIKE R TO THE H'S ANNUAL ROCKED AND DEF JEF TOLD US BACK IN THE DAY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8dTg50_OjY

Chapter 6 [ PART 1 OF 3 ]: TREACHEROUS PATHWAYS 2: D'CIGGS, THE WARRIORS OF THE KSH AND THE RETURN OF THE NYANI MUNGU

Summary:

D'Ciggs [ half brother of TChalla and leader of the Kifalme Shujaa Heshima, the Royal Warriors of Honor whom the West stupidly miscalls "The Black Musketeers" ] and the KSH begin to execute their critical part in TChalla's intricate plan...presaging the return of a powerful ,allegedly long dead foe far more lethal than Killmonger has ever been.
Chapter Text

The Azanian Supremacists never heard of or saw the lone Wakandan before he simply and brazenly appears in the center of their camp in Mohannda; a camp they strategically placed near to where the SuperMercs were to exit The Disputed Zone with Wakanda. They didn't expect any genuine problem with this operation, and were already prepared to airlift the precious cargo they were woefully stupid enough to think that they'd acquire.

"Azanian Supremacists," this lone, armored Wakandan called to the startled group of superhumans that fancied themselves to be his enemies. "I am Dr. Ithobo, a member of the elite Kifalme Shujaa Heshima...The Royal Warriors of Honor. I am offering you the opportunity to completely surrender to me, and survive."

The leader of the Supremacists...The White Avenger...swiftly rallied his team.

"Barricade, seize our unwanted guest. Harrier, Voortrekker, check the immediate environs for more idiot niggers like this one who might be cowering in the vicinity."

Harrier cybernetically triggered his supersuit and it flared into energy and life, glimmering like a tiny star aborning. He leaped soundlessly into the sky, leaving a wake of streaking violet white and blue light as he flashed into the air like a jet fighter climbing into the skylanes.

Voortrekker slid with smooth clean professional skill into the jungle dark, melding into the wild without a sound or clue that he was ever with the other Supremacists.

"White Avenger," Barricade's basso profundo voice rolled across the small clearing as he moved with bellicose visage and intent of great violence upon the comparatively slight Dr. Ithobo. "How did this monkey come upon us without your knowledge?"

And then Barricade would have fastened one massive, superstrong hand in what would have literally been a bone crushing grip upon Dr. Ithobo's right deltoid.

Would have been.

Dr. Ithobo simply and effortlessly eluded the lumbering grasp of Barricade with marginal movement. An elegant pirouette cleverly executed at Barricade's ankle height which rolled him to Barricade's back. To Barricade, it appeared as if the Dr. had literally disappeared then reappeared. Teleportation, maybe. Or invisibility. A super power.

Dr. Ithobo fixed Barricade with an impassive, but somehow menacing glare. And Dr. Ithobo intoned with a dreaded, lethal serenity:

"The coronary ligament, the triangular ligaments, and the falciform ligament will shatter with less than ten pounds of force applied at the right angle of impact, skillful targeting and harmful intent."

Barricade had nooo idea what Dr. Ithobo was talking about. That...combined with his uncertainty about whether or not Dr. Ithobo exhibited a superpower while avoiding his first lumbering grasp...froze Barricade in place.

The White Avenger...superhumanly strong, senses superhumanly acute...turned like a rabid white wolf upon the Captain of the Mohanndan platoon sent to be essentially their lackeys. "Send four smalls squads...one to each cardinal direction...to scour the land for a kilometer radius."

"There is no member of his inferior race that can come upon me unawares,"The White Avenger answered to Barricade as he gestured toward the impassive Dr. Ithobo when he mentioned "inferior race", "thus White superpowered groups must be in the vicinity. That is why we are preparing for the worst."

The White Avenger than turned his attention back to the Captain of the Monanndan platoon sent to accompany them. "You will certainly see evidence of the presence or imminent arrival of The Avengers or The Fantastic Four or England's superteam, any of the X-teams or any of the most elite supercapes in the world. Who are all White, like us. Only superhuman Whites have a chance to PERHAPS slink passed my ever keen senses."

Dr. Ithobo tried not to roll his eyes. Failed.

"White Avenger," the erudite Dr. Ithobo calmly explained, "I am alone. There is no one with me. I need no such accompaniment."

Captain Bokim...the ranking officer of the Mohanndan contingent...did as he was ordered by The White Avenger. He recognized Dr. Ithobo right away, and was distinctly unenthused at the prospect of getting on the wrong side of any Royal Wakandan.

As soon as he was done doing what The White Avenger ordered him to do, he ventured [ from a safe distance from The White Avenger, who'd been known to murder Blacks for no reason whatsoever ] to confirm what Dr. Ithobo stated.

"Sir! My troops could find no evidence of hostiles," Captain Bokim said with a salute.

"Your failure to find anything at all means nothing. You subhumans are incapable of competence," The White Avenger scathingly replied. "Even your capacity to speak is a result of the White Race's great intelligence, forebearance ability and willingness to teach monkeys to sign and mimic the language of true White humanity. Remain silent."

Dr. Ithobo noted that Captain Bokim carefully stopped his growing desire to kill all of the Supremacists from shining in his eyes, as he humbly averted his face and bowed to The White Avenger. Then retired.

"I recognize this subhuman," Barricade said as he glared contempt and homicide down upon Dr. Ithobo. "He IS one of the lackeys of The Black Panther."

"I recognized it right away," The White Avenger replied."It is what it said it is. A...'Doctor"... Ithobo. As if these creatures possessed the intellectual acumen to be anything other than grunting witch doctors." The White Avenger harrumphed. "It is clearly suicidal. It has by its own account come to us alone when we nearly defeated its greatest champion, TChalla the Black Panther, when we were younger, less experienced, less powerful, and less accomplished than we are now. In point of fact, we would have slain this ridiculous Black Panther outright if not for the intervention of some powerful mystic entity controlled by the likes of a Doctor Strange or perhaps Baron Mordo.

Once we determine that this subhuman is alone, we will decapitate it and send it to The Black Panther by way of letting him know what we shall soon do to him."

"You have never encountered my cousin The Black Panther," Dr. Ithobo calmly stated, "else he would have slain you long ago. Luckily for you, none of you were ever deemed worthy of Wakanda's time in any significant way. My cousin entered your country and left...having accomplished all that he wished...and you had no clue that he was even interested in you. He was already on to more pressing matters of state that were infinitely more engaging than beings as lowly and unworthy as you are. In fact, the only reason that you knew that TChalla had been in Azania at all is because he allowed his sister, his ally Black Axe and Black Axe's tech Mbosa to indulge themselves in a friendly wager.

You Azanians never battled TChalla. Instead you were engaging a Battle Cyborg that Shuri--at age 14--crafted. In less than a day. Laughing. You Azanians were and still are considered unfit for the attention of Wakanda, and in fact. Wakanda was going to allow you to stumble your way into whatever unfortunate doom your inescapable ineptitude had made inevitable for you...had Black Axe--ally of TChalla--and his tech infrastructure assistant Mbosa not amused themselves with the aforementioned friendly wager against Shuri.

They wagered a Gentleman's Wager...a bet without money or goods exchanged...that Shuri could not build a cyborg from scratch and have it dispatch of you Supremacists in 1 hour.

Mind you: Azania is 24,000 miles from Wakanda.

Shuri laughingly protested at first that sending one of her advanced units against you Supremacists would be inexcusable overkill and a waste of superior power intellect and resources; like unleashing a Celestial upon Hydra or AIM. After much laughing and back and forth, Black Axe and Mbosa finally prevailed upon Shuri to indulge them.

Shuri had the cyborg built and all of you dispatched in under 25 minutes.

And that powerful mystic being that intervened that you rather stupidly attributed to Dr. Strange or Baron Mordo? Was actually a different avatar of our Panther God. Far too powerful to be controlled by anyone. Much less the persons that you mentioned. And were Zawaviri here to observe you mention Baron Mordo? The very same Baron Mordo whom his apprentices and Elder Mendinao's apprentices have been drubbing for decades? He probably would have turned you into toad feces on the spot. And then apologized to the toad feces for insulting them with your presence.

The only reason that I am here is again as a result of the same imperative that mandated your previous brush with anything Wakandan: efficiency. I am on my way to meet someone that Wakanda expects. I am the best person in this sector for the job of meeting this person that Wakanda is expecting AND offering you all the opportunity to escape with your lives by immediately withdrawing from this Disputed Zone, and returning to what is unquestionably Mohanndan territory. Should you fail to heed this wisdom that I again strenuously urge you to acquiesce to, I am also the most qualified person in this sector for the job of determining which of you is best to leave alive to spread the story of the unwisdom of advancing upon Wakanda. I will also destroy your supply routes and communication apparatus, etc. Happily, you were inept enough to leave yourselves more or less in the way of the direct path I am taking to attend to slightly more pressing matters of State. So I will take care of you along the way to marginally more interesting matters...in the same manner that a man might pause to stomp upon a roach as he walks to the kitchen to get a cup of water. I am here to remove you from any hope or pretension of relevance in the coming days."

Captain Bokim felt sure that The White Avenger would have a stroke brought on by the limitless shock and affronted rage caused by the calm, vicious monologue delivered by Dr. Ithobo. Wordlessly, he signaled his Mohanndans to fall back and away from The Supremacists and Dr. Ithobo, because if he knows The Supremacists they're going to...

...Captain Blaze came streaking from the skies in a landing approach, confirming via comms: "The nigger's alone,"...

...Voortrekker signaled moments later:"Confirmation: No hostiles,"

..."Remember," Dr. Ithobo said in his civilized, erudite, patient tone. "I gave all of you two chances to surrender..."

...yep. They did exactly what Captain Bokim thought they would do.

Barricade took a rumbling, threatening step forward...and Dr. Ithobo spun away 180 degrees in the opposite direction and fired upon all the Supremacists excepting Voortrekker [ including Hungyr...the slinking, shadow cleaving bioenergy siphon that is essentially a biovampire feeding upon human life energies ] with a brilliant, golden Neural Net burst slaying all of them except Barricade and Voortrekeer [ these two weren't caught by the Neural Net ].

In the same flowing wind-like movement that he used to dispatch of the other Supremacists, Dr. Ithobo eluded Barricade's charging attack and struck Barricade upon his right flank with a devious, corkscrewing palm heel strike.

Barricade screamed once, and pitched forward to plow a furrow two feet deep into the ground. Dead as a door nail.

The coronary ligament, triangular ligaments, and falciform ligament...the ligaments that Dr. Ithobo specified to Barricade, and which confused him so...are the ligaments helping to keep the liver in place. Dr. Ithobo's blow severed those ligaments and ruptured the liver, causing instant death.

Dr. Ithobo looked at Captain Bokim.

"We request political asylum in Wakanda," Captain Bokim promptly and loudly stated. "All of us. Myself my platoon, our families and friends."

His cousin Shuri...the Queen of Wakanda...already assured him that these Mohanndan soldiers had zero loyalty to the Mohanndan government, and vested him with the authority to grant asylum when and where he deemed it feasible. Especially in the Disputed Border Zone, which is only "disputed" because international conglomerates like Cardinal Technologies have already despoiled Mohannda and...noting evidence of colossal untapped wealth in oil and valuable minerals so abundant in Wakanda that there is enough of the former to fuel the entire world for a decade with just the UNTAPPED resources and so much of the latter that the industries created by these mineral and other resources are essentially limitless and so are the energy sources that these minerals lead to...lusted after any opportunity to purloin these priceless resources from Wakanda.

"Granted," Dr. Ithobo promptly replied. "All accomodations are already made for you. Worry not, friend. What is your name?"

"I am Captain Bokim Njuwalini, Dr. Ithobo. 22nd Mohanndan Border Platoon."

"Very well, then. Make haste. We shall await you but no longer than 2 days. "

"Such an action by us will be most difficult, Dr. Ithobo. Cardinal Industries has gathered a group of Super Mercenaries they call SuperMercs and have sent them to penetrate Wakanda's borders. They plan to heist precious minerals from Wakanda...minerals valued in excess of tens of billions of Euros. Cardinal Industries and their even more mysterious and powerful business partners plan to leverage this profit for Oxala alone knows what misdeeds. Further..."

"...they monitor your progress and hold your family hostage because they have already occupied the villages of your birth and the villages of the family members of each soldier here," Dr. Ithobo finished for Captain Bokim. "Yes, I am aware of your straits. However, you will discover that my cousin and our leader, High Captain D'Ciggs, has already removed these threats to yourself and your village when you return. You will also discover that these threats will be most reluctant to return to your villages...even were they to marshal the resources to do so again. Which they can't and won't. As I said. You have 2 days. Bring your entire village, should you wish. High Captain D'Ciggs has received the authority from our Queen, The Black Panther Shuri, to furnish you with specific technologies which will greatly ease your transport. All of the villages in this entire "Disputed Zone" are now furnished with the wherewithal to become fully Wakandan citizens without moving an inch, should they wish."

"We obey at once, Karajaan." Captain Bokim used the Mohanndan honorific for "Royal". Immediately, he and his troops vanished.

"Voortrekker," Dr. Ithobo called, " I know exactly where you are hiding. Your presence is plain to me. I deliberately allowed you to survive because you are the one Supremacist that I deemed worthy of surviving this encounter and worthy of relating the relevant facts of these happenings to your employers. Your reputation as a honorable although not just mercenary precedes you. However, if you stay hidden? I will be forced to presume that you mean me harm or will attempt to flee without agreeing to the undertaking that I have for you. And I will be forced to kill you here and now. The choice is yours: appear before me now and survive. Flee and be executed. "

After a momentary pause, Voortrekker appeared in the ring of bushes forming a "U" shaped screen of foliage behind Dr. Ithobo. ..training a plasma rifle upon the back of Dr. Ithobo's armored neck.

Dr. Ithobo didn't turn or move, but responded to Voortrekker's presence. "Wise choice."

"Explain to me why I shouldn't kill you, after you murdered my comrades."

"Because I could have killed you, but didn't. Because I gave your comrades...twice...the option to surrender and survive, and they refused and sought to decapitate me. Because at no time did I have to give them and you freedom from the Wakandan jails in which you languished for 5 years, after The Black Panther and Queen of Wakanda Shuri's automaton defeated you. At no time did I owe you any favor at all, especially considering that your comrades have killed thousands of my fellow Black Africans at the behest of your detestable former government. The free Black Africans of the new State of Greater Zimbabwe...having absorbed the whole of its odious former neighbor, your Azania...are infinitely better off in every detail, now that you Azanians are gone. Ironically, the handful of Whites who stayed found that our singular humanity remains our most distinctive feature, and they too are far better off than at any time during the reign of your apartheid government. And lastly, you shouldn't try to kill me because you would fail and I would execute you on the spot. If none of the foregoing details of my response held sway, this last should at least give you pause. Self interest and survival are powerful motivators for mercenaries."

A moment passed while Voortrekker considered Dr. Ithobo's words. Then slung his rifle back on its sling slanting diagonally down his back. "Well argued," he acknowledged. "What of this task you have for me?"

"Simply return to your employers and inform them of the events of this day." Dr. Ithobo replied.

"What prevents me from saying that I will do such a thing in order to ensure my own survival, then reneging the moment that I am free?" Voortrekker asked. For unlike the other Supremacists, Voortrekker was quite clever and knew that these Wakandas were quite cunning.

"Two things. Your sense of honor, like I said, precedes you. So does the fact that you singularly are marked amongst The Supremacists as not only not being racist, not only being honorable, you are honest. You live by the Warrior's Code. Once you give your word, you have been documented in many instances as going to sometimes great lengths to keep your word. You even did so while you were a guest in our jails. Repeatedly. Caused our jailers to take special note of you. We Wakandans appreciate that."

"You said two things prevent me from reneging the moment that I am free." Voortrekker pointed out, not having missed anything. " What is the second?" Voortrekker was pretty sure that he knew what the second was.

"As you have no doubt worked out by now, we have followed your every exploit. We know where your employers are, where your loved ones are, and know every detail of what you have done since you thought you escaped our jails...when in fact, our Commander D'Ciggs simply arranged for you to escape, so that we could the more easily unearth facts of importance to us. We even know things that you didn't know; like Hungyr was mutated by Mr. Sinister's technology into the being that he was."

"Please excuse the interruption Dr Ithobo, but...who is Mr. Sinister?" Voortrekker asked.

"He is a mutant scientist who despises humanity. He...along with a bevy of his cohorts...will be dealt with before the fortnight ends."

"Thank you, Doctor. Please continue your train of thought."

"The last reason you will not renege upon your word...confirming your suspicions...is the fact that should you attempt such a thing? We will find you and summarily execute you within an hour of your decision to renege."

BLACK PANTHER IN: "EXPLANATIONS"
DethStryque

Chapter Management

Edit Chapter Delete Chapter
Chapter 5: THE QUEENS' PREROGATIVES

Summary:

Queen Ramonda shows some of the things that Queens do...and which Kings and men know little or nothing of
Notes:

Please leave comments on each Chapter in the comment section located at the bottom of each Chapter, and share my works with all of your friends. I appreciate whatever commentary and kudos [ hint hint ] you wish to leave. I very much enjoy interacting with fans and critics of my work, and reading theirs as well. Thank you.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

WAKANDA. 73 YEARS AGO...OR THEREABOUTS

 

S'Yan the Swift was the Ruling Panther of Wakanda.

T'Challa was merely 6 years old...but he'd already completed 12 complete orchestra pieces, improved upon Wakandan surveillance tech, displayed a truly unusual knack for stealth, was engaging Wakandan subMaster level strategists in strategic games and exercises...and winning. He already displayed a marked flair for combat in every aspect. He'd already communed with the various animals and natural beauty of the wild. He was as often to be found meditating under a waterfall, holding palaver with the trees and wind, climbing mountain peaks to return eggs to hawks and falcons on their eyries, as he was to be found in tech labs, pestering Mendinao, Zawaviri, Priestess Oya, Mother Tiy Ausette and others about magic and matters of the spirit, engrossed in imaginative retellings of Wakanda's history with Zuri, or absorbing lessons of philosophy from Wawigabe Phestra Cleopatra and Zuni.

 A quiet boy with big eyes that nothing escaped, he was already fiercely protective over his younger twin siblings, Shuri and Jakarra D'Ciggs. Neither would remember this, because by the time they would be old enough to clearly and regularly recall events of their life? TChalla had already built upon his natural quiet cunning and observational powers to the point that he adopted that impenetrable, unknowable behavior that he would infamously build upon for the whole of his life. Hunter was already a young master of deadly combat...even though he was merely 10 years of age...and already acquiring that extreme zealotry, that incredible refinement of person, that rapier wit and intellect, that hid a terrifying brutality, blinding patriotism and taste for blood that would sunder his brotherly ties with T'Challa in their later years.

For the next 73 or more years, they would never know how much T'Challa truly loved them. Not even Hunter. They knew that T'Challa loved them...but they would not know to what extraordinary depths he loved them. This was a tragedy that was a major part of the cause of the rift between ruthless T'Challa and his younger brother the rakish, roguish D'Ciggs. And the split between TChalla and D'Ciggs would exercise tremendous impact upon D'Ciggs' twin, Shuri, and her drive to outperform T'Challa in every way. And Hunter...ah, Hunter...is a story for another day.

The story of the Royal children, and their elder cousins who would become the first KSH during the reigns of TChaka The Great King and S'Yan the Swift. The stories of their elder cousins as children. The story of TChalla's best friend, who would later become the brilliant, brutal badass known in Wakanda as Siri Nyeupe Nani...The Hidden White Baboon...that Westerners would stupidly rename as The Man-Ape. The stories of the children of the Royal elder cousins, aunts and uncles who would become the next incarnation of The KSH during T'Challa's reign...are stories for another time.

 

This story is about Queen Ramonda...and the things that Queens do.

73 years ago, there was great concern regarding the Outworlder who replaced their chosen, beloved, dazzling Queen Nyami under such intensely suspicious circumstances. There was great concern regarding the Outworlder who dared to be the first nonWakandan Queen. The Outworlder who wooed won and married their King. The Outworlder who so speedily lost their King, the Great King T'Chaka, under such tremendously suspicious circumstances. The Outworlder who flouted Wakandan custom left and right.
The Outworlder who, as Queen-In-Mourning, by Wakandan custom was required to remain within Central Wakanda.

The Outworlder who was NOT in Central Wakanda. The Outworlder who'd managed to give the Wakandan Forces the slip and gone none knew where. A full scale surreptitious search was mounted by the Wakandan government. And young as he was...forbidden as it was...Hunter was part of the search. For in all of Wakanda, there was only one person who never disappointed abandoned or hurt him: Queen Ramonda.

T'Challa...a child...rebuffed his brother Hunter's request to physically help Hunter go out and search for their mother. Even as a young child T'Challa's uberprep was known. Even as a young child, T'Challa could sense things that most adults missed. T'Challa sensed that Ramonda--the only mother he'd ever known--would both not be found until she was ready. TChalla sense that Ramonda was doing what she was doing because what needed to be done had to be done by her and her alone; WITHOUT the aid of others. Therefore TChalla provided Hunter with tech, but would not help him beyond that point. To Hunter's disgust.

And none in or about Wakanda knew her whereabouts.

Well, one person did.

Kang the Conqueror knew exactly where Queen Ramonda was. Because she--in hundredths of a second's time--divined the weakest point of his potent Chrono Combat vestment and attacked the weakest point near her, while cascading across the other weak points with the rapid aesthetic precision of a master pianist tickling the ivories.

She introduced Kang to her vast knowledge of tech armor structure and anatomy by mercilessly breaking his right knee cap with her own right foot, as she executed a devilishly vicious Osun Ngolo Goti Mapumziko. This technique roughly translates as Osun Ngolo Knee Break, a cruel and cunning, slick and tricky knee breaking kick done improperly by Westerners in their vastly off base cardio exercise expression of an Afrikan discipline they miscall "Capoeira".

Kang unleashed a roar that was a mixture of raging hate and horrific pain as his knee cracked into shards like a crystal glass bludgeoned by a hammer. He began to fall, and his strangely colored nonhuman ichor seeped into his battle armor.

In an unbroken movement smooth and powerful as the Nile waters running downhill, Ramonda flowed up from Goti Mapumziko. With expert ease and a surgeon's precise sagacity, Ramonda acrobatically somersaulted from the ground while executing a flawless Simba Mpasuko [ Lion Rip ] to the saphenous nerve in Kang's left calf muscle, meno ya haru [ Teeth of the Falcon ] to a particularly vulnerable juncture of left groin inner thigh and sciatic nerve ganglia with simultaneous Nyoka kichwa [ Snake Head ] to the right bladder while lithely and simultaneously cannonading her left heel into Kang's face with a angular Mkia Wa Hedetet [ Whipping Tail Scorpion Goddess Kick ].

The Lion Rip to the saphenous nerve in Kang's left calf muscle group not only robbed Kang of what little balance he had left but began the process of neural paralysis continued by the Teeth of the Falcon to the juncture of left groin inner thigh and sciatic nerve ganglia with simultaneous Nyoka Kichwa [ Snake Head ] to the right bladder. The Mkia Wa Hedetet brought shocking trauma to the central nervous system.

Bones shattered in Kang's nose, hip, both cheek bones, calf, and lower vertebrae. His teeth spattered from his mouth in every direction, looking like a game of 52 Card Pickup. The power of Mkia Wa Hedetet...Whipping Tail Scorpion Goddess Kick...catapulted Kang flying about 8 feet up into the air and a full dozen paces backwards. He landed heavily and awkwardly...barely conscious...upon the ground.

Kang's ChronoCyborgs swarmed all about, glittering with 30th century supertech, partially phasing into this Timeline. With the kind of instantaneous flawless smoothness of machines, half their number split from their mass to take up defensive-offensive postures around the fallen Kang. The group about Kang split again. 8 to provide defensive-offensive necessities against the fearsome young Queen Ramonda, 7 to apply hypertech medical attention to the fallen Kang.

The remaining 15 whirred about Queen Ramonda at faster than supersonic speeds, casting a Chronal Net at Queen Ramonda that would erase her existence by erasing the events that led to her parents meeting.

Where the rest of the world had no chance whatsoever against the kind of tech that Kang used, Wakanda already was easily Kang's superior. 30th Century tech to the rest of the world was still more than 7,000 years behind the tech of Wakanda, whose tech was many many millenia ahead of Kang's.

 Ramonda rebuffed and destroyed Kang's ChronoCyborgs using Khonshu Class Time Tech without bothering to sniff in derision.

Even as Kang felt the horrible numbness of the onset of quadraplegic paralysis set upon him, he cackled and laughed the unbridled glee of a victorious tyrant and conqueror.

"You cannot win!" Kang laughed through broken bones, blood, shattered teeth. "I have already triumphed! Hahaha! I WILL EVER SEE YOUR LIFE STEEPED IN TORTURE!  You know not how delicious this victory is! You are my vassal forever and you are too stupid to know it, you Wakandan bitc--AAAAHHH!!"

Fierce Ramonda...early to mid twentysomething years old, beautiful, lithe, lethal...ruthlessly added a shattered orbital bone, broken rib, and severed arm to Kang's injuries with utterly merciless precision. She could have killed him easily, the moment she espied him. But her aim, he would live to regret, was not his death.

Not yet.

He must suffer first. Suffer in such heinous ways that neither he nor Wakanda's numerous enemies would transgress against Wakanda ever again.

TChalla learned his warrior craft and skill from his father. He learned to think no less than 3 steps ahead of all around him, and many many other vital things from his truly great father. Very few beings anywhere could hope to be as great to their and for their people as The Great King TChaka was for Wakanda. But TChalla's intuition, his ruthlessness, his inner harmony and equilibrium beyond that of even his father was bequeathed to him by Ramonda.

Ramonda the Ruthless, Wakandans name her. And The Queen Mother is still feared today as the most ruthless person in Wakanda. Even moreso than her children.

A single Khonshu Class Temporal Shock eliminated the entirety of Kang's ingeniously crafted ChronoCyborgs.

In times yet to come, a single ChronoCyborg bedeviled the whole of The Avengers...outstripping the tech of both Tony Stark and Reed Richards at that time. TChalla was newly minted as an Avenger, and didn't lift a finger to aid his comrades until it was clear to all that the other Avengers had no defense against Kang's technology. How Kang crowed and reveled in his victory.

The Avengers thought they beheld TChalla defeat Kang by use of masterful stealth combined with superior hand to hand skills. In actuality, TChalla had already foresaw and undone Kang's coming more than a month prior. He was simply looking to test the character and abilities of The Avengers while he handled more pressing matters of State in Wakanda. TChalla spent that whole month and every moment up to the moment of his direct h2h defeat of Kang within the his country of Wakanda, out-strategizing The High Evolutionary ,the Old Slavemasters, Somberr, Hunter, and the minions of Pluto. Then, at the propitious moment, he merely dimension switched with one of his Beta Sentient doppleganger which he had assume his duties and responsibilities with the Avengers during the times he was compelled to give his attention to matters of the State of Wakanda over Avengers business, and deftly defeated Kang via swift and one sided hand to hand beatdown.

While Tony Stark and Reed Richards took samples of Kang's technology to marvel at and reverse engineer, TChalla remained impassive and uninterested in such technology. When Tony asked TChalla why he seemed to be uninterested in Kang's technology, Captain America guessed that TChalla's sense of honor prevented him from ripping Kang off. Hawkeye suggested that TChalla was waiting for Tony or Reed to rip off Kang, and then TChalla would rip them off. TChalla simply impassively stared at them, then left. And such was their misunderstanding of TChalla, that the Avengers simply shrugged their shoulders and got back to studying Kang's tech. Except Tony. Who took note. And continued to build upon a slowly growing suspicion of TChalla...

None knew that TChalla's mother Ramonda was actually the arch enemy of Kang on Earth, and she it was who first handed him his most severe defeat on their second meeting; 50 years before The Avengers first met Kang. None knew that Ramonda had long tutored TChalla in the most effective methods of defeating Kang, and to TChalla the defeat of Kang was as automatic a victory for him as something on the order of The Avengers' entire roster engaging The Kingpin of Crime in hand to hand combat.

The Queen Mother used Wakandan tech to Time Travel and observe herself and Kang at this...their first meeting. 73 years and more ago.

And Queen Mother Ramonda of the here and now watched this first clash between bitter rivals via Khonshu Chrono-Ka Tech. Waiting patiently for that which she knew would be there.

And there it was.

Just as her younger self, the 25 year old Queen-In-Mourning Ramonda, began to get engrossed in the process of stripping every iota of data from the hardware that Kang brought with him, and then disassemble the light energy construct "hardware" which was at that time 73 years ago the standard "hardware" expression of his massive genius and the basis for his uberadvanced tech [ to nonWakandans ], then reverse engineering his chronoton superquark pattern tech [ which were used for TOYS in Wakanda ], a phantom appeared.

It was Kang. An older Kang. Immensely more wise, displaying vastly vastly superior tech, many times more dangerous, more cunning, more driven, more obsessed than the young Kang laying almost dismembered and decapitated on the floor at the hands of the young Queen Ramonda. He appeared and could easily have completely slaughtered the young Queen In-Mourning ere she knew she was in danger.

Young Kang knew that Elder Kang would lay waste to Wakanda and enslave the Queen-In-Mourning. It was the reason why Young Kang was so confident and full of cocksure triumph. He knew that Elder Kang was too much for the Queen-In-Mourning to overcome. He knew that Kang would force the young Queen to watch as his 52nd Century tech raped and pillaged Wakanda, while the Elder Kang simultaneously raped and pillaged the body of the Queen-In-Mourning. And Young Kang thrilled to the thought.

Yeah, like the title says...


...because it seems to me that issue seven, and probably issue 8, are set up and prep for takeoff issues. If issues 7-10 are an arc, then the action might not get fast and furious until the middle of issue eight or the start of issue 9. Hope I'm wrong and issue 8 starts off with a blast.

Also? The INFINITY tie in that number 9...or is it number 8?...really seems to be tite. What the heck IS Infinity, anyway? Does anybody have a concise summary of THE INFINITY thing?

And I'm glad that The Inhumans are finally given some overdue shine. I recall our very own RH writing circles around people in his first year and bringing in The Inhumans in the WORLD TOUR arc...