Warning: SPOILERS for Black Panther #12Marvel's his first appearance in the Fantastic Four series to the more recent Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, Black Panther's stories are beloved by readers. Unfortunately, Black Panther #12 reveals precisely what Marvel thinks of one of its flagship characters, and fans are already displeased.
Black Panther was always a popular character, but the superhero experience a massive boost in awareness with 2018's Black Panther film in the MCU. In the comics, T'Challa became the star of multiple new Black Panther series, including a space opera story in which Black Panther discovered estranged Wakandans (displaced in space and time) established the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. But in recent stories, a question is repeatedly asked by both Wakandans and outsiders alike: is maintaining a monarchy with a singular ruler the best possible system of government fo the country - and if not, what to do with T'Challa?
In Black Panther #12, written by John Ridley with art by German Peralta, one of T'Challa's allies has betrayed him in the worst possible way. T'Challa placed spies around the world, ready to act on a moment's notice; one of those spies, Jhai, faked his death knowing T'Challa would recall the other spies. This inadvertently plunged Wakanda into a civil war, and all the blame is laid at T'Challa's feet. After dealing with Jhai, T'Challa spends the rest of the issue attempting to gather allies for the coming fight, and every single one of them dresses him down in an extreme manner - and Gentle, in particular, insinuates that T'Challa was a dictator from the start.
Marvel Retcons Black Panther's Peaceful Reign As King Into A Dictatorship
T'Challa was always beloved by his people, and those who opposed him were the exception rather than the norm. But cracks began to show in the facade as early as the 90s, where Hunter (Black Panther's white adoptive brother) led the Wakandan Secret Police: a faction never mentioned before. In the modern era, kings and absolute monarchs are not looked upon favorably, and this includes Black Panther. John Ridley's run has seen the destabilization of Wakanda, T'Challa alienated from his friends and even kicked off the throne and the Avengers - and it appears the overwhelming majority of Wakandan citizens lost faith in him long ago.
From a Western perspective, kings are perceived as inept, out of touch, warmongering conquerors, or all of the above. T'Challa was always portrayed as a highly intelligent, comionate and duty-bound superhero and ruler who always put his people before himself. But in 2022, Marvel would have readers believe that Black Panther was a terrible king from the start - erasing decades of stories in the process.
