Warning: Spoilers for Ultimate Black Panther #12The Ultimate Moon Knight have been at war. After empowering an army with vibranium and advanced weaponry, Khonshu and Ra have kept Africa under the militant grip of the Maker’s Council and threaten to take Wakanda next. To supposedly end the bloodshed, Khonshu offered King T’Challa a one-on-one fight to determine Wakanda's fate. Despite his opponent's holy status, T’Challa’s rage exposes the truth.

Ultimate Black Panther #12 by Bryan Hill and Stefano Caselli is the climactic finale to end the war between Moon Knight and Wakanda. Khonshu and Ra have been venerated as gods, but that hasn’t stopped Black Panther from embracing the mystical side of Vibranium to destroy the gods for good, as teased in a preview from Marvel.

Finally clashing in a head-to-head fight to the death, Black Panther and Khonshu alone will end the war, with one warrior drenched in the blood of the other. As the battle turns in T’Challa’s favor, the king utters one hardened phrase that could unravel an entire kingdom: "you are no god."

Black Panther Defeats Moon Knight with a Badass One-Liner

A Holy Empire Cannot Stand Without a God

As Khonshu and Ra have expanded their powers across Africa, Wakanda has bravely stood against their growing regime. What began as a war over territory soon transformed into a holy war, as Khonshu and Ra rallied their vibranium-enhanced forces behind the divine imagery of the Moon Knight. Now, an empire of righteous zealots has beaten Wakanda within an inch of the kingdom’s life, but Black Panther has yet to stand down. T’Challa understands that, at this point, the only way to destroy a holy empire is to deprive it of its symbol. To win the war, T’Challa must kill a god.

Throughout the conflict, Black Panther has battled his all-consuming rage. Crowned after the unceremonious death of his father at the hands of Moon Knight’s regime, T’Challa has been fighting as if there is nothing left to lose. However, he knows this fight has become one that threatens not just Wakanda but the entirety of Africa. Once he finally faces Khonshu, T’Challa unleashes a violent fury of lethal attacks, pulverizing the god-king. As Khonshu lies, begging for mercy, Black Panther merely claims that Khonshu is "no god" before unleashing his full fury against the false deity.

The End of Khonshu Will Change Africa - and Ultimate Moon Knight - Entirely

Wakanda Faces New Mystical Threats After Khonshu's Defeat

Like most tyrannical rulers, Khonshu and Ra’s kingdom is built on lies. Obviously, the Maker’s Council has fed the entire world a history of falsehoods, but Khonshu and Ra have maintained their power by transforming the beliefs of their followers as needed. By the time their forces met Wakanda’s borders, there was yet to be an opponent who could challenge the seemingly miraculous talents of the duo. By offering Black Panther an opportunity to swiftly end the war, Khonshu sealed his fate. T’Challa doesn’t have to defeat an army; he just has to destroy their belief in God.

Khonshu has been stripped of his godhood, his kingdom, and potentially his life.

What’s currently unclear is what happens next. Ra may not accept the of T’Challa and Khonshu’s fight. Parts of Africa could turn to Black Panther as their next god. Regardless, King T’Challa’s war for the future of Wakanda is coming to an end. Khonshu has been stripped of his godhood, his kingdom, and potentially his life. Now, the only god left in Wakanda is the mystically sentient Vibranium. What began as a war against false gods may soon turn into a true battle against spiritual threats, as Black Panther continues to rely on his new paranormal ally after his defeat of Moon Knight's god.

Ultimate Black Panther #12 is available January 8th, 2025 from Marvel Comics.