World of Wakanda: Meet 8 Wakandan Wonders

Black Panther is only one of all the incredible personages that call Wakanda home. Here’s a few examples of the kind of characters that sprang from behind its borders.

Shuri
First Appearance: BLACK PANTHER (2005) #2
Younger sister to T’Challa the Black Panther and once holder of that same mantle, Shuri’s come into her own as a strong leader and deadly warrior through war and other dire events.

Erik Killmonger
First Appearance: JUNGLE ACTION #6
Perhaps the Black Panther’s greatest and most tenacious foe, Killmonger actually wanted what he believed to be the best for his native Wakanda, but his ideals and deeds to that end ran head-on with those of the nation’s true king, T’Challa. The fierce fighter’s tried more than once to conquer the country, but the Panther’s stopped him every time.

Queen Divine Justice
First Appearance: BLACK PANTHER (1998) #13
Born a Wakandan princess to the Jakari tribe, the woman who became Queen Divine Justice received schooling in America, but returned to her country when Black Panther invited hero to join the Dora Milaje, his personal guard. She soon after grew into a legendary figure in Wakanda for her activism and passion for her tribe.

Vibraxas
First Appearance: FANTASTIC FOUR #391
A mutant with the power to control and shape vibrations, N’Kano earned a spot on the Wakandan-funded super hero team called Fantastic Force, as well as tutelage under The Black Panther. As Vibraxas he eventually found himself between the dreaded Man-Ape and the villain’s control over Queen Divine Justice, a situation that forced him to turn on T’Challa.

Man-Ape
First Appearance: AVENGERS (1963) #62
The Wakandan warrior known as M’Baku sealed his fate by lusting after power in his native nation and opposing The Black Panther. He took on the name and mantle of the Man-Ape and became a super villain who traveled the world and joined forces with criminal teams to prove his might and stature as a near-mythical figure.

Gentle
First Appearance: NEW X-MEN (2004) #23
Nezhno Abidemi’s mutant abilities allow him control the mass of his body to grow tall and dense. Normally a pacifist, he trained at the Xavier Institute and worked alongside the X-Men before returning to Wakanda and attempting to push the crazy life of a super hero away from him. As Gentle, he fell under the watchful eye of Storm and faced many personal challenges to his beliefs.