Fans criticize Marvel for nerfing T’Challa and for Captain America’s portrayal in the latest issue of the publisher’s Black Panther series.
Marvel fans expressed frustration with how the latest issue of Black Panther weakens T’Challa and the portrayal of Steve Rogers/Captain America.
Black Panther #13 comes from writer John Ridley, artist Germán Peralta, color artist Sebastian Cheng, letterer VC’s Joe Sabino, cover artist Alex Ross and variant cover artists Paco Medina, Jesus Aburtov, Miguel Mercado, Matteo Scalera and Moreno Dinisio. Released on Jan. 11, 2023, the issue sees T’Challa/Black Panther butt heads with several Avengers following a disagreement over a situation involving a terrorist organization and secret surveillance.
Having formed his own team of heroes to deal with the problem rather than relying on the Avengers, T’Challa goes head-to-head with Captain America in Black Panther #13. “I told you the Avengers would handle things,” Captain America tells Black Panther before they begin fighting. “So…you can either go back to Wakanda or stick around and get your butt kicked. Up to you.” T’Challa — whose childhood friend, Jhai, is leading the terrorist organization — attempts to explain how he plans to remedy the situation; however, Steve tells him his “intentions don’t matter” and that “nobody trusts [him] to fix things.” While the two appear evenly matched at first, Captain America begins repeatedly punching Black Panther in the face while trying to force him to stay down. Black Panther refuses but then gets some unexpected assistance from Namor at the end of the issue.
Twitter Reacts to the Black Panther/Captain America Fight
Many Twitter users pointed out how Steve Rogers was acting out of character during the lead-up to the fight and the fight itself, along with how the duel portrayed a nerfed Black Panther.
Reddit users also drew comparisons to a similar moment in 2019’s Captain Marvel #15 (by Kelly Thompson, Lee Garbett, Tamra Bonvillain and VC’s Clayton Cowles where Steve and Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers don’t see eye-to-eye. Rather than fighting one another, Steve yields to Carol, saying, “I trust you, Carol. If you say this is how it has to be, then this is how it has to be. Not much point in wasting time with a big knock-down drag-out. I’m going to trust your play. And hope this helps.”
Marvel previously announced Ridley’s run on the series would end after Black Panther #15, which releases March 28 and marks the end of the “All This and the World, Too” storyline. The synopsis reads, “THE EPIC FINALE OF JOHN RIDLEY’S GAME-CHANGING RUN! Finally, all things must come to a head! Jhai, T’Challa’s best friend and the sleeper agent whose assassination served as the catalyst for all of T’Challa’s recent troubles…is alive. Not only is he alive, but he seeks to seize control of the entire world, all in the name of Wakanda! Still injured, Black Panther rushes forward to take down the man who was once his closest comrade. But T’Challa knows he must still pay his pound of flesh for his role in bringing so much strife to fruition…”
Source: Twitter, Reddit
