T’Challa forms his own version of the Avengers as he brings a team of unlikely heroes together to fight a major threat in Black Panther #12.
This article contains spoilers for Black Panther #12, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
T’Challa forms his own version of the Avengers when assembling a team to go after his childhood best friend, Jhai, in Marvel’s Black Panther #12.
Black Panther #12 comes from writer John Ridley, artist Germán Peralta, color artist Ceci de la Cruz and letterer VC’s Joe Sabino. In Black Panther #11, T’Challa learned that Jhai was the leader of a terrorist organization that had completely seized control of the world’s communication networks. The issue ended with Jhai bowing down in front of T’Challa and telling him, “I live to serve you, my king.”
In Black Panther #12, T’Challa tries to get Jhai to see the errors of his ways; however, the two end up fighting one another in a battle that ultimately leaves Black Panther bloody and bruised. He manages to escape back to Avengers Mountain but finds Captain America, Thor and Captain Marvel are more interested in arguing than they are in lending a hand.
Having secretly collected data on nearly all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes that has now fallen into Jhai’s hands, T’Challa knows he needs to recruit a new team of heroes in order to take down his new foe. The task is easier said than done, as T’Challa notes he’s been spying on pretty much every major hero in the Marvel Universe; however, he manages to recruit Shuri, Gentle, the Buffalo Soldier, Tosin, Omolola, Imani and three of the Colonialist’s ex-girlfriends onto his team. “I know we are an unlikely team, but people are counting on us for an extraordinary effort,” T’Challa tells the entourage at the end of the issue. “I may have failed you…but together, we will not fail each other.”
John Ridley’s Time on Black Panther Is Coming to an End
While the next issue of Black Panther will see T’Challa’s team go head-to-head with the Avengers, Marvel revealed in its solicitations for March 2023 that Black Panther #15 will be Ridley’s final issue on the series. The publisher has not yet announced whether or not Black Panther will continue beyond that or if the issue will mark the series’ end. 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…”
Black Panther #12 features cover art by Alex Ross and variant cover art by Felipe Massafera and Peach Momoko. The issue is on sale now from Marvel.
Source: Marvel
