Marvel Games is betting big on Black Panther in the years ahead. Not only is there a Black Panther/Captain America game in the works from Skydance and Amy Hennig, Black Panther is getting a solo title from EA Games and Marvel Games.
Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the plot or direction of this new game, as EA has only released a logo image so far. But that’s not to say we can’t speculate about which classic Black Panther comics might be influencing this ambitious action/adventure game. Let’s take a closer look at what we know so far and which Marvel Comics storylines the game is most likely to draw from.
What We Know About the Black Panther Game
At this early stage, we only have a few details to go on for the Black Panther game. We know that it’s a third-person action/adventure title from EA’s new studio Cliffhanger Games, which is headed by Eric Stephens and includes veterans of AAA titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Halo Infinite.
“We’re dedicated to delivering fans a definitive and authentic Black Panther experience, giving them more agency and control over their narrative than they have ever experienced in a story-driven video game,” Stephens said in a press release.
Beyond that, Black Panther fans only have a single teaser image to shed any light on this new project. However, there is one important clue hidden in the teaser. The Black Panther emblem is surrounded by four glowing icons that look like points on a compass. These icons are probably meant to represent the four main tribes of Wakanda – the River Tribe, the Border Tribe, the Mining Tribe and the Merchant Tribe. As established in the comics and the first Black Panther movie, there’s also a fifth tribe called the Jabari (or Mountain Tribe) who set themselves apart from the rest of Wakanda and worship the gorilla god Hanuman rather than the panther god Bast.
Based on this teaser image, it stands to reason the game will deal directly with the tribes of Wakanda and T’Challa’s quest to rally his kingdom around a common banner. The game may deal with political unrest in Wakanda as villains like M’Baku (who’s not nearly as heroic as he’s portrayed in the MCU) or Erik Killmonger make a play for the throne. With that in mind, we can start to narrow down the list of comic book storylines that could be influencing the game.
Who Is the Black Panther?
This graphic novel from writer Reginald Hudlin and artist John Romita Jr. is one of the easier starting points for anyone interested in reading Marvel’s Black Panther comics. It’s already been adapted into an animated motion comic series, and it could just as easily inspire the new game.
Who Is the Black Panther deals with that age-old Wakandan conflict. The outside world craves some of Wakanda’s priceless vibranium, and T’Challa rises to the defense of his homeland. This story is notable for pitting Black Panther against a laundry list of Marvel villains that includes the Rhino, Black Knight, Radioactive Man and his old foe, Ulysses Klaw. Following that approach gives the game plenty of room for epic boss battles as T’Challa takes on Klaw’s strike force one by one.
This story is also where readers were first introduced to T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri. Shuri is now an indelible part of the Black Panther franchise, and we’d hope Cliffhanger has plans to include her in the game.
Panther’s Rage
Panther’s Rage is, in many ways, the prototypical Black Panther story. It was the first major solo project for T’Challa, and it introduced many of the characters and conflicts that define the franchise even today. It’s also one of the first Marvel stories to function as a true graphic novel, with individual chapters all contributing to a larger, overarching narrative. It’s hard to imagine any Black Panther game not being influenced by Panther’s Rage in some form or another.
Panther’s Rage is also notable for being the story that introduces Killmonger, arguably Black Panther’s greatest foe. If the game really is about T’Challa trying to unify the tribes of Wakanda, than it’s tough to think of a better candidate for the main villain.
Marvel Knights: Black Panther
Black Panther may have been created by Marvel luminaries Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but no creator has done more than Christopher Priest to shape T’Challa into the character he is today. Over the course of some 60 issues on Marvel Knights: Black Panther, Priest modernized T’Challa and his circle of friends and enemies. He redefined T’Challa as a monarch first and a hero second, often putting him at odds with the Avengers and the rest of the superhero community in the process.
This series also introduced many important elements of the Black Panther franchise, from T’Challa’s fanatical bodyguards, the Dora Milaje, to major villains like Achebe and Malice. The series even gave us Everett K. Ross, a bumbling American bureaucrat who narrates each issue and who helps bring a grounded perspective to a story about a larger-than-life king. That’s a perspective the game could definitely use.
In short, there’s no chance the Black Panther game isn’t influenced by Priest’s Black Panther run to some extent. These stories loom too large over the franchise.
See Wakanda and Die
“See Wakanda and Die” is a short but much-loved Black Panther storyline that ties into the larger Secret Invasion crossover from 2008. As the Skrulls attempt a hostile takeover of Earth, they turn their attention to the small and seemingly insignificant nation of Wakanda. But there these alien invaders discover why Wakanda has never been successfully conquered in its entire history.
We don’t necessarily expect the Skrulls themselves to be the villains of the game, though that could certainly work well. Who wouldn’t want to take control of T’Challa and do battle against an army of Super-Skrulls wielding the powers of the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-Men? But at the very least, “See Wakanda and Die” is a great source of inspiration when it comes to the general tone and action-oriented approach. Black Panther has rarely been as imposing and mysterious as he is here.
Doomwar
While classic Black Panther villains like Klaw or Killmonger may be the most logical choices around which to build a game, there’s always the chance that the story could tackle one of the biggest Marvel villains of them all – Doctor Doom. Doom is the main villain behind 2010’s Doomwar, a crossover where the X-Men and Fantastic Four help defend Wakanda from a hostile takeover by Latveria.
If you want high stakes, the Marvel Universe’s worst tyrant getting his hands on Wakanda’s invaluable vibranium supply is certainly up there. And Doom certainly makes for a worthy antagonist, both because of his army of Doombots and his very complicated relationship with T’Challa.
Another bonus is that Doomwar features both Black Panthers in lead roles. At this point in the Marvel Universe, T’Challa has ceded the throne of Wakanda to his sister Shuri. We definitely wouldn’t mind seeing a similar dynamic in the Black Panther game, possibly switching between the two Black Panthers in the same way Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will allow players to control both Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
A Nation Under Our Feet
Marvel turned to author Ta-Nehisi Coates to revamp the Black Panther franchise in 2016, and the result was “A Nation Under Our Feet.” This dramatic storyline explores what happens when Wakanda is overcome by a wave of revolution and unrest, both from the terrorist cell known as The People and by members of T’Challa’s own Dora Milaje. It’s a story that explores how, as resilient as Wakanda is to outside influence, even this mighty kingdom feels the pull of democracy and independence.
With the game seemingly dealing with T’Challa uniting the various tribes of Wakanda, “A Nation Under Our Feet” is a story that could easily have a significant influence on the plot. The scope is sweeping and dramatic, yet always focused on T’Challa’s quest to be the leader his people need him to be (while also questioning whether one man can truly speak for the entire nation).
A Nation Under Our Feet also redefines Shuri’s role in the franchise, transforming her with new powers and responsibilities that allow her to better coexist with her brother. Again, Shuri is a character we hope to see play a significant role in the game, and Cliffhanger could do far worse than look to this storyline for inspiration.
For more on the Black Panther franchise, find out how the MCU has been setting up the next generation of Avengers.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
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