Black Panther's Iron Man-Inspired Redesign Deserves a Real Origin Story
The Black Panther is a hero to all, but a variant cover for Agents of Wakanda #4 gives fans a taste of a very different version of the character inspired by Iron Man 2020. The cover is actually so good that it deserves its own full-length story.
Being Wakandan royalty, T'Challa grew up among power and privilege and was raised to be a ruler. As Black Panther, he often faced challenges to the throne of Wakanda, such as M'Baku the Man-Ape and Killmonger. The title of leader and hero go hand-in-hand in Wakanda, and once the son of T'Chaka became king he also became the defender of his country, it's laws, and it's established government. However, that all changes in one cover. In 2020, Marvel released a slew of variant covers for comics ranging from Spider-Man to Captain Marvel. In each piece, artists depicted familiar characters as not-so-distant future versions, and with new twists to their heroic status or origins. These covers were all created in honor of the launch of Iron Man 2020.
Related: Black Panther Hints At The Darkest Secret of Wakanda Yet
The variant for Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #4 was created by Pasqual Ferry and is such a compelling image that it deserves to be more than a one-shot piece of artwork. Black Panther is bedecked in the flag of Wakanda, which suggests a world where that's a significant political statement. He is crouched on a rooftop with searchlights in the background, possibly marking him as a fugitive. The hero is not surrounded by the wilderness of Africa, but a concrete jungle for him to stalk. Everything on this cover points to a more radical hero. This version of Black Panther does not work within the political structure, but acts as a dissident. Is he an outcast king, or
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