We're not sure if there's much point in even putting a spoiler tag here since the news is now all over the internet, but just in case, major spoilers for issue #1 of Marvel Knights: The World to Come follow.
As we reported yesterday, the six-issue series from Christopher Priest, Joe Quesada, Richard Isanove and Richard Starkings begins with the death of T'Challa as an old man, before we flash back to the events that led to his demise, and the emergence of a new Black Panther... who just so happens to be a white guy named Ketema.
Though we're sure there are a few twists and turns to come in this story, we are led to believe that the "Caucasian son" T'Challa had with Monica Lynne (how that works is anyone's guess) grew up with some unresolved daddy issues, and ultimately ended up challenging and defeating his father to claim the throne of Wakanda.
This is obviously a future-set tale, but is it officially part of Marvel Comics 616 continuity? The blurb in the first issue would certainly suggest so, but these quotes from a recent interview with Priest seem to tell a different story.
“Our Black Panther is our world to come. It’s completely our own vision of the near future. It is not tied into any other bit of Marvel continuity, which gives us enormous freedom to do things like have Lockjaw show up, so we’re very happy about that. I’m glad that’s finally coming out. It’s been a long and interesting journey.”
Either way, the big reveal has come in for a lot of backlash. You can check out just a few of the reactions below.
You get the idea. While some are taking this a lot more seriously than others, most can agree that it's a... bold move from the legendary publisher.
What do you make of this development? Have you read the issue in question? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.