Black Panther is preparing for the battle of his life with an epic speech as Ta-Nehisi Coates' five-year run is coming to a close. Black Panther #23 will pick up where the series left off before going on hiatus for almost a year. The final three issues will place T'challa at center stage to fight for everything Wakanda stands for.
Wakanda is preparing for battle and a new preview shows T'challa rallying his nation. The king has come a long way throughout this arc. The battle for Wakanda has gone intergalactic. N'Jadarka's symbiote suit allowed the Wakandan Emperor to return and resurrect Killmonger. N'Jadarka has turned his Wakanda into an empire built upon enslaving people to do his bidding. After being captured, T'challa was freed by a rebel group, but now it is time to take all of Wakanda back. It is time to free all of his people from their chains.
A preview for Black Panther #23, written by Coates with art by Daniel Acuña and Ryan Bodenheim, reveals the speech that will either rally Wakanda towards victory or will preclude a devastating defeat:
This speech is nothing short of epic and it is sure to inspire all of Wakanda. These pages show just how much T'challa has grown over the course of this series. He is no longer a person shying away from the crown, away from leadership. Instead, he is using his experiences and his losses to strengthen the Wakandan people and himself. This is exactly the kind of speech T'challa needs to give, because the upcoming war is bigger than anyone could have guessed. N'Jadarka has proven extraordinarily hard to kill and the threat he poses has only multiplied since he has brought back Erik Killmonger to fight alongside him. T'challa has broken oaths, but he has also been forced to face the consequences of his decisions. He has had to face his past, his ancestors, and himself in Djalia, the ancestral plane. Many have sacrificed for the benefit of Wakanda and for the freedom of Wakanda's people, but the foes ahead of them are beyond anything they've faced before. This is where their strength as a nation comes from, however — the people and their willingness to stand up for each other no matter what lies ahead. However, it isn't just Wakandans who are joining the fight.
Within the crowd of Wakandans, many Black heroes can be seen. Nick Fury, Miles Morales in his Spider-Man suit, and Storm from X-Men are all present, as well as War Machine, Ironheart, Patriot, and Vibraxas among many others. This final showdown is looking like it will be intense, but the King of Wakanda won't be standing alone. The second Wakanda may have failed to uphold the original's ideals, but the people are regaining their memories and their identities. There are signs that the empire of N'Jadarka may crumble soon to make way for a truly united Wakanda. The fight against the Intergalactice Empire is not over. It has only just begun.
Black Panther #23 releases February 24, 2021.