Erik Killmonger proved he is a formidable foe in any universe on a recent episode of What If..?. Thanks to a series of resurrections in Marvel Comics, newer and more powerful versions of the character continue to plague the country of Wakanda, making Killmonger one of the most fascinating supervillains in comics.
Black Panther has many enemies in the comics but few who have as much personal history with him as Killmonger. Killmonger's comic book story is intricately linked to that of Wakanda, a tragic tale that has produced one of the most persistent and dangerous threats to T'Challa, Wakanda, and the rest of the Marvel Universe.
Killmonger Isn't Related to Black Panther By Blood
Erik Killmonger's backstory differs in several major ways from his MCU counterpart's. N'Jadaka, as he was born, first appeared in Jungle Action #6 back in 1973. He is not related to T'Challa by blood but is the son of a Wakandan family that is bound up in a political revolution fomented in part by Klaw, one of Black Panther's most powerful villains. N'Jadaka's parents are killed, and he is raised outside of Wakanda. He develops a deep and bitter resentment toward Wakanda for what he views as a betrayal of his family.
Killmonger Disappeared From The Comics For A Long Time
Today, Killmonger is a significant enemy of Black Panther both in the MCU and in Marvel Comics, but for a long period of time, he didn't appear in the comics at all. He played a major role in the pages of Jungle Action, but for most of the 1980s, he wasn't a factor. In fact, he didn't appear in the years between 1982's Iron Man Annual #5 and Over the Edge #6 in 1996. He would become a major focus of Christopher Priest's run on Black Panther in the late 1990s but would again be absent for most of the early 2000s.
Killmonger Is A Powerful Warrior
Killmonger doesn't have superpowers, but he is naturally strong and agile, making him virtually equal to Black Panther and even to T'Challa's powers. More than that, Killmonger is an expert marksman, tactician, and strategist, making him a huge threat not just in combat but in politics and espionage. He is one of the best martial artists in the Marvel Universe, trained in a variety of disciplines and capable of defeating T'Challa in single combat, as he did in his very first appearance in Jungle Action #6.
Killmonger Clashed With The Kingpin
Killmonger sought revenge against Klaw for the deaths of his parents and tried to kill him. That brought Killmonger into an unexpected confrontation with the Kingpin. The powerful boss of the criminal underworld had provided Klaw with an elite security team to protect him because Klaw worked for Kingpin.
Killmonger actually worked with this security team for a period of time and fell in love with one of his colleagues, codenamed Knight. It all fell apart when she sold them out to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Killmonger Was Unable To Take The Heart-Shaped Herb
In the MCU, Erik Killmonger becomes a powerful variant of Black Panther when he takes the Heart-Shaped Herb and gains superpowers. In the comics, he wasn't able to do this, at least not at first. When he tried to ingest the Herb after defeating T'Challa in battle, the native Wakandan plant poisoned him. He nearly died and didn't gain the powers of Black Panther. Later, powers manifested in lesser ways, giving him some superhuman strength and stamina. Killmonger wouldn't be deterred, however.
Killmonger Is A Master Inventor
As fans saw in the episode of What If..?, Killmonger is as much of a master inventor as Tony Stark. This is much more at the forefront of his character in the comics, in which he synthesized the Heart-Shaped Herb and was able to gain all of the powers and abilities of Black Panther by doing so. His senses became heightened, and he became as agile, strong, and fast as T'Challa and other people who have held the mantle of Black Panther. Killmonger also invented numerous devices, including a pair of wrist bracelets equipped with various weapons.
Killmonger Was Killed By Monica Rambeau
Killmonger has died several times in the comics. One of his most shocking deaths came at the hands of Monica Rambeau, who comic fans know was once one of the most powerful versions of Captain Marvel. She proved it in 2008's Black Panther #38 when she flew through Killmonger's chest at the speed of light. She went so fast that she essentially phased through him. This astounding event came after Killmonger once again challenged T'Challa for the throne, and, in the process, fought and captured Monica Rambeau.
The Altar Of Resurrection Is Crucial To Killmonger's Longevity
A big part of Killmonger's story in the comics is his returning from the dead. He has died several times, and the go-to means of bringing him back is the Altar of Resurrection. His followers use this sacred device, powered by ancient Wakandan magic, to bring Killmonger back from the dead.
The Altar of Resurrection not only brings Killmonger back from the dead, it also supplies him with undead soldiers for his armies. One of the most prominent characters Killmonger resurrected was King Cadaver, an unusual villain from Jungle Action #10.
Killmonger Has Been Resurrected By The Ten Rings
The Altar of Resurrection isn't the only means by which Killmonger has returned from the dead. One of the most unusual, and perhaps the most intriguing to fans of the MCU, are the Ten Rings. In Iron Man Annual #5, Mandarian recovers the dead body of Killmonger and uses the alien power of the rings to bring Killmonger back to life for his own purposes. Given the hint that Killmonger was familiar with the Ten Rings organization in What If..?, there is an intriguing possibility for the character returning to the MCU via some kind of supernatural resurrection.
There Has Been A Cosmic Killmonger
Another resurrection for Killmonger in the comics involved an alien symbiote like that of Venom. A symbiote bonded with Killmonger when his body was placed on the Altar of Resurrection by N'Jadaka, Emperor of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. N'Jadaka had meant to transfer his soul into the body of Killmonger, but Killmonger's soul returned as well, fighting N'Jadaka for control. Armed with the incredible power of the alien symbiote, Killmonger became a frightening new threat not just to Wakanda but the entire Marvel Universe.