Ryan Coogler's Black Panther is taking the box office by storm and receiving praise from critics and fans alike, but surprisingly - especially for a Marvel Studios movie - the villain is getting even more attention than the hero. Michael B. Jordan (who also starred in Coogler's two previous movies: Fruitvale Station and Creed) plays Erik "Killmonger" Stevens, a soldier-turned-mercenary with a grudge against Wakanda's royal family, and a plan to use Wakanda's Vibranium resources to conquer the world. While that might sound like a typical bad guy set-up, the movie reveals that Killmonger has some pretty sound motivations for the terrible things that he does.Killmonger was first introduced in the pages of Marvel Comics - specifically, in Don McGregor and Rich Buckler's Jungle Action #6 - back in 1973, and since then he has repeatedly popped up in Black Panther's adventures over the years. He's died a few times, but usually manages to bounce back and, along with Ulysses Klaw (played by Andy Serkis in the movie), is one of Black Panther's greatest and longest-running nemeses.Related: Black Panther Made One Big Change To Comic Book T'ChallaHere's a rundown of Erik Killmonger's origins in Marvel Comics, and how they compare to the version we see in Black Panther.

Killmonger's Early Life

Black Panther - Killmonger - Comic origins

In Black Panther: Erik Stevens is born in Oakland, California to an American mother. His father, N'Jobu, raises him with stories about Wakanda and gives him a War Dog tattoo on the inside of his bottom lip, to mark him as a Wakandan. N'Jobu himself is a War Dog - a Wakandan spy - who was sent out into the world to gather information and carry out missions. However, after seeing the hardship and oppression of the black community in Oakland, he eventually allied himself with Ulysses Klaue and gave Klaue the information he needed to steal a quarter-ton of Vibranium right from the heart of Wakanda. N'Jobu intended to use some of the Vibranium to build weapons and lead an African-American revolution, but this plan is foiled by his friend James - actually another War Dog, called Zuri - who reports back to King T'Chaka.

T'Chaka wants to bring N'Jobu back to Wakanda to stand trial, but N'Jobu is so enraged that he pulls his gun on Zuri, and T'Chaka reacts by killing him with his Black Panther claws. T'Chaka and N'Jobu leave the now-orphaned Erik (it's never explained what happened to his mother, but she doesn't seem to be in the picture) behind and cover up the truth of N'Jobu's betrayal. Young Erik finds his father's body, and the anger and sorrow start him down a path to becoming a ruthless killer.

Related: Is Killmonger Really Marvel's Best Villain?

In the comics: N'Jadaka is born in Wakanda, and is not related to T'Challa at all. Nor does his father voluntarily choose to help Klaw; instead, he is forced to work for Klaw after the Vibranium-hungry arms dealer attacks Wakanda with his mercenaries. Klaw takes young N'Jadaka as a slave and forces him to mine Vibranium, and when T'Challa finally manages to force Klaw out of Wakanda, Klaw takes N'Jadaka with him. The boy who would eventually become Killmonger escaped Klaw's clutches once he reached American soil, but was orphaned and had no way to get home. Because of this, he became "embittered and displaced."

Killmonger - Marvel Comics

Killmonger Grows Up

In Black Panther: As Killmonger tells T'Challa at the start of his fight, he lived his entire life in pursuit of the moment he would have an opportunity to take revenge for his father's death, and claim the Wakandan throne. As an adult he joined the U.S. military and fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, before joining a JSOC black ops team, and finally becoming a mercenary. By the time the movie begins, Killmonger has killed hundreds of people - marking each confirmed kill with a scar on his body. In fact, he got the nickname Killmonger because of all the confirmed kills that he racked up.

In the comics: After ending up in Harlem, New York, N'Jadaka changed his name to Erik Killmonger and set about getting an education. He studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and acquired an MBA and a PhD in engineering. At some point (presumably after returning to Wakanda), Killmonger acquired a white leopard called Preyy, whom he trained to fight alongside him.

Killmonger Returns to Wakanda

Killmonger fights Black Panther in Marvel Comics.

In Black Panther: Thanks to his father's stories, Killmonger knows that he has a rightful claim to the Wakandan throne, and he knows about the ritual combat required to win the throne. However, he's too smart to simply barge into Wakanda and demand a chance to be king; he knows that in order to have power, he'll need allies. He devises a plot to use Klaue to get the Wakandans' attention by stealing Vibranium from a British museum and arranging to sell it to the CIA. He then arranges for T'Challa to fail at apprehending Klaue by breaking Klaue out of the CIA building where he is held for questioning - thereby weakening T'Challa in the eyes of Wakanda's tribal leaders.

After the breakout, Killmonger double-crosses Klaue and kills him, then brings his body to Wakanda. He reveals his true identity - N'Jadaka, son of N'Jobu, and potential heir to the throne - and challenges T'Challa to ritual combat. T'Challa agrees and... loses pretty badly. After all, Killmonger has spent his entire life learning how to kill, and he is fueled by hatred. At the end of the battle, Killmonger throws T'Challa off the very appropriately-named Warrior Falls. However, T'Challa survives and returns to reclaim his throne.

Related: Black Panther: The 10 Biggest Spoilers

In the comics: Killmonger throwing Black Panther off Warrior Falls is lifted straight from his very first appearance in the Jungle Action comics, and is an iconic moment between the two characters. N'Jadaka was repatriated back to the well-guarded country after contacting T'Challa, and returned the favor by setting up his base in a village that he named after himself (N'Jadaka) and committing atrocities on his warpath to the throne. He teamed up with other villains, including Baron Macabre, who raised a zombie army to launch an assault on Black Panther and his forces.

Killmonger throws T'Challa off the falls during their first major fight. Just like in the movie, T'Challa returns from the brink of death, and eventually they battle again in the same spot. Killmonger dominates the fight, lifts T'Challa over his head and declares, "This time I'll break your backbone... and then I'll stand over you and slowly watch you die." Before he can do so, however, T'Challa is saved by a little boy called Kantu, who charges the villain and knocks him off Warrior Falls to his death.

More: Will Killmonger Be Back In Black Panther 2?

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