In Marvel Comics' new September solicitations, a Black Panther hero is teased to be getting a bigger place in the spotlight, joining the fray in the publisher's next big cosmic event known as The Last Annihilation. The Dread Dormammu has returned, manifesting himself in the cosmos thanks to Ego the Living Planet and an ancient cult of Skrulls. Naturally, it's going to be all hands on deck to keep the galaxy safe, and that includes the newly reformed Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, seeing the Maroons' M'Baku assisting T'Challa and the Guardians of the Galaxy in the epic fight to come.
In the recently concluded Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda storyline from Ta-Nehisi Coates, the empire had been corrupted into one built on oppression, taking prisoners from worlds they conquered and turning them into slaves without memory. These slaves were known as the Nameless. While T'Challa found himself becoming one of them in the run's beginning, he was rescued and subsequently joined the resistance movement known as the Maroons, led by its commanders M'Baku and Nakia. However, these versions of the characters took their names from the original characters, being inspired by their heroic acts of legend.
While Nakia gave her life in the resulting battle between Wakanda Prime and the Intergalactic Empire, M'Baku fought by T'Challa's side in the final battle when the evil Emperor N'Dajaka was defeated, leading to the Black Panther's rule becoming much bigger on a galactic scale. As a result, M'Baku has apparently been aiding T'Challa with reforming the Intergalactic Empire, and he'll be joining him in this new battle with The Last Annihilation. Here's the cover art and solicit information for the upcoming tie-in issue from Evan Narcisse and German Peralta:
- THE LAST ANNIHILATION: WAKANDA #1
- EVAN NARCISSE (W) • GERMÁN PERALTA (A)
- Cover by PHILIP TAN
- VARIANT COVER BY Ernanda Souza
- With the universe itself at stake, Black Panther enlists the might of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda to help stop the dreaded Dormammu! And leading the Wakandan forces is none other than the legendary M’Baku! Will T’Challa and M’Baku be able to defeat Dormammu’s army of Mindless Ones? Don’t miss this critical chapter of the LAST ANNIHILATION event as a new hero emerges!
- 40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99
If the synopsis is any indication, it certainly looks like M'Baku is being set up to be the face of the reformed Intergalactic Empire as its brand new hero, which should be pretty exciting. Actor Winston Duke's take on the character in the MCU's Black Panther was a major hit, and M'Baku has become a fan-favorite character since the 2018 film. Seeing as how the Maroons based their uniforms off of the Black Panther himself, it would certainly be cool to see him evolve into a sort of Cosmic Panther while T'Challa remains the Black Panther of Wakanda Prime.
In any case, it certainly seems as though The Last Annihilation and the threat of Dormamu will be a trial by fire for M'Baku. While he's already proven himself to be quite the capable fighter and warrior leading the Maroons, this new event will be the first major crossover the Intergalactic Empire will be a part of. Here's hoping he and his forces are prepared to join the Black Panther and face the power of the Dread Dormammu when the time comes.