Way back in 2015, Marvel gave fans an epic line-wide, continuity altering event titled Secret Wars, and in it, the King of Wakanda himself, Black Panther, got his hands on all six Infinity Stones and took on a god-like version of Doctor Doom to decide the fate of reality itself. Black Panther has had some wild fistfights over the years, but utilizing the full power of the Stones ends up turning into a fight unlike any he’s ever been in before.
Told throughout nine issues, Secret Wars, written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Esad Ribic, was a story that saw the destruction of the Marvel multiverse and the creation of a patchwork reality called Battleworld where the remnants of other worlds were saved from utter annihilation. Made possible by Doctor Doom after he harnesses the power of the Beyonders, this new God Emperor rules over Battleworld with an iron, omnipotent fist, twisting and remaking reality as he sees fit, with nary an obstacle in his way to stop him. Enter Black Panther and a handful of other heroes and villains who have survived the destruction of the multiverse.
Making plans to usurp God Emperor Doom and restore reality and the infinite amount of parallel worlds to their rightful states, Black Panther travels to a hidden island of Doctor Strange’s that holds the secret to hopefully stopping Doom: the Infinity Gauntlet. Acquired in issue six and finally utilized in the final issue of Secret Wars, Black Panther confronts God Emperor Doom wielding the full god-like power of the Infinity Gauntlet. What ensues is one of the wildest and most powerful displays of fisticuffs that the Marvel Universe has ever seen.
Kicking things off in spectacular fashion by turning Doom into a hardened substance that fellow hero, Namor, handily shatters with his trident, Doctor Doom reconfigures himself back together only to get the fight started in earnest. Firing off an energy blast that T’Challa easily deflects but loses a Stone to, Doctor Doom immediately goes on the offensive leading with the words, “Let us finish this…and do so as gods…on the Earth. In the sky. And the heavens above,” and before fans know it, this epic battle transcends all laws of reality and reason. Transforming and laying into one another as giant mechs, a cosmic sky panther, and a rumbling storm of multiversal properties, the fighting continues within the sun right next to the imprisoned Human Torch and only grows bigger in scope the longer it goes on.
Giving fans a treat leading into the climax of the Secret Wars event, Black Panther going toe-to-toe against a god while brandishing the power of a god himself is hands down one of the most insane fights ever seen on panel. Proving that he has the mettle, fighting prowess, and determination to take on a man who still finds a way to beat Black Panther down before hastily teleporting away after realizing he’s been duped by the good guys while fighting, T’Challa holding his own for most of the battle is a shining example of a hero that will stop at nothing to defeat evil.
Getting to wield the full power of the Infinity Stones is a feat reserved for very few Marvel Comics heroes, and as seen in this series, Black Panther is more than capable of handling them with ease. Black Panther’s fight with God Emperor Doom might have only been a distraction in the grand scheme of restoring reality, but utilizing the Infinity Stones in a cosmic brawl against a god is an achievement all its own.