Warning: preview pages for Black Panther #4 are ahead!
There was a time that Storm and Black Panther were one of Marvel’s most prominent couples. In the years since then, multiple crossover events and individual changes to both characters have separated them. And while the notion of them reuniting as husband and wife might have been in the back of readers' minds, this preview for Black Panther #4 seems to solidify that the more distance there is between them, the better.
T’Challa has been spread thin of late. Ta-Nehisi Coates’ run ended with him being declared Galactic Emperor of Wakanda after a sect of his people colonized a star system. In his absence, his homeland has overhauled their governmental structure and are currently eschewing the traditional monarchy for a democratic process. Anticipating that Wakanda’s enemies may seek to take advantage of this political paradigm shift, T’Challa faked the deaths of several Wakandans and planted them as sleeper agents across the globe - and outside of it, as is the case with the mutant Gentle who’s embedded on Arakko. And though he and T’Challa put on a show, this preview indicates that Storm wasn’t fooled by it in the slightest.
It’s already risky keeping secrets from one of the most powerful mutants in existence, but Ororo doesn’t just speak for herself anymore. She now serves the greater mutant population as the Regent of Arakko, which means that T’Challa coming to her planet for a regroup is a little bit more significant than an ex crashing on the couch. These are two heads of state, each with massive responsibilities. If Wakanda’s interests run contrary to those of Arakko, Krakoa, or any sect of mutantkind, it could lead the two heroes into conflict. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time.
When a Phoenix Force-possessed Namor triggered a tsunami over Wakanda, T’Challa expected support from his wife without considering Storm’s loyalty to her people. Wounded by the wedge the conflict was causing but unable to vocalize it, T’Challa annulled their marriage and drove Ororo away, and their connection had only just begun to recover from that strain. Not to mention that Black Panther is still an Avenger, even if only part-time. Now he risks losing all of the ground they regained due to his mounting distrust and paranoia.
What could be the most tragic aspect of this interaction is that when T’Challa lands on Mars, Ororo—with one-time lover Gambit alongside her—wraps her former husband in a deep hug and calls him “My love.” It isn’t pleasant to think, but one wonders whether T’Challa is counting on her affection for him to cloud her judgment and proceed with his subterfuge undetected. Of course, the niceties could be a ploy on Storm’s part too, lowering T’Challa’s guard and playing on his pride so he wouldn’t suspect that she suspects anything. But it is precisely these kinds of Machiavellian mind games that Marvel could be using to prove why, despite their individual iconography and on-paper compatibility, Storm and Black Panther may be better letting love lead them apart. Black Panther #4 releases March 2, 2022.