Black Panther: Panther's Prey #4
The Black Panther has returned to America for two reasons: To rekindle his romance with Monica Lynn as well as uncover how Solomon Prey has been smuggling drugs into Wakanda. His only clue came from an embassy worker named Gabriel Mason. Upon T’Challa’s arrival in Washington, Mason offered his condolences regarding the recent death of Kantu. Kantu was a young Wakandan who died of drug overdose.[1] Given the time between Kantu’s death and T’Challa’s arrival in the USA there was no way Mason could have known unless he was some how involved in the drug smuggling.
Tailing Gabriel’s car, T’Challa watches as Mason meets with Victor Calabrese, the CEO of an up-and-coming company called Eco-Clean. They have driven out into a nearby forest to meet with representatives of Solomon Prey. As it turns out, Calabrese has been using his resources to procure American made drugs to be smuggled back into Wakanda in exchange for Vibranium ore that Prey had stolen. When Solomon’s Lightning Lancers arrive on the pterodactyl’s carrying huge bags full of the rare ore, T’Challa attacks them. However, Solomon was waiting in the wings (literally since, you know, he has wings) and ambushes the Panther. After savagely slashing the hero and knocking him out, Solomon then murders both Gabriel and Victor since all he cared about was securing the drugs. He then has his right-hand-man Zambata bury T’Challa alive in a grave with the bodies of Mason and Calabrese.
Waking up shortly thereafter, the Black Panther tries to keep thoughts of suffocating in the ground out of his mind as he frantically digs his way back up to the surface. It’s a struggle, but thoughts of being with Monica Lynn give him the energy he needs to finally reach the surface.
The following morning, T’Challa and Monica go to the Wakandan embassy and meet with Alicia Wallencott to tell her the news about her boyfriend Gabriel. Alicia isn’t overly surprised that Mason was dealing in drugs considering he dabbled in cocaine use himself. She admits that she didn’t think it was such a big deal. However, she soon realizes the gravity of the issue when Monica points out that the drugs being smuggled into Wakanda are getting into the hands of children as young as 9 years old. This, combined with the realization that Gabriel had been murdered caused Alicia to break down in tears.
Before returning to Wakanda, T’Challa and Monica make a stop at her family home in Georgia. There, T’Challa meets with Monica’s parents Lloyd and Jessica Lynn. T’Challa stumbles around why he has come but Lloyd has figured out if that he has come to get permission to marry his daughter. Lloyd’s only concerns are regarding which faith T’Challa plans on raising their children as the Lynn family have been Baptists for generations. T’Challa tells Lloyd that any grandchildren he and Monica produce will be raise to learn the heritage and backgrounds of both sides of the family and will be allowed to choose a faith of their choice once they are old enough to make up their own minds. This is acceptable to Lloyd who gives T’Challa his blessings to marry Monica.
With this permission, T’Challa and Monica return to the embassy where they announce their plans to marry via a live television broadcast back to Wakanda. As expected, the people of Wakanda react to the news that their king is going to marry an outsider with shock and disbelief. W’Kabi, T’Challa’s closest ally, takes it the hardest as he was pressuring his friend to settle down and produce an heir to the throne. However, he didn’t mean anything like this and heads down to the shooting range to blast targets with his cybernetic arm to blow off steam. Taku and Venomm also discuss the announcement as they continue their investigation into data theft from Wakanda’s computer database. While Venomm is happy to hear that a love story has worked out, Taku isn’t so sure if it has. Clifford Scott — an American scientist on an international exchange — thinks of the political ramifications of T’Challa marrying an American and the potential for an international incident. While Ramonda, T’Challa’s step-mother, goes to the tomb of her late husband T’Chaka for advice as she — an outsider — knows the trials and tribulations of being an outside marrying into the royal family.[2]
The news also reaches Solomon Prey and his lover Tanzika. Tanzika is not happy to hear that T’Challa will be marrying Monica Lynn and orders Solomon to kill T’Challa the moment he returns home to Wakanda. Not only that, but she wants him to detonate the explosives they planted in the Vibranium mound as well. Going into their private chambers to have sex, Tanzika explains why she hates T’Challa so much. Not that long ago, Tanzika was a court handmaiden to T’Challa and fell in love with him. However, the king did not return those feelings, choosing the American woman as his lover instead. Tanzika hated Monica Lynn with a passion and framed her for the murder of Zatama, one of T’Challa’s closest advisors. Unfortunately, her scheme was exposed and T’Challa exiled her as punishment.[3]
Soon, the Black Panther returns to Wakanda with his new bride-to-be. They are greeted by W’Kabi, Taku and Venomm. W’Kabi then informs T’Challa of the death of Iba, one of the men who worked security at the Vibranium Mound. T’Challa correctly deduces that Iba was murdered by Solomon Prey to cover up his smuggling operation. Taku has also been able to learn what their data thief has been after, stealing the plans for Wakanda’s sonar glider detection technology. This is highly sensitive information that will deeply concern the international community if it is learned that Wakanda has developed a technology that can shield their ships from detection. When it comes to the identity of the spy in their midst, W’Kabi accuses Venomm of being the spy since he was once an enemy of Wakanda who has claimed to have reformed.[4]
T’Challa doesn’t buy it and asks to speak with to Venomm in private. Taku soon joins them and assures the king that Venomm has completely reformed. During the conversation, the Panther mentions how he was buried alive by Solomon Prey while he was in America. When T’Challa, Venomm, and Taku rejoin the others, they have been joined by Clifford Scott. When Scott mentions how T’Challa was buried alive, he suddenly figures out who the spy is. Having his men restrain Venomm, T’Challa pulls away his beloved snake Matilda and cuts the serpent open. Sure enough, there was a plug planted inside. T’Challa has also deduced that Clifford is a mole for the CIA. Scott admits that he is and while he respects T’Challa, he had to investigate Wakanda’s technological capabilities for his own government. While the US government believes that the Black Panther is an ally, they gathering intel in the event that Wakanda is ever ruled by a less than friendly successor to the throne.
As T’Challa is coming to terms with this revelation, Solomon Prey and his minions launch their attack on Wakanda. As the Lightning Lancer charge on the palace, Solomon begins detonating the bombs he had set in the Vibranium mound. T’Challa leaps into the air and fights Solomon on the back of one of his flying pterodactyls. He manages to grab the remove detonator for the remaining explosives from Tanzika’s hands before Solomon comes in for the kill. As the two fight in mid-air, Solomon Prey activates a cloaking device that makes him invisible. However, Prey doesn’t anticipate the Black Panther closing his eye and using his other senses to detect the position of his foe. In the ensuing brawl, Solomon is knocked into the talons of one of the pterodactyl. With his wings ripping off his back, Solomon then falls to his death.
On the ground, Tanzika races to Solomon’s body and begins beating his corpse for failing her so poorly. Before they can restraint her, Tanzika tries to attack Monica but Lynn knocks her out with a single punch. With the battle over, Doctor Kaza — the man who helped mutate Prey into the winged man — comes to collect his body. He thinks Solomon’s death was a waste, but the two men did agree that he was never a reasonable man.[5]
That evening, a 13 year old girl named Riza stops at the statue of Kantu. She doesn’t know who the statue is of or how it is significant to her people. She only comes here so she can smoke crack in private. She hadn’t taken a hit in 15 minutes and is jonseing for another dose. As she takes a hit from her pipe she feels nothing but pure ecstasy. This will be a fleeing sensation in another five to fifteen minutes when the need to hit again will come, but that’s a concern for later.
Recurring Characters
Black Panther, Solomon Prey, W’Kabi, Monica Lynn, Venomm, Taku, Ramonda, Tayete, Kazibe, Tanzika, Zambata, Jessica Lynn, Lloyd Lynn, Jacobme, Clifford Scott, Gabriel Mason, Alicia Wallencott
Continuity Notes
T’Challa discovered that crack was being smuggled into Wakanda in Black Panther: Panther’s Prey #1. Kantu died of a drug over dose in the following issue. Gabriel Mason offered his condolences last issue.
Ramonda is referred to as T’Challa’s mother in this story. However, she is actually T’Chaka’s second wife, something that won’t be clarified until Black Panther (vol. 3) #1. As explained in Marvel Comics Presents #14-37, Ramonda was a native of South Africa before she met and married T’Chaka, T’Challa’s father. T’Chaka’s death was first depicted in Fantastic Four #53 and it happened while Ramonda had been kidnapped for years.
Tanzika has sought T’Challa since Captain America #170. She later attempted to frame Monica for murder in Jungle Action (vol. 2) #9-11.
Venomm was a former minion of Erik Killmonger. See Jungle Action (vol. 2) #6-8, 13-14, and 16-18.
As of this writing (December, 2022), Solomon Prey is still considered among the deceased.
Topical References
The computers and TVs in this story are all depicted as CRT model units. This should be considered a topical reference as this is now an obsolete technology.
After hearing the Black Panther’s wedding announcement, Clifford Scott figures that government officials in America must be reaching for Pepto Bismol. Pepto Bismol is the brand name for a drug called Bismuth subsalicylate. It is typically used to treat nausea, heartburn, and other digestive issues. This is not necessarily a topical reference as the Pepto Bismol brand has become a proprietary eponym.
