Black Panther’s paranoia is getting the better of him, and it could be leading him towards a tragic confrontation with his closest allies.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Black Panther #4, available now from Marvel.
T’Challa’s life has never been more complicated than it is right now. Wakanda moving to a parliamentary system sent the hero reeling with no clear place or responsibility. However, that pales in comparison to seeing his greatest mistakes and deepest secrets unearthed to torment him.
In a desperate bid to save himself and those most loyal to him, T’Challa traversed the globe and beyond, seeking the truth. Since his mysterious enemies uncovered Wakanda’s sleeper agents, Black Panther has been racing against time. He has achieved small victories along the way, rescuing compatriots and strengthening alliances. Unfortunately, despite some successes, the journey has left him with few answers and a heightened sense of paranoia, one which may soon end up getting him killed.
After making the trek to the planet Arakko, formerly Mars, T’Challa returns home to Wakanda with former sleeper agent Omolola. On the outskirts of the country, however, he brings them up short. Rattled by recent events and convinced attacks could come from anywhere, the former king confronts his agent. As revealed in Black Panther #4 (by John Ridley, Juann Cabal, Ibrahim Moustafa, Matt Milla, and VC’s Joe Sabino), every piece of uncovered evidence points towards one of Wakanda’s own leading the mysterious attacks. Certain inconsistencies in Omolola’s story suggest she could be the one.
Before T’Challa can strike a fatal blow against his former friend, the battle between him and Omolola is broken up by the arrival of Shuri alongside Akili and the Hatut Zeraze. First introduced in 1998’s Black Panther #4 by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira, the Hatut Zeraze had once been the secret police of Wakanda. From the shadows, they tortured and killed any political opponents of the country who posed a threat.
Panther worked to overhaul them. As a result, they put away the barbaric tools of their past in recent years. Still, their swift arrival on the scene is somewhat ominous. Who’s to say that with T’Challa no longer leading the nation and a time of significant vulnerability upon Wakanda, the group hasn’t taken it upon themselves to turn back the clock. Or, worse, perhaps the new government has asked them to do so.
While it’s hard to imagine that the Hatut Zeraze would return to their roots to try and torture information out of Omolola, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time a nation turned its back on progress to feel safe. If they feel as confused and threatened as Black Panther clearly does, they’re certainly capable of making regressive choices under the sway of severe stress. It would be even easier if Wakanda’s parliament asked them to do so.
Even more frightening to contemplate is the possibility that the Hatut Zeraze count the traitor amongst their ranks. They certainly have the skills and possibly the strategic know-how to put such a plan in motion with their lethal efficiency and near-endless resources. If they were more resentful of being asked to discontinue their rougher practices than initially seemed to be the case, striking while the man that forced their change seemed to be out of sorts would be perfect timing.
Shuri calling them into action doesn’t exactly discount this either. How better to get to T’Challa, after all? Shuri is consistently the one person Panther never stops trusting. Getting in good with her is as close to a free pass as the Hatut Zeraze could want. Even if the hero realizes their threat, it may be too late to save himself or, more disturbingly, his sibling.
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