Black Panther - Drums Of Wakanda!

While finishing up his affairs with the Collectors and their mad schemes, the Black Panther is away from his duties in Wakanda and that proves to be a danger to everyone.

Then we meet Jakarra the step-brother of T'Challa who seeks to take control in his absence and confronts the regent left in charge. But Jakarra reveals that he has exposed himself to the Vibranium mound which the Wakandans guard and that this power is changing him making him more powerful. But with that power comes seeming danger. Meanwhile the Panther finally escapes the clutches of the Collectors and is headed home.

The story opens with a flashback sequence which adds some detail to the origin of the Black Panther and shows a trial by combat which had him officially take the mantle of the Panther from the predecessor.

The regent of Wakanda N'Gassi calls for all of the royal family to assemble to face the threat of Jakarra who continues to change because of the Vibranium exposure. Answering the call are Joshua Itobo a doctor, Khanata a race car driver, Ishanta a financier, and a heavy-set woman named Zuni. These four are confronted by the menace of Jakarra and agree to help. Meanwhile the Panther saves two men from the sea and discovers they are notorious criminals who attempt to hijack his plane. It crashes and he and the surviving mob boss named Scarpo seek to survive.

While T'Challa still tries to get home, carrying the notorious mobster Scarpo on his shoulders he falls finally in the desert and discovers a strange robot.

It seems he's found a movie set in which a science fiction movie (an oddly familiar one it seems too) is being filmed and he leaves Scarpo with them  and attempts to leave by stealing a jeep.

Meanwhile the "Black Musketeers" (the four members of the Royal Family we met last issue) team up to try and stop the monstrous Jakarra with limited effect. (This is a low point for the series for certain.)

The battle against Jakarra continues while the Panther still tries to make his way back to Wakanda, this time being stopped by Sudanese security forces.

He steals their plane and finally reaches home just in time to be briefed on threat. Meanwhile the "Black Musketeers" are attempting to inject a formula which will neutralize the threat of Jakarra who has become a complete monster and threatens to destroy the whole world by activating immense power of the Vibranium mound. The Black Panther appears in the nick of time to inject the formula and Jakarra's threat is ended and mound subsides but the Panther's fate is unknown.

A little bit more Kirby to come.

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