Quote Originally Posted by chief12d View Post
Hell I still have mixed feelings about the Egyptian gods thing but I can't deny that Moon Knight team-up was lots of fun. I'm not even a huge fan of MK like that but I think they should interact more, if only because their gods know each other. I see there being lots of shared lore between them if a writer wanted to explore it for an arc.

Reed and Steve are at the top of my list too. I think they represent two sides of T'Challa himself. Reed imo is living the life T'Challa would want if he didn't have to worry about the throne. Like if he could be any hero for a week he'd be Mr. Fantastic. He's a pure adventurer, always enthralled in new discoveries, has a great family, etc. These are all things I think T'Challa highly respects. For his part I think Mr. Fantastic just thinks T'Challa is cool to be around lol. He's a king from this ancient civilization, with an advanced scientific mind of his own and similar values about the nature of the world. If Reed could be any hero, I honestly think T'Challa would be one of his first picks. There's a certain duality between this lanky, nerdy white dude living his best life and this hyper-masculine black king bonding over their mutual love of science and progress. That the Fantastic Four were also the first to really expose T'Challa to the world of superheroes and Wakanda is one of the most unique places Reed has ever visited I think makes their dynamic even more compelling.

And where Reed represents the scientific, enlightened side of T'Challa, I think Steve represents the warrior aspect. By all accounts these two should hate each other lol. T'Challa is the king of this deeply xenophobic black civilization that's only seen the worst sides of the Western world. Steve is the literal champion of the biggest Western power, one that's committed some of the worst atrocities in human history. But they buck the expectations of their respective societies to be better than their fellow citizens. Steve represents the American ideal of democracy and peace through strength, T'Challa represents Wakanda's ideals of societal perseverance and spirituality. The way they go about advancing those ideals keeps them at constant odds with their people but it lets them understand the pressures of being icons.

Steve existing I think confirms for T'Challa that the world outside Wakanda is worth saving and that America isn't 100% this evil empire. T'Challa's willingness to be the type of king that he is despite the blowback from his people I think gives Steve the impression there's great men all across the world and that whatever superficial disagreement they may have, Wakanda and civilizations like it can be trusted allies and friends. Other good friends include Luke Cage, who I think hits similar points as Captain America, except from the perspective of a marginalized black man, and Eden, who despite my issues with his inclusion, has been around for damn near 5 years and is dating T'Challa's sister.

In terms of characters I'd like to see T'Challa interact more with I'd say Black Bolt is my first choice. They're arguably the most heroic of the super-kings of the MU and I think it's interesting that Black Bolt has been the "big gun" in T'Challa's arsenal on multiple occasions, whether it be when he blasted Apocalypse or helped him take out Namor. I like to think their civilizations have low-key interacted in the deep past and it'd be nice to see that explored. You also have the Inhuman diaspora to serve as a launching point for cool interactions, like Nuhumans cropping up in Wakanda or T'Challa finally stumbles upon the ancient city-state of Utolan, Mozambique. I think they have similar viewpoints about the nature of their roles as kings, even though T'Challa's a bit more willing to explore and be a hero.

Another cool character would be Brother Voodoo. Going back to the Priest days these two have interacted pretty positively and I think there's still hope he can be part of T'Challa's extended supporting cast. You got the obvious duality of magic and technology but I also think that Voodoo, as a former Sorcerer Supreme, has the type of skills to be the primary magic user in T'Challa's roster of allies. They also seem to mesh well in terms of personality and I think it'd be fun if Voodoo married a Wakandan priestess of sorts for cool magical comparisons and stuff between Wakanda, the rest of Africa, and the Caribbean. Cuz this thing he has with Scarlet Witch ain't doing it for me lol.
That's a pretty good analysis of T'Challa's relationships with some of the greats of the wider Marvel Universe and how those relationships could be fleshed out and expanded upon.