Black Panther Appreciation 2020

[XPac]

What has Lois Lane and Catwoman added?

What about Betty & Veronica?

What about Mary Jane?

What about Harley?

All have held solos starring THEM.
All have had minis, one shots and specials about THEM.

And that is NOT counting Jessica Jones, Sue Storm, Scarlet Witch, Black Canary, Hawkwoman, Mera, Starfire, Gwen Stacey, Cheryl from Archie, Sabrina Teen Witch, Noble's wife (Lion Forge), Medusa, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Rogue & Dr McTaggert.

FUNNY the black ones Bumblebee, Vixen, Misty, Storm, Monica and Nakia haven't sniffed what these ladies had.

Storm has has solos, minis and one shots too.

[chief12d]

I don't think ANY woman could have quite the interaction with BP that Storm did. They in a lot of ways were equals, and that gave a certain power couple vibe which I'm not sure can be replicated with anyone else.
.
Though I enjoyed Monica, she was a somewhat atypical dim witted damsel in distress. Any any Wakandan woman Tchalla end up with will be inherently subservient to him because of who he is. Not that this is an unworkable issue ... but that's a rough position to be in especially following Storm.

I think the easiest work around is almost the Cat Woman route. Because that's something completely different, you sort of avoid the atypical love interest pitfalls.

It comes down to what people want out of a love interest for T'Challa and the dynamic they want for him. Monica Lynne won't offer the power couple vibe but with the right adjustments a writer could establish a different romantic dynamic that still gives T'Challa levity and humanization.

The same could go for any love interest given the investment, especially Zanda who could easily stand up to T'Challa with the correct upgrades. I see power couple potential there even if she'll never be as popular as Storm. Though I think it's a mistake to only consider a relationship on the basis of who's subservient to who anyway. Both people in a couple don't have to have Type-A personalities, but once again it comes down to reader preferences.

Either way the key factor there is "investment". Malaika might seem hard to work with but for some characters all it takes is one arc to revamp their entire character, but that won't come if there's a push for the same old thing. Storm has caused a lot of animosity to be generated to BP and one could argue her consistent usage in BP has led her office to grow lazy with using her. It's not a bad idea to shake up a relationship that's roughly 3 years old with a new love interest.

[Ezyo1000]

Not completely a one way street ... just mostly one. The BP books used Storm far more than the Xmen books used BP ... though that's not shocking given Xmen is a team book while BP is a solo. 90% of the relationship existed in the BP mythos ... Xmen books just referenced it once in awhile.

So then it's okay for Storm to be the LI who gets all the benefits and takes but adds nothing in return. Got it

[Ezyo1000]

It comes down to what people want out of a love interest for T'Challa and the dynamic they want for him. Monica Lynne won't offer the power couple vibe but with the right adjustments a writer could establish a different romantic dynamic that still gives T'Challa levity and humanization.

The same could go for any love interest given the investment, especially Zanda who could easily stand up to T'Challa with the correct upgrades. I see power couple potential there even if she'll never be as popular as Storm. Though I think it's a mistake to only consider a relationship on the basis of who's subservient to who anyway. Both people in a couple don't have to have Type-A personalities, but once again it comes down to reader preferences.

Either way the key factor there is "investment". Malaika might seem hard to work with but for some characters all it takes is one arc to revamp their entire character, but that won't come if there's a push for the same old thing. Storm has caused a lot of animosity to be generated to BP and one could argue her consistent usage in BP has led her office to grow lazy with using her. It's not a bad idea to shake up a relationship that's roughly 3 years old with a new love interest.

At this point I don't know if the whole "power couple" even matters, Storm has waned in popularity as well and really only she benefits for being around T'Challa since he is the biggest Black super hero of all. Hell of he got together with Monica rambeau they would be considered a power couple because I think Monica is more powerful than Storm, just not as well known. It doesn't even matter now Just let him move on

[MindofShadow]

That Avengers game is bombing

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultas.../#3d8ee0753a8f

by the time BP is released, ain't no one gonna be playing it.

Main roster >>> DLC. Always. T'challa needs to be on main rosters. Everytime.

[XPac]

At this point I don't know if the whole "power couple" even matters, Storm has waned in popularity as well and really only she benefits for being around T'Challa since he is the biggest Black super hero of all. Hell of he got together with Monica rambeau they would be considered a power couple because I think Monica is more powerful than Storm, just not as well known. It doesn't even matter now Just let him move on

Monica isn't a bad option. I'd sort of feel bad that Blue Marvel would lose his love interest just to give one to Tchalla (who in turn got Monica after she dated Voodoo), but obviously a BP writer would have priority since Adam doesn't have a book.

[Marvell2100]

At this point I don't know if the whole "power couple" even matters, Storm has waned in popularity as well and really only she benefits for being around T'Challa since he is the biggest Black super hero of all. Hell of he got together with Monica rambeau they would be considered a power couple because I think Monica is more powerful than Storm, just not as well known. It doesn't even matter now Just let him move on

Man I hope that this is the end of Storm appearing in a BP book and the X-verse needs to stay out of Wakandan business. I didn't realize that there were so many people interested in writing a dysfunctional black couple.

At this point they could put him with Maria Hill and it would be an improvement.

[Blind Wedjat]

That Avengers game is bombing

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultas.../#3d8ee0753a8f

by the time BP is released, ain't no one gonna be playing it.

Main roster >>> DLC. Always. T'challa needs to be on main rosters. Everytime.

He's technically not DLC in the traditional sense since it's a GaaS and he's a free character being added, but yea he's not part of the base roster.

Like I had said before, I'm not playing the game right now because it's not a good game. It's painfully average. And I'm only looking forward to BP's appearance for just content that could potentially inspire other stuff.

[MindofShadow]

He's technically not DLC in the traditional sense since it's a GaaS and he's a free character being added, but yea he's not part of the base roster.

Like I had said before, I'm not playing the game right now because it's not a good game. It's painfully average. And I'm only looking forward to BP's appearance for just content that could potentially inspire other stuff.

Games gonna be 15 bucks by xmas, Might be worth it just to play some BP stuff for a weekend lol

[4sake Baned]

Really lol?

Monica Lynne was Tchalla first love interest. She was in numerous stories unvolving her, from Avengers, McGregor, and Priest, usually as a stereotypical damsel in distress because that is just how comics were back then (so no different than MJ or Gwen Stacey). So she was in numerous stories being rescued, including in Avengers stories. With McGregor, she was the outsider in Wakanda and we got to see how she was treated by various traditional types and how T'challa defended her. Now, one of the historians like Beware/Digi will have to fine tune this comment, but McGregor EXLICITELY showed black on black love with Monica and T'challa and I doubt that was really common back then. Under Priest, Monica was one of the love interests (surprise, Priest the professional gave us 3-4... monica, storm, nikki, nakia) and was crucial to the story as it showed Nakia's craziness and showed us what happen when a super hero enters a "normal" persons life. It also directly affected T'challa, as one of the central issues of the run was his brain aneurysm and that caused him to break away from Monica to spare her.

To say Monica provided nothing to the mythos means you haven't read the mythos. At all. That is a ludacrous assertion.

Malaika was literally involved in one story and due to creator vs Marvel issues, hasn't been seen since. She was important to volume 2 and nothing more. The only reason people want her to come back is that MCU Nakia is Malaika. So it is a way to get MCU synergy without retconning anything.

So is Malaika important to the BP comic mythos? Nope. But, it is nuts she might be the most important BP female ever considering she turned into MCU Nakia. But comics, nah. Fanatics just see the potential in her because of the movie.

Nakia was one of the central villains of Priest run. Are you really arguing she isn't important lol? Her turning villain gave us insight into what the Doras were and how they were important to Wakanda. She is 100% important to the mythos... her and okoye are the OG doras. You need Nakia to show the difference in Okoye... the loyal dora vs the crazy out of control Dora. It showed us how dangerous the Dora's were considerign a 16 year old wreaked havoc on T'challa. (and need to add... she was a love interest in Nakia's brain only. Not in T'challa's)

Storm was involved int he mythos before Hudlin, she had short but important scenes with T'challa in Priests run. Then of course he is important considering she was queen. But the potential was never realized thanks to X-office shenannigans. The had a chance to be the prominent marriage at Marvel by far.

I agree with you, I’d only add positive Black on Black love was more prevalent back then. Don M did it the best, but BP, Cage, Falcon & to a lesser level Doc Voodoo all were in overall positive (it’s comics so there’s always some drama). I’m not sure about Blade ( maybe someone more knowledgeable can speak on that & Spectrum had a Kind of sorta Blk love but didn’t really go anywhere in 616 but Resulted in atl reality children. Comepare now BP/On toxic
Rship Falcon- Misty off & on rship that doesn’t get the development it needs (B4 that Sam & Misty we’re in pair in non health rships/dating/hooking up with white characters Iron Fist, DD, Zola Daughter & Jane Thor) , Spectrum/BM & Shuri/Eden barely developed off panel dating, PM/WT might still be dating but who another one of those undeveloped BM/BM rships see the theme? Doc Voodoo, Cage & Blade pair with white women ( married or off/on dating). I’d take back then over now in a heart beat when it comes to Black love mainstream comicwise..

[chief12d]

At this point I don't know if the whole "power couple" even matters, Storm has waned in popularity as well and really only she benefits for being around T'Challa since he is the biggest Black super hero of all. Hell of he got together with Monica rambeau they would be considered a power couple because I think Monica is more powerful than Storm, just not as well known. It doesn't even matter now Just let him move on

Being in a power couple is absolutely irrelevant lol. It's just a preference, one that I've grown tired of and am willing to see done away with. Just because T'Challa is a king doesn't mean he needs to be paired with a Type-A personality like himself. His love interest don't need to be omega-level or be insanely rich to "keep up".

These are artificial indicators of how any woman that enters his life can actually affect him, when there's more that goes into a romantic dynamic than who makes the most money (both in fiction and the real world). T'Challa doesn't need a Mera or Medusa imo. He needs a competent woman able to defend herself that can devote herself to Wakanda and him with a good bit of cosmopolitanism on the side.

And Monica would beat the breaks off Storm and in hindsight Hudlin should've gone with her if he wanted a super-powerful black woman at T'Challa's side. She was a C-lister so no one would miss her much, longtime Avenger like T'Challa, and unlike Storm, wasn't regal from the get go so I think there'd be more room for her to grow into the role.

[Besouro]

Given the choice, I'd rather have a writer who isnt a comic fan on a book over a comic fan who isn't a writer. You can't just grab any ol' guy out of a comic shop and expect them to be able to write a good comic. Though if they happen to be both like Roy Thomas, all the better.

Oh well then u are pleased with TNC since he is the former which u prefer.

Compared to Hudlin and Narcisse who were/are comicbook fans before they became comic writers.

[XPac]

Being in a power couple is absolutely irrelevant lol. It's just a preference, one that I've grown tired of and am willing to see done away with. Just because T'Challa is a king doesn't mean he needs to be paired with a Type-A personality like himself. His love interest don't need to be omega-level or be insanely rich to "keep up".

These are artificial indicators of how any woman that enters his life can actually affect him, when there's more that goes into a romantic dynamic than who makes the most money (both in fiction and the real world). T'Challa doesn't need a Mera or Medusa imo. He needs a competent woman able to defend herself that can devote herself to Wakanda and him with a good bit of cosmopolitanism on the side.

And Monica would beat the breaks off Storm and in hindsight Hudlin should've gone with her if he wanted a super-powerful black woman at T'Challa's side. She was a C-lister so no one would miss her much, longtime Avenger like T'Challa, and unlike Storm, wasn't regal from the get go so I think there'd be more room for her to grow into the role.

You're right on saying being a power couple isn't important. It was kinda cool in that it was basically the only one in comics apart from the brief period Superman dated Wonder Woman ... but given it would be impossible to replicate with any other woman anyways, I suppose that aspect needs to be put aside.

If you're literally just looking to check off the "love interest" box then it really doesn't matter I suppose. The next writer can just invent some woman he happens to like, and that can be that.

As for Monica Rambeau (we probably need to use last names to avoid confusion here), she would have worked with BP well enough. But I think she probably needs to stick with Adam. She already went from Voodoo to Blue Marvel (with Rhodney thirsting for her back in the day). Passing her around the black super hero community probably would start looking kinda weird after a point.

I guess that's showing us we need more black female super heroes in circulation. Monica can only date so many guys at once.

[XPac]

Oh well then u are pleased with TNC since he is the former which u prefer.

Compared to Hudlin and Narcisse who were/are comicbook fans before they became comic writers.

Narcisse was a writer before he was a comic writer.

Point being marvel doesn't just pick up any random comic book fan off the street to handle their titles. There might be an exception or two if you're some sort of celebrity, but generally speaking you probably need some sort of writing or entertainment back ground or body of work to even get your foot in the door.

[MindofShadow]

Being in a power couple is absolutely irrelevant lol. It's just a preference, one that I've grown tired of and am willing to see done away with. Just because T'Challa is a king doesn't mean he needs to be paired with a Type-A personality like himself. His love interest don't need to be omega-level or be insanely rich to "keep up".

These are artificial indicators of how any woman that enters his life can actually affect him, when there's more that goes into a romantic dynamic than who makes the most money (both in fiction and the real world). T'Challa doesn't need a Mera or Medusa imo. He needs a competent woman able to defend herself that can devote herself to Wakanda and him with a good bit of cosmopolitanism on the side.

And Monica would beat the breaks off Storm and in hindsight Hudlin should've gone with her if he wanted a super-powerful black woman at T'Challa's side. She was a C-lister so no one would miss her much, longtime Avenger like T'Challa, and unlike Storm, wasn't regal from the get go so I think there'd be more room for her to grow into the role.

Kinda wild that "we want a love interest that doesn't doesn't **** on the main character" is somehow a debatable nad controversial opinion lol