Shuri Appreciation: Princess of Wakanda (2018)

[Marvell2100]

I would argue the MCU version of Shuri is less useful in the comics, since T'Challa always has the science/tech stuff down. Unless she ends up starter in the comics than her brother, she just comes off like T'Challa lite. She can be the smart person in the room when T'Challa doesn't happen to be around.

I'm okay with her being smart IN ADDITION to having the Griot aspects. Nothing wrong with adding as long as they don't take anything away. But stripping her uniqueness away and having her defining trait be something that the lead character likely does better than her is a step backwards IMO.

Shuri being a genius doesn't lessen her or T"Challa anymore than Val being a genius lessens her or Reed.

That's a weak excuse.

[XPac]

Shuri being a genius doesn't lessen her or T"Challa anymore than Val being a genius lessens her or Reed.

That's a weak excuse.

Making her a genius by itself doesn't lessen her. BUt stripping her of her powers as a trade off for making her a genius is what I have a problem with.

Again, you can add to her without having to take anything away. She can have intelligence and power... doesn't have to be only one or the other.

[Marvell2100]

Making her a genius by itself doesn't lessen her. BUt stripping her of her powers as a trade off for making her a genius is what I have a problem with.

Again, you can add to her without having to take anything away. She can have intelligence and power... doesn't have to be only one or the other.

Her mind and tech becomes her power. What exactly is she giving up as a character.

[XPac]

Her mind and tech becomes her power. What exactly is she giving up as a character.

She's giving up the elements which were unique to her, and making her signature traits things the main character can likely do better than her.

Again, if they want to make her a genius that's fine. But she can be a genius with powers. WHy does it have to be just one or the other? That's what I'm not getting here.

It's what I liked about Captain America and Falcon, as opposed to Captain America and Bucky or Nomad, or Batman and Robin. There are things Sam can do which Steve can't, so his supporting character isnt' just a slightly weaker version of the main character.

Shuri as Griot isn't just only useful when T'CHalla isn't in the room... she can do things which he can't, and vice versa.

[Realdealholy]

I don't see it as a downgrade at all and in fact it allows her to move into other areas of the MU. Being Griot limited her to just Wakanda-centric stories.

Comics Shuri being involved in Wakanda-centric stuff is kind of her thing, even prior to the Griot powers. If Wakanda was involved, she was there.

In addition, adding the MCU elements I’ve mentioned in my earlier post while keeping the Griot stuff gives her more flexibility. She would have the tech stuff, the unique powerset, the mysticism, and the political beliefs.

[XPac]

Comics Shuri being involved in Wakanda-centric stuff is kind of her thing, even prior to the Griot powers. If Wakanda was involved, she was there.

In addition, adding the MCU elements I’ve mentioned in my earlier post while keeping the Griot stuff gives her more flexibility. She would have the tech stuff, the unique powerset, the mysticism, and the political beliefs.

In marvel, they have in several instances raised the idea that magic and science are actualy the same thing. Doom is the best example of that, though Pym did a little bit of it during Slotts MIghty Avengers run.

I do think it's possible Shuri can have an expertise is both. It might even help differentiate her a bit from other female smart characters like Moon Girl or Riri. She has an extra layer to her.

[Marvell2100]

She's giving up the elements which were unique to her, and making her signature traits things the main character can likely do better than her.

Again, if they want to make her a genius that's fine. But she can be a genius with powers. WHy does it have to be just one or the other? That's what I'm not getting here.

It's what I liked about Captain America and Falcon, as opposed to Captain America and Bucky or Nomad, or Batman and Robin. There are things Sam can do which Steve can't, so his supporting character isnt' just a slightly weaker version of the main character.

Shuri as Griot isn't just only useful when T'CHalla isn't in the room... she can do things which he can't, and vice versa.

Her character makes her unique, not the power she has.

She was unique as a Black Panther

[Marvell2100]

Comics Shuri being involved in Wakanda-centric stuff is kind of her thing, even prior to the Griot powers. If Wakanda was involved, she was there.

In addition, adding the MCU elements I’ve mentioned in my earlier post while keeping the Griot stuff gives her more flexibility. She would have the tech stuff, the unique powerset, the mysticism, and the political beliefs.

But she hasn't done anything outside of Wakanda since becoming Griot.

At least as Black Panther she was on a world stage. Being Griot handicaps her imho.

[XPac]

Her character makes her unique, not the power she has.

She was unique as a Black Panther

Again, that still doesn't explain why she needs to be depowered? Why can she only have intelligence or power? Why not both?

[Realdealholy]

In marvel, they have in several instances raised the idea that magic and science are actualy the same thing. Doom is the best example of that, though Pym did a little bit of it during Slotts MIghty Avengers run.

I do think it's possible Shuri can have an expertise is both. It might even help differentiate her a bit from other female smart characters like Moon Girl or Riri. She has an extra layer to her.

That’s a good point. Part of the reason why so many MCU fans said “Shuri should be Riri” is because of how similar, on paper, they are. Both teenage black girls (MCU Shuri and Comics Riri), both heavily into sciences, both geniuses, both creating really advanced tech, etc.

I had to remind people over and over that Shuri and Riri are actually two different characters from two different franchises. Best way to highlight said difference? The path Comics Shuri embarked: from Princess to BP to Queen to Griot. Comics Riri simply doesn’t have such a story. And of course, their personalities are very different.

There’s obviously plenty of room for more than one black female genius, hence Riri and Moongirl being around. As a big Shuri fan, I want her to stand out. Her comic story, her comics personality, and her power set her apart from many, including other scientific genius and especially other black female characters in the MU.

[Realdealholy]

But she hasn't done anything outside of Wakanda since becoming Griot.

At least as Black Panther she was on a world stage. Being Griot handicaps her imho.

Whatever handicap she has as far as staying in Wakanda is concerned is mostly a Coates problem, not a Griot problem. Coates is choosing to keep her there.

Even when she was in the world stage, it was strictly Wakanda-centric. Visiting the US during the Maberry run? It was to learn more about who attack T’Challa. Joining T’Challa during the Liss Run? Kingpin was colluding with members of the Wakandan Design Group. Adventuring during Klaws of the Panther? Wakanda needed vibranium and Klaw was attacking Wakanda once more.

Shuri journeying with her Griot powers outside of Wakanda’s borders is a story that can and should be told. But it requires a writer to make it happen. That’s a writer problem, not a Griot problem. Even if Shuri becomes more like MCU Shuri, that doesn’t guarantee that she will be doing stuff outside of Wakanda. That’s up to the writer.

[Marvell2100]

Again, that still doesn't explain why she needs to be depowered? Why can she only have intelligence or power? Why not both?

She can have both. I said she could in a previous post. I said I don't see it as Griot.

[XPac]

But she hasn't done anything outside of Wakanda since becoming Griot.

At least as Black Panther she was on a world stage. Being Griot handicaps her imho.

She didn't really leave Wakanda all that often before becoming Griot. I think that had less to do with her Griot powers, and more to do with her unlike T'Challa essentially keeping her focus on Wakanda.

I'm sure if she needed to leave Wakanda, she'd do it with or without the Griot powers.

[Marvell2100]

Whatever handicap she has is mostly a Coates problem, not a Griot problem. Coates is choosing to keep her there.

Even when she was in the world stage, it was strictly Wakanda-centric. Visiting the US during the Maberry run? It was to search who attack T’Challa. Joining T’Challa during the Liss Run? Kingpin was colluding with members of the Wakandan Design Group. Adventuring during Klaws of the Panther? Wakanda needed vibranium and Klaw was attacking Wakanda once more.

Shuri journeying with her Griot powers outside of Wakanda’s borders is a story that can and should be told. But it requires a writer to make it happen.

But as you can already see, the writer has already begun modeling her on the MCU version of Shuri.

It's already a step towards moving away from the Griot persona.

It's a Coates problem that the writer is seemingly trying to rectify by making her MCU friendly.

[XPac]

She can have both. I said she could in a previous post. I said I don't see it as Griot.

Again, I still am not seeing why she needs to be depowered simply because they decide to make her smart. What does being smart have to do with having Griot powers one way or the other.

Hell, you can argue the Griot powers justify her becoming smarter. The additional knowledge might actually help explain why she's suddenly being potrayed as smarter than she was in the past.