It is odd to think that Black Panther can be anything but Black. However, adopting a bold strategy, Marvel has decided that the next Black Panther would be White, something that no one really thought would happen in a million years.
The twist comes in the final panel of Marvel Knights: The World To Come, where the character, a blonde-haired, white skinned male raised by the clergy of Wakanda, refers to himself as T’Challa’s son. However, the story is very much preceded by the fact that T’Challa has a Black wife, which thickens the plot around this new ‘Black Panther’.
To be fair, readers know nothing about Ketema, the Ne Black Panther, just yet
Throughout the story so far, all fans know is that there are certain characters who blame Ketema, the alleged son of T’Challa, for the issues that the country is currently facing. Wakanda has expanded into an empire, with a slew of rebels trying to bring the regime down. All we know is that T’Challa was compelled to marry someone who belonged to none of the tribes. As a result, T’Challa marries one of his old flames, Monica Lynne, who is shown to be pregnant with his child.
Ketema, as T’Challa calls him, might or might not be Lynne’s child, although the character looks a little too fair-skinned to be the child of Monica and T’Challa. However, there is little that has been revealed, and given that this is just the first issue of the story, there is a lot that can happen in the Issues to come. It is completely possible that, just like T’Challa adopted White Wolf, Ketema is a result of such an arrangement.
What is Marvel Knights: The World To Come all about?
Marvel Knights has been a playground for high-profile creators in the comics industry, who can come in and mess around in the Marvel sandbox without worrying about continuity. While the imprint went dormant in 2013, it was catering to self-contained stories that were distinct from the main Marvel continuity.
However, The World To Come is set to redefine how the Marvel Universe is going to be viewed by its audience. The 6-issue miniseries is going to focus on changing the way the famous Marvel characters are looked at. The official synopsis, as per Marvel.com, reads:
The King of Wakanda is DEAD, leaving unguarded the world’s most advanced technology, most precious metal, and a cryptic vault of dark secrets while triggering global conflicts among Marvel’s heroes, villains and mutants. With T’Challa gone and the future of the Marvel Universe teetering on a vibranium knife edge, a tribal challenge ensues for the Wakandan throne and its mysterious victor will emerge as the new leader of Wakanda and usher in THE WORLD TO COME.
Marvel Knights has always been an imprint that fans have approached with a lot of enthusiasm. However, the presence of a possible White Black Panther (which might not be entirely true) has the internet exploding. However, there has been a very uncanny silence from the crowd that believes legacy characters need not take up the mantles of characters, especially the legacy characters of a different race. It remains to be seen if there is indeed an outrage on the way or if it is simply a product of misreadings and misinterpretation.
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