Black Panther: What Namor means to Wakanda and T’Challa
By Mark Lynch
Black Panther and Namor: Friends
Namor and T’Challa were both rulers of places that were decades ahead of the world. The technology and beauty of Wakanda and Atlantis rivaled each other. The best part was neither sacrificed their culture to advance their civilizations. These Likenesses brought the two kings together. It also made them threats to other countries. That adversity made them closer.
Before Marvel’s Civil War, T’Challa went to Namor hoping to have the support of Atlantis. The Submariner agreed. The two of them together seemed unstoppable. For a while, they were allies and eventually became friends. That alliance was soon destroyed thanks to Namor.
Black Panther and Namor: Enemies
When Namor was possessed by the Phoenix Force (Avengers vs X-Men), the Prince of Atlantis attacked Wakanda with a giant wave and an army. The destruction caused the death of an untold amount of Wakandan citizens. It also ruined mutant and Wakandan relations forever. After that, Black Panther never trusted Namor again. He also made the Submariner a promise. T’Challa told Namor that he’d kill him. Nevertheless, the two were forced to team-up in order to save their entire reality (New Avengers by Brian Hickman).
When the incursions started happening, T’Challa broke a rule. He said he’d never join a group of heroes to make decisions for the rest of the world. Oringailly, he turned down the chance to join the Illuminati. That all changed when things became so dire that he needed to join them. T’Challa joined Reed Richards, Hank McCoy, Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, and Namor.
He hated the idea, but he accepted it. However, no matter what happened, T’Challa (now King of the Dead) never forgot his promise and made sure Namor remembered it. T’Challa attempted to make good on it when he stabbed him in the heart and had Black Bolt use his powers to knock him out of the sky. The Submariner survived thanks to Thanos and his Cabal.