Ultimate Black Panther Teases Heel Turn for Major X-Men Character

Conflict comes to Wakanda in Ultimate Black Panther, and a popular X-Men character may be fighting on a side that surprises fans. SPOILERS follow for Ultimate Black Panther #1 by Bryan Hill and Stefano Caselli. The new Ultimate Universe has been meddled with by the Maker, an evil version of Reed Richards and one of the few survivors of the original Ultimate Universe. The Maker prevented any superheroes from emerging in his Ultimate Universe while establishing a secret council to oversee the world and keep it operating as he believed it should. The Maker is currently locked away in the City, leaving his council to decide how to proceed as heroes finally begin to emerge around the globe.

A duo of beings going by the shared moniker of Moon Knight – Konshu and Ra – oversee the continent of Africa for the Maker. Since the Maker's captivity, they've become more aggressive. In Wakanda, King T'Challa, the Black Panther, observes and plots, much to the frustration of his sister and others who would confront the murderous Moon Knight.

Outside of Wakanda, two individuals are taking the fight to Moon Knight's forces: Killmonger and Storm. Ultimate Black Panther #1 includes a scene in which Killmonger battles Moon Knight soldiers, calling on his "love," "the Wind-Rider," to bless their enemies with lightning strikes.

This alliance may surprise readers of classic Black Panther comics set in the main Marvel timeline. Killmonger is a longtime rival and foe to Black Panther, while Storm is T'Challa's one-time wife and on-again, off-again love interest. Seeing Killmonger and Storm working together and linked romantically diverges significantly from the status quo.

Though they are fighting a shared foe, one has to wonder if Killmonger and the Wind-Rider's confrontation with Moon Knight's forces may run afoul of Black Panther's plans. Ultimate Killmonger and Ultimate Storm are sporting new designs from Peach Momoko, who is helming the upcoming Ultimate X-Men series. Readers may also wonder if and how Storm's presence at Killmonger's side could tie into that reimagining of Marvel's mutants.

"I've always loved looking at outfits of tribes from all over the world," Momoko said of creating Ultimate Storm and Ultimate Killmonger's new designs. "And combining the modern and tribal, the beauty and strong, is something I always love thinking about. And getting to design for Storm and Killmonger, I wanted to respect the characters and also put in my soul and unique vision into them."

Ultimate Black Panther #1 is on sale now. The issue's official solicitation text follows.

• Ultimate Black Panther #1
• NOV230649
• (W) Bryan Hill (A/CA) Stefano Caselli
• THE NEW ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER!
• In the wake of ULTIMATE INVASION, Khonshu and Ra – the force known together as Moon Knight – are seeking to expand their brutal control of the continent of Africa. In response, the lone bulwark against them, the isolated nation of Wakanda, will send forth its champion...its king...the Black Panther! From the creative minds of Bryan Hill (BLADE, KILLMONGER) and Stefano Caselli (X-MEN RED, AVENGERS) comes a bold new take on the world of Black Panther and Wakanda!  
• Rated T+
• In Shops: Feb 07, 2024
• SRP: $5.99