issue 7 // volume 44

What 1n the world is Wakanda?

> The setting of ‘Black Panther’ is a weird, fantastical place

Greg Waldock
Staff Writer

 

A: the MCU becomes more
successful, Marvel can focus on
bringing in some of their more unique
and innovative ideas from their long
history. The fictional nation of Wakanda
is the latest of these ideas to hit the

big screen, with its introduction in
Captain America: Civil War in 2016

and a full Black Panther movie in 2018,
plus a recently announced Lego movie
based around T’challa and his country.
But Wakanda existed long before any
Marvel movie, and its hyper-isolationist,
monarchical, Afro-futurist society

is unlike anything else in comics.

The very first appearance of
Wakanda was ina Fantastic Four comic
all the way back in 1966, and was a
joint creation by comic legends Jack
Kirby and Stan Lee. King T’challa,
in his alter-ego as the Black Panther,
confronts the Fantastic Four to try and
join their cause. From then on, T’challa
appears around the Marvel universe
to lend aid, seek help, strengthen
Wakanda’s position in an increasingly
globalized world, and occasionally
meddle in the many apocalypses
Earth endures since the 1960s.

The in-universe history of Wakanda
is pure, glorious science fiction. Ten
thousand years ago, a meteorite crashed
into northeastern Africa and left behind
vast deposits of “vibranium,” a fictional
indestructible material that makes up
everything from Captain America’s
iconic shield to Black Panther’s own
armour. Wakanda was founded on this
deposit and the identity of the Black
Panther was created to protect it and
the people that rely on it. The title
has been passed down the royal line
for millennia until it reaches our own

 

A NATION UNCONQUERED

King T’challa, who is exiled from the

country, returns victorious, abdicates

the throne, reclaims it, dies and is

resurrected, is hated and then revered

by his people... the list goes on. That’s

comics. No superhero has a normal life.
Wakanda is the single most advanced

country on Earth in the Marvel comics

and cinematic universe. Their use of
vibranium allowed their technology

to progress decades or even centuries
ahead the rest of the world and allowed
them to resist European colonization
and neocolonialism. It’s isolationist to a
fault, staunchly refusing to participate
in the United Nations or get involved

arts // no. 9

in international
conflicts, and the
monarchy wields almost
unchecked power.
Thus, throughout its
long history in the
comics, Wakanda is
used as a vehicle to
explore colonialism, the
morality of monarchy,
eastern African culture,
and many other high-
minded philosophical
concepts. Its portrayal
varies from writer to
writer, but across the
decades Wakanda has
always been a center
of political debate and
upturning European
expectations of Africa.
As the release
of Black Panther
approaches and we
get closer to our first
big-budget version
of Wakanda, we have
to wonder how much
this fictional history
and philosophy will
appear, and what comics
the movie will derive
the most inspiration
from. Iron Man,
Captain America, The
Incredible Hulk, and
Thor all had extremely
predictable storylines
based around iconic
characters. T’challa
has never had that benefit. His origin
isn't as famous as Steve Rogers or Spider-
Man or Bruce Banner, and Wakanda isn't
as comfortably familiar as New York.
It’s an exciting opportunity to bring
something truly new and innovative
to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Image via marvel.wikia.com

Chairman of the Board: Fantasy football

> ‘Blood Bowl’ board game review

Ed Appleby
Contributor

 

kekkk

he true nature of the sport of football

has been lost in all the controversy
lately. We need to remember that football
is really about athleticism, teamwork,
and... goblins with chainsaws?

Blood Bowl (2016) is a two-player
figure-based tabletop fantasy RPG
designed by Jervis Johnson and published
by Games Workshop. In the game, players
take the role of managers/coaches with
a certain amount of cash to assemble a
team of fantasy characters—humans,
orcs, dwarves, et cetera—and attempt
to win games by scoring the most
touchdowns in a set amount of time.

The game itself plays like a hybrid
of American football and rugby, with
loose formations, plenty of turnovers,
and grievous injuries. Though there are

rules and penalties, some players—like
myself—build teams around fouling
and crippling the other players. Injuries
in the match are carried over into
subsequent games, as a players advances
in skill, and player death is permanent.

I found that unlike many
Warhammer-based games, Blood Bowl
is fast and fun and accessible even for
players who are not normally war gamers.
Unless you are in a serious league, games
like this can act as a very fun RPG, and
it’s a treat to watch your team grow—
until your star player gets eaten by your
troll quarterback. The real barrier for
the game is how expensive it is: The
basic game with rules, board, and two
teams will set you back almost $120, and
additional teams can run as high as $60
to $100 each. Plus, players are encouraged
to paint and customize their teams.

I would highly recommend that if
you want to play Blood Bowl, seek out a
local league to see if you like the game
before you invest. But if you find the right
group, it can be extremely rewarding.

 

Illustration by Ed Appleby