Warning: SPOILERS for Black Panther #14
Marvel’s Black Panther finally experiences his most resounding defeat yet, and Namor finally gets his long-awaited revenge against the former King of Wakanda. T’Challa and Namor have a long and terrible history as enemies, and while the two have occasionally allied to stop threats that could harm both their kingdoms, the two are enemies more often than not. In Black Panther #14, Namor finally sees a defeated Black Panther at his lowest point…and cannot help but laugh.
Namor has a long history in comics, first appearing during the Golden Age, and can almost be considered the first mutant in Marvel history, though the X-Men wouldn’t arrive for another twenty years. While never attaining the same popularity as Aquaman, his DC counterpart, Namor made a name for himself in the pages of the initial Fantastic Four series, pining for Sue Storm. He later became known for another conflict: the war between Atlantis and Wakanda, and by extension, Black Panther himself.
In Black Panther #14, written by John Ridley with art by German Peralta, Black Panther deals with the fallout of a truly awful mistake: he spearheaded a Wakandan sleeper agent program, and one of those agents has instigated another program designed to cripple the world’s communications systems. Because of his actions that inadvertently triggered a Wakandan civil war, T’Challa has lost his title of King, is kicked out of the Avengers, and has even been stripped of his Wakandan citizenship by the newly-elected Prime Minister. Seeing his misfortune, Namor can only laugh hysterically at his crippled foe.
Black Panther Has No Team, No Throne And No Friends
Namor has a reputation as an arrogant and abrasive antagonist in Marvel Comics, prone to laughing at the misfortune of others. This could easily be seen during Doctor Doom’s wedding in Fantastic Four comics back in 2021, in which Johnny Storm revealed to have slept with the bride of Doom before the wedding. While everyone gasped in shock, Namor laughed hysterically at the entire situation; he is a man who loves nothing more than to see others fail while he is respected.
In the case of T’Challa, however, Namor has attained his greatest victory yet: Captain America now trusts him more than Black Panther. T’Challa has lost everything, and all Namor had to do was extend a hand in solidarity before the other Avengers. Black Panther’s defeat is something Namor has desired for decades, and now that it has happened, the King of Atlantis has already positioned himself to win the favor of the Avengers and take his place.