Blinded by a few good one-liners and the spectacle of a happily married couple in the Marvel Universe, a few days back the Keeper named Black Panther #19 the Fortress’ comic of the week.
We even bestowed our brand new, nifty and keen-o seal of approval upon the book.
Then we read the issue again and noticed these panels …
Why oh why, in the name of the Goddess, did we write that both T’Challa and Storm are portrayed as strong, intelligent individuals?
Storm - a heroine intelligent enough to lead the X-Men - quietly steps aside so her less-powerful husband can punch out the most dangerous man in the Marvel universe.
Storm - who stood against such all-powerful enemies as The Brood and Dark Phoenix while Black Panther matched wits with the Man-Ape - gets reamed for daring to giver her husband aid against Doctor Doom, a guy who regularly fights the Fantastic Four to a stand-still.
Storm - one of the few individuals ballsy enough to command Wolver-friggin-ine’s respect - kisses her sexist pig of a husband as an “apology,” when she should have thrown a lightning bolt up his stuck-up @$$!
Come on, Hudlin. This is Ororo Munroe, arguably Marvel’s premiere super-heroine, we’re talking about. It’s like taking Wonder Woman and making her the new Robin.
(Although, to be honest, Batman gives Tim Drake a lot more respect these days than T’Challa demonstrates to his wife and presumed co-ruler.)
It’s clear Storm is in this book for two reasons: to boost sales by bringing cheap publicity and (perhaps) a few X-zombies; and job to the Panther so the title character will look better in comparison.
Perhaps our meds misfired last week, but now it’s clear the Keeper must strip Black Panther # 19 of its title and all attendant privileges.
Even as we write these words, the book is being transported to the dread Cut-Out Zone - an endless Limbo where such notorious comics as Brigade and Trials of Shazam forever reside.
As for your humbled Keeper, we’ll just retire to the Fortress’ reading room and look over old Black Panther comics by Jack Kirby and Christopher Priest.
Those were better days …
