Contents 1 History 2 Points of Interest 3 Residents 3.1 M'Wabu (Earth-616) 3.2 N'Basa (Earth-616) 3.3 N'Baza (Earth-616) 3.4 W'Tambi (Earth-616) 4 Former Residents 4.1 B'Tumba (Earth-616) 5 Religion 5.1 Panther Cult 5.2 White Gorilla Cult 5.3 Lion Cult 6 Notes 7 Trivia 8 See Also 9 Links and References

History

Wakanda is an African nation. This small African country has the largest deposits of Wakandan Vibranium in the world.

The Wakandan royal line began with Bashenga, an ancient Wakandan. ^[1] Bashenga was supposedly the first king of unified Wakanda, and the first Black Panther some 10,000 years ago.^[2]

T'Challa is the son of T'Chaka, who was the Black Panther before him. In the distant past, a massive meteorite comprised of the sound-absorbing mineral vibranium crashed in Wakanda, and was unearthed a generation before the events of the present-day. Knowing that others would attempt to manipulate and dominate Wakanda for this rare and valuable resource, T'Chaka concealed his country from the outside world. He would sell off minute amounts of the valuable vibranium while surreptitiously sending the country's best scholars to study abroad, consequently turning Wakanda into one of the world's most technologically advanced nations. Eventually, however, the explorer Ulysses Klaw have found his way to Wakanda, and with lies and subterfuge covered up his work on a vibranium-powered, sound-based weapon. When exposed, Klaw killed T'Chaka and many other Wakandans, only to see his "sound blaster" turned on him by a grieving T'Challa, then barely a teenager. Klaw's right hand was destroyed, and he and his men fled. ^[3]

Wakanda has an unusually high rate of Mutation due to the dangerously mutagenic properties of the Vibranium Mound. A large number of these Wakandan Mutates went to work for Eric Killmonger.^[4]

Vibranium radiation has permeated much of Wakanda's flora and fauna, including the Heart-Shaped Herb eaten by members of the Black Panther Cult, and the flesh of the White Gorilla eaten by the members of the White Gorilla Cult.

Doctor Doom have aided a successful coup of the Wakandan government in order to gain access to the Vibranium deposits, putting T'Challa and his followers into exile. Control of the kingdom was later regained by Princess Shuri, T'Challa, and their allies. Shuri is now in command, as Princess Regent.

During the war between the Avengers and the X-Men, T'Challa allowed the Avengers to use Wakanda as their homebase. When the Avengers kidnapped Transonic, Namor, under the influence of the Phoenix Force unleashed a massive tsunami which destroyed most of Wakanda.

As of late though, Wakanda has been completely rebuilt, with Shuri still in control of the kingdom.

Points of Interest

• Locations:
  • N'Jadaka Village
    
    

Residents

• Aristocrats:
  • Bashenga (first Black Panther)
  • Ororo Munroe (Storm) (former Queen) (former resident)
  • Shuri (Princess)
  • T'Challa (Black Panther) (King)
  • Other Royal Family Members

• Other Residents:
  • Erik Killmonger
  • M'Baku (Man Ape)
  • N'Tomo
  • Other Wakandans

M'Wabu (Earth-616)

M'Wabu offered nectar to the Fantastic Four, as they were Black Panther's honored guests after they saved Wakanda from Klaw^[5].

N'Basa (Earth-616)

N'Basa called the Black Panther informing him his hidden land was starting to freeze over^[6].

N'Baza (Earth-616)

N'Baza was a witch doctor and T'Chaka's most trusted council. When T'Chaka died, he sent T'Challa in Europe and the Americas to study with his son B'Tumba, ruling Wakanda as regent. After T'Challa returned to his home land, he sent him through the tests to become the next Black Panther of the Wakandan people^[7].

W'Tambi (Earth-616)

W'Tambi Witnessed Ymir reshape himself after having been shattered into a million fragments by the Avengers^[6].

Former Residents

B'Tumba (Earth-616)

B'Tumba was T'Challa's childhood friend. After T'Chaka died, he was sent by his father N'Baza in Europe and the Americas to study together with T'Challa. Being bested at every sport and every endeavor, he grew jealous and turned to A.I.M., plotting revenge against T'Chaka's son. When T'Challa returned to his home land and was captured by A.I.M., B'Tuma was ordered to execute his friend, but since he couldn't do it, he freed the Black Panther and joined him in battling the A.I.M. soldiers. During the combat, B'Tuma was fatally wounded, and after A.I.M. retreated, he apologized to Black Panther before dying ^[7].

Religion

Panther Cult

After the vibranium meteor fell, a number of Wakandans were painfully mutated into demon spirits and began attacking their fellow Wakandans. T'Challa's ancestor, Bashenga became the first Black Panther and closed the vibranium mound to outsiders, forming a religious cult that guarded the mound and fought to keep the "demon spirits" from spreading across the kingdom.

The Black Panther is a ceremonial and religious title given to the chief of the Panther Tribe of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. In addition to ruling the country, he is also chief of its various tribes (collectively referred to as the Wakandas). The Panther uniform is a symbol of office as well as a religious vestment.

As part of the cult's ceremonies, A chosen Black Panther is entitled to the use of a heart-shaped herb that grants the person who consumes it enhanced strength, agility, and perception.^[8]

White Gorilla Cult

Wakanda evolved from a hunter-warrior society, and was traditionally ruled by its greatest warrior. The dominant Black Panther cult outlawed the rival White Gorilla cult's worship in Wakanda.

M'Baku was one of Wakanda's greatest warriors, second only to T'Challa, the Black Panther himself. While T'Challa king of Wakanda, was on a several month leave of absence from Wakanda, the ambitious M'Baku plotted to usurp the throne.

M'Baku flouted T'Challa's edicts and revived the White Gorilla cult, killing one of the rare white gorillas living in the jungles near Wakanda. M'Baku bathed in the gorilla's blood and and ate its flesh which "mystically" conferred the gorilla's great strength upon M'Baku.^[9]

Lion Cult

Sekmeht the Lion God could possess the form of any human worshipers or the bodies of those sanctified and sacrificed by its worshipers, it transformed these subjects into human avatars of itself. He has a number of other powers, some of which he has demonstrated. Sekmeht could grow in size, move at rapid speeds, teleport itself and others, and alter its specific density. The Lion God possessed superhuman strength and durability, and it was immortal. It can manipulate the minds of the weak willed.^[10]

Little is known of the past history of the Lion God. It had apparently lost many worshipers over the years to the Cult of the Panther God, despite the fact that Sekmeht physically manifested before its followers, and the Panther God only appears to its priests.^[11]

Notes

Wakanda is located in northeastern Africa, near Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as ficticious countries like Azania, Canaan and Narobia; bordering also with Lake Turkana. It is one of many fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe, including: Azania, Canaan, Narobia, Halwan and Murkatesh.

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Appearances of Wakanda
• Location Gallery: Wakanda
• Images related to Wakanda
• Fan Art Gallery: Wakanda
• Marvel Staff members who were born in Wakanda

Links and References

• Marvel Universe Appendix: Black Panther
• The Religion of Black Panther
• Marvel Atlas Project
• Marvel Universe Appendix: Lion God
• Marvel Directory: Man-Ape
• The Museum of Black Superheroes
• Black Panther Vol.2 #1 - 4

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