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Flag of Rudyarda from Marvel Atlas Vol 1 2 001

Rudyarda, officially Republic of Rudyarda is a nation in Africa bordering Wakanda. It was settled by South African Boers fleeing the Second Boer War, creating an Apartheid-like system of government which segregates people by colour.[1]

History

In the early 20th century, white South Africans of Dutch origin (called "Boers") left their country, frustrated by the Second Boer War. Called "voortrekkers", these roaming Boers colonized and founded a territory in the Horn of Africa surrounded by Ethiopia to the north; Ujanka to the northwest; Ghudaza to the west; Wakanda to the southwest; Niganda to the south; and Sudan to the east. They named their new country Rudyarda after British writer Rudyard Kipling, whose 1899 poem "The White Man's Burden" was seen by many as championing the superiority of imperialism.[1]

Rudyarda became a republic in which the languages spoken were English and Afrikaans, and which had Armed Forces that included infantry and air force (Being a landlocked country, Rudyarda had no need for a navy). The country reached 1,650,000 inhabitants and the capital city, Viceroy, was built. It had an Academy,[1] a Prison,[1][2] and a local metal works on the edge of the city, which ended up being abandoned.[2] The economy is based on the mining and processing of metals, including iron, steel, gold, coal, uranium, and diamonds, and to a lesser extent on the export of timber and advanced machinery, including aircraft, which supported the currency local, the Rudyarda shilling. Rudyarda is a federal state.[1]

Rudyarda, Benjamin Grimm, Jonathan Storm, T'Challa (Earth-616) from Fantastic Four Vol 1 119 1

An example of the racial segregation in Rudyarda

As late as the 20th century, Rudyarda maintained strict segregation between the native African population and Caucasians,[1][2] respectively identified as "Coloreds" and "Europeans" (despite the fact that they had not lived in Europe for centuries). Racial segregation is maintained at all points of the national territory, with separate gates, and often separate treatment, depending on skin color. The "Coloreds" have to live in neighborhoods with dusty dilapidated buildings; they are required to carry a proper identity card at all times under penalty of thirty days in prison if authorities required it and they are not carrying it; and they have to respect a curfew that is not required to "Europeans". People of color from other nations visiting Rudyarda also have to abide by these laws. Local authorities are even reluctant to even thank a person of color who had helped them.[2]

Rudyarda is, due to its apartheid, one of the last strongholds of white supremacy on the African continent.[2] The nearby countries of Mbangawi and Wakanda had expressed their rejection of Rudyarda's policies, the former openly condemning racist policies and avoiding relations direct with Rudyarda,[3] the later maintaining even more tense relations and on occasion being on the verge of going to war.[4][5] Rudyarda however had a firm alliance with Azania,[1] another country with racist policies,[6] and was an economic and political ally of Genosha. Rudyarda also has a consulate in Manhattan and an embassy in the United States,[1] managed by Ambassador Ronald Pershing, a well-known political opponent of then-Prince T'Challa of Wakanda.[7][1] Pershing claims to support his government's policies, but not be directly responsible for them.[7] The American population knows what is happening in Rudyarda, but they generally do not have those inequalities in mind; for example Benjamin Grimm (alias the Thing) had read about Rudyarda, but forgot about it.[2] Rudyarda is a member of the United Nations, UNESCO, and World Health Organization,[1] and there are commercial flights between the United States and Rudyarda.[2]

The inequality has led to several violent situations between the Colored and European classes, initiated by both sides, which is the main case of local crime.[1] Interestingly, people of color are allowed to have firearms. The Viceroy Prison is protected by three-foot-thick walls, barred windows, and multiple levels of access. The standard cell has a thin mattress bed with no sheets and a table with a plate and cup on it. The prisoners are both Colored and Europeans, and many claimed to be there for political reasons.[2] In recent times,[1] Prince T'Challa of Wakanda developed the Vibrotron technology,[2] which increased the power of the metal Vibranium by collecting the energy absorbed by it.[1][2] The supercriminal Klaw wanted to get his hands on this technology. and, keeping his involvement a secret,[2] arranged for Rudyarda's Colored citizen Nathan Kumalo[1] and his white associate Jeth Robards to steal the device, then travel to Rudyarda to deliver it to Klaw.[1][2] Kumalo and Robards crash landed in Wakanda as a cover so that the Wakandan government would rescue them and give them a chance to escape to Rudyarda.[2] Once in Rudyarda, however, Robards betrayed Kumalo, leaving him in the area for Rudyarda Coloreds, while Robards went to the metal works to meet with his mysterious boss. Meanwhile, T'Challa was trying to go undercover to Rudyarda in search of the thieves,[1][2] but in his haste he failed to forge an identity card,[2] so T'Challa was arrested and sent to prison (apparently not being recognized as a foreign dignitary).[1][2] T'Challa's aide Taku enlisted the help of the Fantastic Four, who sent the Thing and the Human Torch (two non-black superheroes friends to T'Challa) to investigate Rudyarda. They found Kumalo, who revealed that T'Challa was in prison and that Robards had betrayed him and was going to the local metal works; Robards also attempted to assassinate the heroes. The heroes raided the prison to free their friend T'Challa, who was then using the alias Black Leopard,[2] and then interrupted the exchange between Robards and Klaw. Panicked, Robards attempted to flee in Klaw's helicopter, but Klaw killed him, destroying the helicopter and the Vibrotron in the process. The Thing, the Torch and the Leopard defeated Klaw and delivered him[1][2] to Rudyard's federal authorities,[1] who sent Klaw to prison but refused to acknowledge the Leopard's help. In response, the Thing symbolically broke down the segregated gates of the abandoned factory.[2]

T'Challa's brief arrest sparked a diplomatic incident with Wakanda;[1] and T'Challa came to hold a special contempt for Rudyarda's system of white supremacy. During that time, T'Challa became King of Wakanda and met Ambassador Ronald Pershing at various events. As for Klaw, he was physically abused in prison with physical violence; he theorized that his exotic skin color, red, made racist wardens treat him with even more contempt than black men.[7] Outraged, Klaw vowed revenge on Rudyarda's system.[1][7] He decided to get diplomatic immunity before attacking an entire country, precisely to avoid going back to such a prison; and, being T'Challa's direct enemy, he planned to become dictator of Wakanda with the help of another supervillain, Solarr.[7] Once Klaw was released, he impersonated Ambassador Ronald Pershing, using his powers to generate a disguise and holding a briefcase in his fake hand to carry a power source. With that appearance, Klaw visited Avengers Mansion in New York City, stating that members of his embassy had received threats against their lives, and that the gardener had already been murdered by cremation, for which he demanded the protection of the Avengers. When several Avengers (Black Panther, Mantis, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, and Vision) exited the building to investigate, they were immediately attacked by Solarr and an image of Klaw, who imprisoned the Avengers in a sphere of solid sound. Klaw demanded that the Panther cede the Wakandan throne to him, or he would kill the hostages one by one, starting with Pershing; Klaw and Solarr pretended to attack Pershing, but Vision managed to keep him alive. Rudyarda's fake ambassador urged Panther to obey, lest the death of Pershing and others lie on the Panther's conscience. The other Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor) were unable to find Klaw in the area, and Panther then realized that Klaw had disguised himself as Pershing, and unmasked him, undoing Klaw's plan. Panther stated that the fake ambassador had suspiciously exceeded his contempt for black people, refusing even to shake T'Challa's hand.[7]

M'Gula (Earth-616) from Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition Vol 1 2 001

Rock Python, a born Rudyardian

The only known superhuman native to Rudyarda is M'Gula, aka Michael Gula, aka Rock Python, born in Viceroy.[8] After gathering criminal records in Rudyarda[1][8] and Gambia,[8] M'Gula started a career as a mercenary. He became an expatriate citizen of Rudyarda and South Africa,[8] and ended up traveling to the United States, where he joined the Serpent Society.[1]

In recent times, Azania had a series of internal problems as a result of which her relations with Rudyarda worsened,[6] and similarly the changes in Genosha caused her to lose her alliance with Rudyarda. Rudyarda, however, maintains her apartheid policy.[1]

Points of Interest

  • Viceroy (capital city)[1][2]
    • Viceroy Academy[1]
    • Viceroy Prison[1][2]
    • Nathan Kumalo's apartment[2]
    • Abandoned local metal works, on the edge of the city[2]

Residents

Notes

See Also

Links and References

References

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