Black Panther Explains Why He Must Become The New Phoenix

Potential spoilers for Avengers #44 ahead!

Throughout the Phoenix Force tournament that has been raging in the pages of the Avengers, the Black Panther, perhaps more than any other contestant, has been focused on winning, which would him give control of the powerful Phoenix Force. Now, in a preview for Avengers #44, readers learn why the Black Panther has been so focused on winning the tournament.

The Phoenix Force is a cosmic entity in the Marvel Universe, and one of its most powerful; past wielders of the Force have been capable of wiping out whole star systems. The Force has been without a host for a while now and has decided to find a new one. To that end it came to Earth to hold a special tournament to find its next host. The Avengers have been participating, as have a number of second-string heroes as well a few villains. The previous issue saw Captain America and Black Panther, both super-charged with the Phoenix’s powers, begin the final battle for control of the Force. Now readers see why there is a special reason the Panther has been so focused on winning.

In a preview for the new issue, written by Jason Aaron with art by Javier Garron and colors by David Curiel, the two heroes are locked in combat, with neither getting the true upper hand. Captain America asks if the Panther has figured “a way out of this Phoenix mess.” Panther does not reply, and Cap realizes Panther is in it to win it. He cannot understand why, given the Force’s destructive past, Panther would ever want it, especially given how powerful the current Avengers roster is. Readers are reminded of a cave painting Black Panther saw in the first issue of the current run, and the paintings, coupled with the events of the past few years – such as meeting the Stone Age Avengers, the reborn Starbrand, or Thor becoming the All-Father – have made Panther afraid. He is fearful that Earth will not survive “this age of chaos” and possession of the Phoenix Force is the only way forward.

The preview ends there, so readers do not see who the ultimate victor is, but there is still a fair amount going on here. The Black Panther has been focused on taking the Force for himself, and now fans know why. The flashbacks to the first issue, along with the recap of everything that has happened in the book since then, give readers a clear picture of why he is so set on winning the tournament. There are also hints that Black Panther feels something even worse is on the way, but what could it be?

The Black Panther is a driven and intense individual who will do what it takes to keep people safe and the Phoenix Force tournament has intensified those qualities. Avengers #44 is on sale in print and digital April 7.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1378 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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