Black Panther Has His Own Wakandan Voltron

Out of all the amazing technology at Black Panther’s disposal, one of the coolest and most absurd inventions is a Wakandan version of Voltron. Composed of five giant, panther-themed mech suits, the Panther God Panthrax Pantherion armor looks like it was pulled straight out of an ‘80s cartoon, and even got tested against one of Marvel’s most powerful villains.

Originally airing from 1984-1985, Voltron: Defender of the Universe is a Japanese-American cartoon series that centers around five pilots, each of whom operates a robotic lion. While these feline frigates are certainly powerful on their own, they are also able to combine and form a colossal humanoid robot called Voltron. Like many other animated series of its era, Voltron is fairly action-forward, featuring plenty of colorful characters fighting in epic battles filled with laser blasts and explosions. Other properties including Transformers and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers found similar success with their own respective shows (and accompanying toy lines), but there’s no denying Voltron’s legendary status among fans. Even Marvel took note of the the cartoon’s popularity, including a brief nod to the series in 2019 with the release of Tom Scioli’s Fantastic Four: Grand Design #2.

The Grand Design collection dives deep into the histories of some of Marvel’s most iconic characters. Starting off with a journey through the major events of Marvel’s mutants in Ed Piskor’s X-Men: Grand Design, the spotlight shifts toward Marvel’s First Family in Scioli’s continuation of the title. Throughout Scioli’s two-part tour through the Fantastic Four’s past, readers witness all sorts of stories, from the team’s fateful space expedition through cosmic radiation to their first encounters with Galactus. It is during one of these encounters where Scioli introduces readers to the Voltron-like Panther God Panthrax Pantherion. As Earth’s heroes unite to fend off the World-Eater, Black Panther arrives on the scene with his sister Shuri and his cousins the Black Musketeers, each of whom is piloting their own panther mech. They then merge these machines into a giant human-shaped robot to fight their godlike enemy. Eventually, with the combined efforts of dozens of heroes, Galactus is defeated and the world is saved.

Despite only appearing in a few panels, Panther God Panthrax Pantherion is sure to evoke some strong memories for Voltron fans. Everything about Black Panther’s mech suit shares major similarities with Voltron, from the colorful designs and ability to merge into one giant weapon, to the catlike influence on each individual vehicle. Even the amount of pilots needed for the team is the exact same. Of course, considering that this part of the Fantastic Four’s story is based on comic books from the ‘80s, it makes sense for this type of over-the-top battle armor to make an appearance here, but unfortunately, it’s the only exposure fans get.

Ever since the battle against Galactus, Panther God Panthrax Pantherion hasn’t been seen. What exactly happened to these five battlesuits is unclear, but the most likely explanation is that they are simply sitting dormant and gathering dust somewhere. Obviously, Wakanda is incredibly technologically advanced, but it seems like these massive weapons would have come in handy at some point. After all, they were capable of going toe-to-toe with Galactus when combined. Maybe Wakanda has developed weapons that make the Panther God armor obsolete, or maybe it’s just out of style. Either way, it’d be interesting to see Wakanda’s own Voltron reemerge in future Black Panther comics.

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