Black Panther #9 [1978] – Black Musketeers

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In T’Challa’s storyline this issue he continues on his way home, now stuck in Sudan carrying around an injured crime boss. He finds himself on the set of a science fiction movie which is not unlike STAR WARS. Okay, it’s a lot like STAR WARS. Anyway, he’s eager to leave instead of being detained by questions from the police coming for the crime boss, so he causes some chaos on the film set in order to steal a jeep and continue on his way home. Which seems a bit rude to me, given that they, you know, saved his life in the desert, but I guess that’s how royalty behaves. He finds himself pursued by a plane, which he surrenders to with obvious plans to take it to finish his journey.

Meanwhile, in Wakanda…

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Jakarra is on the rampage, having been mutated by the vibranium. Fortunately, the four members of the royal family called in as the “Black Musketeers” are able to subdue him, although not without their expenses upsetting T’Challa’s regent N’Gassi. The young doctor among the Musketeers, Joshua Itobo, also refuses to take N’Gassi’s advice to kill Jakarra to end his threat, which proves to be a mistake when Jakarra further mutates and escapes and heads for the vibranium mound and sure doom for the Earth.

The Musketeers are a lot of fun, unfortunately not really developed that much in the few issues they had, but with a lot of potential. And the set of the sci-fi film had some nice goofy Kirby designs with some playful ribbing of STAR WARS.

Mike Royer inks the 17-page story, not sure who inks the cover.

Published 1978

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