Warning! Spoilers ahead for Black Panther #25
The final issue of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther has been released, concluding his iconic run by redefining the “Wakanda Forever” salute. While it used to be believed that Wakanda and its Golden City could never be conquered or fall to ruins, multiple events in recent years have seen it happen, including this issue with Wakanda Prime’s war against its corrupted intergalactic empire. However, thanks to the wisdom and perspective of the goddess Bast, it’s revealed that “Wakanda Forever” is much more focused on the endurance of the Wakandan spirit and values as opposed to any one place or kingdom.
Coates’ final Black Panther story, the “Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda,” begins with T’Challa sending willing Wakandans through a time-distorting portal, which sends them far back in time in the outer reaches of space. It is here that they soon lose their way, forming an aggressive empire that spans five star systems, built on the backs of those they conquer by stripping away their memories and turning them into slaves they call the Nameless. When Black Panther learns of their existence, the empire is being lead by the Emperor N’Jadaka, who captures the king and turns him into one of their slaves. However, the Black Panther is later restored by resistance fighters within the empire, and T’Challa soon returns to Earth with N’Jadaka in pursuit, mustering his forces to conquer Wakanda Prime as his empire’s crown jewel.
This results in a massive war that brings ruin to the Golden City in the final issue from Coates and artist Daniel Acuńa, all while the Goddess Bast watches it all happen, having plans of her own to be restored with a new Orisha (Wakanda’s pantheon of gods). As the war rages on, Bast is asked if the Golden City falling causes her any grief, and her answer is very telling, fostering a greater definition for “Wakanda Forever” as a result.
Bast goes on to explain that she can endure the ruins because she’s wrought them and seen the city fall many times before, such as with Thanos in the prior timeline during Secret Wars or when Namor flooded Wakanda during Avengers vs. X-Men. It’s the spirit of Wakanda that lasts forever in spite of invasions, deaths, new rulers, and changes to the status quo of what Wakanda can truly become. For example, once Black Panther and his allies win the battle, the responsibility of leading the intergalactic empire and turning it into a force for good has now fallen to T’Challa, seeing the Black Panther becoming a cosmic emperor (despite his reluctance).
In this way, “Wakanda Forever” has been redefined to better fit this new era coming for Black Panther and his nation, and it brings to mind the phrase used by Odin and Thor in the MCU about Asgard not being a place, but a people. It’s Wakanda’s spirit of a nation within its people that endures forever, not the physical kingdom and region itself in the Marvel Universe.
