Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers #7!When faced with the end of reality and everything they’ve known, the Avengers reach for anything to put a stop to it. Black Panther calls upon the Tiger God to tap into a power so great it rivals the Phoenix Force. However, it comes at a mighty cost, and T’Challa can only pay it once.
In Avengers #7 by Jed MacKay, C.F. Villa, and Federico Blee, several of the Avengers are trapped in a nightmarish scenario where their reality itself is violently collapsing. Rather than passively accept the end, they rally and pull together anything and everything they have left to avenge the fallen and attempt to save existence itself.
For Black Panther, that means unveiling an incredible superpower and summoning the Tiger God, one of the most powerful forces in existence.
Black Panther’s Tiger God Power Comes at a High Price
The Marvel Universe is filled with beings of terrifying power and reach, many of which reach out to touch humanity in some way. The Tiger God was one of the first, as it was one of the first to be worshiped and sat opposed to the Phoenix Force and other powers that threatened Earth. The Tiger God has faced down (and defeated) the Great Old Ones, as it decimated the likes of Shuma-Gorath in Mighty Avengers #3 by Al Ewing, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, and Frank D’Armata, and could prove invaluable against the universe’s biggest powerhouses. To come to T’Challa’s aid, however, the Tiger God demands the biggest sacrifice. Wakanda’s former king gives up his life for the power of a god and a chance at stopping the Black Presbyter.
In the nightmare scenario that the Avengers are trapped in, even the power of the Tiger God isn’t enough. It falls to the Anti-All, as do all the remaining Avengers. Fortunately for the team, they’re only trapped in a terrible dream and not their own reality, yet they have no way of knowing that when they’re caught in the throes of it. To them, the world is ending; it’s practically over already. When faced with that scenario, both Black Panther and the Tiger God answer the call together, showing that both are willing to extinguish themselves to protect what is theirs.
Black Panther Has the Power of a God on His Side
The ability to call upon the Tiger God is a wildcard T’Challa never reveals before Nightmare ensnares the Avengers in their apocalyptic dream. Since using that power seems to demand his own death, it’s unlikely he’ll tap into it again any time soon. However, the Avengers were formed to handle unbelievable threats, and it isn’t inconceivable that they could one day face an actual situation similar to the dream. They are set up to fail in this non-reality, yet the Tiger God may truly turn the tides in another battle. If it’s important enough, and his sacrifice could allow the Black Panther’s team to win or his people to survive, T’Challa would likely make the same choice outside a dream. Black Panther offers up his own life to give the Avengers a fighting chance, and that access to power sets him up to be a hero of God-like proportions if needed.
Check out Avengers #7, available now from Marvel Comics!
