Black Panther hit theaters recently to great critical acclaim. Despite being another Marvel superhero movie in a long line of superhero movies, Black Panther stood out from the crowd. Instead of watching a guy fall into the role of superhero through trial and error, we got to see a hero rise. Prince T’Challa, after his father’s passing in Captain America: Civil War, returns home to Wakanda, ready to take on the role and responsibility of being a king of a nation. We don’t see the origin story for the Black Panther; rather, we see the beginnings of King T’Challa. Never has a superhero movie been more about who the man behind the mask is than in Black Panther.
And what would a superhero movie be without a great villain. Played by Michael B. Jordan, Erik Killmonger, an abandoned son of Wakanda, becomes the threat that T’Challa has to face during his rise to leadership. The great thing about Killmonger is the charisma that just oozes off of him. You understand Killmonger’s motivations as well as you understand T’Challa’s motivations, and you sympathize with them as well. And it’s not just audiences who were swayed by Killmonger’s plight. T’Challa ends up making a huge, life-changing decision based on his encounters with Erik Killmonger.
As with most villains (but it’s especially prominent here), Killmonger is a product of his environment. He was not born with ill intentions festering in his heart. Tragic circumstances and dark realizations turned him into a man consumed with revenge. Read on, my dear list-readers, to find out some interesting facts about the man who would challenge the Black Panther.
25 Fathered In
I probably should have included in my introduction that there will be spoilers on the movie in this list. Oh well, I can do it here. SPOILER ALERT. Aside from Killmonger’s passionate ideology, there is another, more personal reason why he wants to take Wakanda from T’Challa. T’Challa’s father, T’Chaka, had a brother who decided to do some reconnaissance outside of Wakanda. This brother, named N’Jobu, grew outraged at the injustices being performed against his people out in the world. He began sneaking vibranium weapons out of Wakanda to sell them to the downtrodden in order to spark an uprising. When T’Chaka found out, he confronted N’Jobu. During the confrontation, N’Jobu was ended. Killmonger is (understandably so) upset by this.
24 What’s In A Name?
Having a nickname like Killmonger does not make you think of sunshine and happy fun times. Erik Killmonger did not earn that name by plucking daisies in a meadow (obviously). To be a “monger” means that you deal in a specific trade.
For example, a warmonger promotes and profits from the dealings of war.
I don’t think I need to explicitly state what Erik Killmonger promotes and profits from. His savagery in the taking of life was what got him that fearsome nickname. Killmonger’s reasoning for what he is doing is understandable. He wants to bring freedom and prosperity to those who are suffering without it. His methods are what make him the villain of the story.
23 Heart Problems
Black Panther draws his power from a mystical heart-shaped herb. By drinking the herb’s juices, he gains abilities beyond that of a normal human. He’s more resilient, more agile, and stronger, and all he has to do is consume them once.
Only one of the royal line or one who is worthy can eat the herb safely.
In the comics, when Killmonger tried to use the herb to gain the powers of the Black Panther, the herb ended up poisoning him. Later on, after recovering from the ordeal, he created a synthetic version of the herb that still gave you some of the powers the original herb could. In the movie, this isn’t an issue. Killmonger just guzzles that herb juice and becomes uber strong without any bad side effects.
22 Drawing From Evil Sources
I can’t even begin to express how much I loved Killmonger as a villain. From out of all those Marvel superhero movies, only Loki really stood out as a villain. (Why do you think they made him the villain for The Avengers? Because he was that awesome.) Now Killmonger can stand side by side with the Norse god as one of Marvel’s best villains. Want to know how superb Killmonger is? His ideas strongly influenced the hero of Black Panther. After regaining his place as Wakanda’s king, T’Challa decided to make changes to Wakanda’s foreign policy, changes that were designed to lift up the downtrodden that Killmonger had sought to arm.
21 The Unbeatable
If you were to meet T’Challa as Black Panther while walking down the street, you would think that no one could beat this guy in a fight. Let’s say you turn the corner and see Killmonger next. You would immediately reverse the claim you had just made and say that no one could beat this guy in a fight.
In terms of hand-to-hand combat, Killmonger bests Black Panther every time.
The only way that T’Challa could win a fight against Killmonger is if he has aid from someone else during the fight. In the movie, that aid comes from his little sister, Shuri. Using her technical prowess, she helps her brother by directing the sonic disruptors underground towards his battle with Killmonger. This negates the power of the vibranium suits both Erik and T’Challa are wearing, giving T’Challa a slight advantage.
20 Erik And The Army Of Zombies
Zombies are everywhere these days. I feel like I can’t browse through television anymore without coming across something having to do with zombies. Well, I love zombies, don’t get me wrong. I think they have been a wonderful addition to pop culture. But goshdarn, they’re being used everywhere. Even Black Panther isn’t safe from the zombie menace. In the comics, Killmonger gains control of what is called the Alter of Resurrection. (Yeah, we can all see where this is going.) This Alter gives Killmonger the ability to create what are, in essence, zombies to throw T’Challa’s way. This disposable army of the undead is what Black Panther has to face off against before he can confront Killmonger.
19 A Scar To Remember
If you can tear your gaze away from Killmonger’s glorious set of pectoral muscles, you might notice that his skin is marked with numerous, small scars. How, you might wonder, is Killmonger known as such a vaunted warrior if he has managed to get himself nicked so many times?
Those tiny scars are actually self-inflicted.
Each of those marks represents a life that Killmonger has taken. Yeah, now you can’t stop looking at those scars as you realize how many there are, right? These markings showcase Killmonger’s savagery in a way that not even his name thoroughly accomplishes. Seeing is believing. Knowing what each of those scars mean, you can’t look at Killmonger and not think about what he has done.
18 Comic Book Rules Of Life
For any comic book fans who are reading this, you should know by now that when a person in a comic book passes from this world, it’s not always going to be the last time we see them. Staying in the grave is quite the flexible matter for our heroes and villains. Killmonger is no exception. Remember that Altar of Resurrection that he used to create a zombie army for himself? Well, thanks to that Altar and a handful of loyal followers, Killmonger has managed to spit in the face of the Grim Reaper several times. So even though he caught that spear to the chest at the end of Black Panther, we can all hold on to the hope that Killmonger is still alive. (Fingers crossed.)
17 A Trial Membership?
Who wouldn’t want to join the Avengers? I mean, I have absolutely no superpowers and I have a huge fear of heights, and I still want to join the Avengers. (Yes, I’m aware that they are a fictional team.) Take three guesses as to who also wanted to join the Avengers. In the comics, Killmonger tried to take T’Challa’s place on the Avengers after he took over the leadership role in Wakanda. I guess he thought that everything that was once T’Challa’s was now his. Obviously, the Avengers were none too pleased at his demands to be a member. I honestly can’t picture the Erik Killmonger we saw on the screen trying to join the Avengers. He seemed more like the kind of guy who would scorn the Avengers.
16 A Match Made In Chimichanga Heaven
I think if you were to insert Deadpool into any comic book movie, the movie would automatically become a comedy. It would have to. Deadpool is such a zany character, any kind of drama going on would be ruined by his antics. Despite being such a clown, Deadpool is still a lethal mercenary. As his maturely-rated movie showed us, there are many ways to make a human kebob. Would it surprise you to know that Deadpool went up against Killmonger? Deadpool can take a lot of punishment, so the fight between him and Killmonger was evenly matched. Of course, Deadpool was sent to Killmonger not so that he could take him out, but so that he could steal his pet cat (more on that later), so no one actually got done away with in this fight.
15 Time As King
In both the movie and in the comics, Killmonger spent some time as the “Black Panther.” Of course, T’Challa will always be the Black Panther for us, but we have to bear in mind that the title of “Black Panther” comes with being the king of Wakanda. Both the movie and the comics show Killmonger beating T’Challa in a challenge for the throne, and later on, T’Challa has to fight him again in order to regain his place.
In the comics though, Killmonger was king for quite some time.
It was while Killmonger was the Black Panther that he tried to join the Avengers. It’s not always a good thing to have your monarchy be run by whoever happens to be savage enough to beat someone else in a fight. But I guess there are worse ways to pick a leader (and there are worse leaders to pick).
14 Burn It All
One way to ensure your control of a dynasty is to destroy the manner in which others can succeed you. Erik Killmonger does just that in the Black Panther movie. As soon as he assumed control of Wakanda, Killmonger went straight to work. Part of his ascension involved him drinking a mixture made of the heart-shaped herb. These herbs were what gave T’Challa his superhuman abilities; they gave every Black Panther his abilities. Once Killmonger drank his share, he ordered that the garden of herbs be burned. By burning all of the heart-shaped herbs, Killmonger was cementing the fact that he would be the last king of Wakanda. It’s a good thing Nakia stole one last herb away before the garden turned into ashes. Otherwise, T’Challa would not have gotten his powers back.
13 Here Kitty, Kitty
Not every superhero has an animal sidekick, but you’ve got to love the ones that do. Killmonger has his own feline companion, a leopard named Preyy. (Before you ask, no, that’s not a typo. The cat’s name is Preyy with two y’s. Why? I don’t know. That’s just what it’s called.) Before you write off Preyy as a simple pet cat, you should know that this leopard was probably one of Killmonger’s closest friends. It showed genuine affection towards Killmonger, even appearing grief-stricken after Killmonger passed away. (I don’t know how a leopard can look grief-stricken. It was a comic book.) And Killmonger seemed to care for it as well.
12 College Degree In Villainy
Killmonger, despite his blatantly brutal nature, is not just all brawn. He wouldn’t be much of a villain if he didn’t have a brain in his head. Aside from a savage cunning, Killmonger has some book smarts stored in his noggin. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Want to know who else attended MIT? Tony Stark. Granted, Tony attended MIT way before Killmonger, so it’s not like they knew each other. But it’s interesting to note that these two men, both pretty intelligent (i.e. very intelligent), went to the same school. It paints Killmonger in a more formidable light too. Though I don’t think he compares to Shuri, T’Challa’s sister. She is wicked smart in the absolute coolest way.
11 Reap What You Sow
Most villains are brought down thanks to themselves, whether it’s their inflated ego that gets in the way of their victory or an inexplicable self-destruct button that they decided to include on their world-ending device. In the comics, Killmonger meets his end in no small part because of his previous actions. While engaging in battle with T’Challa, Killmonger is surprised by an attack from a small boy. This boy had been orphaned by Killmonger’s army (the Death Regiment army). So as you can see, Killmonger’s prior actions led to this young boy helping T’Challa in this final fight. Since Killmonger was caught off guard by the boy’s attack, he failed to defend himself properly and he lost the fight.
10 Fashion Accessories
As Edna Mode (from Incredibles’ fame) would say, the costume often makes the hero. Like it or lump it, the costume that a hero chooses to wear is how we recognize them. If we were to see Captain America’s costume on a mannequin, we would know immediately whose star-spangled outfit it was. Before he donned the rippling, black-with-gold-trim Black Panther suit, Killmonger had a costume of his own that looked like red and yellow armor that was covered in spikes.
Those spikes weren’t just for decoration.
The spikes were coated with a poison that would harm anybody who got scratched by them. That’s the kind of accessory you want for your costume. It looks good and it’s practical. Edna Mode would approve.
9 Enemy Of My Enemy
Even villains need friends, and that’s why we often get story-lines where villains ally themselves with other villains in order to reach their goals. The Mandarin, long-time foe of Iron Man, decided to ally himself with Killmonger in order to take down Iron Man, War Machine, and Black Panther. The Mandarin found Killmonger’s body (after Killmonger had passed away after a fight with Black Panther) and the sorcerer brought him back to life.
Together, the two villains did manage to eradicate Black Panther.
I’m just kidding. Killmonger and the Mandarin were tricked. They didn’t get rid of the real Black Panther. It was an LMD, which stands for a Life Model Decoy. (I have issues with those things. They’re yet another reason for comic books to fake us out with heroes passing.)
8 Name Of Thrones
Killmonger has quite a few names. Killmonger is the name he earned due to his prowess in battle. His Wakandan name is N’Jadaka, and that was given to him by his father, N’Jobu. The alias that he has run with for most of his life is Erik Stevens. It is curious to observe that both the first and last name of his alias are related to royalty. “Erik” comes from the Old Norse word for “king.” And “Stevens” comes from the Greek word for “crown.” It’s as if his name is subtly trying to tell us that Killmonger belongs on the throne of Wakanda. I have to admit, Killmonger does have a regal manner when he’s on screen. And by regal, I guess I mean authoritative and assertive.
7 Arming The Masses
What sets Wakanda apart from all other nations of the world is its access to the metal of vibranium. Like most fictional metals that are nigh indestructible, vibranium came to Earth from a falling meteorite. It has unique properties that allowed the Wakandans to create masterful edifices, ingenious transportation, and efficient weapons.
It’s this last point that interests Killmonger.
Killmonger’s goal is to arm the subjugated members of his race so that they can defeat their oppressors. Underlying this goal was his need for revenge against the country that abandoned his father and him, but nevertheless, his intent to spread vibranium weapons around the world was clear. (I love the made-up names for scientific substances that people come up with in comic books. Adamantium? Vibranium? Classic.)
6 Hello, Neighbor!
Even by today’s standards, the nation of Wakanda is a bit of a utopia. It’s unreal in its beauty. It is the perfect mix of nature and technology. However, since it kept to itself for many years, its fellow countries did not share in its wealth.
In the comics, Killmonger took advantage of this situation.
In the tyrant-riddled nation of Niganda, Killmonger established himself as a hero of the people. Unfortunately, he does this with help from the U.S. government. They’re ultimately trying to use Niganda as a foothold in the region themselves. Shuri and Black Panther show up to stop Killmonger’s rise to power, and Killmonger bites the dust yet again. I’m not even wondering if he’s going to come back at this point. It’s just a matter of when.
