| Erik Killmonger | |
|---|---|
Erik Killmonger fighting Black Panther in the textless cover of Black Panther #37 (August 2008).
Art by Alan Davis and Mark Farmer. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Jungle Action #6 (September 1973)[1] |
| Created by |
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| In-story information | |
| Full name | N'Jadaka |
| Notable aliases | Erik Killmonger |
| Abilities |
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Erik Killmonger (né N'Jadaka) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler, he first appeared in Jungle Action #6 (September 1973).[2] The character is commonly depicted as a skilled hunter and mercenary born in the fictional African nation of Wakanda, who holds a grudge against the country and its people after his biological parents were killed when he was young. Raised outside of Wakanda, he eventually returns as a revolutionary leader and terrorist to exact his revenge, and repeatedly challenges the nation's king and protector, Black Panther, who becomes his most prominent adversary.
The character has been adapted from the comics into several other forms of media, such as television series and video games. Michael B. Jordan portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), and voiced an alternate reality version in the animated series What If...? (2021).
Erik Killmonger first appeared in the "Panther's Rage" storyline, initially in Jungle Action #6-8 (September 1973 - January 1974), and was created by writer Don McGregor and penciler Rich Buckler.
Killmonger is born in Wakanda under the name N'Jadaka. His parents are killed by raiders led by M'Demwe, a traitorous citizen of the Golden Realm who sells out secrets of his home nation to Ulysses Klaue, and subsequently takes him in.[3]
N'Jadaka is a gifted intellectual from an early age. This trait is exploited by M'Demwe, who takes him into the outside world, all while boasting of national superiority as they trek foreign lands.
All the while, N'Jadaka fosters resentment towards everyone and everything for all the horrible events that befell him, while his future nemesis T'Challa is crowned king after the death of his father.[4]
Eventually, the youth tires of his life in servitude and his childhood of hardship, and executes M'Demwe before striving to find his own path.[4][3] He later changes his name to Erik Killmonger, and studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, still desperate to avenge his father's death.
While studying in Harlem, New York, Erik attempts multiple times to murder the source of his woes, but is confounded by supervillainous power players working under the likes of Wilson Fisk/Kingpin.[5]
That mercenary outfit of mutants takes Killmonger on as a temporary member within their crew of hired guns. Eventually he falls in love with a teammate, Knight, and finds temporary solace in her company, while taking odd jobs under the lord of crime in New York. All of that eventually falls apart when their employer sells them out to his top operator Bullseye.[6] Knight subsequently cuts a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. behind the backs of what remains of the team to get an easy out from her life of crime.
Killmonger eventually embraces his chosen name, as well as a new goddess named K'liluna, fallen sister of Mother Bast, when he exacts revenge upon his scorned lover before disappearing into obscurity for a time.[7]
Killmonger returns to Wakanda after king T'Challa brings their homeland to the attentions of the outside world.[8] The two converse about Wakandan theology while asking about the deity whom Erik is secretly living with, all whilst plotting his revenge against his liege, and the nation he blames for his abandonment to the corruption beyond it.[9] While re-acquainting himself with Wakanda, N'Jadaka discovers plans for a WMD called Project: Koukou, a deadly vibranium shock bomb meant to act as a colonizer deterrent.[4] He then sets about systematically killing other Wakandan refugees as a misdirection ploy so as to foment his plans for global conflict.
Killmonger's ultimate aim is to drop Koukou on a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier coming in for diplomatic treaties, framing Wakanda as aggressors on the world stage, and forcing them to go to war with everyone else, thus; allowing Killmonger to overthrow T'Challa and lead his people to storm over the world in a genocidal crusade.[10] When Shuri traps him in an invention, instead of being arrested, he jumps from a plane into a lake, where he is believed to have survived.
What becomes of Killmonger afterward is a mystery. He eventually settles in a kingdom-based hamlet that later changes its name to N'Jadaka Village in his honor. He becomes a subversive, with dreams of ridding Wakanda of what he terms "white colonialist" cultural influences, and return it entirely to its ancient ways.[volume & issue needed] He then takes advantage of Black Panther's frequent absences in America with the Avengers to stage a coup d'état, along with Baron Macabre.[volume & issue needed] He is defeated and killed,[11] until the Mandarin claims his body.[12]
Using the Ten Rings, the Mandarin amplifies the resurrection altar and restores Killmonger to life. Killmonger returns to his lover and ally, Madam Slay, and the two plot to kill the Black Panther and return Wakanda to its ancient ways. While Tony Stark visits Wakanda, Madam Slay drugs James Rhodes and takes him prisoner. Killmonger appears to have killed Black Panther, and blames Rhodes and Stark, convincing the Wakandans that he can lead them to vengeance. Black Panther returns, revealing that he faked his death using a Life Model Decoy, and defeats Killmonger. The Mandarin recalls his ring and Killmonger reverts to an inanimate skeleton. Killmonger's followers resurrect him again and he clashes with T'Challa on several other occasions.[12]
In the wake of the sorcerer Achebe's attempted takeover of Wakanda, with T'Challa absent and control of the country left with his regent Everett K. Ross, Killmonger tries to gain control of the country via its economy, forcing T'Challa to stop him by nationalizing all foreign companies in Wakanda and cause a run on the stock market. The two foes fight in a ritual combat over the right to rule Wakanda, and Killmonger defeats T'Challa and gains the status of Black Panther. He maintains control of Wakanda for a while and even attempts to inherit T'Challa's Avengers status, but when he undergoes the ascension rite needed to cement his position, his body has a severe reaction to the heart-shaped herb that he is required to consume - it is poisonous to all but the royal bloodline. Although it is convenient to allow him to die and be unquestionably entitled to the position of Black Panther, T'Challa preserves Killmonger's life.[volume & issue needed]
Killmonger eventually comes out of his coma, thus; reclaiming his position as chieftain over Wakanda. He goes to New York and contacts Kasper Cole, an inner-city police officer masquerading as Black Panther to help him with cases, and attempts to gain him as an ally (and one-up T'Challa) by offering him a buffered version of Black Panther's herb and help finding his supervisor's kidnapped son. In exchange, he has to drop the identity of Black Panther and take up that of a White Tiger acolyte of the Panther cult, and would owe Killmonger a favor. Kasper agrees to this, but then uses his new herb-enhanced powers to track down the boy on his own and avoid owing Killmonger an unpayable debt.[volume & issue needed]
T'Challa is once again the sole ruler of Wakanda when Killmonger resurfaces and takes control of the neighboring country of Niganda.[13] During a subsequent duel with T'Challa, Killmonger is killed by Monica Rambeau, whom he previously captured and imprisoned. Killmonger's young son swears vengeance against Black Panther, much like N'Jadaka did years earlier after the death of his own father.[14]
After Marvel's multiversal reboot in Secret Wars, Killmonger once again is resurrected by an intergalactic superpower based upon Wakanda's cultural heritage; one that lacks its more pacifistic approach to handling different races and ethnicities. A leading ruler of said empire which conquered five galaxies while taking up his name seeks to supplant the original N'Jadaka's body so as to overtake the Wakanda of now in revenge on the king of the future for killing him.[15] But the symbiote withholding the emperor's soul overshot his attempt at finding a new host, resurrecting the original holder of his name, who then fights with the emperor over control of their shared body. The parasitic entity threatens to cast Killmonger back unto death should he disobey him, while the precursor to the galactic overlord promising to master and supplant it in response.[16]
Erik Killmonger is an expert martial artist with peak-level strength and a genius-level intellect. He is also an expert tactician, having taken over Wakanda and Niganda multiple times.[volume & issue needed] Erik is capable of taking attacks from stronger foes and falls from great heights that would kill or injure a normal person with little to no injury (he still can be hurt or killed if enough damage is sustained). He is highly knowledgeable of Wakanda/African history and laws, leading to him battling Black Panther constantly for the throne. It is also strongly implied that he cannot consume the Heart-Shaped Herb to gain the same abilities of the Black Panther due to his not having the royal bloodline.[volume & issue needed] He is also a skilled businessman.
During the "Ultimate Invasion" storyline, Maker visits Earth-6160 and remakes it into his own image. Killmonger is depicted as a freedom fighter who fights against the forces of Lord Ra and Lord Khonshu who make up the duo Moon Knight. He is aided by Ororo Munroe under her codenames of Storm and Wind-Rider.[21]
After Black Panther is saved from Moon Knight's men, Killmonger teaches him how to hunt for his own food and harvest the meat from a gazelle that Killmonger shot with an arrow. While at a campfire, Killmonger tells Black Panther that he used to live in Wakanda before he "got tired of living in paradise while people who looked like me suffered in the world beyond it". Having placed a hood on Black Panther, Killmonger takes him to an underground cave where they meet up with Ororo. They show Black Panther a large green orb that they don't want falling into the enemy's hands.[22]
Killmonger and Storm are later brought to the Temple of the Sacred Dead where Black Panther introduces them to Shuri and Okoye.[23]
During the Infinity Wars, when the universe is folded in half, Killmonger is fused with Killraven, forming Erik Killraven. In a possible future, where the Martians invade Earth, Erik along with his family, who were exiled from Wakanda, are captured and experimented on by the Martians. Erik and M'Bakshulla (a fusion of Man-Ape and M'Shulla Scott) escape the Martians and steal Time Diamonds, which they use to travel back in time and weaken Wakanda so it falls with the rest of the world during the Martian invasion. In fact, they are successful in killing T'Chaka and destroying the heart-shaped herb. They eventually confront Ghost Panther (a fusion between Black Panther and Ghost Rider), with the latter killing M'Bakshulla. Erik retaliates by impaling him from behind and planting bombs around Wakanda. However Ghost Panther comes back and along with his resurrected father, consumes Killraven's soul.[24]
In an alternate timeline set 2000 years in the distant past,[25][26] a man named after Killmonger's real name, N'Jadaka, becomes a hero of the empire after retrieving the Shard of M'Kraan during the war against the Shi'ar Empire. However, the current ruler of Wakanda fears that N'Jadaka would overthrow him, so he sends N'Jadaka along with his squad on a secret suicide mission to take the Matrix of the Mamadou galaxy, which is inhabited by the Kronans, Shadow People, and the Klyntar. Upon arriving on a planet in the galaxy, they are attacked by a race known as the Between. Trying to survive, he comes across a member of the Klyntar race and bonds with it, since they have a mutual hatred against the current emperor, who made the Klyntar an endangered species.[27] Upon defeating the Between, N'Jadaka and the symbiote kill the emperor and take the throne as the new emperor of the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda.[28] During this time, he gets married and conceives a daughter.[29] Upon finding out that T'Challa from the future arrived in his present, he fears that T'Challa joins the Maroon rebels, so he has him become a member of the Nameless, slaves who have their memories wiped and are forced to mine for Vibranium on asteroids.[30][31] However, T'Challa retains his memories of Storm and escapes to join the Maroon's regardless. After that, N'Jadaka approaches Bast and after recounting his origin, battles Bast's avatar. He is successful in killing it and making his daughter the new Avatar of Bast.[16] After the Maroons get ahold of N'Jadaka's daughter and T'Challa visits the planet of the Between, N'Jadaka with his army go after the rebels to get her back. However, Bast betrays him and makes his Empire fighters crash into the mothership while a rebel commander sets the planet holding the rebel base's core to explode as a last ditch attempt to stop him; resulting in the sacrifice of thousands of lives and the apparent death of N'Jadaka.[32][33][34][35]
A version of Killmonger appears as a member of the Multiversal Masters of Evil under the name of King Killmonger. He wears armor that resembles the Destroyer laced with Vibranium and was responsible for conquering Wakanda and Asgard. They went around attacking Prehistoric Avengers on alternate Earths and conquering them.[36] King Killmonger accompanied Dark Phoenix and her Berserkers (consisting of Hound and a Thor from an unidentified Earth) in attacking Asgard which brought them into conflict with Thor, Echo, and Iron Man.[37] After the alternate Thor was killed by Thor, King Killmonger, Dark Phoenix, and Hound got away. They alongside the rest of the Multiversal Masters of Evil left Earth-616 to get back to work.[38]
King Killmonger's actions have earned him the wrath of an alternate T'Challa who operated as Sky Spider and later operated as Vibranium Man. By the time Vibranium Man caught up to King Killmonger, he fought him as King Killmonger claimed that his armor was forged by the gods that fell before his axe. King Killmonger throws Vibranium Man off his ship quoting "Wakanda Nevermore".[39]
King Killmonger was with the Multiversal Masters of Evil when they took over another Earth and planned to return to Earth-616. Just then, Ghost Rider arrives where he controls Black Skull's symbiote to subdue King Killmonger. After the Deathlok that was Ghost Rider's companion buys Ant-Man of Earth-818 time to get away, King Killmonger and the rest of the Multiversal Masters of Evil are told by Doctor Doom that they need to regroup as he knows where they are going. They will make one final stop before they return to Earth-616 as Doom Supreme tells the Multiversal Masters of Evil that "no Avenger gets out alive".[40]
As the Multiversal Masters of Evil face off against the Avengers and the Prehistoric Avengers, King Killmonger faces off against Thor and Agamotto.[41] The battle lasted for days. During his fight with Iron Man, King Killmonger was killed by the Prehistoric Iron Fist.[42]
In an alternate universe listed as Earth-11236, Killmonger and his cabal kidnapped T'Challa's friend, Everett Ross, to make T'Challa himself come out of isolation. However, he, his cabal, and T'Challa's daughter were all killed by T'Charra, T'Challa's son.[43]
In an alternate timeline depicted in X-Men Forever, Killmonger made a pact with an evil version of Storm to kill T'Challa, which they succeeded in doing. However, Storm later betrayed and killed Killmonger so she could be seen as a hero to the Wakandans and become the Queen of Wakanda.[44]
Killmonger appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Michael B. Jordan.[49][50] This version is a Navy SEAL named Erik Stevens whose "Killmonger" nickname came from his military career.[51][52] Additionally, he is the son of Prince N'Jobu and an American woman from Oakland, California, and his chest is covered with self-inflicted scarification dots that represent each of his confirmed kills. Furthermore, Killmonger sports battle armor resembling that of Vegeta from the anime series Dragon Ball Z, of which Jordan is a fan.[53][54][55] Jordan's performance as Killmonger received critical acclaim, and the character was widely hailed as one of the best villains in the MCU.[56][57][58]
Erik Killmonger is referenced in the song "King's Dead" by rappers Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Future, from the 2018 Black Panther film's soundtrack.
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