Disclaimer: This post discusses a comic rated T+ by Marvel.
At this point in the story, T'Challa has come to the States to investigate the murder of a young girl at one of his charities. Unfortunately between tracking down the girl's murderer and the unrest going on in Wakanada, T'Challa's enemies, led by the villain Achebe, take over his country and exile him to America. Behind these enemies is Mephisto, who makes his move mentally against T'Challa in this issue. Mephisto tries to put T'Challa off-balance by creating visions that make T'Challa jump back and forth in his memories. In one of these moments, T'Challa is back in time with his ex-fiancée Monica Lynne, an American singer who once saved T'Challa's life. It is at this point that Mephisto tells T'Challa all his problems in Wakanda can go away, if only T'Challa agrees to serve Mephisto. All of us face temptation from time to time, especially in our lowest moments. Temptation is part of being human. In fact, Jesus also faced temptations, one in particular being similar to what T'Challa deals with here. In Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13, Satan tempts Jesus by offering to make him the ruler over all nations, and all Jesus has to do in return is worship the devil.
Neither Jesus nor T'Challa accept the evil one's offer. T'Challa, however, is shaken by Mephisto's visions just as we are often disturbed by our own bouts of spiritual warfare in our lives. T'Challa's path through his trials by Mephisto is to realize he his not alone. That will be the focus of the next two posts, starting with Baptism in the Black Panther film and ending with T'Challa's victory over Mephisto in Black Panther (vol. 3) #5.
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There are many reasons I could give for wanting to start off The Gospel according to Superheroes with T'Challa. It doesn't hurt that he's one of my favorite heroes, especially in Marvel. But if there's any reason I had to give, it is this: T'Challa is a good man. In the film Black Panther (in a scene we'll look at in more detail next week) T'Challa gets to see his father T'Chaka in the land of the ancestors. T'Chaka tells his son he will struggle before telling him this: You're a good man, with a good heart, and it's hard for a good man to be king. T'Challa isn't just a good man because he beats bad guys up and saves the day. T'Challa is a good man because he strives to be one. He struggles with his decisions and tries to make sure he is always doing the right thing. What we see in T'Challa in the film also occurs in the comics as well.
As Christians, we are called to serve God in this world. Doing what is good is part of that path. We are not called to have all the answers. As smart as T'Challa is, and he is one of the most intelligent heroes in Marvel Comics, he doesn't even have all the answers. That is what makes T'Challa so compelling, because he is always seeking after what is noble and good. We are called to do so too because we are called to always seek out God's will for us. T'Challa is, of course, fictional, and his path is not always a perfect parallel of our Christian journey. I will do my best to point out where these pathways stray. However, I hope that you can take some of the similarities and use them to better understand the truths of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. God speaks to us in all different sorts of ways, so keep your eyes and ears open to what the Lord is saying to you, even in places that may surprise you like a movie or a comic. Stay tuned for more of our journey with T'Challa, the Black Panther!
Please note, this post discusses a movie rated PG-13. Captain America: Civil War has a special place in my heart for many reasons. The first is that I was working across the street from where they shot the opening scene for the movie in Atlanta during the summer of 2015. Another is my love of the Civil War storyline from the original Marvel Comics. A major reason this movie has a special place in my heart is my love of T'Challa, the Black Panther, who was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in this film. I remember, after seeing the movie with my parents, asking my dad, "so what team are you? Team Cap or Team Iron Man?" He shook his head and said, No. Team Black Panther. I just love that! My dad was completely right on with his choice, as we will see in T'Challa's story during the film. For most of the movie, T'Challa believes Bucky, friend of Steve Rogers (a.k.a. Captain America), planted the bomb that killed his father. After the explosion happens, Natasha Romanova (a.k.a. Black Widow), goes to check on T'Challa. He tells her about his father's belief in an afterlife where he will run with the ancestors (see more here). Romanova states that this sounds peaceful. T'Challa responds by telling her he's not his father and that he'll kill Bucky himself. Laying aside concerns for the afterlife and T'Challa's understanding of it, what he has done is rejected the peaceful part of his beliefs and instead turned towards revenge. From this moment on, T'Challa's thirst for vengeance will influence everything that he does in the film. In the final part of the movie, it is revealed that it was another man, Zemo, who set off the bomb that killed T'Challa's father. Zemo tells Captain America (Cap) and Iron Man that he is the reason behind their fighting for the entire movie. He then reveals a secret that causes Iron Man to attack Cap and Bucky in their last fight of the film. Zemo tries to escape, but T'Challa catches up to him. It turns out Zemo lost his entire family in the Avengers' conflict during Avengers: Age of Ultron and has been looking for vengeance against Cap, Iron Man, and the other heroes ever since. It's here that T'Challa says the most compelling line of the entire movie: Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them. I am done letting it consume me. Here we see a great example of forgiveness. T'Challa has been searching for revenge the entire film. He is finally face-to-face with the person who actually killed his father. On hearing Zemo's story, T'Challa finally sees the cycle of violence that the quest for vengeance has brought about. Instead of giving in, T'Challa seeks to find another way. He decides not to kill Zemo. He just says, "Justice will come soon enough." Zemo, however has other plans. "Tell that to the dead", he says, before attempting to shoot himself. T'Challa stops him, delivering the chilling line, "The living are not done with you yet." The Forgiveness T'Challa illustrates is the forgiveness Jesus calls us to. Jesus calls us to put aside our anger and wrath, as just as those feelings may be, and end the cycle of sin and despair in the world. Like T'Challa, we are called to follow a better way. It's important to note that T'Challa's forgiveness doesn't justify Nemo's actions. He tells Nemo that justice will come. It's just that T'Challa won't be the one to enact that justice. He has let go of his anger and moved on. T'Challa, after Captain American: Civil War, follows a new and better path, as seen in his own film, Black Panther. It is not always an easy or safe journey, but it does help T'Challa to be a better person. My hope is that T'Challa can be an example to you in helping you to practice the forgiveness of Jesus. Scripture Passages to Consider: Matthew 18:21-35: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
I love superheroes, and have from a very young age. Superheroes create worlds in which anything is possible and where evil is always triumphed over. I also serve as an ordination minister in God's church, and as such I am always looking for anything I can use in my life to make God's love more manifest in the world. Often times when I am reading a comic or watching a movie or T.V. Show, I think, "hey, that reminds me of [fill-in the blank] in the Bible." Over the years, I have taken those insights and used them to help form our youth in their faith or to illustrate points for my sermons. Near the start of my ordination, I started brainstorming this project, The Gospel according to Superheroes. Now I share this project with you. If you love superheroes, fantasy characters, or anything in-between as much as I do, I hope this site will be a tool for you to further your formation, and the formation of those you love, in the Lord. Please join me on this journey! All images on this post are owned by me. Please ask for permission before reproducing them.
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Please note, there maybe Spoilers in the Posts below!
The Rev. Trey KennedyHere is my take on how Superheroes and other characters can help us know God better. Categories
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