What Has Come Before: The Black Panther has embarked on an ambitious social agenda, offering his nation's resources to famine-strapped countries and intervening in a war between neighboring nations Murkatesh and Halwan. This last action has brought the wrath of the United States government down upon him and the Americans have chosen to send SHIELD agent Jessica Drew (aka Spider-Woman) on a mission to steal the Gamma Bomb Detonator from the Panther. T'Challa has also begun the search for a wife so that he may continue the royal line. These things are happening quickly as the King of Wakanda is suffering from a brain aneurysm and knows that his condition might worsen at any time. Elsewhere, the disgraced Dora Milaje named Nakia has been transformed into the vengeful Malice by Baron Macabre, joining forces with a villainous group known as the Legion, led by the Panther's old enemy, Klaw. Strangely enough, Klaw appears to be in two places at once: both with the Legion and also in a Latverian prison cell.

PROLOGUE

According to the late botanist Theodore Wilson, the Wakandan Rose was one of the world's three most beautiful flowers. Of its petals, he wrote: "The apparent fragility of the flower's surface is both beguiling and misleading. The Wakandan Rose is one of the hardiest breeds imaginable. Examples of its class have survived horrible storms that rent asunder all the surrounding countryside. It is a seductive flower, this Rose that is not a Rose. One suspects that if it were a sentient creature, it would survey its domain with a fierce independence."

T'CHAKA MEMORIAL PRISON, WAKANDA

T'Challa stood in his ceremonial Black Panther garb, arms folded across his chest and mask pulled away from his handsome face. His steely gaze was fixed on Ulysses Klaw, who was visible through the crackling force field that separated prisoner from jailer. At the Panther's side were two of the most trusted men in his life: W'Kabi, the chief of palace security, and Kasper Cole, the White Tiger. "I will ask you again," T'Challa said, his deep voice betraying the hint of rising anger. "Why would Nightshade make up her story?"

Klaw hissed as the pain of his Vibranium cell continued to eat away at him. Composed entirely of sound, Klaw was kept in a state of perpetual agony by the strange metal that lined the floors and walls. "One of these days, I'm going to get out of here... and then I'm going to chop you into little tiny bits."

W'Kabi moved forward in anger. "My King! Let me teach this killer some proper respect!"

"Cool off," Kasper said. "The last time you went off on somebody, they ended up dead, remember?"

W'Kabi looked at him in surprise but then recognized the ploy. 'Good cop, bad cop' was a universally known trick. Recovering, W'Kabi said "It was more than the animal deserved, I admit... but I do not regret my actions!"

T'Challa ignored their exchange. He'd known Klaw for many, many years... and he knew the man was too smart to fall for any tricks. "Ulysses. You know me almost as well any man alive. We have battled one another from one corner of the globe to the other. You know that I will make you talk. So please save me the trouble and spare yourself the pain that will result." The King of Wakanda lowered his voice, letting a threatening tone slip in amongst his words. "Tell me what I need to know."

Klaw seemed to hesitate, considering his options. The pain made it impossible for him to activate his sound powers so he was helpless -- and both he and T'Challa knew it. "I'll tell you on one condition."

"What is it?"

Klaw laughed aloud. "You promise to kill yourself afterwards, you bastard! Go to hell!"

W'Kabi roared in anger but the Panther displayed no emotion at the outburst. Instead, he moved even closer to the prisoner. "You've forced my hand, Ulysses." He reached into a hidden pocket on his uniform and withdrew a small electronic device. He turned it on and held it up so that Klaw could see it clearly. A young girl in her teens was displayed on the screen, with long strawberry blonde hair and freckles. She was buxom for her age, with narrow hips and long legs. She wore a cheerleader uniform and was smiling at the camera.

Klaw stared at the image, his anger being slowly replaced by confusion. "What are you getting at? I've never seen the girl before in my life."

"Her mother's name is Shelly Deason. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

Klaw blinked in horror. "You're lying."

Kasper glanced at T'Challa, not fully understanding what was going on here. When the implications began to sink in, he was impressed as hell with the Panther's ability to outthink his opponents.

"She thinks her father was in the Marines," T'Challa said. "That he died when she was a baby. It would break her heart to know what a monster he really is...."

Klaw looked away, shaken. "I... we were split a few years back."

"Who was?"

"The other Klaw and me!" Klaw grimaced as another wave of pain passed over him. "An alien race called the Sheenarians once freed me from prison¹. They wanted me to help them open up a dimensional portal big enough for their invasion fleet to come through. We fought with Ka-Zar in the Savage Land over a Vibranium deposit that I figured was big enough to help me open the gate... Ka-Zar screwed everything up so I took off into the aliens' dimension, figuring I could use some of their technology to boost my own plans. While trying to use some machine that I didn't have any business messing with, I was split in two. At first, we weren't sure what to do with one another but we decided to use the situation to our advantage. We returned to Earth and split up. One of us later on got sucked to a place called Battleworld² and was seriously screwed up for awhile afterwards but overall it's worked well for us. Doubled the trouble we could get into, anyway."

"And why is your other... looking for the White Wofl? What is his connection to the woman known as Nightshade?"

"Ask her yourself, you bastard. Just leave my daughter out of this."

T'Challa nodded, putting away the image. He turned and led his allies out of the room. When they were well free of Klaw, Kasper Cole asked him "How in the hell did you figure that out? About his daughter?"

"Shelly Deason died three years ago, my friend. She had no children. I was aware of Klaw's brief relationship with her, however. The girl in the photo was found off the Internet. She has no relationship to Ms. Deason or to Klaw."

Kasper whistled. "You're stone cold, you know that?"

"What now, my liege?" W'Kabi asked.

"We take his advice. Is Nightshade awake yet?"

"She is -- and we've removed all traces of the pheromones she uses to ensare her men."

"Good. I want to--" T'Challa paused in place, reaching up to cup his right ear. Almost invisible, a tiny radio receiver was present at almost all times. Similar to the Bluetooth technology possessed by most nations, the V-Phone was far smaller and carried crystal-clear sound quality. "Yes?"

The King's mother sounded quiet and tense. "My son. You'd better come quickly."

"Where are you?"

"Just outside the palace. I just... I just saw a woman crawling along the outside of the palace. She just entered your bedroom window."

T'Challa turned to W'Kabi. "Begin a full investigation into our palace security -- or lack thereof." Without waiting for his trusted aide to respond to the jibe, the Panther was striding away from him, reaching up to pull his mask down over his face.

Jessica Drew³, the original Spider-Woman, couldn't believe how easy this had been. Entering the palace grounds had been accomplished through a judicious use of her natural pheromones, which had the dual effect making men attracted to her while many women were turned off by her presence, and the venom-blasts that she could project from her hands. With all the stealth she could muster, Jessica crept through the King's chambers, opening drawers and cabinets. She had studied T'Challa's files extensively and was convinced that he wouldn't put the Gamma Bomb Detonator into any military facility for safekeeping. It would be near him at all times, possibly even on his person. She hoped that wouldn't be the case, so she conducted a thorough search of his quarters first.

Various photos of the King made her pause. He was a remarkably handsome man with eyes that were both kind and harsh. He was definitely the kind of man who could make a woman weak in the knees without even trying. For some reason, she was reminded of the fact that it had been ages since she'd been with a man... all the craziness in her life made relationships difficult, to say the least.

"Breaking and entering? Not what I would have expected from you."

Spider-Woman whirled about as the Black Panther struck. He backhanded her hard, sending her flying over his bed. She angled her fall so that she landed in a crouch, blood dripping her lower lip. "T'Challa. I can explain."

"Then do so."

"I... well, it's not much of an explanation, I'll admit. I'm here for the Detonator."

"Espionage doesn't suit you," he answered. He sprang into the air, aiming a kick at her skull. She dodged it, but barely, and struck back with a venom-blast that missed by a millimeter. "This could be construed as an act of war on the part of the United States," he said, landing on his feet and ducking under a swing of her fist. He drove himself forward into her midsection, knocking her onto her back. He straddled her torso, trying to hold her arms down, but she was able to throw her legs up, hooking her feet under his arms and tossing him off. He struck a table, knocking it over. A vase full of flowers and water shattered to the floor.

"You're holding the United States hostage," Jessica countered, standing up as she spoke. "Can't you see how that would make a few people upset? You're threatening to blow up the country!"

The Panther slid on his knees across the tiled floor, surprising Spider-Woman. He caught hold of her legs and twisted her at the knees, causing one to wrench painfully. "My nation has been abused by the United States too many times for me to hold any pity for them. And what I'm doing is for the greater good."

Spider-Woman slammed an elbow into the top of the king's skull, making his ears ring. "That's not your choice to make!"

"I'm the King!" he said, gripping her waist and tossing her to the floor again. He landed atop her back, pinning her down. "Surrender."

"Give me the detonator!" she shouted, struggling.

"Stop resisting!"

"Give it to me!"

"I said stop resisting!"

"And I said give it to me!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat made T'Challa look up. Everett K. Ross was standing in the doorway, staring at the Black Panther mounted atop Spider-Woman. "Glad to see the search for a wife is going well" the bureaucrat deadpanned.

The heat was excruciating, sending sweat running down his back. Hunter leaned back, trying to ignore the pain in his wrists and ankles. The ropes were tied so tightly that they cut into the skin, drawing blood. He was nude except for a loin cloth tied around his groin. The room was dark, save for the flickering flames before him. The young woman who moved towards him now held a long metal prod, the tip of which glowed brightly. "Do it," he wheezed. "Quickly."

"There is no turning back," the woman named Calypso said. She was lovely in a dangerous sort of way with brown skin and eyes, full breasts and hips... her body was hidden only the briefest of leopard-skin furs. "You really wish to do this? You wish to summon the dreaded one?"

The man known as the White Wolf nodded again, closing his eyes. He was aware that T'Challa was looking for him, tracing his movements since the battle in the catacombs⁴, but he had no time for his brother... not yet. Things had changed in the six months since they'd last seen each other. T'Challa had upped the ante with his foreign policy while Hunter was doing the same in other directions. He needed to become more powerful, stronger and faster.

In some ways, Calypso mused, this Hunter reminded her of Kraven. Both were dangerous men, full of masculine sexuality. She shoved the red-hot poker against his skin and began to chant, calling upon ancient words and prayers. Hunter's pain mingled with the power of her spell, opening a rift into the underworld. The smells of blood and brimstone filled the air and something sinister began to move in the shadows, finally emerging into view: a tall being, scarlet red and nude, with massive horns protruding from his brow. It was only one of his many forms but it was a particularly sinister one.

Mephisto stared at the half-brother of his hated enemy and laughed. "You called?"

Ross sipped his diet Coke and took a seat next to T'Challa on the veranda overlooking the heart of Wakanda's capital city. It was an amazing mix of 21st century technology and 18th century historical re-enactment. The smells of elephant dung mixed surprisingly well with more contemporary scents like the new Paris Hilton line of fragrances. Then again, perhaps they had something in common, Ross mused.

Jessica Drew stepped out onto the veranda with them, no longer dressed in her uniform. She looked lovely in a borrowed skirt and blouse. "SHIELD is not happy that it's taking so long."

"You chose not to tell them about our battle?" T'Challa said, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"I... I wasn't comfortable with the whole idea of breaking into your home. I hope you know that."

"I do."

"So I'm giving you the chance to convince me. Explain to me why I shouldn't break your arm and make you tell me where the detonator is."

"Let me do that," Ross said. He stood up and offered Jessica his seat. She took it with a word of thanks and he turned to face her directly. "The world's screwed up. Doesn't take a genius to figure that much out, right? We're still crawling from the wreckage as far as the Stark Invasion is concerned and we've got an idiot in the White House. There are wars going on all over the world and the rank-and-file just don't give a flying crap because they're more concerned with some pop strumpet shaving her head. Now what T'Challa has planned is a concerted campaign to share his technology and his wisdom with the world, starting with the ones who need it the most: the poor nations who have been living collectively hand-to-mouth for years. Some of that will require regime changes because the guys at the top are often getting fat while the little guy goes hungry... but mostly it's going to be a process of bringing in irrigation machinery, medical supplies and education."

"But the Detonator," Jessica began.

"Is a tool," Ross replied. "A necessary one. Some of what T'Challa wants to do would upset the U.S. and others in the West. They want him to sit in the back of the bus and be a good boy, know what I'm saying? So he needs that to hold over their heads."

"And I do not have time to waste," T'Challa said. "My search for a wife and my campaign to help the world are not separate things. There are actions I feel I must take in the time I have left."

"You make it sound like you're dying," Jessica said, noting that Ross had turned away from them both, looking sad.

"I am," he replied. "It could come tomorrow or next month or three years from now."

"My god," Jessica whispered. "I had no idea."

"Very few do. It would be a disaster for the people to know their King is in mortal peril and has no heir."

Jessica thought it over for a moment before speaking again. "...Do you need any help?"

"You'd be branded a traitor," T'Challa said, shaking his head. "I could not ask you to--"

"You didn't ask. I offered." Jessica shook out her long dark hair and stared into his eyes. "I need a purpose. I thought I'd found one with SHIELD and their Fantastic Force program but that went south in a very bad way. This sounds like something I could get behind. Make the world a better place. I like that."

Ross was watching them again, that enigmatic smile back on his face. "I've been telling T'Challa he needs his own Avengers team. I mean, if that nut Hawkeye could get one years ago, why can't T'Challa? Heaven knows how much they charge for franchise fees, though."

"The Avengers... would not be involved with what I'm building," T'Challa pointed out. "But I have taken my friend's suggestions to heart. You would not be the first to stay here at the palace in hopes of helping my mission."

"Who else is here?" she asked, genuinely curious.

T'Challa rose, taking her hand in his. "Come. Meet the men whom Kasper has dubbed the Crew⁵."

"This is Vibraxis," T'Challa said, gesturing to a handsome young Wakandan dressed in green and yellow. "He's a native Wakandan with the ability to generate sonic force."

"I know you from the Fantastic Force files," Jessica said, shaking the man's hand.

"I notice I wasn't invited to the reunion," he replied somewhat testily.

"Wasn't my call." Spider-Woman looked around the room, which was a large workout center with several holographic projectors mounted on the walls. A towering ten foot tall battle droid stood ominously in the corner.

While Vibraxis continued to stare at Jessica moodily, the Panther guided her to Kasper Cole. "The White Tiger. Blessed by the Panther God. Has all the same powers as I do."

"Goddess." Kasper, dressed in his white variant on the Panther uniform, bowed low. "Nice to meet you."

T'Challa smiled as Jessica exchanged pleasantries. He then nodded at a fit young African-American woman. "Tamika Bowden. Her father was a Hydra agent who passed on an interest in weapons design. When the use of her legs was taken from her, she designed an exo-skeleton that restored her movement and augmented her speed and strength."

"Wasn't as impressive as all that," Wildstreak said with a laugh. "Glad to have another female onboard."

"Thanks," Jessica replied, glad at how well she'd been welcomed. The final member was a massively built man wearing a stylized bird's head helmet and a warrior's garb. A golden staff was held in his right hand.

"I am Horus," the man said, his voice deep and powerful.

"The god...?"

"Yes, though I am bound to a human host at present. It is an attempt on my part to better understand the modern world."

T'Challa stepped back as the entire group began to talk to one another, sharing the details about how and why they had come to be here under the Panther's leadership. His head ached in a dull manner and he knew he needed to take some sort of pain killer soon. He was about to excuse himself when his V-Phone buzzed in his ear. "Hello?"

"My apologies, sire," W'Kabi said. "But there is a situation."

"Two in one day? I hope it's not someone else sneaking into my private chambers."

"Of course not, my liege," W'Kabi replied with shame. "It involves the prisoner... Klaw."

"Out with it!" he shouted, aware that his pain was making him act with more anger than usual but unable to stop himself.

"He's dead."

"Impossible. He's composed of pure sound."

"Activate your holo-cam, sire."

T'Challa took out the slim metal machine and turned it on. Immediately an image fluttered into view, showing a horribly mishapen mess that vaguely resembled Klaw. "When... did that happen?"

"Literally seconds ago. He began screaming and babblilng... then he melted."

"What did he say?"

"You can't kill me. I'm you. And then I heard another voice -- just like his -- say 'you were supposed to kill him.' Then he was dead."

T'Challa smiled coldly. "Ulysses. I have you now...."

TO BE CONTINUED

Next Issue: It had to happen! Black Panther's new strike force -- the Crew -- take on the Legion! It's round one in a war that's going to rock the AV2K universe! Plus: another potential bride-to-be is met by T'Challa....

AUTHOR'S NOTES

1. The Sheenarians were a race of bad guys who appeared in Ka-Zar (volume 2) # 14-20. The revelation that Klaw was split in two is a retcon of my own.

2. Back in the Secret Wars series, where Klaw went nuttier than a fruit cake. He got better.

3. Everything you ever wanted to know about Spider-Woman can be found here. In the AV2K Universe, she briefly led the revived SHIELD-sponsored Fantastic Force and appeared in my FF run before popping up last issue.

4. Back in issue 12 of AV2K's volume one.

5. The Marvel Comics version of the Crew was very different, being set in an urban setting with a membership consisting of Kasper, Patriot II, Junta and War Machine. Here at AV2K, we haven't really gotten into the Bradley family stuff with Patriot so I'm holding off on that and War Machine is tied up elsewhere so... we get a group by the same name but in more of an African Avengers kind of deal.

Stay tuned!

Barry