Defenders #84-86 One of the richest sources for Black Panther stories is the political element that T'Challa brings to the table. As the king of a powerful African country, T'Challa has responsibilities that few Marvel characters can fathom. He's in select company with characters like Dr. Doom and Silver Sable in that he has sovereignty over a nation. In "Battle Royal," T'Challa is pitted against another of Marvel's most powerful sovereigns, Prince Namor (also known as the Sub-Mariner) of Atlantis. Tension occurs between Atlantis and T'Challa's nation of Wakanda when criminal elements from both countries are discovered performing a black market trade of Wakandan technology. In the opening scene, a group of Atlantean pirates seeks to buy some of the precious vibranium-based technology from a Wakandan man by the name of Wazira on the neutral ground of the island known as Kiber. The Black Panther foils the deal, capturing Wazira and his cronies and all but one of the Atlanteans. Refusing to let a single one of them escape, the Black Panther hops into one of the smugglers' amphibious craft and pursues him into the sea. The Atlantean pirate escapes and the Panther becomes trapped in Atlantis, unable to ascend to the surface from such a great depth. While skulking around the halls of Atlantis, the Panther awakens a dormant Bruce Banner who has been drugged by the Atlanteans to keep him from transforming into the Hulk. Once awakened, he becomes angry and makes the dreaded metamorphosis. The Sub-Mariner quickly intercedes and battles the Hulk in the open sea. The Black Panther is flushed out into the ocean as well but is fortunate enough to be rescued by Wakandan submarines patrolling the area. Near death, T'Challa is temporarily unable to command his kingdom. The Wakandan military becomes quite angry at the injustice perpetrated upon their king and prepares to fire nuclear missiles at Atlantis in retaliation. Shortly thereafter, the Hulk leaps out of the ocean to escape the Sub-Mariner's wrath. On Wakandan radar, the Hulk's hurtling body appears to be a missile fired from Atlantis. The trigger-happy Wakandan military immediately assumes the worst and returns fire at Atlantis. T'Challa awakens and immediately contacts Namor to explain what has happened. Namor is initially leery of T'Challa, but soon decides to trust him. Flying into the sky, Namor pinpoints the missile in mid flight and diverts its course with raw strength so that it explodes on Kiber. In New York, the Wakandan Embassy has become the target of protesters who are angry at Wakanda for being so willing to use nuclear weapons. T'Challa comes to New York and with Hellcat's help, traces the flow of Wakandan technology to the rather bizarre villain known as the Mandrill, an ape-faced malcontent with uncanny power over women. The Black Panther and the super hero team known as the Defenders defeat the Mandrill, but there is still the matter of tracking down a lost vibranium device that has the ability to absorb sound. As the Black Panther and Hellcat search frantically for the device, it causes a great deal of chaos in the streets of New York as it passes randomly from person to person. By following a trail of clues, however the Panther and Hellcat manage to find the device with the Hulk's inadvertent help before any major harm takes place.

Writer: Ed Hannigan Artists: Don Perlin and Jim Mooney This story makes use of so many of the elements that make the Black Panther such a cool character. His responsibilities as king of Wakanda, his hand-to-hand fighting skills, resourcefulness, bravery, and the assets available to him as the leader of the most technologically advanced nation on Marvel Earth. T'Challa is portrayed as a very noble man, willing to stop at nothing to rectify the wrongs that have been done by criminal elements of his nation. The political tension between Wakanda and Atlantis is well played out and the reader gets a sense of how the world views the two nations. Both are mysterious with enigmatic rulers who shun outside contact. When the two clash and threaten global stability, the world is understandably concerned. Hannigan weaves a creative story, managing to draw Marvel's "non-team" into the unfolding drama seamlessly. While the Black Panther is the main character of this story arc, it's interesting to see him interact with the Defenders, many of whom he has fought alongside (or against in a few cases) during his days with the Avengers. While the art is fairly pedestrian, you can't fault Perlin for being a weak storyteller! His scenes are crisp and clear and the art paces the story nicely. "Battle Royal" is one of the hidden gems among Black Panther stories and I highly recommend a shuffle through the back-issue bins to find copies of this Defenders story arc.

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