Black Panther Now Wields God-Tier Power, But Perhaps Not for Long
Vibranium has always been a big deal in Black Panther lore. It's the metal that makes Black Panther's suit super strong, and it powers all of Wakanda. Now, Vibranium has gotten even cooler with a permanent upgrade that T'Challa called "the power of God."
In Ultimate Black Panther #5, T'Challa, Shuri, Killmonger, and Storm are in a Wakandan facility with a giant green orb that they don't understand. Killmonger and Storm found the orb and showed it to T'Challa in a previous issue, and now they're all trying to figure out what it is and what it does.
How The Orb Works
During their experiments, Vibranium was introduced to the orb, along with a sudden release of kinetic energy. When they did that, the orb started making organic life, seemingly from nothing. And once the process started, it wouldn't stop on its own, so Shuri had to burn the plants before they got out of control.
The orb is useless on its own, but when combined with a charged piece of vibranium, it literally has "the power of God." Two Egyptian Gods are after this thing though, and this preview already showed how destructive the orb can be. Black Panther may wield god-tier power now, but maybe not for long.
The Maker's Council Is Pissed
In the new Ultimate Universe, Wakanda is independent from the Maker's Council, which secretly controls the world. The Maker's Council has divided the planet into territories, and the whole continent of Africa is ruled by Khonshu and Ra - except for Wakanda. That's why Khonshu and Ra have been trying to take over Wakanda and claim it for their kingdom. They were hoping to use this orb to do it.
The orb has the power to create life, and now Black Panther controls it. This means T'Challa, and by extension, Wakanda, have access to god-like power. The fact that two literal Egyptian Gods are after this thing should be a big red flag. Black Panther may have god-tier power now, but maybe not for much longer.
Black Panther's New Power Could Benefit Mutants
The energy used to spark the vibranium which activated the orb came from a lightning bolt conjured by Storm, who's a prominent X-Men member in Earth-616. While this universe is Earth-6160, and Storm is a freedom fighter instead of an X-Men leader, she's still a Mutant.
Perhaps Storm will somehow get the orb and use it to create a safe haven for Mutants like Krakoa. It does have the power to create life, and maybe Storm will end up using it to create a better life for mutantkind. This is a wild thought since mutants are pretty rare in the Ultimate Universe, and it probably won't happen anytime soon.
A New Era for Vibranium
Black Panther fans are going to lose their minds over the upgrade of vibranium. This versatile metal is the key to unlocking the orb's full potential. It's crazy to think that vibranium, a metal from Wakanda, is the key to unlocking power like this.
Ultimate Black Panther #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.
