Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Avengers #1!Black Panther has got some new claws to show off as he returns to the Avengers, and they’re Wolverine‘s worst nightmare. T’Challa has been a fixture on the Avengers for decades, but he has recently been at odds with his comrades. After the revelation that he’d deployed sleeper agents around the world, T’Challa was rejected by his fellow heroes, and yet Captain Marvel considers him a vital element of her new team.
Avengers #1 by Jed MacKay and C.F. Villa sees Black Panther break out his new Antarctic Vibranium claws. This special kind of vibranium is also known as Anti-Metal or Savage Land Vibranium, and rather than being indestructible like Wakandan Vibranium, it actually weakens all other forms of metal on the molecular level, simply by being in their vicinity. Indeed, 2006’s Daughters of the Dragon confirms that Antarctic Vibranium can quickly destabilize and melt even adamantium – the metal which protects Wolverine’s skeleton. While Antarctic Vibranium is less stable than T’Challa’s usual brand, he’s now sporting claws that could slice Wolverine to pieces.
Black Panther’s New Claws Can Easily Cut Adamantium
In Avengers #1, Captain Marvel now leads the Avengers and rounds up her new team consisting of Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Scarlet Witch, and Vision. But T’Challa, as the former King of Wakanda is reluctant to return to the team. T’Challa exiled himself from his home after betraying the Avengers’ trust, receiving a graphic beatdown from Steve Rogers in response. However, Captain Marvel still needs the “Most Dangerous Man Alive” to suit up as the Black Panther and be an Avenger despite his past sins. And now, a reinvigorated Black Panther returns with a brand-new upgrade that sees him cutting through advanced robotic enemies like butter.
Captain Marvel Needs Black Panther’s Skills
Wolverine and Black Panther have clashed many times, from their grudge match in 2013’s Wolverine #8 to their recent clash in Avengers‘ Phoenix Tournament, where T’Challa’s Vibranium won the day. However, while Logan may possess an overcharged healing factor, T’Challa is the former ruler of the most advanced nation on Earth, and capable of obtaining weapons that even Wolverine can’t match. His new Anti-Metal claws show that Black Panther is always upgrading his weaponry, and it’s only fitting that as he returns as a member of Marvel’s premier team, he’s sporting an ultra-rare upgrade almost no-one else on Earth can match.
The Avengers Will Need Every Weapon They Can Get
Antarctic Vibranium is as rare as it is deadly, and it’s a mark of both T’Challa’s genius and his resourcefulness that he’s so casually wielding it. It also opens up the possibility that Black Panther may now be using different sets of claws for different missions. The Avengers are set to face threats like they’ve never seen before over the next few months, including literal god-level enemies. It would be totally within T’Challa’s character to have a hidden stash of unique materials he can use to slice through the competition.
T’Challa’s new claws provide a much-needed edge to his incredible abilities as the Black Panther. Fortunately, T’Challa is back on the Avengers and ready to repent for his past mistakes rather than fight his allies, so for now, Wolverine is safe – however just the fact that Black Panther can now slice through adamantium shows how seriously he’s taking this shot at redemption.
The Avengers #1 is now available from Marvel Comics!