Warning! This article contains SPOILERS forMarvel Knights: The World to Come#2T’Challa officially loses the Wakandan throne and theBlack Panthermantle to a foreign warrior related to an old friend.Marvel Knights: The World to Comerevealed that Ketema, T’Challa’s son, challenged his father to the throne, coming quite close to defeating him in battle. Not wanting to kill his own kid, T’Challa lowered his guard and received a brutal blow.
At first, the still-masked Ketema seemed to be product of T’Challa’s relationship with Queen Monica. However, in a shocking twist,Wakanda’s future king was revealed to be a young white kidwith light hair and blue eyes. InMarvel Knights: The World to Come #2,T’Challa officially yields to spare Everett Ross' life, thus transferring the throne to Ketema.
Ketema’s real identity is first hinted at during the battle, as Everett Ross remarks,“why did that kid look like me?".Indeed,Marvel Knights: The World to Come #2later confirms Ross accurately identified his own blood.
Everett Ross' Son Ketema Officially Becomes King Of Wakanda
Marvel Knights: The World to Come#2; Written by Christopher Priest; Art by Joe Quesada and Richard Isanove
According to the Wakandan archives, Everett Ross and his wife Noelle were presumed dead during the Race War, inspiring T’Challa to adopt the kid.T’Challa and Ross have always shared a complicated but respectful relationship, with Ross serving as an ally to Wakanda. However,several unfortunate events unleashed a butterfly effect that led to Ketema turning against T’Challa and claiming the Wakandan throne.
Ororo Munroe’s untimely death and Queen Monica’s miscarriage left T’Challa without the possibility of a rightful heir.As if it was a matter of fate,Mephisto’s influence pushed Nakia into villainy.As “Malice”, Nakia left her Wakandan life behind and killed T’Challa’s former girlfriend (and Everett Ross' partner) Nicole. With an extensive history of loss, T’Challa must have grown attached to his adoptive son, who betrayed him in the end anyway.
The New Black Panther’s Origin Is Wilder Than Expected
Ketema Isn’t Related To T’Challa Or Any Other Wakandan Character
The revelation that Ketema is actually Everett Ross’ fully white, non-Wakandan son is far more surprising than any fan theory.When Ketema first appeared, his lighter complexion hinted at him being the result of T’Challa’s relationship with an unnamed foreign woman. This would have already been a huge twist givenWakanda’s traditionally insular royal lineageacross millennia.
Ketema’s suspicious ambition teases why T’Challa’s heir divided Wakanda’s history in two and possibly doomed the kingdom.
However, the fact that Ketema is not even biologically connected to T’Challa or Wakanda at all is even more shocking. Ketema doesn’t have a drop of Wakandan blood in his body, and he has no direct familial connection to the currentBlack Pantheror any other Wakandan beyond T’Challa’s old friend Everett Ross, who remains completely unaware of his son’s whereabouts. Besides, Ketema’s suspicious ambition teases why T’Challa’s heir divided Wakanda’s history in two and possibly doomed the kingdom.
Marvel Knights: The World to Come#2is now available from Marvel Comics!
