HERO OF THE WEEK: KILLMONGER (Marvel)Real Name: Erik Killmonger (aka; N'Jadaka)
First Appearance: Jungle Action #6 (September, 1973)
Fight Club Ranking: #DNR
Featured Fights:
- Yet To Be Featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.
I was hoping to slot some Killmonger into our feature fight celebrations of Black Panther's theatrical domination, but it looks like the movie's main bad guy is gonna have to settle for being our Hero of the Week. Hey! You could do a whole lot worse! Klaw kinda did. Beware: spoilers lie ahead!
As he did in comics: Killmonger succeeds in overthrowing and replacing T'Challa as both Black Panther and ruler of Wakanda. He gains his admission into the closed city by dragging the corpse of murdering scumbag Ulysses Klaw to its border.
It's an act that serves the dual purpose of endearing Killmonger to angered Wakandans -- while also upstaging T'Challa, who failed to secure the wanted smuggler. Unfortunately, it also seems to deprive Klaw of his transformation from a villain who wields a sonic weapon -- to a living sonic being!
Andy Serkis plays the human Klaw (or Klaue in the movie) to his detestable best, but given the actors credentials as a motion capture performer, it was easy to presume the iconic Klaw would eventually make his way to the big screen. It's kind of a bummer that his death seems so definitive, but I like to think we'll still get to see Black Panther kicking Klaw's red reverberating ass in the future...
If you've seen trailers, you know the two Panthers will face-off in a visually spectacular final showdown. Killmonger loses the fight and seemingly chooses death from his injuries. I say seemingly, because the Killmonger of the comics has found many means to cheat death.
Undoing death in comic books and movies is a fasttrack to flimsy fiction and a disappointing lack of stakes, but with Killmonger, it's become a defining trait of the character. He's been resurrected by The Mandarin and a cult of followers -- the latter seeming the more likely route for Michael B Jordan to make a sinister return in a future sequel. After all, he did rally support from Wakanda's inner circle.
Further -- Killmonger has tapped into to the mystical side of Wakandan folklore, utilizing an Altar of Resurrection to not only return from the dead himself, but also marshal forces of zombie-like soldiers. A fitting means for bringing Klaw back in a sequel? Perhaps!
Some folks are going so far as to compare Jordan's performance with Heath Ledger's Joker, and even debating his status as the film's true hero. There are interesting social concepts at the core of the character, but I think that's more a case of the usual over excitement for the shiny new toy. We've all had our run-ins with snooty art curators, but murdering civilians isn't the path of a hero. Returning to your home nation to burn it all down -- not a very nice thing to do, either.
It will be nice if Killmonger and Klaw can come back in a satisfying way. My only concern is that the socio-political success of the movie might lead the filmmakers away from indulging in the fun of the film. Superhero films have a nasty habit of shying away from their fantastical excesses, and mystic resurrections might be out in favour of harder-edged political drama. Which would be especially disappointing for negating any chance of introducing Brother Voodoo into the mix!
I'm still hoping we'll find time to dive more into the world of Wakanda later in the year, to finally see the comic book Killmonger in action! Keep an eye on the Marvel section of the Secret Issue Index, or follow character links to find future featured fights!
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