Warning: contains spoilers for Black Panther #7!
Marvel's Black Panther may rule over Wakanda with benevolent intent, but the secretive country may hide more than simple advanced technology. The land has long been presented as a quasi-utopia in both comics and films; the highly-advanced Wakandan technology has allowed the country to defend itself from all outside invaders. But this power perhaps comes at a prince, and in Black Panther #7, both Marvel and Wakandans ask the all-important question: is Wakanda a police state?
Both T'Challa and his country first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 in 1961, in which Marvel's first family was invited to Wakanda by the King himself. There, the "African chieftain" (so named by Reed Richards) attacks the group and nearly manages to defeat them all, a testament to his fighting abilities and his knowledge of every member's powers. The attack was a test, and Black Panther allied himself with the Fantastic Four in an attempt to defeat Klaw, his feared rival (and the murderer of his father, the previous King T'Chaka).
In Black Panther #7, written by John Ridley with art by Stefano Landini, T'Challa has escaped the clutches of his assassins, who turned out to be lawful Wakandan warriors. In recent months, the nation of Wakanda has undergone a massive transition from an absolute monarchy into a democracy, which T'Challa does not appreciate. "The punishment for sedition is death," muses the leader of the secret police. "If necessary, I'll carry out the sentence myself." The fact that Wakandans still have the death penalty, despite living in an apparent utopia with no major health crises or resource shortages, proves the thing Wakandan leaders are most afraid of is losing their power.
This is not the first time the Secret Police of Wakanda have been brought up in the story. Later on, Imani and the new Prime Minister of Wakanda walk the city streets after a tension-filled meeting. "Keep your voice down, Imani," warns the Prime Minister. "The Hatut Zeraze probably have eyes and ears on us." The Hatut Zeraze (Wakanda's secret police) surveils the entire country and certainly the capital city, and the organization was previously led by T'Challa's white adopted brother Hunter, who later became the White Wolf.
The fact that T'Challa's own brother - adopted or otherwise - was allowed to run such a powerful organization suggests the monarchy was not as secure as citizens believed it to be. While Hunter was overzealous in his protection of the country, the Hatut Zeraze continue to function, and the organization would not be out of place in a Soviet-era government. Black Panther's nation of Wakanda might not have the problems of the Western of European powers, but it is certainly no utopia either.
Black Panther #7 is available now from Marvel Comics.
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