Black Panther Proves He is Marvel's 'Man Without Fear,' Not Daredevil
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1.
In Marvel Comics' new Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1, the Black Panther proves that he's Marvel's true "Man Without Fear," despite the fact that that title has long been attached to Daredevil. In the new mini-series, the power of the Man-Thing has been taken and corrupted to create a sinister new threat, and it's up to the Avengers to save the day with Black Panther coordinating their response. However, he also gets the opportunity to show exactly why he's the ultimate fearless hero in the Marvel Universe, and it's hard to argue against him after seeing this issue.
Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1 comes from writer Steve Orlando and artist Francesco Mobili. It sees the villain known as Harrower seeking to wipe out humanity using the powers of the Man-Thing, whom she quickly defeats in the issue's first chapter. The next day, the Avengers wake up to find that massive plants have risen up and grown out of the ground in key regions all over the world. While the Avengers divide and conquer to try to contain the situation, things are not looking good. Not only do the plant towers burn almost all who come in contact with them, but they've also sent out winged plant-based creatures to attack anyone unlucky enough to be close. Furthermore, the towers unleashed flurries of seeds that burst into flame when contact is made with humans.
However, Black Panther's kingdom of Wakanda is not affected by touching the tower or the flaming seeds, and King T'Challa soon discovers why. The fiery reaction of the plants is caused by fear in its victims, and even Captain Marvel bursts into flames when she begins to fear that the Avengers won't be able to save everyone (though she's invulnerable enough to be unharmed). However, Black Panther and his armies have been trained to be fearless, which is why the seeds have no effect on him or his nation. As such, it seems pretty safe to say that Black Panther could be considered the Man Without Fear just as much as Daredevil, if not more so.
Not only does this issue serve as some pretty solid proof that T'Challa deserves the title, but his stint as Daredevil's actual replacement in Hell's Kitchen in Black Panther: The Man Without Fear from David Liss and Francesco Francavilla is a pretty good indication as well. While Daredevil has certainly displayed his ability to conquer his fears in past comics, the idea that Black Panther has been trained to ignore it entirely is a strong testament to his prowess as a man literally without fear. The seeds not bursting into flames near him seemingly proves that he doesn't even have any shred of fear he's keeping repressed. He's confident in his ability to get the job done and save the day alongside his allies in the Avengers.
All things considered, it seems pretty hard to argue that Black Panther hasn't earned the Man Without Fear title after seeing this issue. While Daredevil may have had the moniker first, Black Panther may just be the more worthy hero in Marvel Comics.
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