The following contains major spoilers for Captain America: Symbol of Truth #3, available now from Marvel Comics.
For as long as Captain America has existed, he has stood as a bright and shining beacon of truth and justice. Unfortunately, that mantle also comes with plenty of burdens. Most of all the distrust of those who can't put the same kind of faith in the Star-Spangled Avenger as his fellow Americans. Now that the latest conspiracy to embroil his life has put Sam Wilson on a collision course towards Wakanda, he is discovering all over again just how little his brand of justice is welcome outside its borders. Even worse, giving up on his mission simply isn't an option, and Captain America might just be headed for war because of it.
Captain America's latest adventure has seen him journey to Latveria and back in the pursuit of an enigmatic group of smugglers. In the pages of Captain America: Symbol of Truth #3 (by Tochi Onyebuchi, R.B. Silva, Ze Carlos, and VC's Joe Caramagna), it quickly becomes clear that things are not what they seem. Not only is vibranium being trafficked out of Wakanda unabated, but the nation's tumultuous democracy is making it almost impossible to take action. When the titular hero finally gets a chance to consult with Wakanda's leadership, they have no interest in working with the United States in any capacity.
Despite the potential threat, Prime Minister Folasade and Princess Shuri are unwavering in their insistence that any incursion on their soil will be taken as an attack. This isn't particularly surprising, especially since Wakanda is already falling apart internally. They may not have reached out to any other nations or their heroes for aid, but their government has all but collapsed under the weight of the Black Panther's secrets, not to mention a budding fascist uprising courtesy of the Hatut Zeraze. Considering how bad things are, any outside force would illuminate the truth at the very least, and that alone would likely be more than enough to cost Wakanda its current standing in the international community.
The technological marvels that Wakanda has produced have always been enough to eschew any concerns the rest of the world might have regarding the nation's stability. Few outsiders have any knowledge on Wakanda as a country, and there are even fewer with any idea as to what it is going through right now. Of course, this isolationist ideal has already made Wakanda plenty of enemies from within its own borders. Now that the same attitude is being extended to Captain America, there is nothing left for him to do but look towards more clandestine methods of entering the country, even if it means risking an all out war.
It is hard to imagine that Sam's mission into Wakanda will go as planned, or that he won't inevitably be caught. Just the same, it is hard to believe that Shuri, Folasade, or any of Wakanda's other leaders would follow through with their vague threats. On the other hand, they couldn't exactly let Sam walk free in any good faith if his actions were to put the country at risk in any way. If they truly aren't aware of the threat Sam tried to bring to their attention, they might end up believing that he brought it to their nation instead.
No matter how many wars have found their way to Wakanda or the state of their internal politics, almost every major incident on Earth has featured the United States at its center. Whether under attack or leading the charge, the country and ideals that Captain America represents have rarely if ever stayed out of these kinds of events. This has set a dangerous precedent which itself has further strained America's reputation. With the way Wakanda has operated for almost its entire history already standing in such stark contrast to the U.S., the fact that its leadership is so wary of any international intervention makes perfect sense. Hopefully, Sam won't do anything to validate their concerns any time soon.