WARNING: The following contains spoilers from Empyre #4 by Al Ewing, Dan Slott, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, and VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.

After declaring war on the Marvel Universe and invading the planet Earth, the Cotati and their leader Quoi have set their sights on the nation of Wakanda. The villainous, plant-like aliens have a dangerous weapon called the Death Blossom. When they planted it in a garden on the Moon, Quoi was able to destroy nearly all of the Kree/Skrull alliance. Now, the Cotati aim to plant another Death Blossom, this time in the enriched soil of Wakanda's Great Mound of Vibranium. Thanks to the extraterrestrial mineral's unique properties, the Death Blossom would give Quoi control over all plant life across the galaxy.

While the Cotati's forces are attacking all over the planet in other corners of the crossover, Wakanda is the epicenter of the battle in Empyre#5. Even if a coalition of superheroes and Wakandan soldiers have fought to defend the mound, the Cotati's near-infinite numbers make them an unstoppable force. As the aliens press their attack, they get nearer to their goal once they shockingly kill Black Panther, the King of Wakanda and current Chairman of the Avengers.

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Black Panther Empyre Death

In Empyre #5, we find the defenses of Wakanda on the ropes. Three of the biggest superheroes who were there to fight the Cotati -- Susan Storm, the Thing and Mantis -- are otherwise busy dealing with a She-Hulk who has been taken over by a Cotati entity that is doing its best to kill Ben Grimm. The Cotati army keep advancing on Wakanda, and they eventually push through to reach the foothills of the Great Mound of Vibranium.

There, on the slopes of the mountain, T'Challa wields the Star-Sword entrusted to him by Hulkling, and he cuts down any and all Cotati in his reach. Now, the Black Panther is a skilled warrior -- one of the greatest in the Marvel Universe -- but even he can be overwhelmed by sheer volume. The Cotati's numbers are simply too great, and even an airstrike from Wakanda's Ukhozi Squadron doesn't make much of a difference.

Unfortunately, the Cotati's victory seems all but certain when they are able to open a portal on the foothills of their target. Before any reinforcements can come through the gateway, T'Challa attempts to destroy it with the Star-Sword but, as soon as he is near the portal, he gets stabbed through the chest by a sword. His body is then kicked to the side by the Swordsman, who walks through the portal after defeating the Avenger.

Swordsman was once a member of the Avengers. After his death, his essence was brought to life as a member of the plant-like aliens known as the Cotati. However, this version of the Swordsman isn't the same as he was before -- that is something that became all too clear at the start of Empyre, when he helped his son Quoi declare war on the Marvel Universe. And now, he has taken his betrayal even further by killing T'Challa.

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Black Panther Empyre Blood Loss

If there was any chance that T'Challa was still alive following Swordman's attack, those hopes are extinguished when the villain kneels down to feel Black Panther's pulse, confirming that the King of Wakanda is truly dead. Somewhat curiously, he even notes that T'Challa seemingly died of blood loss, which he notes is an unusually mundane way for a leader of the Avengers to perish.

The loss of Black Panther is truly shocking, and it comes at the worst possible time for the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. The fate of the entire galaxy is at stake, and the superheroes of the Marvel Universe are near-total defeat.

Outside of Iron Man and Mister Fantastic's new armor, all hope seems gone. However, it's worth noting that Black Panther is a master strategist, and Black Panther is one of the only Marvel heroes who's smart enough to use his own death as part of his grand designs. But as things stand, the death of T'Challa is still a stinging loss for the Marvel Universe as a whole, and it could not have happened at a worse time.

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