SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze's "Black Panther" #1.
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze's long-awaited "Black Panther" series has arrived, but T'Challa may not be the only major character making a big return. Despite his fight against an insidious outside force and his commitment to quelling a rebellion, he never loses sight of his own personal mission: resurrecting his younger sister, Shuri.
At the conclusion of "Black Panther" #1, T'Challa travels to Necropolis, Wakanda's City of the Dead, where the previous Black Panthers are laid to rest. There, he descends into a hidden lab, where he has Shuri in stasis. The final panel shows him standing before some complex equipment as well as a screen that reads, "Resurrection Failure."
Coates Wants His "Black Panther" To "Elevate The Stature Of The Character"
"Shuri... sister... how long must I be parted from you?" he laments as the issue concludes.
Shuri first appeared in Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr.'s "Black Panther" #2 in 2005. She succeeded T'Challa as Black Panther when Morlun attempted to destroy Wakanda in its king's absence. T'Challa left Shuri as acting ruling of Wakanda in order to defeat Doctor Doom, who also tried to take over Wakanda. She remained as such until her death.
Shuri was killed in battle shortly before the events of "Secret Wars." Black Panther attempted to save his Earth by unleashing the Cabal to destroy an alternate Earth, but they took over Wakanda in the wake of the Incursion, slaughtering citizens as they went. Shuri attempted to save her people, only to be killed by the invading forces. As such, it seems as though Black Panther's remorse over her death drives his quest to resurrect her. Whether or not he'll be successful, however, is yet to be seen.
"Black Panther" #1 is now on sale.