The idea for this blog came from recent images I’ve seen on social media, suggesting a movie or Marvel series based on Bashenga, the first Black Panther. I’d like to think that some of this was sparked by my Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda story Monsters of Mena Ngai, but that would be pretentious of me. Still a cool thought, though.
Sword and Soul is a subgenre of Sword and Sorcery that focuses on stories based on precolonial African history, cultures, and traditions. It was created by the late Charles Saunders, the creator of the first Black sword and sorcery characters, Imaro and Dossouye. I have contributed to this subgenre by writing books and publishing anthologies, and it has continued to expand through contributions by other authors such as Sarah Macklin, Kirk Johnson, and Adam HC Myrie.
When I was approached with an opportunity to contribute to the Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda anthology by editor Jesse Holland, my knowledge of Black Panther beyond the movie was limited. Our stories had to be based on the Marvel Comics Universe, so I had to do my research. Luckily, I have a close cousin and a few friends who are avid comic readers and collectors. They steered me in the right direction for my research, and that’s how I discovered Bashenga. Though what I found out about him was sparse, I was immediately drawn to him because of his circumstances. His story fit perfectly into a Sword and Soul scenario. I was able to incorporate some of what I learned about leadership in certain African cultures, especially the relationship between chiefs and ironworking, knowledge that I used to create Black Panther canon in my story, according to my comic expert friends. You’ll have to get the book and read my story to discover it.
As I wrapped up the story for submission, my mind kept working. I could imagine an opportunity to continue beyond Bashenga, to tell a story that followed the Black Panther lineage to modern day times. Again I was inspired by actual African history, in particular by The Diwan Revisted, a historical chronicle of the Sayfawa Dynasty that controlled the Kanem-Bornu Empire from the 9th to the 19th century. I imagined a lineage of Wakandan leaders manipulating the power of vibranium while struggling to keep their empire secret from the outside world. But that’s not my story to tell. Maybe one day the MCU will take a hint from the fan generated images of Bashenga and give it a serious look. It would be an exciting addition to the Black Panther/Wakanda legacy.