Marvel
has stepped up their villain game quite a bit in the last year, after having
mostly so-so baddies with a few strong exceptions (i.e., Loki, the Winter
Soldier.) The past year, though, they’ve
been pretty on point (i.e., Hela, Vulture) none more so than Killmonger. Definite Black
Panther spoilers ahead.
One of
the first things you notice about Killmonger is how highly capable he is. His big plan in the movie is very
multifaceted, a chain of interconnecting events with each step leading him
closer to his goal. His black ops
training taught him how to strategize, with a particular emphasis on toppling
governments. As such, he knows how to
find weaknesses to exploit, how to play different sides against each other, and
how to come at a problem in both large and small ways, eroding it down until he
gets what he wants.
Another
important aspect of Killmonger is his determination. His father was radicalized by what he saw in
America, and that’s a philosophy Killmonger inherited, especially when his
father was killed. As a result of that
radicalization, Killmonger became single-minded on his goal, and he spent most
of his life building up to the events of the movie. This is demonstrated most starkly in his
hundreds of ritual scars, each representing a kill from his military or
mercenary work, all in anticipation of challenging Wakanda’s hero for the
throne. But this determination and drive
carries into every aspect of what he does.
Any other desire Killmonger has, everything else in his life, gets
washed away in the wake of that obsession.
When Klaue tries to stop Killmonger by threatening the life of his
girlfriend/accomplice, Killmonger shoots her himself rather than let that stop
him. Nothing
gets in the way of the cause he’s given his life to.
It’s a
cause that’s both deeply personal and much larger than himself. Back when he was still just Erik, he was
raised by a secret Wakandan prince working as a spy in the U.S. Erik’s father told him stories of the
beautiful, shining Wakanda while at the same time growing increasingly incensed
at the oppression he witnessed around him.
When Erik’s father stole vibranium with the aim of bankrooling a Black
American revolution, he was killed by Wakanda’s then-king, Erik’s uncle and
T’Challa’s father, and Erik was left in America so Wakanda would never have to
find out how their prince betrayed them.
So,
Killmonger’s quest is personal, avenging his father’s death by seizing the
throne and taking up the mantle of the Black Panther that killed him, as well
as gaining power over that glorious country that turned its back on him as a
child. But there’s so much more to
it. In Killmonger’s view, Wakanda
abandoned, not just him, but Black people across the diaspora. Wakanda has so much technology and power, but
in hiding itself from the world, it’s shut its eyes to the suffering in
neighboring African countries, in America, and all over the globe. When he becomes king, Killmonger plans to
ship vibranium weapons across the world, enabling all Black people to overthrow
their oppressors.
The
important thing here is that Killmonger isn’t wrong about the problem; Wakanda
is amazing, but given the ravaging effects of systemic racism around the world,
it’s also awful to think of all the help Wakanda could offer but chooses not to.
By the end of the movie, T’Challa recognizes the truth of this and opens
Wakanda’s technology and resources to the world. So Killmonger’s point is spot-on – it’s his plan, to establish a new Wakandan
empire that crushes all former colonizers underfoot, that’s off. He can’t rebuild by coopting a cruel and
broken system and simply changing the names of the oppressors. That’s what T’Challa realizes and Killmonger
doesn’t. Killmonger is so fueled by his
anger, by his desire to burn everything down, that he can’t see any path to
healing.
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