A longtimeAvengers hero just turned into a sinister villain, but we guarantee it's not in the way you expect. Marvel Comics recently introduced villainous versions of some of the universe’s top heroes, andBlack Panther's mind-warped clone might be the most threatening one of the bunch.
Marvel’s preview forNew Avengers #2, written by Sam Humphries and drawn by Ton Lima, sees the fallout of the evil clones’ attack on the newly-assembled New Avengers team. As the villainousJackal frees his Killuminati clones, the evil version of T’Challa slices Wolverine and makes a run for it.
The evil clone officially calls himself Luke Charles, which is the name of Black Panther’s secret identity from the '70s. Though T’Challa’s alter ego was an American schoolteacher, this version of Luke Charles declares that the world is his hunting ground and promises to be a major supervillain moving forward.
A Twisted Clone of Black Panther Just Became Marvel’s Next Big Bad Villain
New Avengers #2; Writing by Sam Humphries; Art by Ton Lima; Color Art by Rain Beredo
The identity of the shadowy figure who acquired the heroes’ DNA for the Jackal toclone and create the Killuminati is still a mystery, but their twisted clone of T’Challa is easily the most interesting of the team. In a group full of distorted and even somewhat silly clones of Illuminati-affiliated heroes, Black Panther’s villain variant stands out, especially because he brings back the Luke Charles identity as a separate person.
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T’Challa’s secret identity as a New York City teacher named Luke Charles helped the noble prince turned King of Wakanda connect to people on a more grounded level. While he operated under the alias,this version of Black Panther met and interacted with street-level heroes in the city like Daredevil and Luke Cage, even apparently inspiring the latter’s codename.
It’s still unclear why this Killuminati clone of T’Challa has adopted the Luke Charles name to go on a seemingly bloodthirsty rampage, but that story should continue to unfold in the pages ofNew Avengers. T’Challa hasn’t used the alias very often since it was first introduced in 1970, so its sudden return under such strange circumstances is notable, making the new clone villain a twist on a classic piece of lore. Black Panther is known as 'the Most Dangerous Man Alive,' and the new Luke Charles is the same person with no moral limitations.
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Luke Charles Promises to Claim Earth-616
Luke Charles appears to be the most stable clone in the Killuminati lineup, and he proves it further by escaping when the rest of his flailing superteam try to stick together. If the villainous Black Panther clone is truly ready to strike out on his own,Luke Charles could officially be the Marvel Universe’s most threatening new villain. All the Killuminati seem to be gleefully evil villains, but Luke Charles is a particularly fun contrast to the incredibly staid T'Challa, even bringing a playful attitude to his lethal intentions. While it's unlikely that Professor X-Tinction orIron Apex are intended as longterm foes, Luke Charles feels like a more likely candidate to continue giving the New Avengers a hard time.
As 'Luke Charles' goes from former heroic identity to dangerous new villain, theNew Avengersare faced with an evil clone of theBlack Panther - one who apparently intends to turn Earth-616 into his personal hunting ground.
New Avengers #2will be available July 16, 2025, from Marvel Comics!
Black Panther
- Created by
- Ryan Coogler
- First Film
- Black Panther
- Latest Film
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Cast
- Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira,Michael B. Jordan, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett,Martin Freeman, Tenoch Huerta Mejía
- Movie(s)
- Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Character(s)
- Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, Ramonda, M'Baku, Erik Killmonger, Namor
