Coal Tiger: Son of the Black Panther

 

Having recently watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever I felt inspired to keep writing posts in that vein. So, today let us take a look at Prince T’Chaka aka Coal Tiger, the son of the Black Panther.

 

The moniker of Coal Tiger was originally one considered during the creation of the Black Panther, and it seems Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz elected to pay tribute to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby when they introduced T’Chaka’s alias in A-Next #4. While visiting America for a trade agreement, T'Chaka was attacked by the hate group Soldiers of the Serpent. It is at this point we learn that T'Chaka has the ability to transform into a humanoid cat-like being resembling a Black Panther.

 

Alongside the Avengers original line-up, Coal Tiger rescues N’Kano (aka the Wakandan ambassador and super hero Vibraxas) and notes the new team of heroes seem more like a family. N’Kano tells T’Chaka his father would be proud. T’Chaka tells the Avengers he will tell his father about all of them and that he considers them friends.

 

T’Chaka next appears when, upon returning from an alternate reality ruled by Doctor Doom, the entire Avengers team are captured by the Red Queen aka Hope Pym and her Revengers. With Mainframe’s consciousness transmitted to another body, he recruits Earth Senty, Argo, Blacklight and Coal Tiger to rescue the Avengers (A-Next #12).

 

At some point, Coal Tiger is pulled into the massive Destiny War alongside the Avengers’ American Dream and Freebooter and the Fantastic Five’sd Kristoff Vernard (Avengers Forever #12).

 

Coal Tiger is not seen again until a large assembly of the MC2’s super heroes gather at Avengers Headquarters in preparation for battle with Seth the Serpent God of Death. Despite this, the assembled heroes end up trapped within an impenetrable barrier until Spider-Girl weakens Seth enough to free them (Spider-Girl #58).

 

Alongside fellow reserve Avengers members Spider-Girl, Blacklight and Earth Sentry, Coal Tiger was called upon to join the Avengers team due to a large number of team members being sidelined for various reasons following the events of Last Hero Standing. This line-up of Avengers is briefed about someone posing as the mutant master of magnetism; Magneto. Spider-Girl and trainee member of the X-People known as Push would ultimately apprehend the poser (Spider-Girl #92).

 

In his last appearance to date, Coal Tiger again joins a large assembly of super heroes who show up to help Spider-Girl when she is captured by the Hobgoblin aka Roderick Kingsley (Amazing Spider-Girl #15).

 

It’s a great missed opportunity that T’Chaka as the Coal Tiger never got more than a few brief appearances after his debut, as there is a huge amount of potential left unexplored and stories left untold.

 

Until I develop the ability to transform into a Wakandan werecat, I remain

 

frogoat

Comic Shenanigans: A Conversation with Ron Frenz and Tom Defalco

Occasionally I stumble upon a real treat when looking for podcasts to listen to and having recently discovered Adam Chapman’s Comic Shenanigans, I’ve found a wonderful pair of interviews with long-time comic co-conspirators Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz discussing their work on the MC2 series A-Next.

I think any MC2 fan owes it to themselves to give these podcast episodes a listen. Not only are they nice and long, they are loaded with new insight, commentary and behind the scenes information, they reveal just how much Tom and Ron share the creative process while working together.

The first part is a conversation with Ron Frenz, discussing A-Next #1-6 and can be found here:

https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-zqu4n-d003c7

The second part brought in Tom Defalco to join Ron in the conversation to talk about A-Next #7-12 and can be found here:

https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-626c9-d1dc38

Once again, this was a phenomenal listen and, in my opinion, the best and most in-depth and informative look behind the scenes of the MC2’s A-Next. I can’t thank Adam Chapman enough for this. I know I’ll be revisiting this podcast again in the future and I look forward to sifting through all the new information and unused concepts in upcoming posts.

Until I step up my game, I remain

frogoat

The Rambeau-Freeman Family Tree

After some tedious computer repair, I'm back to present the latest MC2 Family Tree: The Rambeau-Freeman Family Tree! This particular family tree presents us with a case of 'Word of God' rather than a solid on-panel confirmation. Let's get to it.

The obvious place to start is with Captain Marvel herself. Or... Photon? Or perhaps Pulsar? Or maybe I should call her Spectrum? Monica Rambeau is only the second person to assume the title of Captain Marvel in Marvel Comics publication history, as well as the first woman to do so. Following her introduction in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, Monica became a major character during her time as a member (and leader) of the Avengers. Soon, Monica would fall prey to the greatest foe in comics history: marginalisation. Monica would leave the Avengers after being depowered and left as a near-dead husk (Avengers #294).

After regaining powers, Monica made mostly guest appearances apart from two single-issue Captain Marvel comics in 1989 and 1994 before relinquishing the heroic identity to Genis-Vell, the son of the original Captain Marvel. Monica also takes on the name Photon in the same story (Avengers Unplugged #5) before next appearing in Avengers (vol. 3) #1-3. So, presumably she's still called Photon in the MC2. If you've been keeping up with these MC2 Family Tree entries, you already know the usual point that the Main Marvel Universe diverges into the MC2 Universe is.....somewhere around 1998, maybe. Oh, boy. This stuff is confusing. We'll come back to it later.

Monica's parents both make their debut in  Avengers (vol. 1) #246. Maria Rambeau is a seamstress and Frank Rambeau is a retired fire chief for the New Orleans Fire Department. While Frank is supportive of his daughter's super heroics, Maria had difficulties letting Monica risk her life after years spent worrying about her husband in his dangerous occupation.

Derek Freeman is an FBI Agent who encountered Monica several times during her time with the Avengers as Captain Marvel, at first in an official capacity but soon in a romantic context. Derek first appeared in Avengers (vol. 1) #263 and at some point prior to Captain Marvel (vol. 2) #2 had deduced Monica's duel identity. It's also in the latter issue that we are introduced to Derek's nephew, Raymond Washington.

Raymond Washington is a 21 year old student at Empire State University majoring in Political Science. Ray is also a campus activist and student counselor. During a series of racial-motivated attacks by members of the Sons of the Serpent, Ray attempts to form a coalition between the various minority groups on campus to provide protection. Using his contacts in the FBI, Derek arranges for Monica to investigate the attacks while undercover at ESU. Ray organises a counter-demonstration to stand up to the hate-group while Monica defeats the leader of the Serpent group (revealed to be the super-powered Skinhead).

Duane Freeman (brother of Derek Freeman) was the Federal Security Liason assigned to the Avengers who first appeared in Avengers (vol. 3) #4. As anyone who's read previous MC2 Family Tree's knows, the usual 'cut-off' point for characters and events from the Main Marvel Universe existing in the MC2 is generally at some point around late 1997-1998, roughly coinciding with the beginning of the MC2's own publication history. Though Duane Freeman dies off-panel and behind the scenes in Avengers (vol. 3) #49, it is entirely possible the events leading to his death did not occur in the MC2. I'll definitely have to do another post someday covering my theories of how much of the Main Marvel Universe post-divergence can be included in the MC2's own history.

Given that Derek is Raymond's uncle and Duane is never stated to have children, in addition to Raymond already being 21 years of age in Captain Marvel (vol. 2) #2, it's logical to assume that Derek and Duane have another as-yet unseen older sibling.

And now for the character that ties these two families together: Blacklight. First appearing in A-Next #9, we learn little about Blacklight during her fight with the Soldiers of the Serpent. However, in the same issue we are also introduced to Kendra Freeman, a young woman on the committee for the Neighborhood Pride Street Festival which was attacked by the Soldiers of the Serpent. While it's not established on-panel, 'word of god' from co-creator Tom Defalco here confirms the familial relationship. Additionally, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 lists Blacklight's real name as Kendra Freeman. As Tom's original answer doesn't specify which Freeman brother is the Kendra's father, I reached out to Ron Frenz, the characters co-creator who clarified that it was in fact Derek Freeman.

So there you have it! Two families brought together in the Might MC2 Manner! Hoo-Ha!

Until I run out of characters to mine for MC2 Family Tree's, I remain

frogoat