In the Avengers-free world of Heroes Reborn, an iconic MCU hero finds themselves behind Ronin’s mask, and it’s not Hawkeye.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for “The Quest of the Ronin” by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Matthew Wilson and VC’s Cory Petit, from Heroes Reborn #5, on sale now.
For as much as the Marvel Universe has been reshaped by the events of Heroes Reborn, a chance at setting things right looks like it may be just over the horizon as more and more inhabitants of this reality come to realize that something is wrong. Blade, Captain America and Echo’s Phoenix have already joined forces to work out a solution, and they’ve just reunited with T’Challa, even if he is operating under Ronin’s mask.
Nighthawk has become intimately aware of Blade’s hunt for answers after their last meeting during the attack on Washington D.C. by Doctor Juggernaut and his Masters of Doom. Even if neither of these heroes knows just what it is that the Daywalker is looking for, they’re both certain that Blade isn’t the only one searching. While Blade has enlisted other Avengers who have some recollection of the world as it once was, Nighthawk just had a surprising run-in with Ronin . Somehow, Ronin has arrived at the Squadron Supreme’s headquarters. He cuts right through Nighthawk’s Hawkarangs with ease while evading every blow, before seemingly vanishing into thin air.
In Northeast Africa, Ronin reappears only to immediately shed his disguise and reveal himself to be Black Panther. Having scavenged parts from the dead Celestial that presumably would have been Avengers Mountain in the primary Marvel timeline, T’Challa was able to make the teleporter he has been using to get around undetected. At least, he has been so far, but for those who already know where to look, the Black Panther isn’t all that hard to find.
T’Challa is well aware that he is being watched, though he doesn’t seem particularly devastated to see Blade and Steve Rogers standing before him once they reveal themselves. However, he might not remember who they are, since it seems like this T’Challa has spent a lifetime seeking answers for a question he could not define.
Even if that is the case and T’Challa doesn’t recall the world as it once was, there is no doubt that he will be happy to help the other Avengers in setting things right. While he seems to be aware of the Squadron Supreme’s involvement in shaping the new world, he also has the unique vantage point of being effectively invisible to them. Assuming T’Challa is ready to strike back at the Squadron alongside his fellow Avengers, he may have just given them the perfect place to do so, on top of everything else he already brings to the table.
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