Wakandans are dancing on boats in the water. The Dora Milaje hit their spears on the boat and a shockwave opens a drain, and the water lowers. The camera pans to show a waterfall.
"Whoa." Everyone said, awed at the sight.
"Wakanda is so beautiful." Hope said.
A plane lands, T'Challa steps out carrying a spear and a shield. The Wakandans are now gathered on the mountains, still dancing and singing.
"Looks exciting." Quill said.
"Right." Everyone agreed.
Zuri introduces himself and T'Challa who kneels. Zuri holds up a bowl and says T'Challa will now have the strength of the Black Panther stripped away, then lowers the bowl to T'Challa who drinks it's contents.
"The drink stripped your powers?" Steve asked. T'Challa nodded.
"Why did he have you drink it?" Thor asked.
"Because it is challenge day." T'Challa answered.
T'Challa's eyes are bloodshot and he starts shaking, after a moment he stands up.
"That looks painful." Bruce commented.
"It was a little painful." T'Challa admitted.
Zuri, in Xhosa, yells 'Praise the ancestors', the crowd repeats the phrase. Zuri says victory in ritual combat comes by yield or death then asks if any tribe wishes to put forth a warrior to challenge T'Challa.
"Wait so, anyone can challenge you for the throne?" Rhodey asked.
"Yes, anyone can challenge me for it and if they win, then they'll be crowned King." T'Challa answered.
The Merchant, Border, River, and Mining tribes all decline to challenge T'Challa. Zuri asks if anyone of royal blood would like to challenge T'Challa. Shuri raises her hand.
"You want to challenge him?" Bucky asked.
"Oh? No." Shuri answered.
Shuri says her corset is really uncomfortable and suggests that they wrap this up so they can go home.
Everyone giggled at Shuri's snark. T'Challa only rolled his eyes, exasperated with his little sister's antics.
Members of the Jabari tribe emerge from the mountains, among them is a man in a gorilla mask.
"Who's he?" Ned asked.
"He is M'Baku, the leader of the Jabari tribe." T'Challa answered.
"The ones that isolated themselves in the mountains?" Tony asked.
"Yes." Okoye answered.
Shuri asks Ramonda if they're Jabari. Ramonda confirms.
M'Baku walks up to T'Challa and takes his mask off. Zuri asks M'Baku why he's there.
M'Baku says it's challenge day.
"Is he planning to challenge you?" Drax asked.
M'Baku addresses the crowd and says they've watched with disgust as their technological advancements have been overseen by a child who scoffs at tradition and asks if they want to hand the nation to a prince who couldn't keep his father safe.
T'Challa glared at M'Baku. Even if they were on better terms now, he couldn't deny that his remarks still hurt.
"Too far, man." Scott said quietly.
M'Baku says the Jabari tribe will not have it, then goes to challenge T'Challa, who accepts his challenge before he can finish his sentence. M'Baku says 'Glory to Hanuman.'
"Who is Hanuman?" Strange asked.
"He is the Gorilla god who is worshipped by the Jabari tribe." Shuri answered.
Zuri gives T'Challa a panther mask, M'Baku puts gorilla mask back on.
On M'baku and T'Challa's orders, the Jabari and Dora Milaje move to the front with spears.
Zuri begins the challenge.
"Here we go." Quill said. Everyone tensed.
M'Baku starts hitting T'Challa with his spear, T'Challa blocks the blows with his shield. M'Baku lands a hit on T'Challa and he falls onto his back, rolling over.
"Ouch." Everyone winced.
"That had to hurt." Clint said.
The Dora and Jabari move forward. T'Challa stands up and kicks M'Baku in the chest, causing him to fall.
"Nice."
M'Baku gets up and starts swinging at T'Challa, who dodges and flips out of the way, landing on his back and drops his weapons. M'Baku asks where his god is now.
Everyone was worried now. M'Baku was a formidable opponent and now T'Challa had no protection.
M'Baku goes to attack with his spear, T'Challa uses the spear as leverage to kick M'Baku in the face, then starts punching him, causing him to fall.
"Damn, even without your weapons you're a very skilled fighter." Clint said.
M'Baku grabs T'Challa by the waist and headbutts him and starts taunting him.
Everyone in the audience winced with each blow to the face. M'Baku was still wearing his mask, and getting hit in the face repeatedly with those sharp edges seemed very painful.
M'Baku says T'Challa is just a boy who's unfit to lead.
Dazed, T'Challa heard Ramonda tell him to show M'Baku who he is. T'Challa punches M'Baku and breaks his mask off. M'Baku stabs T'Challa with his spear.
Everyone gasped and tensed further.
"Oh god." Hope said.
T'Challa declares that he is price T'Challa and the son of King T'Chaka.
Shuri tells T'Challa that he can do this.
Everyone smiled at the support T'Challa was getting from his family.
M'Baku rips the spear out and goes to stab him again, T'Challa grabs it, forces it to the ground and kicks M'Baku in the chest and wraps his legs around his neck.
"Getting really close to the edge." Peter said, nervously.
T'Challa tells M'Baku to yield and not to make him kill him.
M'Baku says he'd rather die.
"Stubborn." Sam commented.
The Wakandans cheer T'Challa on. T'Challa says M'Baku fought with honor and tells him to yield because his people need him. M'Baku taps out.
Everyone was glad M'Baku tapped out and didn't end up being killed.
The Wakandans all cheer for T'Challa. The Jabari help M'Baku up. Zuri names T'Challa King and Black Panther then places a necklace around his neck and they hug.
T'Challa crosses his arms over his chest and says 'Wakanda Forever.' The crowd does the same.
Everyone cheered along with the onscreen Wakandans, happy for T'Challa.
T'Challa is in a cave, lying in sand. Someone picks an herb, liquifies it and pours it into a bowl.
"The herb that gives your powers?" Pepper guessed. T'Challa nodded.
Zuri lowers the bowl and says to allow the heart-shaped herb to restore the powers of the Black Panther and take him to the ancestral plane. T'Challa drinks from the bowl and his veins glow purple. Zuri calls on T'Chaka's spirit. T'Challa has flashes of memories of T'Chaka.
T'Challa looked at the screen sadly, the death of his father was still a very painful subject.
Zuri, in Xhosa, says 'praise the ancestors'. Everyone starts burying T'Challa in sand.
T'Challa remembers the UN bombing and aftermath then awakens the in the ancestral plane.
"Is that the Ancestral plane?" Natasha asked. The Wakandans nodded.
"It's breathtaking." May said.
"Very peaceful looking." Tony agreed.
T'Challa sees panthers in a nearby tree, one of them steps down and transforms into T'Chaka.
Shuri's and T'Challa's throats tightened upon seeing their father.
"Why did he look like a panther?" Maria asked.
"When he died, that was the form he took in the ancestral plane, like the previous Black Panthers have." T'Challa answered.
T'Challa and T'Chaka hug and greet each other. T'Challa kneels and apologizes.
"It wasn't your fault, brother." Shuri assured.
"She's right." Okoye said. "If it was anyone's fault, It was Zemo's." She scowled, remembering what Zemo did.
T'Chaka tells him to stand up and says he's a King. T'Challa stands. T'Chaka, in Xhosa, asks T'Challa what's wrong.
T'Challa, in Xhosa, says he's not ready.
T'Chaka, in Xhosa, asks if T'Challa hasn't prepared to be King all his life.
"I don't think that is what he meant." Shuri said.
T'Challa says that isn't what he's talking about and says he's not ready to be without T'Chaka.
"No one ever is." Loki said, remembering losing both of his parents.
"He's right, no one is ever prepared to be without their parent." Steve said.
T'Chaka says a man who hasn't prepared his children for his death has failed as a father and asks T'Challa if he's ever failed him.
T'Challa says he hasn't and asks how to best protect Wakanda and says he wants to be a great king.
"From what we've seen so far, I'd say you will be a great king." Thor said.
T'Chaka says he will struggle so he should surround himself with people he trusts. He says T'Challa is a good man with a good heart and it's hard for a good man to be king.
"Wise words." Fury said.
T'Challa gasps awake. Zuri tells him to breathe. T'Challa calms down and says T'Chaka was there.
"I am glad I got to see him again." T'Challa said, smiling softly.
T'Challa and Nakia walk through the city. T'Challa asks Nakia to stay in Wakanda.
Nakia says she came to support him and honor T'Chaka but can't stay because she's seen too many in need to turn a blind eye and she can't be happy there knowing there's people who have nothing.
"I can understand that." Sam said. "Sometimes you see things and you can't just ignore them when you know they're still happening."
T'Challa asks what she would have Wakanda do about it. Nakia asks him to share what they have so they could provide aid, technology and refuge because they can do it better than other countries.
"We could." Shuri agreed.
T'Challa says they aren't like other countries. He says if the world found out what they are and what they possess they could lose their way of life.
"Sounds like a tough decision." Fury said, on one hand Wakanda had the technology that could help so many people who are in need, but on the other hand there were people like Klaue who would only take advantage of it.
"It was." T'Challa agreed. "And it took a while to decide."
Nakia says they could protect their way of like and help the outside world. T'Challa says she would make a great queen if she wasn't so stubborn.
"But sometimes you need stubbornness like hers." Okoye said.
Nakia says she'd make a great queen because she's stubborn before saying if that's what she wanted.
Everyone smiled at the banter between the two of them.
T'Challa talks with W'Kabi, who's feeding a rhino. W'Kabi makes a comment about Nakia being back and asks if they're going to work it out.
T'Challa only sighed, sadly.
When T'Challa doesn't answer, W'Kabi asks what's wrong.
T'Challa says Nakia thinks they should be doing more and tells him what she suggested.
W'Kabi says if they bring the refugees there, they'll bring their problems with them and Wakanda would be like everywhere else.
"Can't there be a solution to both problems? One where Wakanda is able to help the outside world while still retaining your way of life?" Quill asked.
W'Kabi says if T'Challa sent him and his men to clean up the world he'd be all for it.
T'Challa says waging war on other countries has never been their way.
"Like Odin said: A wise king never seeks out war but must always be ready for it." Thor said.
T'Challa and W'Kabi's Kimoyo beads chime. They hold them out and a projection of Okoye is shown she greets her king and her love and tells them they'll never guess what appeared on their radar.
"You're in a relationship?" Bruce asked. Okoye didn't respond, remembering what W'Kabi did.
In the palace, Okoye says a misidentified Wakandan artifact was stolen from a British museum and Klaue plans to sell it to an American in South Korea.
T'Challa says Klaue has escaped their pursuits for nearly 30 years.
"Damn." Sam said.
T'Challa says his father's greatest regret was not capturing Klaue and says he wishes to bring Klaue to Wakanda for a trial.
The Merchant Tribe representative says Wakanda doesn't need a warrior, they need a king.
"Maybe both." Shuri said.
W'Kabi says his parents were killed when Klaue attacked and not a day goes by where he doesn't think about what Klaue took from them.
"This Klaue guy is a real asshole." Quill said.
"Worse than that." T'Challa said.
Okoye says it's too great of an opportunity to pass.
"Yeah, I mean, you finally know where he'll be after 30 years of managing to avoid you. I'd probably jump at the chance to capture him too." Gamora agreed.
W'Kabi tells T'Challa to take him along and they can take Klaue down together.
T'Challa says he needs W'Kabi to protect the border.
W'Kabi asks T'Challa to kill Klaue where he stands or bring him back to Wakanda.
T'Challa says he'll bring Klaue back.
"Good, let him face justice." Thor said.
T'Challa and some Dora Milaje walk through Shuri's lab. Shuri jokingly greets him as her kund and they shake hands.
Everyone snickered at Shuri's greeting.T'Challa sighed and rolled his eyes fondly.
Shuri says she sent a car to Busan for him and asks who he's taking to Korea.
T'Challa says he's taking Okoye and Nakia.
Shuri asks if it's a good idea to bring his ex on a mission.
"I don't think it's a bad idea, as long as they're both focused on the task at hand." Natasha said. "Otherwise, yeah, it might not be the best idea."
"We know each other's capabilities well." T'Challa said. "It's always useful to have someone like that with you."
T'Challa says they'll be fine and Shuri is on call if they need backup.
Shuri says she has some things to show him and hands him some communication devices that have unlimited range and are equipped with a satellite surveillance system.
"Nice." Rhodey said.
Shuri shows him some remote access Kimoyo beads which are updated to interface with her sand table.
T'Challa walks over to something and asks what they are.
Shuri is distracted by his sandals and asks what they are.
"They are my crocks." Peter said.
"Oh, there's 2 of them now." T'Challa said.
Shuri asks why he has his toes out in her lab.
T'Challa asks if she doesn't like his royal sandals and says he wanted to go old school on his first day.
Shuri bets that the elders loved that and hands him some shoes and tells him to try them on. T'Challa does and they turn into boots.
"Whoa." Ned said.
"That's awesome." Tony said.
Shuri says their fully automated like the old American movie their father used to watch.
"Back to the Future?" Scott asked. "I love that movie."
Shuri says she made them sound absorbent. T'Challa stomps his foot and it doesn't make a noise. Shuri asks him to guess what she calls them and says they're called sneakers.
The teenagers snorted. "Nice pun." Ned said.
"I know, right?" Shuri said.
They walk to another part of the lab and Shuri says he'll need the best their design group has to offer if he's going to take on Klaue. She shows him some suits and calls his 'old tech' and mocks him a bit.
"Teenagers." May sighed.
Shuri shows him 2 new suits. T'Challa says the one with the gold neck is tempting but the idea is not to be noticed and picks the one with the silver neck. Shuri holds her Kimoyo beads to his neck and the suit materializes around the mannequin.
"Damn." Rhodey said, impressed.
"That's amazing." Peter said.
Shuri says the suit sits within the teeth of the necklace and tells T'Challa to strike it.
"Why...?" MJ asked.
T'Challa kicks the suit and it goes flying across the lab. Shuri says she didn't mean to do it that hard and goes to get the suit.
T'Challa says she told him to strike it but didn't say how hard.
"I thought it was implied." Shuri said.
"It wasn't." T'Challa argued.
Shuri says she invited him to her lab and he just kicks things around.
T'Challa says she should've made it stronger.
Shuri glared at her older brother.
T'Challa notices a purple light on the suit.
Shuri says the nanites absorb kinetic energy and hold it in place for redistribution.
"So any blow the suit takes can be dealt back by the suit?" Bruce asked.
"Yes." Shuri answered.
Shuri tells him to strike it again in the same spot and starts recording.
"Why is she recording?" Clint asked.
"You'll see." T'Challa sighed.
T'Challa asks why she's recording.
Shuri says it's for research purposes.
"Sure... just for research and nothing else." T'Challa said.
T'Challa kicks the suit again and this time he gets tossed across the lab. Shuri laughs. T'Challa tells her to delete the footage.
Shuri and Okoye start laughing at T'Challa.
"Oh, that was too perfect." Natasha said, giggling.
Tony was reminded when he threw himself into the roof of his own lab when he was testing the Iron Man suit for the