Marvel’s first black married couple, Storm and Black Panther (aka T’Challa), have been enjoying wedded bliss ever since they tied the knot in one of the comic world’s most-talked-about weddings in 2006. But it seems their love has come to an end as the couple’s marriage was recently annulled in the latest issue of “Avengers vs. X-Men.”
For those of you who aren’t nerds, or blerds (aka black nerds) as the cool kids are calling themselves, Storm and Black Panther’s marriage has been on the rocks for a while as their respective superhero teams, the X-Men and the Avengers, have been fighting each other over the re-emergence of the insatiable cosmic force, the Pheonix.
Apparently, things between the couple finally came crashing down in the recent issue when Storm arrived a little too late to help Black Panther in a fight. When she did arrive, Black Panther gave her the cold shoulder and then cruelly dumped her right in the midst of their fight.
Some are saying that the writers decide to “annul” the couple’s marriage in response to criticism from disappointed fans, who claim that there was no proper courtship between Storm and Black Panther and they were only put together because they’re both black. However, several supporters of the couple mourned their harsh demise.
Some insiders are claiming that Storm and Black Panther’s split may have been caused by Hollywood politics. For years, Marvel Studios has been hinting at a live action Black Panther film, with Chiwetel Ejiofor rumored to play the African superhero. But while Marvel owns the rights to Black Panther, 20th Century Fox owns the film rights to Storm, which means their marriage couldn’t be featured in the film.
It looks like even comic book marriages aren’t safe from the pitfalls of a demanding career or Hollywood politics. Sigh.
Well, Storm and Black Panther certainly aren’t alone. Check out some other major fictional breakups below. –nicholas robinson
