ZANTI CHIKANE
Real Name: Zanti Chikane
Identity/Class: Human; South African Citizen
Occupation: Gold Miner
Affiliations: Black Panther (T'Challa), Theodore Olebogeng
Enemies: Comrades, Doeke Riebeeck, Fathers, Gore's Band of Mercenaries (Elmer Gore, Miyo Moshigo, Strike, others), South African Security Forces (Eugene Van der Merwe,
Percy Boraine, Percy's driver, Seargent, many others)
Known Relatives: Miriam Chikane (wife), two unnamed sons
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Black Township in the area around Pretoria, South Africa
First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents#16/2 (late February, 1989)
Powers/Abilities: None
History:
Zanti was born in South Africa and grew up under a brutal and racist regime.
(MCP#34/2 fb): Zanti loved comic books when he was a kid because of their colors and urgency.
(MCP#16/2 fb): When Zanti was young his father half-believed that the whites would be gone one day with the gold and the townships. When Zanti was old enough he became a gold miner. He worked in the dark mines and was always fearful of the dusty darkness and the smell of rock walls pressing close. For a long time Zanti had to wake up in the earliest morning and travel four hours to get to the gold mine where he worked. One day someone in Pretoria decided to build townships for the black miners closer to the city centers and mining operations because the long travel took too much energy from the black miners. Since this day Zanti lived with his family in a township nearer to his working place.
(MCP#16/2): Zanti left once again his home after a good breakfast by his wife Miriam. He had assured his wife that he had his passbook with him to calm her down. He went through the street passing Slade's store while thinking about the sun. He headed for the bus stop and thought about his work when he suddenly heard the painful voice of the Black Panther. He saw him on the ground and decided after some thoughts to help him. He brought him some water and was angry with Black Panther because Zanti did such stupid things that could get him into trouble for the Panther. Zanti brought the Panther away and learned of the mercenaries that were responsible for Panthers' wounds and they talked about the reasons of this attack and came to talk about Patrick Slade for a second. Zanti wanted to help the Panther to get to his sonar glider when suddenly an army truck appeared.
(MCP#17/2): The army truck headed for Zanti and Black Panther and Zanti was afraid that he would be shot. Now Black Panther and Zanti introduced themselves to each other. Black Panther stood in front of Zanti and beat the soldier Percy Boraine and his partner up. Zanti continued to help Black Panther and drove him away in the army truck. In the truck Zanti heard from the Panther that he was a king and in search for his mother in South Africa.
BTS - Zanti and Black Panther ditched the truck after some time and got far away from it.
(MCP#18/2): Zanti was nearly seen by some soldiers, but Black Panther pulled him to the ground behind some bushes before they did. Zanti then followed the Panther to his sonar glider and talked to him about the possible troubles for his family because of his connection to Black Panther. Zanti was impressed that the Panther got the sonar glider into South Africa without being noticed and then took care of the wounds of Black Panther with the salve of the heart-shaped herb.
(MCP#19/2): Zanti went with Black Panther to the dead dog and the place where Black Panther was attacked by Gore and his men. Zanti followed the Panther over the barbed wire and wanted to head back home. He saw Miyo Moshigo on a roof and followed him after he came down from it.
(MCP#20/2): Zanti helped Theodore Olebogeng who was blinded by the tear-gas and calmed him down.
(MCP#21/2): Zanti still held Theodore when a woman came and washed his eyes out. He told the woman to take Theodore with her. Zanti hid under the truck of Van der Merwe when more soldiers arrived.
(MCP#22/2): Zanti watched how the Black Panther managed to get out of this situation from beneath the truck. When the Seargent tried to shoot at the jumping Panther he pulled him to the ground. Van der Merwe and the other Seargent pulled him out from beneath the car. Zanti was able to run away when the soldiers were busier with following the Black Panther.
(MCP#24/2): Zanti was at home again and told Miriam everything he did. He wanted to continue to help the Black Panther. His wife was afraid, but she and the children let him go. Zanti went through the woods and was found by T'Challa. They returned to the sonar glider and once again Zanti took care of the wounds of his new friend. Zanti told T'Challa about Miyo who was spying from the roof and told T'Challa that he followed the spy.
(MCP#25/2): Zanti brought Black Panther to the home of Miyo Moshigo. They went onto a tree and watched how the Comrades came to the house of the spy. Zanti told Black Panther that they would kill the spy if the found him to be guilty of profiting from the government policies or being a traitor.
(MCP#26/2): Zanti and Black Panther continued to watch the happenings at Moshigo's house. Zanti stayed on the tree when the Black Panther jumped down to save Moshigo.
(MCP#27/2): Zanti jumped down from the tree when Black Panther was in danger and fell directly onto Moshigo. He tried to follow Moshigo when the Panther wasn't in danger anymore, but he just fell to the ground when he tried to reach him. Moments later the Fathers arrived and Zanti was amidst a battle between the Comrades and the Fathers.
(MCP#28/2): Zanti was hit by a Father and fell to the ground when a Comrade came with a knife. He went to Black Panther who held Theodore's body in his arms. Zanti told Black Panther that the next hospital was 20 miles away, but it was only for whites. Black Panther didn't listen when Zanti told him that they wouldn't take Theodore because he was black. Panther told Zanti that he would pick him up later where they first met each other. Zanti saw the sonar glider fly to the hospital when he walk to the place where he first met the Panther.
(MCP#29/2): Zanti met Black Panther again and they talked about everything that happened. Zanti convinced the Panther to continue his search.
(MCP#30/2): Zanti ran to Slade's store when he saw that Van der Merwe and Riebeeck were heading towards it. His sudden entrance distracted Miyo Moshigo and gave the Panther a chance to attack him.
(MCP#31/2): Zanti saw Van der Merwe and Riebeeck arrive outside the building. He found with Black Panther the dead body of Patrick Slade and then left with a little help of the Panther through the hole in the roof. They returned to the sonar glider and Zanti heard the lies of Anton Pretorius on TV.
BTS - Zanti left the sonar glider.
(MCP#33/2): Zanti ran with the Panther through the woods to the sonar glider. Black Panther told Zanti that Pretorius was behind everything and that his mother was at his place. They found out that the sonar glider was found, but Black Panther got through the troops to the sonar glider. Zanti tried to stop them from shooting at the sonar glider and was hit by some recoiling bullets.
(MCP#34/2): Zanti was lying on the ground and saw comic books of his childhood. Although his wounds hurt he stood up and took away the weapon of a soldier while screaming his own name. He hit him in the head with it and than did the same to Eugene Van der Merwe who tried to shoot the sonar glider with a bazooka. Zanti was saved by the Black Panther when Riebeeck tried to shoot him. Zanti was flown to his home and got some money for all the help from the Panther. Zanti told Black Panther that he would probably visit Wakanda one day with his family and Zanti told him that he would be welcomed as a friend. They said there goodbyes and Zanti returned with bleeding wounds to his family.
(Black Panther: Panther's Prey#3 fb BTS): After Black Panther returned from South Africa he implemented many refinements into the vibranium mound because he remembered the suffocating hours of confinement and the smothering fear his friend Zanti had endured in the gold mines of South Africa.
Comments: Created by Don McGregor and Gene Colan
by Markus Raymond
CLARIFICATIONS:
Zanti Chikane and his family should not be confused with:
Miriam Chikane
Miriam was the wife of Zanti and mother to his two sons. She was always afraid that something happened to her husband and checked if he had his passbook with him. She liked to talk about bad things that could happen. She was very afraid for his life when he wanted to continue to help the Black Panther, but she kissed him goodbye and let him go. Although the Black Panther brought her husband home she never met the Panther personally.
--Marvel Comics Presents#16/2 (24/2
Zanti's two sons
The two sons of Zanti were always sleeping when he went to work. They liked to fight with each other like many children in a playful manner. Zanti said goodbye to them when he went out to help the Panther again. He had to send one of his sons back, because he tried to follow him.
--Marvel Comics Presents#16/2 (24/2
images:
Zanti Chikane full: Marvel Comics Presents#19, p9, pan1
Zanti Chikane face: Marvel Comics Presents#16, p9, pan2
Miriam Chikane: Marvel Comics Presents#16, p10, pan2
Zanti's two sons: Marvel Comics Presents#24, p11, pan2
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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