CANNIBAL
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human astral spirit
Occupation: Mercenary, predator
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Batroc the Leaper (Georges Batroc), Black Knight (Augustine du Lac), Klaw, M'Butu, Radioactive Man (Igor Stancheck), Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich), many unidentified mercenaries;
unknowingly aided by Wakandan soldiers, Shuri, T'Shan, Zuri;
hosts included at least four unidentified men, Mrs. Stancheck (if it even was her name), T'Shan, G'Mal
Enemies: Black Panther (T'Challa), Brother Voodoo (Skrull impersonator), Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), Erik Killmonger, Wakanda
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile from host to host
First Appearance: Black Panther IV#1 (April, 2005)
Powers/Abilities: The Cannibal was a soul eater, who could take possession of other bodies by transferring his essence via kiss. He could maintain access to the memories of his host and over time consumed their spirits.
Height: Variable
Weight: Variable
Eyes: Variable
Hair: Variable
History:
(Black Panther IV#26 (fb) - BTS) - At some point he forsake his original body to possess another one.
(Black Panther IV#38 (fb) - BTS) - After his original body he switched bodies at least three more times.
(Black Panther IV#1 (fb) - BTS) - While possessing an unidentified man Cannibal was captured and imprisoned somewhere in the US. The authorities knew about his power and kept him in solitary confinement.
(Black Panther IV#1) - Klaw visited the body-possessing Cannibal in prison and shared with him information about Wakanda's history going back to the 5th century. Cannibal was impressed and listened to more stories about Wakanda including one about Klaw's great-great-great grandfather dying in an attack on Wakanda during the 19th century. He then offered him a presidential pardon if Cannibal joined his team to invade Wakanda.
(Black Panther IV#2 - BTS) - Cannibal was released from prison and joined Klaw. Together they found out the whereabouts of their ally Igor Stancheck's wife.
(Black Panther IV#2) - Klaw and Cannibal visited the brothel Stancheck's wife was working at. Cannibal chose her and told Klaw to wait outside for at least an hour. Cannibal offered her a few hundred dollars extra for a kiss and she granted him his wish. Kissing her enabled Cannibal to transfer his astral form into her body and take control over her. Putting on the overcoat of Cannibal's former host she told her employer that she quit and left. Klaw was impressed that Cannibal looked like the woman and sounded like her. Cannibal explained that he had not just taken over her body, but also had access to all her memories. Cannibal, who always wanted a woman like her, enjoyed it to be her. Klaw was sure Black Panther had no chance against them.
(Black Panther IV#3 - BTS) - Cannibal and Black Panther traveled to Niganda to meet with their allies, including Radioactive Man (Stancheck), the husband of Cannibal's current host.
(Black Panther IV#3) - Joining the other mercenaries Cannibal accompanied Klaw around the camp. Klaw told Cannibal and Batroc a fabricated story about how he got hired to kill Black Panther's father in the past.
(Black Panther IV#3 - BTS) - Klaw sent Cannibal to Vatican City to seduce and recruit the Black Knight (Augustine du Lac).
(Black Panther IV#3) - Cannibal wanted to show more skin to seduce Black Knight, but Klaw reminded her on the phone that she was dealing with an old-fashioned man, who believed in the morals of the 12th century. Even though she was not sure why they needed an organized religion's agent for their mission she met with his Catholic handler at a side entrance in Vatican City. The handler explained that the pope had no knowledge of their branche's involvement in a "Holy War". He first showed Cannibal the Ebony Blade, then introduced her to the Black Knight, who would wield it. The Black Knight's flying horse took a dump on Cannibal's hat, which the Black Knight apologized before asking what he could do for her. Cannibal had an idea...(he was seen next issue in Niganda joining Klaw's forces).
(Black Panther IV#5) - Cannibal went to the UN building in New York City where she approached T'Challa's cousin Ambassador T'Shan to offer him help to end the invasion of Wakanda. Discussing it in private in T'Shan's office Cannibal revealed herself as Igor Stancheck's wife, who had been turned into Radioactive Man and was now working with the mercenaries attacking Wakanda. T'Shan's assistant looked up her identity and found out that she was actually Stancheck's wife. T'Shan asked her if she could stop the Radioactive Man and she pretended to not trust her husband's allies and wished to help Wakanda in return for them curing her husband.
(Black Panther IV#6) - Cannibal joined T'Shan and his assistant on a plane from New York back to Wakanda. T'Shan's assistant confirmed the identity of Radioactive Man's wife to T'Shan and that there were no surprised on her security check. Glad to hear that T'Shan was even happier when his assistant indicated that the woman would surely show her appreciation to T'Shan for saving her husband's life.
Klaw accidentally shot down T'Shan's plane and it crashed. T'Shan's assistant died and Cannibal's host body got seriously injured because she didn't have the time to put on her safety belt before the crash. T'Shan was barely injured and rushed to the seriously injured Cannibal. When he came close enough she kissed him to transfer to his body and possess him. Despite losing her previous host she considered taking over T'Shan a victory.
(Black Panther IV#16 (fb) - BTS) - As T'Shan Cannibal returned to the UN building in New York to continue working as Wakanda's ambassador.
(Black Panther IV#16) - Cannibal told his new assistant to prepare a reception for his cousin T'Challa and his fiancee Storm, who were coming to New York. His assistant was surprised at how enthusiastic T'Shan was because he had been a bitter rival to T'Challa for the throne in the past, but Cannibal told him that he has had a change of mind since his near-fatal crash and had matured enough to admit that he and T'Challa had never truly been rivals. He couldn't wait to give them his personal congrulations on their upcoming wedding.
(Black Panther IV#17) - In Midtown Manhattan Cannibal introduced T'Challa and Storm, who had agreed to give a press conference concerning their wedding.
Falcon met with T'Shan to tell him that they had to get Isaiah Bradley and his family to Black Panther's wedding despite the US' concerns regarding Bradley's existence (he was an early test subject of the Super-Soldier program). T'Shan told Falcon they didn't want to cause an international incident and told him that at the moment Black Panther and Storm were indisposed and couldn't talk with Falcon about the subject.
(Black Panther IV#18) - Cannibal traveled to Wakanda to join T'Challa's wedding, but when he was spotted by the magicians Doctor Strange and Brother Voodoo (the latter actually a Skrull imposter). Realizing this Cannibal fled into the crowd.
(Black Panther IV#18 - BTS) - Cannibal abandoned his host body T'Shan...
(Black Panther IV#26 (fb) - BTS) - ...and transferred to Shuri's close friend G'Mal.
(Black Panther IV#18) - T'Shan was found unconscious without any trace of Cannibal left by Doctor Strange, Brother Voodoo, Shang-Chi, Mr. Fantastic, Thing and other guests. The sorcerers knew that Cannibal could've gone anywhere as anyone.
(Black Panther IV#24 (fb) - BTS) - Brother Voodoo (Skrull imposter) informed T'Challa's uncle S'Yan he was still searching for the body-possessing being that was on the loose. He had been working closely with Wakandan priests on this mission, but had still no clue where it was since it knew it was hunted. He was sure they would catch it as soon as it made a move for a powerful host.
(Black Panther IV#26 - BTS) - Brother Voodoo (the Skrull) discussed the Cannibal with a Wakandan mystic, who explained soul eating cannibals to him. In the end the mystic asked Voodoo if he was ready to kill the Cannibal when he found him.
(Black Panther IV#26) - Looking through binoculars G'Mal, possessed by Cannibal, watched US ships provocatively positioned near the Wakandan coast. Cannibal and T'Shan, Cannibal's former host, asked Shuri what she was going to do about it because with Black Panther (T'Challa) Cannibal considered her in charge of Wakanda. Shuri wasn't confident enough in herself to do another rogue mission on her own, but Cannibal promised he would help her.
(Black Panther IV#27) - Cannibal still watched the ships through binoculars and tried to instigate Shuri to do something about them. She and T'Shan were surprised when Cannibal revealed knowledge about T'Challa's dealings with the council, which he shouldn't have had. Cannibal covered himself by claiming that he had heard about it through eavesdroppers. T'Shan warned him about the eavesdroppers becoming a problem for Cannibal if he didn't shut up with his treacherous talk. Cannibal wanted Shuri to accept her responsibility and suggested to check out the US warships at night. T'Shan considered him mad while Shuri considered him dangerous.
(Black Panther IV#35) - Cannibal accompanied T'Shan and Shuri on a boat to the US warships off the coast of Wakanda. As the only one with the proper training Shuri infiltrated the ship.
(Black Panther IV#35 - BTS) - Shuri and Cannibal got caught while T'Shan returned to Wakanda to warn T'Challa that they got caught by Erik Killmonger, the man the US had brought to the Wakandan borders on one of their warships.
(Black Panther IV#35) - Chained to a wall Shuri tried to rip the chains out of the wall while Cannibal complained his wrists hurt. When Cannibal tried to kiss her Shuri told him to stop because they were probably watched. Cannibal looked annoyed at the failed opportunity to switch bodies.
(Black Panther IV#36) - Cannibal moved in for a kiss, but Shuri, who wasn't actually sleeping, threatened to shove his nose into his brain cavity if he tried. She wasn't into his plans for a romance at all while they were imprisoned by Killmonger, one of her family's worst enemies. Killmonger led some of his teenage soldiers to Shuri and Cannibal's cell. Cannibal watched Shuri beat one up and kill another one with her chain.
(Black Panther IV#36 - BTS) - Shuri beat up the other teenage boys brought in by Killmonger.
(Black Panther IV#37) - Zuri and a group of Wakandan soldiers freed Shuri, who had taken the key for their chains from one of the boys, and Cannibal from their cell.
They managed to escape into a tunnel created by a Wakandan drilling machine and took a plane back to Wakanda through the underground tunnel. Shuri thanked Cannibal for saving her life and apologized for being so tough on him all the time, but only held hands with him.
(Black Panther IV#38 - BTS) - Back in Wakanda Cannibal and Shuri went through several tests to detect nanotechnology and post-hypnotic suggestions within them, but they were clean.
(Black Panther IV#38) - Brother Voodoo (Skrull) was then sent in to do a spiritual reading on G'Mal and saw the souls of his past hosts around him. Brother Voodo poisoned G'Mal, who, in desperation, jumped Brother Voodoo and kissed him, threatening to devour both of Brother Voodoo's souls and use his body as his next host. Inside Brother Voodoo's head Cannibal was shocked when to learn his opponent was actually an alien imposter. The Skrull fought Cannibal in his mind and Cannibal was unable to overwhelm him. G'Mal's body died of poisoning while the Skrull imposter was transformed back into his true form while he apparently kept fighting Cannibal within his mind. Their bodies were found by T'Challa's adoptive mother Ramonda and three other Wakandans.
(Black Panther IV#39 - BTS) - The Skrull imposter posing as Brother Voodoo got decapitated and his head put on a spike for the approaching Skrull invaders to be seen apparently killing the Skrull imposter and Cannibal.
Comments: Created by Reginald Hudlin (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils) & Klaus Janson (inks).
Cannibal was a known term to Wakandan mystics, which seems to indicate that he was only one of a series of humans becoming soul eaters. In his second appearance he tried to tell Klaw he preferred a different term, but he got interrupted by Klaw and we never learned what he liked to be called instead of Cannibal.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Cannibal has no known connection to:
images (without ads)
Black Panther IV#38, p13, pan5 (main image)
Black Panther IV#1, p7, pan3 (unidentified imprisoned man)
Black Panther IV#3, p5, pan3 (Radioactive Man's wife)
Black Panther IV#17, p13, pan1 (T'Shan)
Black Panther IV#38, p8, pan4 (G'Mal with consumed souls)
Appearances:
Black Panther IV#1-3 (April-June, 2005) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Black Panther IV#5-6 (August-September, 2005) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Black Panther IV#16-18 (July-September, 2006) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), Scot Eaton (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Black Panther IV#24 (March, 2007) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), Marcus To & Koi Turnbull (pencils), Don Ho, Jeff De Los Santos, Sal Regla & Nick Nix (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Black Panther IV#26-27 (May-June, 2007) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), Francis Portela (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Black Panther IV#35 (May, 2008) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), CAFU (pencils), Francis Portela (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Black Panther IV#36-37 (June-July, 2008) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), Francis Portela (artist), Axel Alonso (editor)
Black Panther IV#38 (August, 2008) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), Francis Portela, Carlos Rodriguez & Kevin Sharpe (pencils), Francis Portela, Bit & Andrew Hennessy (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Last updated: 03/07/16
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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