Author: Hunter Radesi

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has finally graced movie screens, and so have the faces of quite a few new characters. The world has been abuzz over the Marvel Cinematic Universe introductions of Namor and Riri Williams, but those are not the only names making their live-action debuts in the film. One of the overshadowed additions is the latest member of the Dora Milaje – Michaela Coel’s Aneka. The character has a unique role in the film, as an important part of Wakanda’s storied history and ever-evolving future. Of course, no movie adaptation can be exactly like the source material, and as such, Murphy’s Multiverse has an urgent job to do. It has become the site’s duty to lay down Aneka’s role in both the comics and the MCU and to play a game of compare and contrast for readers to sift through and enjoy.

Comics – Aneka, Midnight Angel

Aneka’s comic story begins largely the same as it does on the big screen, as a newly introduced member of the Dora Milaje. However, on the page, Aneka is more than just part of Wakanda’s greatest protectors, serving as the group’s combat instructor in a position personally appointed by King T’Challa. She specialized in tech-based combat, initially using her role to train the Dora for an upcoming battle against vicious robots as part of the Doomwar. Eventually, however, Aneka would lose her title and be jailed at the behest of Queen Ramonda. The youthful Dora found herself on trial for the murder of a village chieftain, whom she had slain in an effort to protect the women he was abusing. Aneka’s teammate and romantic partner, Ayo, was unable to abide by Ramonda’s decision, and also left the Dora Milaje. Ayo then stole a prototype “Midnight Angel” armor, a new high-tech suit designed for the Dora and broke Aneka out of prison, gifting her a second set of armor before leaving together.

Aneka and Ayo took refuge with the women the former had saved before going on trial, but quickly found themselves under siege from the White Gorilla and his vile Jabari forces. As the Midnight Angels, a self-proclaimed offshoot of the Dora Milaje, the duo killed the White Gorilla and took over the Jabari lands. In an effort to rewrite history, they established a democratic form of government within the Jabari lands and made it their goal to campaign for a better Wakanda. Soon, they would accept an offer of assistance from a separate Wakandan rebellion, known as “the People”, and T’Challa would become unsettled by the rising unrest in his nation. After a few inciting incidents, T’Challa and the people of Wakanda would go on the offensive against the Midnight Angels and the Jabari, growing the disagreement into a full-scale civil conflict.

The partnership between the Midnight Angels and the People deteriorated not long after, with the former disapproving of the latter’s increasingly violent tactics. The breakdown in compatibility between the groups lead to the People breaking off and becoming something of a terrorist organization, causing Shuri to confront her former peers and ask them to assist her and T’Challa in protecting Wakanda’s innocents. Although the alliance between the Wakandan leadership and the Midnight Angels was fragile at first, it would eventually culminate in a truce that saw T’Challa reform Wakanda’s government away from monarchy and Aneka regain respect for her country.

MCU – Aneka, Midnight Angel

The MCU’s take on Aneka is not a combat instructor, but she is shown to gravitate towards innovative weaponry as a member of the Dora Milaje. Also, like her comic counterpart, Aneka is not held by tradition and appears to be something of a free-thinker, much to the chagrin of Okoye and the other longstanding Dora. Her role in Wakanda Forever is a relatively minor one, but it does ring a few bells that indicate she could have a much larger part to play in future Wakanda-based projects. Aneka is first seen stopping an attack on a foreign Wakandan embassy alongside her Dora teammates, Ayo included, wielding new prototype daggers designed by Shuri. Later in the film, it is revealed that Aneka and Ayo are in a relationship, like the comics, and Aneka becomes one of the very few Dora Milaje members to receive the finished “Midnight Angel” armor Shuri had created as an advanced form of Wakandan protection in the wake of her brother’s death. She dons the armor and her daggers to aid in the final battle against Talokan, before peacefully returning home to Wakanda with Ayo.

While Aneka does not play as big of a role as she does in the comics, some of her other story elements are still present in Wakanda Forever, albeit with other characters adopting them. Her trial before Ramonda and removal from the Dora technically occurs in the film, but with Okoye in her position instead. Okoye’s use of the Midnight Angel armor to become a Wakandan hero outside of the Dora is also reminiscent of Aneka’s arc in the books. Furthermore, Shuri’s dissatisfaction with Wakanda’s government and traditions, and ultimate reconciliation with T’Challa’s legacy, has strokes of Aneka’s original origin.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now in theaters, and so are a handful of new additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The highly-anticipated sequel has been praised for it’s introductions of characters like Namor, the King of Talokan, and Riri Williams, the future Ironheart. Yet, those aren’t the only two names making their first live-action appearance in the film. Another, perhaps lesser-known, face being added to the fold is Alex Livinalli‘s Attuma, the muscle behind the Talokanil’s fearsome army and one of Namor’s highest-ranking allies. Oddly enough, however, Attuma’s movie depiction is radically different from his time as the Sub-Mariner’s arch-nemesis in Marvel’s comics. As such, it becomes the duty of Murphy’s Multiverse to break down both versions of the character and present all of the information in one convenient location.

Comics – Attuma, the Barbarian

The best comparison one could make to explain the comic version of Attuma is this: he is the M’Baku to Namor’s T’Challa. Similarly to M’Baku and the Jabari tribe in Wakanda, Attuma is the leader of the banished Skarka tribe on the outskirts of Atlantis. Before his birth, Attuma’s people were forced out of Atlantean society for their barbaric ways and violent opposition to the royal ruling class. Now an independent sect of “Homo mermanus”, the Skarka lived by the prophecy that one day a warrior of their blood would rise up and conquer Atlantis in the name of the tribe. Learning of this prophecy, a warrior named Rorak captured the Skarka with the intention of controlling this fabled aggressor and, therefore, Atlantis itself. Attuma was born during Rorak’s siege, surviving the attack and taking a clot of his dying mother’s blood on the way out.

Only a boy, Attuma lead an uprising that overthrew Rorak and placed his own father, Attukar, as chieftain of the Skarka. This led to a brief period of rest for his people that saw Attukar attempt a peace treaty with Atlantis, and gave Attuma time to befriend a young Prince Namor. Together, the unlikely duo embarked on a mission important to both of their civilizations. Unfortunately, the journey was a disaster, resulting in the death of Attukar and ending all hope for lasting relations between Attuma, Namor, and their people. From this moment on, Attuma claimed himself as the prophesized warrior who would conquer Atlantis and began leading his tribe in constant brutal attacks against their former home nation.

Over the years, Attuma would try countless schemes to defeat Namor and take his throne. Among many children, he would have a daughter named Andromeda, who would grow to join him in his plots against Atlantis. After failing in his goal to rule the ocean, Attuma would also attempt to conquer the surface world, coming into conflict with heroes like the Avengers, Defenders, Fantastic Four, and even Daredevil. He also made a habit of allying himself with other villains in a bid to gain power, including several heavy hitters like Red Skull and Kang the Conqueror. On some occasions, Attuma actually did find himself able to control Atlantis, but his rule was typically brief before circumstances put Namor back on the throne.

In modern times, Attuma has left his goal of ruling Atlantis behind and has instead taken control of Lemuria, a neighboring underwater city established by the cosmic Deviants. This came after Attuma perished in battle with the Sentry, was resurrected by Doctor Doom, and became possessed by the spirit of Nerkkod – the Asgardian “Breaker of Oceans.” A wild few years for the undersea barbarian, who will likely continue to be a thorn in Namor’s side for decades to come.

MCU – Attuma, the General

Similarly to the MCU version of Namora, the live-action Attuma still does not have much of a background. Throughout Wakanda Forever, the character simply appears to be Namor’s left hand, muscle, and a commanding general in the army of Talokan. This is a far cry from Attuma’s comic counterpart, who has never taken orders from Namor or fought for his people’s interests without ruling them. Nothing is revealed about Attuma’s origins, but one would have to assume they’re awfully different from the source material considering his position as a high-ranking, respected member of Talokan society in the film. The Skarka tribe does not seem to exist in the MCU, so Attuma was likely never part of a banished people and never lived by the prophecy that he would one day conquer the nation. Instead, he seems to have grown into one of Talokan’s most feared defenders.

Attuma is seen participating in the attacks on the United States government and Wakanda, as well as leading the charge to capture Shuri and Riri Williams in Massachusetts. He forms an intense rivalry with Okoye, leader of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje, and is only truly defeated once his foe dons a suit of armor to assist herself in combat. His fate is not certain, but it is implied that Attuma returns peacefully to Talokan with Namor and his military after the monarch forms a truce with Shuri. There are no implications that Attuma has a hatred for Namor or might one day try to overthrow Talokan, but his status as “probably alive” means he’ll hopefully get the chance at some point.