A popular MCU character emerges in September's The Last Annihilation specials

Marvel's latest sequel to Annihilation, one of the modern Marvel Comics' most successful event storylines and something of a precursor to the success of Guardians of the Galaxy in the MCU, continues in September.

That month the new iteration of the event continues in a pair of one-shots The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 and The Last Annihilation: Wiccan and Hulkling #1. Both 40-page specials feature a pair of Marvel's cosmic players pitted against traditional Doctor Strange villain Dormammu (who was revealed as the event's adversary last month) and his 'Mindless Army,' in what Marvel calls "a senseless war."

The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1 is written by Evan Narcisse with art by Germán Peralta and covers by Philip Tan and Ernanda Souza. In the special Black Panther enlists the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda to help stop the Dormammu. And in an interesting twist that calls back to the MCU's Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, T'Challa recruits M'Baku to lead the Wakandan forces.

T'Challa and M'Baku (otherwise known as Man-Ape) are traditionally bitter, fierce adversaries in Marvel comic books, but M'Baku has been translated into a heroic and popular rival/ally to Black Panther in the MCU.

Given the fan-favorite portrayal of M'Baku by Winston Duke and the fact the Black Panther throne is vacant in the movies due to the death of Chadwick Boseman (which will be explored in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), it will be interesting to see if the character begins a hero's journey in the comic books to match his MCU counterpart. The solicitation for the special promises the emergence of a "new hero," although the female figure on the cover by Tan might be who that line is referring to.

The Last Annihilation: Wiccan and Hulkling #1 is written by Anthony Oliveira, drawn by Jan Bazaldua with covers by Luciano Vecchio and David López.

It, of course, stars the newlywed couple, one-half of who (Hulking) is the newly-christened Emperor of an allied Kree/Skrull empire.

But their honeymoon will be short-lived.

"Wiccan and Hulkling must split up to simultaneously defend two planets against the Mindless Army!" reads Marvel's description.

The original Annihilation crossover focused on Annihilus, the villainous dictator of the Negative Zone, and his Annihilation wave of devouring insectoids.

Speaking of T'Challa and Wakanda, check out Newsarama's list of the best Black Panther stories of all time.

I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.