Popular Mechanics (South Africa)
Secrets of Wakanda
Because everybody could use some holopods. Or maybe a shok-net or two. To go with the vibranium, of course. LUMKA NOFEMELE gets the inside scoop on the tech behind one of the most highly anticipated superhero movies, Black Panther: Secrets of Wakanda
Meet Black Panther, Africa’s first superhero
THE HEART OF DEEPEST, DARKEST AFRICA. And yet the most technologically advanced country in the universe. That’s Wakanda.
We’re talking about the Marvel universe, of course. The one that spawned the first black superhero in mainstream comics, Black Panther. That superhero has finally hit the big screen in an adventure set in the fictional East African country, Wakanda.
Untouched by colonialism, Wakanda dispels the idea that African countries needed European intervention to thrive. Hidden where Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia meet, the country looks less like the peaceful oasis that it is, and more like the inside of a high-tech spaceship.
Artist Brian Stelfreeze is responsible for creating the world of Wakanda. According to Stelfreeze, the Wakandan technology, although sharp and sleek, is meant to appear as organic and natural as possible. As seen in the trailer, everything from the weaponry in Black Panther to the warrior’s attire is made to imitate traditional African style.
Wakanda is rich in African culture. The appearance of the Wakandan soldiers is heavily influenced by Zulu and Masai warriors. Most of the rooms in the films are round or curved, exactly the kind of design you’d find in many parts of Africa. The official language spoken by Wakandans in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is Xhosa. This was chosen by Captain America: Civil War directors,
the Russo brothers, and taught to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman by our very own John Kani. Having been spoken by Nelson Mandela, it is symbolic that Africa’s most revered fictional leader will forever communicate in the language of one of our most historic real-life statesmen.
Wakanda’s design is heavily inspired by Afrofuturistic art. Afrofuturism is an aesthetic that combines science fiction, fantasy and Afrocentrism with nonWestern cosmologies.
What’s interesting about Wakandan technology is what it is based on: rather than emerging from industry, it comes from agricultural needs. It uses organic tech to build machines for working the land. Wakanda is a generally peaceful nation; it does help that, as one of the richest nations in the MCU, with a kingdom worth more than 90 billion dollars, Wakanda can afford to live in isolation from the rest of the world.
However, Wakanda’s choice to seclude itself has not stopped international interest in the country. No surprise, there, given Africa’s role as the largest mineral producer in the world. The continent exports aluminium, copper, gold, lead, nickel, diamonds and titanium. It follows, then, that fictional Wakanda would also be sought after for its precious metals.
Speaking of which: vibranium is one of the most powerful and valuable metals in the MCU and Wakanda is its only known producer. The Black Panther suit as well as Captain America’s shield are made of vibranium.
So far, we know vibranium for its ability to absorb kinetic energy. But Wakandan scientists, having studied it for years, not only
know that vibranium absorbs energy, they have also figured out how to harness that energy.
Wakanda has developed its technology entirely independently of the rest of the world. The creation of methodologies of design are so different, it’s difficult to use with outside technology. Their computer technology is so advanced that it’s almost impossible to hack. However, they have taken the time to learn the technology of the rest of the world, allowing them to hack any external computer system.
The Wakandans do not use fossil fuels, even though their land is rich in resources. Instead, they utilise a variety of eco-friendly alternative sources such as solar, hydrogen and geo-thermal power. FYI: Wakandan scientists split the atom almost a century before the rest of the world did. Since the mid-20th century, Wakanda has employed sophisticated surveillance satellites, launched at a time when the Americans and Soviets were in the early stages of the space programme.
The Black Panther suit
The Black Panther suit is heavily inspired by customary attire of African tribes. Costume designer Ruth E Carter wanted to show the more beautiful side of African history, a side to which American audiences are not always exposed.
But besides its beauty, the suit has a practical purpose. It absorbs energy and has the ability to recall energy absorbed. When recalled, the suit converts the energy back into kinetic energy and photon energy, creating the light show seen in the movie.
When T’challa (Black Panther’s real name) is in his homeland, he can pull the energy of the vibranium from the ground. This gives him a little bit of extra power when home, but also goes with the metaphor that he is grounded in Wakanda. The suit additionally has the ability to negate or lessen powerful kinetic attacks such as bullet impacts, penetrating blades and crushing blows.
The lenses in Black Panther’s mask cut glare and enhance his natural night vision. They also allow him to see in infrared and other visual spectra. The Panther is protected against stabbing. However, the costume can be cut if an attacker slashes along the material’s grain. The suit also features cloaking technology and (hey, this is superhero stuff) can be elongated, shortened or eliminated with a thought. The entire costume can be covered, allowing it to pass as normal street clothes or to render T’challa completely invisible.
The claws in the gloves of the suit are made of Antarctic vibranium-based “anti-metal” that can break down basically all metals at a molec- ular level. The claws also have the ability to emit small energy blades from the tip as well as to launch them as projectiles.
Energy regulators create varying fields from the vibranium in the moulded soles of the boots, enabling Panther to survive a fall of several stories and land, well, like a cat. Given enough momentum, the Panther can scale walls or skim across water. The field can be also used offensively to shatter or weaken objects, or defensively to rob incoming objects of their momentum.