In the graphic novel Black Panther: Long Live the King, Okorafor, and Covington explore both positive and negative effects of scientific progress. Wakanda, a highly developed country, achieved significant technological progress using a unique natural resource, vibranium. However, the creature that emerges as a result of scientific experiments with vibration causes a disaster, leading to the deaths of a few Wakanda citizens and a major power outage. While the intentions of Obinna, the scientist who conducted the experiments, were not necessarily bad, at some point, he lost control over the process. In science, atomic energy could be viewed as a real-life prototype of vibranium. While nuclear power has significantly contributed to technological progress in the 20th century, it is also associated with some of the worst disasters in human histories, such as Chernobyl.
The technocratic society of Wakanda is juxtaposed with the small village in the so-called “mute zone”. The villagers deliberately abstain from using any vibranium-based technology. They tell T’Challa, the king of Wakanda, that they “hacked the system” to live in freedom (Okorafor and Covington, issue 2). The authors explore the idea that technologies can be used to control the population. Since Wakanda’s prosperity depends on vibranium, the one who controls it has the power. The villagers, on the other hand, can elect their leaders freely. The village is shown as an indigenous community that values freedom and traditions above technological progress, while Wakanda represents a typical westernized country, highly dependent on technologies. The authors show that despite the differences, these communities can live together in peace. Hence, Okorafor and Covington criticize the modern world, in which indigenous communities are often forced to assimilate with the technocratic society.
References
Okorafor, Nnedi, and Aaron Covington. Black Panther: Long Live the King. Marvel Entertainment, 2018.