Everyone expected big things out of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. After all, they had lost their star and King when Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020. The world held its breath to see what would come of the tales of the MCU’s greatest nation. The pressure was on, and the film delivered a beautiful new story, both continuing the Black Panther story and honoring T’Challa and Boseman. The Black Panther mantle is secure, and the film effectively set up the future of the MCU. Not only that ,but there are also a lot of questions that need answering.

One of the key new aspects of Wakanda Forever was the introduction of the Midnight Angels, created by Shuri. They are more akin to Tony Stark’s Iron Man suits in that they are armor sets that allow flight and incredible strength, and are equipped with capabilities similar to the armored Avenger. They are not the same thing, though. The story of the Midnight Angels goes back to Marvel Comics. Some aspects of the film fit into the established lore, while others were made up just for the MCU. Here is the answer to the question: who are the Midnight Angels?

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The Angels’ Comic Beginnings

     Photo Credit - Marvel Comics

Fans who watched Black Panther in 2018 the recent sequel know the Dora Milaje well now. The police force of Wakanda has now become almost as big a staple in pop culture as the Black Panther himself. What fans may not know is that these warrior ladies of the world’s most advanced nation are only one facet of its protection. The Midnight Angels are a subgroup of the Dora Milaje, specifically formed to deal with stealth and assassination missions and were first introduced in Marvel’s Doomwar #5 back in 2010. King T’Challa had the idea of the group initially in the hopes that they would be able to kill Doctor Doom himself after the ruler of Latveria attempted to steal all of Wakanda’s vibranium for himself. In the case of Wakanda Forever, it was instead against Namor the Submariner, who himself shares a comic book history with Doom.

The Midnight Angels’ original comic book suits gave the wearers super abilities like enhanced strength, agility, and flight, as seen in Wakanda Forever, and were made entirely of Wakanda’s precious substance. The suits also had wings to help with flight stabilization and electric weaponry, as seen in the movie. Where the source material differed from the film is that they were not as similar to Tony Stark’s armor. The scenes with Okoye and Aneka looking through the Iron Man-esque screens were made entirely for the film. Following the Doomwar story arc, the Angels’ primary purpose was to serve the Wakanda royal family as protection from direct threats. In a way, they were almost like Wakanda’s personal Avengers, going on covert missions when needed and even flying around in a similar Quinjet, aggressively dubbed The Dagger. The group is said to be so formidable that they are even capable of facing the Black Panther himself evenly in combat, as they have done on at least one occasion.

The original first members of the Angels were Okoye, Aneka, and Ayo. Ayo was left out in Wakanda Forever, but the other two members still filled their roles, albeit begrudgingly on Okoye’s part. They were introduced similarly to the comics as well to face an opposing ruler after an attack on Wakanda. For this interpretation, it was Shuri who devised the Midnight Angels, but mainly as a way to protect Wakandan warriors following her brother’s untimely death. She had been perfecting the Angel suits long before Namor made his presence felt, but they would end up becoming a vital part of the fight against him in the film’s climax.

The Future of the Midnight Angels

     Marvel Studios

The Midnight Angels are more prominent in the comics than in Wakanda Forever. For the film, the suit was mainly a utility. Now that Wakanda has a new king, the Midnight Angels may take on more of the black-ops role. There are plenty of stories Marvel Studios can take inspiration from, though. Even one that sees the Angels take on more of a vigilante and possibly antagonistic role. Elements of this story were used already. Fans saw Okoye disgraced and discharged from her position as General of the Dora Milaje by Queen Ramonda. This happened in the comics as well, but to Aneka for killing a warlord against the royal family’s permission. By this point, the Angels were butting heads with T’Challa’s family over orders they disagreed with, resulting in Aneka’s imprisonment. She would soon after be sprung by her lover Ayo, who had stolen the Angel suits, and the group would go on to continue defending Wakanda, but as vigilantes without the approval of the royal authority. It remains to be seen if this is the story that plays out, but it’s a possibility. Okoye is still set to receive her own Disney+ series. Perhaps it will revolve around her leading this new group of warriors, either sanctioned or unsanctioned.