Following the defeat of Loki and the end of the Secret Wars, Black Panther and Shuri invite the Avengers to a celebration in Wakanda. However, after an attack by Atlanteans, the brother and sister duo embark on a covert mission to stop a new incarnation of the Shadow Council, which includes Black Panther's mentor N'Jadaka, Attuma's former general Tiger Shark, and the shapeshifter Princess Zanda. T'Challa attempts to keep this mission secret, confiding only in Captain America among his fellow Avengers. With aid from his brother White Wolf, he uncovers that M'Baku and several Wakandan citizens are part of the Shadow Council, while also gaining an unlikely ally in Baron Zemo, whose father once led a previous version of the council. N'Jadaka, under his Killmonger alias, recruits Ulysses Klaue and Madame Masque. The Shadow Council seeks an artifact known as the Crown, which contains a pocket dimension allowing one to access and analyze the memories of the dead. Zemo attempts to seize the Crown for himself, but it becomes unstable when moved away from Wakanda. Captain America sacrifices himself, using his shield to absorb the resulting explosion, leading an arriving Black Widow to accuse Panther of killing Cap. With the Avengers and the world now turned against him, T'Challa seeks out Killmonger to stop the Shadow Council, enlisting the help of a captured Klaw. He, Shuri, and Klaw enter the Hall of Royals, a burial site for Wakanda's past rulers, where T'Challa investigates the Shadow Council's plans through the memories of his grandfather T'Chanda, the ancestor Yemandi, and Wakanda's founder Bashenga. During this, he is attacked by Bashenga's sister Bask, who is possessed by the core of the Vibranium asteroid, and also discovers Captain America has been absorbed into the Crown, managing to pull them both out of its pocket dimension. Armed with this new knowledge and with Cap alive, T'Challa tries to contact the Avengers, who have traveled to Atlantis to imprison Killmonger and Tiger Shark. Cap and T'Challa learn that since the Secret Wars' conclusion, Black Widow has been held captive by the Shadow Council and replaced by Princess Zanda. As the Avengers confer with Attuma and his daughter Lady Elanna, Zanda plants a bomb in Tony's armor. Black Panther and White Wolf attempt to reveal the truth to the skeptical Avengers but cannot prevent a conflict that leaves Hawkeye injured, Attuma dead, and Elanna—with a betrayed Tiger Shark as her ally—plotting war against the surface world. To avert further conflict, the Avengers, having forgiven T'Challa, search for information on Widow's location. Black Widow is found, but T'Challa discovers the Shadow Council has awakened Bask, who defeats him in a duel to become Wakanda's new ruler. Bask then fires a beam at Atlantis, igniting a war between Wakanda and Atlantis. During the battle, Black Panther confronts and finally defeats Killmonger, while Shuri persuades Bask to abandon her obsessive protection of her people. Subsequently, Bask allows Black Panther to use the Crown to defeat Elanna before Wakanda is submerged, sacrificing herself to destroy the laser. She passes into the afterlife, naming Shuri her successor, while the Crown is destroyed as a side effect. Black Panther then defeats Tiger Shark after he takes White Wolf's life. While Wakanda takes Tiger Shark prisoner, Black Panther permits Elanna to take Killmonger into her custody. With Shuri overseeing Wakanda and most of the Shadow Council defeated, Black Panther tracks Madame Masque to a HYDRA base, where he reunites with the Avengers. When Madame Masque attacks, she captures Iron Man and Red Skull, forcing the Avengers and HYDRA operatives to collaborate. After healing Hawkeye's hands, Madame Masque realizes Black Panther's claims are true and ends her own life. With Hawkeye's forgiveness, Black Panther rejoins the Avengers, who are then told by him that he knows a place where they can dine.