10 Things You Didn’t Know about Marvel’s Okoye
Okoye is a Marvel Comics character who is best-known for being a member of the Dora Milaje. As such, she can be considered a member of Black Panther’s supporting cast. However, it is interesting to note that Okoye has become more prominent in recent times because of her role in the very successful Black Panther movie. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Okoye:
1. Member of the Dora Milaje
People who watched the Black Panther movie will be familiar with Okoye being a member of the Dora Milaje. However, it is interesting to note that said individuals weren’t just bodyguards who sometimes doubled as special forces in the comic books. On top of that, the Dora Milaje were ceremonial wives-in-training for the Black Panther as well.
2. Based on a Real Organization
Speaking of which, the Dora Milaje were based on the Dahomey Amazons, which was the European name for an all-female military regiment fielded by the Kingdom of Dahomey based on their perceived resemblance to the mythological Amazons. Sometimes, the regiment was called Mino meaning “Our Mother,” while other times, the regiment was called ahosi meaning “king’s wives. Members were not permitted to either have children or otherwise participate in married life for the duration of their service, though their legal status meant that they were seen as being married to the king.
3. Uninterested in the Ceremonial Wives-In-Training Part
Comic book-wise, T’Challa had no interest in getting married to a member of the Dora Milaje. There were some who were unhappy with that revelation, but Okoye wasn’t one of them. Instead, she was already happy being a bodyguard as well a member of special forces, which is why she accepted it on the spot.
4. Prefers to Speak Xhosa
Under most circumstances, Okoye prefers to speak Xhosa in the comic books. In short, Xhosa is a Bantu language that sees use in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the Kingdom of Lesotho. The predecessor of the language had none of the clicks that can be found in its modern successor, which is why it is believed that Xhosa has been influenced a great deal by close contact with a San language.
5. Has Shown Up with T’Challa On a Number of Important Occasions
Unsurprisingly, Okoye has shown up with T’Challa on a number of important occasions in the comic books. For example, she was there when he recruited Queen Divine Justice. Likewise, she was involved in the testing of Kasper Cole, who has used both the Black Panther and the White Tiger names at various times.
6. Has Met Spider-Man
In the comic books, Okoye has met Spider-Man, with whom she worked together to overcome various problems of the supervillain kind. It is interesting to note that Okoye described Spider-Man as being someone who was blessed by Anansi, which wouldn’t be that surprising because while the most common source of said character’s super-powers is comic book science, there are stories in which they have a magical component as well.
7. Helped to Found the Agents of Wakanda
Recently, T’Challa has become the chairman of the Avengers in the comic books. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. is out of the picture, he has formed a new group of intelligence operatives called the Agents of Wakanda, who are supposed to support the main group of Avengers. Naturally, Okoye played an important role in forming said group by screening the candidates.
8. Director of the Agents of Wakanda
Moreover, it should be mentioned that Okoye is the director of the Agents of Wakanda as well. As a result, it will be interesting to see what kinds of stories will be told about her because of her increased prominence.
9. Loyalty Above Other Considerations
Character-wise, Okoye is interesting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in that she is loyal to her country above other considerations. This doesn’t mean that she doesn’t care about other considerations, just that she is willing to sacrifice them for the sake of her country if she believes that the stakes are high enough.
10. Has Shown Up in Video Games
Besides the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Okoye has shown up in other forms of media, with excellent examples including the video games Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 and Avengers Academy.