11

SHURI

A HERO ASCENDS

Craig Pohlman

“Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are, One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

—poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson1

“I’ve dreamed about this my whole life. I thought it would be glorious, a moment of great joy and excitement … not one filled with so much pain and loss.”

—Shuri²

What is a hero? There are criteria and definitions, to be sure. In fact, the field of heroism science has emerged to formally study heroism.³ Heroes have traits such as resilience and selflessness, and they provide inspiration.⁴ But like many things in the world, such as an obscenity or a duck, we know a hero when we see one. When we look at Shuri, we see a hero—someone who ascends to the level of heroism.

Heroes are those whom others judge to have behaved heroically.5 This circular logic captures the subjective nature of heroism. Those around the would-be hero decide whether or not her actions match up with what we seem to intuitively know as heroism. When we look at Shuri, what do we see?

HEROISM EXPLAINED

A narrow definition of a hero is someone who chooses to take physical risks on behalf of others, despite the possibility of suffering severe consequences or death.⁶ This definition has been expanded because physical risk does not apply to everyone we consider to be heroic,⁷ even though physical peril tends to be more heavily weighted in perceptions of heroism.⁸ The phrase “banality of heroism” was coined to express the notion that heroic deeds can be performed by anybody at any time, not simply by an exceptional few.⁹

Heroism takes many forms, each with its own definition and set of criteria. Twelve subtypes have been identified, with only two involving risk of physical peril: civil (courageous civilians) and military/martial.¹⁰ Unlike military heroism, civil heroism lacks a clearly defined code of conduct.¹¹ Even though Shuri may not always operate within Wakanda’s formal defense apparatus, she is connected to her nation’s warrior history and code. She does not fit the mold of courageous civilian.

Thought leaders have yet to settle the issue of compensation for heroic actions and duty.¹² Is heroism about self-actualization, a pinnacle state of being, and the best in human nature? Does earning money or manifest reward for acting heroically diminish the heroism? Is it even possible for any action to be devoid of reward?

Numerous subtypes of heroism that do not involve immediate physical danger are known collectively as social heroism, which promotes and defends ideals. Social heroes face significant nonphysical risks, including loss of social status, sometimes to the level of ostracism13 (think whistleblower or someone whose thinking is ahead of her time). A subtype of social heroism is scientist,¹⁴ which certainly applies to Shuri in her role as technologist for T’Challa and Wakanda.¹⁵ Prototypical features of heroes include bravery and moral integrity, and one peripheral feature is intelligence.¹⁶ Social heroes strive to preserve a value or standard that is under duress, like a community or nation unraveling.¹⁷ Considering the high ideals that could be at stake, the social hero can be perceived as even more heroic than one engaging in more physical forms of heroism.¹⁸ As the ascendant Black Panther,¹⁹ Shuri represents both military and social heroism. She is an inspirational keystone for a nation and a people.

HEROISM EXPLORED

Heroism is a social activity.²⁰ The actions of the hero must, in some fashion, benefit at least one other person. So however brave, for example, a lone castaway may be on a deserted island, fighting for his survival, he is not technically a hero (if he ever makes it off the island and his story provides inspiration to others, that’s a different story). An action-taker becomes a hero when five criteria are met:

1. Actions are in service to others in need or in the defense of an ideal, such as when M’Baku’s people rescue the wounded T’Challa despite previous friction between them.²¹

2. Actions are voluntary. Shuri acts voluntarily, and against the orders of T’Challa, when she investigates dangerous seismic activity in Wakanda’s vibranium mine.²²

3. The action-taker recognizes possible risks and costs of the actions. Zuri and W’Kabi hold off Morlun, knowing they must risk their lives to buy time for Shuri and protect the comatose T’Challa.23

4. The action-taker is willing to make anticipated sacrifices. When the Avengers must stop Proxima Midnight from destroying the world, Shuri knowingly faces certain doom so that others might escape, and she does get killed²⁴ (not knowing she will return to life years later).²⁵

5. The action-taker does not anticipate external gain at the time of the actions.²⁶ This tends to fit most superheroes and their heroic allies.

Much of Shuri’s service to others is in the arena of science and technology. The motion picture establishes her as the head of research and development, serving the interests of her royal family and, of course, the people of Wakanda and all that her nation represents. When the chips are down, she steps up to help her brother reclaim the throne, including by engaging in military combat.²⁷ But her heroism primarily is propelled by her intellect, which greatly benefits those around her. Her talents include medical training (healing the critical gunshot wound sustained by CIA officer Everett Ross) and psychology (unscrambling the mind of Bucky Barnes). She repeatedly and unflinchingly takes actions to help others in need, even when those needs represent significant challenges to her scientific know-how.

No one has to twist Shuri’s arm. Actually, she chomps at the bit to get into the action. She aspires to become the Black Panther by stepping into the ring during the annual challenge rite.²⁸ But her birthright presents an interesting angle. As royalty, how much choice does she really have about her life path? How voluntarily can she act when she has the expectations of generations of rulers, and an entire country, upon her?

The exclusive model of heroism looks at a narrow range of extraordinary behavior, including the heroic leadership demonstrated by exceptional individuals (such as T’Challa) and outstanding examples of regular citizens’ volunteerism.29 The inclusive model, on the other hand, presents heroism as integral for ordinary living, looking at everyday life and widespread volunteer participation as setting norms for people to follow. About 20 percent of adults surveyed in the United States reported having carried out heroic acts in some form.³⁰ That number surely would be much bigger in Wakanda, where heroism is woven into the traditional fabric of society. So there is good reason to think that Shuri would be a heroic scientist even if she had just been a genius born into a non-noble family.

Heroes do more than act voluntarily. They do so even when danger, in some form, is on the table. Shuri plays an important role in the South Korea car chase, remotely driving a car for her brother who surfs it in pursuit of Ulysses Klaue. But as helpful as she is, she pilots from the safety of her lab back in Wakanda. She faces no physical danger herself, but any mistakes on her part would put her brother’s life in jeopardy. Shuri faces much higher risks when the final battle with Killmonger erupts, sporting panther-shaped blaster gauntlets. She does risk the integrity of her equipment by allowing Ross to use her tech unsupervised. The comic book version of Shuri is even more pursuant of risk. She ascends to the throne of Wakanda when her brother is out of commission. As monarch, she leads Wakandan forces against the invading Atlanteans and Namor the Sub-Mariner, culminating in an epic counterassault on Atlantis.³¹

Heroes become even more heroic not only when they recognize risk, but also when they accept that they might need to make sacrifices. Shuri certainly appears to be there for her brother and her nation, helping to stave off a global race war in the process. She also accepts sacrifices, including the possibility of unforeseen loss. When Klaue attacks Wakanda, she uses the Ebony Blade to defeat Radioactive Man in physical combat.³²

SISTERHOOD OF SCIENCE

Gender stereotypes in science are real, including significant differences in experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of schooling and careers. Boys report more experiences with paraphernalia like electric toys, fuses, and microscopes. Girls report more experiences like knitting and planting. Interests of male students veer more toward computers, x-rays, and other technology. Female students are more likely to report interest in animal communication, rainbows, and weather. More females than males report that science is difficult to understand, and more males report that science is dangerous and more suitable for boys.33

With perceptions like that, the gender gap in science is not surprising, with a male to female ratio that can be as high as 3 to 1.³⁴ What factors likely contributed to Shuri’s affinity and gift for science? Cultural socialization is immensely important. She probably has had more opportunities to tinker with scientific devices. This would have sparked curiosity and creativity, as well as normalized scientific inquiry across genders. Boys’ more positive attitudes toward science are most pronounced for general science,³⁵ so Shuri would have been well-served to get early discipline-specific instruction, such as in physics, chemistry, or code-writing.

Good teaching would have made a difference. She probably had highly engaged learning experiences, lots of personal support and mentoring, and strong positive relationships with peers (though not necessarily in a single-gender setting). A quality teacher would have innovated and contextualized concepts.³⁶ Field trip to the vibranium mine, anyone? Males are drawn to career factors such as control over other people, fame, and wealth. Females, more than males, want to help others with their career paths.³⁷ Shuri likely had mentors who modeled science as a heroic calling.

The encounter traumatizes her and she requires counseling and mentoring from T’Challa to recover. So she sacrifices a portion of her innocence and her emotional well-being. If Shuri had known that slaying an opponent could so negatively affect her, and she still chose action, would that have made her actions even more heroic?

Shuri as scientist helps others on a wide scale. She does more than just equip her brother with kinetic energy–absorbing, nanite-controlled body armor. She takes on monumental tasks, such as designing the advanced infrastructure for Wakanda’s vibranium mining operation.38 Her inventions and technology benefit her country and its global diaspora. That heroic work may well have required sacrifices in terms of her personal life. When asked to surgically remove the Mind Stone from the Vision, she accepts risk in terms of the impending attack of the Outriders.³⁹ Sacrificing the Vision, comrades, or herself might be necessary. She acts knowing that the fate of the galaxy is in her hands.

HEROISM EXEMPLIFIED

Heroes take action for selfless reasons. They don’t act with the expectation of external gain. We do accept heroes earning modest compensation, such as law enforcement officers, first responders, and military personnel. Their salaries in no way detract from their heroic actions. But someone who reaps considerable reward, financial or otherwise, for heroic actions is in stark contrast with someone who draws no significant benefit.

What are the potential external gains for Shuri? She fights Killmonger⁴⁰ for the well-being of her family and friends. She recognizes that many innocent people will die or suffer if her side loses. She is defending a set of ideals about Wakanda’s place in the world and its leadership role in advancing it. Heroes influence emotions, thoughts, and behavior along various dimensions, such as hidden or exposed, weak or strong, short-term or long-term, and limited or widespread.41 As scientist and sometimes-warrior, her influence may be hidden from the world at large, but it is strong, long-term, and widespread.

The ascendant Black Panther struggles with external gain. With T’Challa incapacitated, Queen Ororo taps Shuri to meet the panther god for judgment.⁴² During the ensuing trials, she sneers at the difficulty level of the tasks she must pass, such as dodging arrows and meditating for six hours in a scorpion pit. Her overconfidence stems from her arduous, lifelong training and her perceived birthright. She acknowledges being overconfident but also tells herself that she was born for this and that Panther-status is hers by right. She’s also driven to disprove the doubts of her mother.⁴³ So there are plenty of eternal gains to be had.

Shuri then tells the panther god Bast that she is ready to step out from her brother’s shadow and embrace her destiny, which is a bad move on her part. Not surprisingly, Bast mocks her declaration of worthiness and turns her away, telling her that the mantle of the Black Panther is not about entitlement but sacrifice, about putting the greater good ahead of personal glory.⁴⁴ Bast has no use for external gain.

Those who face Bast and are deemed unworthy supposedly are killed, and yet Shuri is spared. She does not understand why. Reeling from her failure and without the mantle of the Panther, including the inherent powers and boosted self-confidence, she leads the attack against Morlun, facing him alone. In so doing, she passes Bast’s ultimate trial, showing her worthiness by rallying without the mantle and selflessly heading into a likely suicide mission.⁴⁵ She becomes a Black Panther without expectation of external gain.

Shuri meets the five criteria of heroism: service, volunteerism, risk-recognition, sacrifice, and action sans external gain. She also fits into three categories of heroes. Transfigured heroes, like Amelia Earhart and Robin Hood, are constructed in that they are molded or emerge from circumstances.46 Becoming Panther is no cakewalk for Shuri. She has to earn it with years of training and pain, and by overcoming tremendous self-doubt. Transformational heroes, such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, effect positive change on a societal level.⁴⁷ She is a savior of Wakanda and, likely, the greater world. Finally, transcendent heroes, like Abraham Lincoln and Harry Potter, ascend above all other heroic categories.⁴⁸ Even in a relatively progressive society like Wakanda, a female Black Panther transcends as a role model.

Heroes act as physical shields, protecting the defenseless. They also are psychological shields, protecting human dignity.⁴⁹ Shuri hits the mark as both kind of shield. She is in harm’s way, kicking butt and taking names to keep others safe. She’s also a social hero who inspires fellow Wakandans, not to mention vast audiences and countless readers.

NOTES

1. Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1842).

2. Black Panther #6 (2009).

3. Efthimiou & Allison (2017).

4. Allison & Goethals (2011).

5. Allison & Goethals (2013).

6. Becker & Eagly (2004).

7. Martens (2005).

8. Franco et al. (2011).

9. Franco & Zimbardo (2006).

10. Franco et al. (2011).

11. Zimbardo (2007).

12. Franco et al. (2018).

13. Glazer & Glazer (1999).

14. Franco et al. (2011).

15. Black Panther (2018 motion picture).

16. Kinsella et al. (2015).

17. Franco et al. (2011).

18. Peterson & Seligman (2004).

19. Black Panther #6 (2009).

20. Franco et al. (2011).

21. Black Panther (2018 motion picture).

22. Black Panther #4 (2005).

23. Black Panther #5 (2009).

24. New Avengers #24 (2014).

25. Black Panther #8 (2016).

26. Franco et al. (2011).

27. Black Panther (2018 motion picture).

28. Black Panther, episode 1–01, “Pilot” (November 15, 2011).

29. Zimbardo et al. (2013).

30. Zimbardo et al. (2013).

31. New Avengers #8 (2013).

32. Black Panther #6 (2005).

33. Jones et al. (2000).

34. Osborne et al. (2003).

35. Osborne et al. (2003).

36. Osborne et al. (2003).

37. Jones et al. (2000).

38. Black Panther (2018 motion picture).

39. Avengers: Infinity War (2018 motion picture).

40. Black Panther (2018 motion picture).

41. Allison & Goethals (2013).

42. Black Panther #2 (2009).

43. Black Panther #3 (2009).

44. Black Panther #4 (2009).

45. Black Panther #6 (2009).

46. Allison & Goethals (2013).

47. Allison & Goethals (2013).

48. Allison & Goethals (2013).

49. Franco & Zimbardo (2006).