Okoye is a character appearing in

American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. Created by writer Christopher Priest and artist

Mark Texeira Mark Texeira () is an American comic book artist. Classically trained as a painter, he broke into the comics field in the early 1980s. Career Mark Texeira was born and raised in New York City. He attended Manhattan's High School of Art and ...

, the character

first appeared In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first issue to feature a fictional character. These issues are often highly valued by collectors due to their rarity and iconic status. Reader interest in fir ...

in ''

Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...

'' (vol. 3) #1 (November

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

). Okoye is the General of the special forces for the fictional African nation of

Wakanda Wakanda (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...

called

Dora Milaje The Dora Milaje are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are a team of women who serve as special forces for the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Members of the Dora Milaje appear in the Ma ...

Danai Gurira Danai Jekesai Gurira (; born February 14, 1978) is a Zimbabwean-American actress, playwright, and activist. She is known for her starring roles as Michonne in the AMC horror drama franchise '' The Walking Dead'' and Okoye in Marvel Cinematic U ...

portrays the character in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

films ''

'' (2018), '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018), '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), '' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'' (2022), and the

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

animated series '' What If...?'' (2021).

Publication history

Okoye debuted in ''

'' (vol. 3) #1 (November 1998), created by Christopher Priest and

. She last appeared in ''Black Panther'' (vol. 3) #62 in 2003 until returning in ''Black Panther'' #171 (2018). She appeared in the 2018 ''Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever''

one-shot One shot may refer to: Film and television * One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so * ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake * ''One Shot'', a ...

, the 2019 ''Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda'' series, and the 2024 ''Ultimate Black Panther'' series.

Fictional character biography

Okoye joined alongside her friend Nakia to be among T'Challa's wives-in-training. However, when Okoye discovered that T'Challa had no interest in marrying either of them, she immediately came to accept this. She has since stood at T'Challa's side. Okoye accompanied T'Challa when he recruited Queen Divine Justice. She was also with T'Challa when they tested Kasper Cole on whether he was worthy of the Black Panther garb. Okoye herself tested Kasper if he would stay with his pregnant girlfriend or leave her for Okoye. Okoye later appears as the director of the

Agents of Wakanda The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them. 0–9 198 A A-Force A-Next A.I. Army The A.I. Army is a fictional organization appearing i ...

. During the "

Empyre "Empyre" is a comic book story arc published in July 2020 by Marvel Comics. This storyline follows the events of ''Incoming!'' with the genre of superhero crossover. Premise The Avengers, the Fantastic Four and various other heroes of the Marv ...

" storyline, Okoye is among those who help battle the Cotati invasion. While on the Wakandan

Helicarrier The Helicarrier is a fictional airborne aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the aircraft First appearance, first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965). The ...

, she detects plant-based activity in the

Savage Land The Savage Land is a fictional prehistoric land that features in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve, hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in '' Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other relate ...

. She later assists the

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...

, Shuri, and the Agents of Wakanda in fighting the Cotati when they breach Wakanda's forcefield.

Powers and abilities

Okoye is highly skilled in multiple forms of combat, being the leader and General of the Dora Milaje. She is exceptional in using various Wakandan weaponry and tools, especially skilled in the use of spears. Okoye is a great tactician and military strategist.

Reception

George Marston of ''

Newsarama ''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US. Hi ...

'' described Okoye as a standout character from the '90s, saying that Danai Gurira's portrayal of Okoye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made her a household name, and concluding that her journey to stardom began in 1998 and continues to rise. Deirdre Kaye of ''

Scary Mommy Scary Mommy is a website that produces content targeting mothers, specifically focusing on parenting, motherhood, current events, and pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a ...

'' called Sabra a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character. Thayer Preece of ''

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

'' called Okoye a fan favorite character.

Other versions

* An alternate universe variant of Okoye from Earth-16220 appears in ''Spidey: School's Out''. * An alternate universe variant of Okoye from

Earth-6160 The Ultimate Universe is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2023; the imprint is overseen by writer Jonathan Hickman. It reimagines several classic Marvel characters in a new fictional Fictional universe#Fictional c ...

appears in ''

Ultimate Invasion ''Ultimate Invasion'' is a four-issue American comic book limited series written by Jonathan Hickman, drawn by Bryan Hitch and colored by Alex Sinclair. The first issue was published by Marvel Comics on June 21, 2023. The storyline shows Maker ( ...

''. This version is a former Dora Milaje and

T'Challa Black Panther is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #52, published in July 1966. On ...

's wife.

In other media

Television

* Okoye makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' episode "Welcome to Wakanda". * Okoye appears in '' Lego Marvel Super Heroes - Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda'', voiced by

Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC sitcom ''Community'', as Dani in the 2015 reboot of '' The Odd Couple'' on CBS, and as Dina Rose on the ABC sitcom '' The Mayor''. Br ...

. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. * Okoye makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the ''

X-Men '97 ''X-Men '97'' is an American animated television series created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. It is a revival of '' X-Men: The Animated Series'' (1992–1997) produced b ...

'' episode "Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3".

Marvel Cinematic Universe

portrays Okoye in media set in the

. This version is a general of the Dora Milaje and the wife of

W'Kabi Dorothy Walker Dorothy Walker is a fictional character in Marvel Comics. She was created by Stuart Little and Ruth Atkinson and first appeared in '' Miss America Magazine'' #2 (November 1944). She was reintroduced in '' The Defenders'' #89 (N ...

. * In the live-action film ''

'', she works with T'Challa to capture

Ulysses Klaue Klaw (Ulysses Klaue) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a human physicist who has been transformed into solid sound, and who wears a sonic emitter on his right wrist as a pr ...

. When Erik "Killmonger" Stevens seemingly kills T'Challa in a trial by combat for Wakanda's throne, Okoye and the Dora Milaje are forced to serve him due to their loyalty to the throne. When T'Challa returns alive and Killmonger refuses to abide by the trial's rules, Okoye leads the Dora Milaje in helping T'Challa overthrow him. * In the live-action film '' Avengers: Infinity War'', Okoye joins the Wakandans and the

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

in fighting

Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...

' forces. She survives

the Blip The Blip (also known as the Decimation and the Snap) is a fictional major event and period of time depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The Blip began in 2018 when Thanos, wielding all six Infinity Stones in the Infinity Gauntl ...

, but is horrified to witness T'Challa and half of the Wakandans fall victim to it. * In the live-action film '' Avengers: Endgame'', Okoye begins working with the Avengers through Natasha Romanoff, reporting to her and monitoring issues in Wakanda. After the Avengers undo the Blip, Okoye joins them in fighting an alternate timeline variant of Thanos and later attends

Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

's funeral. * Alternate timeline variants of Okoye appear in the

animated series '' What If...?'', voiced by Danai Gurira in the first season and by Kenna Ramsey in the episode "What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?". * In the live-action film '' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'', Okoye joins

Shuri Shuri may refer to: People *, ring name of Syuri Kondo, a Japanese professional wrestler, shoot boxer and kickboxer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese professional wrestler Characters * Shuri (character), a Marvel Comics superhero ** Shuri (Marv ...

in finding

Riri Williams Ironheart (Riri Williams) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato, the character first appeared in ''Invincible Iron Man'' Vol. 3 #7 (May 2016). ...

after

Namor Namor McKenzie (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc., the character first appeared in '' Moti ...

threatens Wakanda, but is defeated and stripped of her rank. Despite this, Okoye continues to defend Wakanda and later receives the "Midnight Angel" armor from Shuri to defeat

Attuma Attuma () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an Atlantean nomadic warlord who is usually depicted as an enemy of Namor the Sub-Mariner, and is the father of the superhero Andromeda. He believes ...

in combat and rescue Everett K. Ross. * Okoye will appear in the animated series '' Eyes of Wakanda''.

Video games

* Okoye appears as a playable character in ''

Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 14 November 2017 and ...

'' as part of the "Black Panther" DLC. * Okoye appears as a playable character in ''

Marvel Avengers Academy ''Marvel Avengers Academy'' was a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It was released on February 4, 2016. The game was shut down three years later. Despite the name, the game was not re ...

'', voiced by Bindy Cody. * Okoye appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Puzzle Quest''. * Okoye appears as a playable character in ''

Marvel Strike Force ''Marvel Strike Force'' is a turn-based role-playing mobile game by FoxNext (later acquired by Scopely) for Android, iOS, and iPadOS platforms. The game was launched worldwide on March 28, 2018, and is primarily set in the Marvel Universe. Pre ...

''. * Okoye appears in '' Marvel's Avengers,'' voiced by

Debra Wilson Debra Wilson is an American actress and comedian. She is the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series ''Mad TV'', having appeared on the show's first eight seasons from 1995 to 2003. As a voice actress, she has voiced va ...

. * Okoye appears as a playable character in ''

Marvel Future Fight ''Marvel: Future Fight'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed and published by Netmarble. Gameplay Players assemble a team of iconic Marvel heroes and villains to engage in thrilling battles. The gameplay revolves around completing mi ...

''.

Miscellaneous

* In 2019,

HeroClix HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system that centers on the world of superhero comic books, especially DC and Marvel universes. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, or characters from various video ...

released an Okoye

action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...

inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) incarnation of the character. * Okoye appears in the table top game ''Marvel Crisis Protocol''. * The MCU incarnation of Okoye appears as a meet and greet character at

Disney Cruise Line Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited, through its first vessel ''Disney Magic,'' and is domiciled in London, Englan ...

References

External links

* {{Black Panther Black characters in films Characters created by Christopher Priest Comics characters introduced in 1998 Fictional female soldiers Fictional military strategists Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics martial artists Marvel Comics military personnel Wakandans