Solomon Prey was created by writer Don McGregor and artist Dwayne Turner and first appeared in Black Panther: Panther’s Prey #1 (March 1991). He was born in Wakanda, the advanced African nation ruled by Black Panther, but left the country to study at Harvard University in the United States. There, he legally changed his name to Solomon Prey, choosing the name Solomon for the wisdom it represented. He also became a wealthy crime boss, starting drug trafficking in Wakanda by utilizing his contract in the US Wakandan Embassy.
Solomon Prey had a secret obsession with Black Panther and his former lover Tanzika, who was also an enemy of the Wakandan king. Prey wanted to destroy Black Panther’s life and claim Tanzika for himself. To achieve this goal, he underwent a painful genetic experiment by Dr. Kaza, who implanted cells into his back and hands that grew into bat-like wings and claws. These enhancements allowed him to fly, slash and vanish from most forms of detection, including Black Panther’s enhanced sensors.
Solomon Prey’s main storyline was in the four-issue miniseries Black Panther: Panther’s Prey (1991), where he orchestrated a series of attacks on Wakanda and its allies using mercenaries, assassins, and drug dealers. He also kidnapped Tanzika and tried to seduce her, but she resisted his advances. He finally confronted Black Panther in a brutal aerial battle over the Wakandan jungle, where he revealed his true identity and his twisted love for Tanzika. However, he was defeated by Black Panther, who stabbed him with his claws and left him to die.
Solomon Prey has not appeared in other comic books since then, making him a relatively obscure character in the Marvel universe. He has also not appeared in other media, such as movies, TV shows, or video games. However, he was featured in two issues of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2008-2009), where his powers and biography were updated. He was also mentioned in the Marvel Legacy: The 1960s-1990s Handbook (2018), where he was listed as one of the enemies of Black Panther.
