N’Jadaka’s childhood life was fraught with hardship as a traitorous Wakandan plotted with the nation’s enemies to circumvent power from the Black Panther’s throne. A problem which eventually resulted in the murder of his family at M’Demwe’s hand when Klaw’s co-conspirator kidnapped him and fled Wakanda after the death of the Late King.[4]
During their exile, the treacherous M’Demwe acted as a forceful parental figure to a young Killmonger as they traveled abroad, the former boasting of their heretical supremacy as they foraged throughout what he called “inferior lands.” In truth the boy’s captor never had any real way to return to their hidden home realm.[5] The caravan of brigands he was paired with would groom him for years to embrace his rage & hate, the haughty Ulysses would command the Wakandan refugee to caste aside his former life and embrace him as his god. Even giving the orphan son a new name, “Erik”; while the traitor of his nation hypocritically called himself N’Jadaka’s only real people and the world at large didn’t value them at at all.[6] Years of stealing and building devices for his hated caretakers made N’Jadaka increasingly bitter and resentful, largely towards M’Demwe, Klaw, the kingdom which he felt abandoned by, and the outside world as a whole. An anger that eventually culminated in him killing his cruel caretaker, M’Demwe, and then severing ties with his slaver master. Leaving his prior life of servitude in order to find his own path.[5][3]
As no one would adopt the now free urchin, N’Jadaka would eventually take to his new name of “Erik” to better blend in within Harlem, New York City; as people continually got his name wrong.[5][3]
N’jadaka would spend the next couple of decades honing himself within the outside world. Find education in the United States and graduating with full honors, eventually gaining a PhD in Engineering and neural science as well as an MBA at M.I.T..[3] He delved into researching various black market circles in order to dig up leads on his other much despised surrogate parent. So as to find him and kill him in retribution for his suffering.
On the night of his attempt, just as Claw was running a slave trafficking deal; he was interrupted by a mercenary outfit of mutants hired on as protection detail for Erik’s intended mark by The Kingpin.
