Black Panther (character)

"T'Challa" redirects here. For the film characters, see T'Challa (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and Shuri (Marvel Cinematic Universe).

Black Panther
Black Panther as depicted in Original Sin #2 (May 2014), by Gabriele Dell'Otto.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966)
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby
In-story information
Alter ego	T'Challa
Species	Human mutate
Place of origin	Wakanda
Team affiliations	Avengers Fantastic Four Mighty Avengers Fantastic Force New Avengers Ultimates The Crew
Partnerships	Storm Shuri
Notable aliases	King of the Dead Black Leopard Black Panther Mr. Okonkwo Panther King Red Panther
Abilities	The power to draw upon the knowledge, strength and every experience of every previous Black Panther Enhanced strength, endurance, speed, agility, reflexes, stamina and senses Master hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist Highly proficient tactician, strategist and inventor Genius-level intellect Utilizing vibranium suit and equipment

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. Black Panther's birth name is T'Challa, and he is the son of the previous Black Panther, T'Chaka. He is the king and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, a technologically advanced society drawing from a supply of vibranium, a fictional metal of extraordinary properties. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan rituals of drinking the essence of the heart-shaped herb, T'Challa also relies on his proficiency in science, expertise in his nation's traditions, rigorous physical training, hand-to-hand combat skills, and access to wealth and advanced Wakandan technology to combat his enemies. The character became a member of the Avengers in 1968, and has continued that affiliation off and on in subsequent decades.

The storylines of the 1970s written by Don McGregor were critically acclaimed and introduced T'Challa's nemesis Erik Killmonger. However, Black Panther was a somewhat neglected character of low popularity until his reinvention by Christopher Priest in the late 1990s. Priest re-emphasized the importance of Wakanda as an independent and technologically advanced African nation. Priest also introduced the Dora Milaje, Black Panther's female bodyguards. In subsequent series written by Reginald Hudlin, T'Challa married Storm of the X-Men and she featured prominently as a supporting character in stories of this period. The Hudlin stories emphasize Black cultural pride, and achieved greater commercial success. In Hudlin's era, the role of Black Panther and leadership of Wakanda was also temporarily given to T'Challa's sister Shuri while he was briefly in a coma. The Black Panther comics became particularly commercially successful in 2016, partly as a result of the literary fame of their writer, the journalist and essayist Ta-Nehisi Coates. The first issue of his series was the best-selling comic book of that month. Coates's series call into question the legitimacy of monarchy in Wakanda and articulate a more democratic vision.

Black Panther is the first Black superhero in American mainstream comics. The character is also an early example of the Afrofuturist aesthetic. He has made numerous appearances in various television shows, animated films, and video games. Chadwick Boseman portrayed T'Challa in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's films: Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also voiced alternate versions of the character in the first season of the animated series What If...? (2021), which was released after his death. The Black Panther film was a notable critical and popular success. Letitia Wright's character Shuri, who had appeared in previous MCU films, took on the Black Panther mantle in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), following Boseman's death in 2020.

Publication history

Creation

The name Black Panther predates the founding of the Black Panther Party in October 1966, though not the black panther logo of the party's predecessor, the Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO). Scripter Stan Lee denied that the comic, which pre-dates the political usage of the term, was, or could have been, named after any of the political uses of the term "black panther", including the LCFO, citing "a strange coincidence". The Black Panther is the first black superhero in American mainstream comic books; very few black heroes were created before him, and none with actual superpowers. These included the characters in the single-issue, low distribution All-Negro Comics #1 (1947). Waku, Prince of the Bantu, who starred in his own feature in the omnibus title Jungle Tales, from Marvel's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics and the Dell Comics Western character Lobo, the first black person to star in his own comic book. Previous non-caricatured black supporting characters in comics include U.S. Army infantry private Gabriel Jones of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos.

In a guest appearance in Fantastic Four #119 (February 1972), the Black Panther briefly used the name Black Leopard to avoid connotations with the Party, but the new name did not last. The character's name was changed back to Black Panther in The Avengers #105, with T'Challa explaining that renaming himself made as much sense as altering the Scarlet Witch's name, and he is not a stereotype.

Co-creator Stan Lee recounted that the name was inspired by a pulp adventure hero who had a black panther as a helper. Jack Kirby's original concept art for Black Panther used the concept name Coal Tiger. Influences on the character included historical figures such as 14th-century Mali Empire sultan Mansa Musa and 20th-century Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey, as well as Biblical figures such as Ham and Canaan. Other scholars have identified precursors such as Harry Wills, a champion boxer of the early 20th century nicknamed the Black Panther and a predominately African-American armored combat unit in World War II also called the Black Panthers, the 761st Tank Battalion of the US Army. Lee and Kirby also borrow from typical pop cultural tropes of their era inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan, but subvert or transform stereotypes common in the "jungle adventure" genre.

Early years

Black Panther first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966).

The origin of the character has been disputed by both Kirby and Lee, with both claiming the impetus for the idea. However, both of the creators have said they were motivated by general humanistic and inclusive values, rather than any social or political awareness of the Civil rights movement.

Kirby claimed sole credit for creating the character in The Comics Journal #134 (February 1990), stating that he realized an absence of Black characters in his comics, and believed that they should be added for "human reasons".

In another interview, Kirby declared: "I came up with the Black Panther because I realized I had no blacks in my strip. I'd never drawn a black. I needed a black. I suddenly discovered that I had a lot of black readers. My first friend was a black! And here I was ignoring them because I was associating with everybody else."

Lee, in contrast, claimed he created the character because, in the mid-1960s, he wanted to include more African and African-American characters in Marvel Comics. While there is no documentation to establish the veracity of either claim to originality, by 1966 Kirby is thought to have been largely plotting the book on his own and explaining the stories to Lee when the pages arrived in the Marvel offices. In a 1968 interview, Lee said:

Some artists, such as Jack Kirby, need no plot at all. I mean I’ll just say to Jack, ‘Let’s let the next villain be Dr. Doom’… or I may not even say that. He may tell me. And then he goes home and does it. He’s so good at plots, I’m sure he’s a thousand times better than I. He just about makes up the plots for these stories. All I do is a little editing.

Roy Thomas has made claims that support Lee's version of events, while Kirby is supported by his wife and prior artwork. In 1963, Lee and Kirby included a black character, Gabe Jones, in the ensemble cast of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, and Lee encouraged artists to include black characters in crowd scenes. In a 1998 interview, Lee explained his motivation: "I wasn't thinking of civil rights. I had a lot of friends who were black and we had artists who were black. So, it occurred to me... why aren't there any black heroes?" Soon after Black Panther was introduced, Marvel added two more recurring black characters: Jill Jerrold in Modeling with Millie, and Bill Foster in The Avengers.

There was some debate at Marvel, with Lee wondering how far to go with the commercially-risky introduction of a Black superhero in that era. In the first version of the cover for Fantastic Four #52, Kirby drew the Black Panther wearing a cowl that exposed his face. In the published version, the cowl became a full face-mask. Previews in other comics did not show the cover at all, indicating that Lee was hesitant.

Black Panther first appeared in Fantastic Four #52, published in July 1966, and the following issue in August of the same year. He made subsequent guest appearance in Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1967) and with Captain America in Tales of Suspense #97–99 and Captain America 100 (January – April 1968), the Black Panther journeyed from the fictional African nation of Wakanda to New York City to join the titular American superhero team in The Avengers #52 (May 1968). He appeared in that comic for the next few years. During his time with the Avengers, he also made solo guest-appearances in three issues of Daredevil, and fought Doctor Doom in Astonishing Tales #6–7 (June & August 1971), in that supervillain's starring feature.

1970s and 1980s

He received his first starring feature with Jungle Action #5 (July 1973), a reprint of a story in The Avengers #62 (March 1969) that focused on Black Panther. A new series began running the following issue, written by Don McGregor, with art by pencilers Rich Buckler, Gil Kane, and Billy Graham, and which gave inkers Klaus Janson and Bob McLeod some of their first professional exposure. The critically acclaimed series ran in Jungle Action #6–24 (September 1973 – November 1976).

One now-common format McGregor pioneered was that of the self-contained, multi-issue story arc. The first, "Panther's Rage", ran through the first 13 issues. Critic Jason Sacks has called the arc "Marvel's first graphic novel":

[T]here were real character arcs in Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four [comics] over time. But ... "Panther's Rage" is the first comic that was created from start to finish as a complete novel. Running in two years' issues of Jungle Action (#s 6 through 18), "Panther's Rage" is a 200-page novel that journeys to the heart of the African nation of Wakanda, a nation ravaged by a revolution against its king, T'Challa, the Black Panther.

"Panther's Rage" also introduces T'Challa's nemesis Erik Killmonger, a rival for the throne of Wakanda who recurs in subsequent series. Rebecca Wanzo, a scholar of African-American literature, describes "Panther's Rage" as "the first major step in decolonizing the character." The cast of the story arc is almost entirely Black.

The second and final arc, "Panther vs. the Klan", ran as mostly 17-page stories in Jungle Action #19–24 (January – November 1976), except for issue #23, a reprint of Daredevil #69 (October 1970), in which the Black Panther guest-starred. The subject matter of the Ku Klux Klan was considered controversial in the Marvel offices at the time, creating difficulties for the creative team.

African-American writer-editor Dwayne McDuffie said of the Jungle Action "Black Panther" feature:

This overlooked and underrated classic is arguably the most tightly written multi-part superhero epic ever. If you can get your hands on it ... sit down and read the whole thing. It's damn-near flawless, every issue, every scene, a functional, necessary part of the whole. Okay, now go back and read any individual issue. You'll find seamlessly integrated words and pictures; clearly introduced characters and situations; a concise (sometimes even transparent) recap; beautifully developed character relationships; at least one cool new villain; a stunning action set piece to test our hero's skills and resolve; and a story that is always moving forward towards a definite and satisfying conclusion. That's what we should all be delivering, every single month. Don [McGregor] and company did it in only 17 story pages per issue.

Qiana J. Witted points out that the artists in this period incorporated African American popular culture of the era, such as T'Challa wearing a "modified version of the gold-chain outfit worn by singer Isaac Hayes for the Watts, Los Angeles, community benefit concert that was released as the 1973 documentary film Wattstax."

Though popular with college students, the overall sales of Jungle Action were low, and Marvel relaunched the Black Panther in a self-titled series, bringing in the character's co-creator Jack Kirby—newly returned to Marvel after having decamped to rival DC Comics for a time—as writer, penciler, and editor. However, Kirby wanted to work on new characters and was unhappy at being assigned a series starring a character he had already worked with extensively. He left the series after only 12 issues and was replaced by Ed Hannigan (writer), Jerry Bingham (penciler), and Roger Stern (editor). Black Panther ran 15 issues (January 1977 – May 1979). Because the series was discontinued, the contents of what would have been Black Panther #16–18 were published in Marvel Premiere #51–53.

A four-issue miniseries, Black Panther vol. 2, (July – October 1988) was written by Peter B. Gillis and penciled by Denys Cowan. McGregor revisited his Panther saga with Gene Colan in "Panther's Quest", published as 25 eight-page installments within the bi-weekly anthology series Marvel Comics Presents (issues #13–37, Feb.–December 1989). The story takes place in South Africa. In the view of critic Todd Steven Burroughs, "'Quest' attempts to show how oppressive apartheid is for everyone involved."

1990s

McGregor later teamed with artist Dwayne Turner in the square-bound miniseries Black Panther: Panther's Prey (September 1990 – March 1991). He conceived a fifth arc in his Black Panther saga, titled "Panther's Vows", but it failed to get off the ground.

Writer Christopher Priest's and penciller Mark Texeira's 1998 series Black Panther vol. 3 re-invented the character. Priest was the first Black creator to become an editor at Marvel. Inspired by the Eddie Murphy film Coming to America, Priest and his artists returned to the fundamental sovereignty of Wakanda. He revisited Erik Killmonger and other characters introduced in "Panther's Rage", together with new characters such as State Department attorney Everett Ross and the Dora Milaje, the Panther's female bodyguards. In their original characterization, the Dora Milaje are beautiful teenage girls who are, officially speaking, the Panther's potential wives. Dora Milaje is said to translate from Hausa to "adored ones." Priest made the Panther god another form of the Egyptian goddess Bastet, originally depicted as a black cat.

The Priest-Texeira series was under the Marvel Knights imprint in its first year. Priest's initial concept was inspired by Batman but also one of Batman's nemeses, Ra's al Ghul, the mysterious leader of a League of Assassins. Priest believed this "fearsome African warrior" would simply be too intimidating for the Marvel universe. Priest says the device of Ross's character contributed greatly to his ability to write the series: "I realized I could use Ross to bridge the gap between the African culture that the Black Panther mythos is steeped in and the predominantly white readership that Marvel sells to." He added his opinion that the Black Panther had been misused in the years after his initial creation by Lee and Kirby. Priest believed Black Panther was generally considered a dull "also-ran" with no evident powers.

To reinvent the character, he emphasized Black Panther's role as a monarch of a technologically advanced independent nation, and hence one of the most powerful figures in the Marvel universe. Influenced by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, he aimed to introduce moral ambiguity and political complexity to the world of Black Panther. Priest also envisioned the series as a political satire, comparing it to The West Wing. In Priest's characterization, T'Challa actually joined the Avengers in order to spy on them, protecting Wakanda's national interests. Ta-Nehisi Coates has said that Priest "had the classic run on Black Panther, period, and that's gonna be true for a long time."

Jim Dandeneau of Den of Geek also states that Priest's is "probably the definitive run of Black Panther. This is where Wakanda stopped being backstory and started being a living, breathing place, with geography and politics and history that all contributed to its depth and beauty. It's also where a bunch of what's going on the screen started: Priest introduced Everett K. Ross and the Dora Milaje almost immediately in his first issue. Priest had been separated from Marvel for several years before coming back to write this book under a separate, independent line within Marvel as the rest of the company went bankrupt around it. So, he was given a lot of leeway to write the story he wanted to, and what came out was one of the greatest runs on any comic ever."

Cultural critic Douglas Wolk agrees that Christopher Priest's run established the canonical version of the character, although: "The tone of Priest's run was wildly different from any other Black Panther stories before or since--it's basically a political comedy--but Priest's central insight was that T'Challa isn't actually a superhero in the ordinary sense," but rather a monarch. He also says that the first issue of the run makes no sense at first reading, and requires a continuing interpretation of future issues. He argues that this is unique in mainstream superhero comics.

2000s

The last 13 issues of Priest's series (#50–62) saw the main character replaced by a multiracial New York City police officer named Kasper Cole, with T'Challa relegated to a supporting character. This Black Panther, who became the White Tiger, was placed in the series The Crew, running concurrently with the final few Black Panther issues. The Crew was canceled with issue #7.

Artist John Romita Jr. signing a copy of the fourth Black Panther series at Midtown Comics in Manhattan

In 2005, Marvel began publishing Black Panther vol. 4, which ran 41 issues (April 2005 – November 2008). It was initially written by filmmaker Reginald Hudlin (through issue #38) and penciled by John Romita, Jr. (through #6). Hudlin said he wanted to add "street cred" to the title, although he noted that the book was not necessarily or primarily geared toward an African-American readership. As influences for his characterization of the character, Hudlin has cited comic character Batman, film director Spike Lee, and music artist Sean Combs. The Black Panther comics that Hudlin wrote sold much better than any previous series featuring the character, including Priest's.

In Hudlin's series, the Dora Milaje are a clearly military organization, with shaven heads, rather than the attractive teenage girls previously established by Priest. In 2006, during Hudlin's run, T'Challa marries Storm of the X-Men, and she appeared as a prominent supporting character in many subsequent storylines. Readers and critics compared the wedding to the relationship of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, although they did not marry until two years later. In addition, Hudlin established T'Challa's complex friendship with Luke Cage, another prominent Black superhero created several years after Black Panther. While T'Challa is from an African nation that was never colonized, Cage is a street-level New York superhero of a vastly different culture. Hudlin explores these differences in the interactions between the two heroes. Hudlin's run introduces greater connections with the history of African-American culture; for example, in his world Malcolm X met with the previous Black Panther, T'Chaka, Like Priest, Hudlin emphasizes Black Panther's power and independence; as he puts it, T'Challa is "an INTERNATIONAL player who's equally at home at the Davos Conference in Switzerland, meeting with Colin Powell in D.C., kicking it in Harlem with Bill Clinton and Al Sharpton, and brokering deals off the coast of Cuba with Fidel Castro and Prince Namor." While the possibility of conflict with Namor and Atlantis appeared briefly in Priest's earlier stories, Hudlin made the power rivalry between T'Challa and Namor, as well as Doctor Doom and Latveria, a perennial theme. Black Panther vol. 5 launched in February 2009, with Hudlin, again scripting, introducing a successor Black Panther, T'Challa's sister Shuri.

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Black Panther (2005) #1 was the 27th best-selling comic book in February 2005.

Tyler Huckabee of IGN included Hudlin's Black Panther comic book series in their "10 Best Black Panther Comic Books" list, stating, "Reginald Hudlin's run is more traditionally superhero-esque in nature than many other titles on this list, featuring costumed villains and super guest stars like the X-Men and Namor. It also introduces a number of characters who've become key players in the Black Panther's life (like his sister Shuri) and tells what has now become the definitive origin story."

Douglas Wolk observes that the most well-known moment in Hudlin's run is the wedding of Black Panther and Storm, and contends that the "mutual admiration leading to matrimony seemed to come out of nowhere," that neither have much in common "besides being superheroes with somewhat formal speech patterns and connections to Africa and divinity," and that while "one is a champion of a cross-sectional group, the other is a monach of a physical nation."

Hudlin co-wrote issue #7 with Jonathan Maberry, who then became the new writer, joined by artist Will Conrad.

2010s

Both T'Challa and Shuri fight Doctor Doom, alongside members of the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, in the six-issue miniseries Doomwar (April – September 2010). Doomwar introduces the Midnight Angels, an armored division of the Dora Milaje. In this period, T'Challa has given up his powers and has been replaced by his sister. At the conclusion of the story, Doom steals Wakanda's supply of vibranium, and T'Challa destroys all of it in response.

T'Challa then accepts an invitation from Matt Murdock, the superhero Daredevil, to become the new protector of New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. He became the lead character in Daredevil beginning with issue #513 (February 2011), when that series was retitled Black Panther: The Man Without Fear. Under writer David Liss and artist Francesco Francavilla, he takes on the identity of Mr. Okonkwo, an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and becomes the owner of a small diner to be close to the people. He fights street crime and various enemies of Daredevil, in this case relying on his own athletic ability and without the traditional Black Panther powers and Wakandan technology. He also confronts a new version of the Hate-Monger, a Silver Age emblem of bigotry who represents contemporary racist and anti-immigrant ideology.

A new Black Panther series written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and drawn by Brian Stelfreeze was launched in 2016 and concluded in 2021. Coates was previously a correspondent for The Atlantic and won the National Book Award for his essay Between the World and Me. As Todd Steven Burroughs writes, "The announcement that Ta-Nehisi Coates––the writer whom Toni Morrison called the heir to novelist and essayist James Baldwin––was going to write a new, ongoing Black Panther title shook both the Marvel Universe and café society." In Coates's first storyline, titled A Nation Under Our Feet, T'Challa faces a popular uprising against his monarchy. At the conclusion of the story, Wakanda is reformed into a constitutional democracy, with the Black Panther continuing as a figurehead king rather than a ruler. This series introduces a new version of The Crew, now including Storm, Luke Cage, Misty Knight, and Manifold.

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Black Panther (2016) #1 was the best-selling comic book in April 2016, while #2 was the 9th best-selling comic book in May 2016. The first issue received positive reviews from Comics Beat and IGN. Critics found the second issue compelling and unusual, but enigmatic.

In Coates' second storyline, Avengers of the New World, Wakanda's mythology was expanded, showing the panther goddess Bast as a member of a pantheon known as The Orisha, the term orisha, a Yoruba word for spirit or deity from Yoruba mythology, the pantheon is composed of Egyptian gods and other origins, such as Kokou, an orisha from Benin. Coates also wrote a six-issue series called Black Panther and the Crew that addresses the problem of police killings and also suggests that the Marvel universe includes a number of previously unknown superheroes from the Bandung Conference.

In 2017, the Africanfuturist writer Nnedi Okorafor wrote the series Black Panther: Long Live the King.

In February 2018, Christopher Priest, Don McGregor, and Reginald Hudlin each contributed one story to the Black Panther Annual #1.

In spring 2018, Coates wrote a new Black Panther series. Titled The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, this is a space opera. According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Black Panther (2018) #1 was the 5th best-selling comic book in May 2018.

Oliver Vestal of ComicsVerse gave Black Panther (2018) #1 a score of 97%, writing, "Black Panther #1 made for a strong start to the series. Ta-Nehisi Coates uses thorough world-building to establish a plot and characters. Daniel Acuña uses a mix of blurry and clear details and a dark palette to reflect the tone of the issue." Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave Black Panther #1 a grade of 8.6 out of 10, asserting, "Black Panther #1 is a promising start for this new era of Coates' run. It's certainly different enough from previous incarnations. And Acuna's art ensures that the book looks better than it has since Brian Stelfreeze was drawing it. Issue #1 gives readers a fresh start with the character while also offering plenty of incentive to stick around and see where this strange odyssey is heading."

2020s

In 2021, John Ridley wrote a new five-issue Black Panther series.

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Black Panther (2021) #1 was the 10th best-selling comic book in November 2021.

Hannibal Tabu of Bleeding Cool gave Black Panther #1 a grade of 8.5 out of 10, saying, "This John Ridley script is a rush of adrenaline and smarts all at once, with clever elements introduced along the way. T'Challa's secret balances both the old ways of Wakanda as personified by the White Wolf and the modern egalitarian Wakanda he's trying to build. Then there's the visual storytelling from Juann Cabal, Federico Blee, and Joe Sabino, which will tickle the fancy of fans of, well, any Marvel project featuring Sebastian Stan, basically. They feature a great Avengers fight scene (that also mixes in wonderful character work) with a gorgeous view of an evolving Wakanda. "A king's business is getting things done," T'Challa says at one point. With a great espionage-tinted take, this issue takes that business very seriously." Tim Adams of ComicBook.com gave Black Panther #1 a grade of 4 out of 5, saying, "Marvel's new era of Black Panther gets off to a captivating start. Whereas the previous volume by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Acuna primarily took place in the stars, John Ridley, Juann Cabal, and Federico Blue deliver the beginnings of an espionage tale. Marvel Stormbreaker artist Juann Cabal is quickly rising as a superstar artist after fan-favorite runs on X-23 and Guardians of the Galaxy. His work with Blee on Black Panther remains top-notch, and watching T'Challa balance his responsibilities between being the chairperson of the Avengers and ruler of Wakanda is even stressful for the reader. The main plot reveals some major secrets Black Panther has been keeping, which has those closest to him questioning his actions in an understandable way. Something I always enjoy with a first issue is an end-of-page teaser offering clues to future storylines, and this one has some juicy scenes of stories-to-come."

In July 2022 the limited series Wakanda was announced, written by Stephanie Williams and illustrated by Paco Medina, the series will have a backup series titled History of the Black Panthers, written by Evan Narcisse and illustrated by Natacha Bustos. In August 2022, Marvel announced the one-shot Black Panther: Unconquered, written by Bryan Edward Hill and illustrated by Alberto Foche.

In January 2023, a new Black Panther series was announced, written by Eve Ewing and illustrated by Chris Allen.

According to the ComicHub system at local comic book shops selling American comics, Black Panther (2023) #1 was the 11th best-selling comic book in June 2023.

Hannah Rose of Comic Book Resources wrote, "Black Panther #1 is a subtle and humane study of a changing character and shifting fictional landscape. Although a slow burn in turns of action, and offers questions with no easy answers, this issue is worth checking out precisely for those reasons." Charlie Ridgely of ComicBook.com gave Black Panther #1 a grade of 5 out of 5, stating, "If a king has no kingdom, what does he become? That's one of the central questions that writer Eve L. Ewing sets out to answer in her exciting new Black Panther series at Marvel Comics. This new take on the iconic character strips away so much of what we've always thought the Black Panther to be, focusing on who T'Challa is at his core. The result, at least in this week's debut issue, is a fantastic exploration of a character readers have known for years, making him seem both brand new and entirely familiar."

Bryan Edward Hill writes Ultimate Black Panther with art by Stefano Caselli, which takes place in an alternate continuity from the mainstream Marvel universe. The comic is about Black Panther defending the continent of Africa from the deities Khonshu and Ra. Hill said "I was invigorated by this opportunity because in addition to my immense respect for Johnathan Hickman's detailed storytelling, the idea of shepherding this bold new take on Black Panther in this event gives me a platform to do the kind of broad, epic, storytelling I've always wanted to do in comics. My influences range from the history of Black Panther comics, to Ryan Coogler's incredible work with the recent films, to Frank Herbert's world-building capacity of Dune. This is something people won't expect, in the best of ways, and full credit to Marvel and editors Wil Moss and Michelle Marchese for bringing this creative possibility to me."

Characterization

Fictional character biography

T'Challa is born to T'Chaka, the Black Panther, and Queen N'Yami. N'Yami dies in childbirth, and T'Challa's second wife, Ramonda, gives birth to Shuri. Ramonda vanishes shortly after. T'Challa defeats his uncle during the a ritual event and becomes Black Panther. As an adolescent, T'Challa goes on a walkabout manhood ritual and meets a young orphan in Cairo, Ororo Munroe (who will later become Storm). He is sent abroad and graduates from Oxford University. Klaw then invades Wakanda and murders T'Chaka, but is subsequently driven away by T'Challa.

T'Challa invites the Fantastic Four to Wakanda, then attacks and attempts to neutralize them individually, to test himself as preparation to battle Klaw, who has replaced his shattered right hand with a sonic weapon. After the ruler makes proper amends to the Four, they befriend and help T'Challa, and he in turn aids them against the supervillain the Psycho-Man. T'Challa later joins the Avengers, on Captain America's recommendation.

After receiving numerous urgent official letters requesting him to return to his increasingly troubled homeland, the Panther leaves his active Avengers membership to return to a Wakanda on the brink of civil war. T'Challa eventually proposes and becomes engaged to Monica Lynne, though the couple never marry.

Killmonger then defeats T'Challa in ritual combat, thus inheriting the role of Black Panther, but falls into a coma upon eating the heart-shaped herb. T'Challa preserves his rival's life rather than allowing him to die.

Later, T'Challa finds he has a brain aneurysm like his alternate future self, and succumbs to instability and hallucinations. After his mental state almost causes tribal warfare, the Panther hands power to his council and hides in New York City. While recovering, he trains a police officer, Kasper Cole, to be the new Black Panther. T'Challa eventually recovers, Cole becomes White Tiger, and T'Challa returns to Wakanda.

He marries Storm. They tour the world. Subsequently, Black Panther faces Erik Killmonger, defeating him with assistance from Monica Rambeau (a.k.a. Pulsar). Attacked by the forces of fellow Cabal member Doctor Doom, T'Challa is left comatose. His sister Shuri is trained as the next Black Panther, with the mantle passing onto her officially after T'Challa awakens from his coma and attempts to recover from his injuries. In the aftermath, T'Challa loses all of his enhanced attributes given to him by being the Panther totem. As a result, he works with his sorcerer, Zawavari, to accumulate a replacement.

Matt Murdock (the superhero Daredevil) asks T'Challa to replace him as guardian of Hell's Kitchen, giving T'Challa a chance to discover himself and explore his new limits while Murdock takes a leave of absence.

Upon his return to Wakanda, T'Challa serves as a second to his sister, Shuri, who remains the kingdom's active ruler. In preparation for an upcoming attack on Wakanda, the Panther Goddess returns T'Challa's abilities. Empowered by the Phoenix, Namor destroys Wakanda with a massive tidal wave. Returning to help, Storm is stunned when the Panther informs her that their marriage has been annulled.

After witnessing an alternate Earth over Wakanda being destroyed by the Black Swan, T'Challa reforms the Illuminati—with Beast replacing the now-deceased Charles Xavier—to confront the threat of the Incursions, parallel universes colliding with each other to the destruction of both. As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel, Black Panther is a member of the Ultimates.

Black Panther represents Wakanda on the Alpha Flight Space Program's Board of Governors. During Hydra's reign over America led by Arnim Zola, Baron Zemo and Steve Rogers, Panther is captured for opposing this regime, and brought into a containing room. After the defeat of Supreme Hydra Steve Rogers, Black Panther establishes his quest to go across the universe with his people, and found an Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda on Planet Bast, located in the Benhazin Star System.

Personality and motivations

"Black Panther" is a title that is partly hereditary, but also must be validated in combat. In Hudlin's series, a US government representative describes the tradition as a "spiritually-based warrior cult," and interprets the position as "sort of like being Pope, president and head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all at once."

T'Challa is a shrewd political actor whose main concern is the survival and prosperity of his nation, Wakanda. He is extraordinarily skilled in combat, but often applies deception and strategy to achieve his goals. While he often works independently or alongside the Avengers in order to achieve the collective good, he also has the vast resources of Wakanda at his disposal. He is cautious about his personal relationships, and his romantic connections are characterized by strict monogamous commitment. While he views his primary responsibility as his own nation-state, he also has some feeling of connection and loyalty to the larger African diaspora and at times is involved in political and social efforts to improve the circumstances of African Americans. In Ta-Nahesi Coates's characterization, T'Challa has an adventurous spirit and does not actually enjoy the burden of being king.

Powers, abilities and equipment

Black Panther has acute senses as well as extraordinary "speed, strength, reflexes, durability, healing, and stamina." These capacities partly come from his own training and partly from the properties of a Wakandan heart-shaped herb. The relationship between the heart-shaped herb and Wakanda's vibranium resources is unclear.

Black Panther has "peak human" athletic abilities and is one of the most effective fighters in hand-to-hand combat in the Marvel Universe. In his first published appearance, he defeats all of the members of the Fantastic Four single-handedly. For decades after, he was represented as much less formidable, with no distinct powers. Christopher Priest believes this was one of the reasons why the character was under-utilized.

In his contemporary incarnation, he has an armored, bulletproof suit with razor-sharp claws in its finger gauntlets. His mask includes communications equipment, his eye lenses can read ultraviolet and infrared signals, his suit can switch to a camouflage mode, and he has vibranium lacing in his soles to absorb impact. In addition, he has special armor for unusual occasions. Black Panther is unique among superheroes in that he generally has the resources of an entire nation supporting him.

Themes and motifs

Racism and Black pride

While the early writers of the story were white men, the subsequent authors Priest, Hudlin, and Coates are all Black American men. These writers used the character also to comment on US racism and stereotypes. For example, a cognitive psychologist has argued that Priest's depiction of assumptions made by white characters in his stories are an early media representation of microaggressions. This is particularly evinced in the character of Everett Ross, who is constantly misunderstanding his experiences of Africa and Black people because of his unconscious prejudices. Particularly in the Reginald Hudlin period, Black Panther is positioned as a uniquely Black superhero, representing the best and most powerful aspects of contemporary Black masculinity.

Colonialism and decolonization

The stories also explore imaginary approaches to the circumstances, opportunities, and difficulties of small, resource-rich nations in the Global South. Black Panther's character and his fictional kingdom, Wakanda, constitute an early example of what was later called Afrofuturism. As Scott Bukatman writes, Wakanda is "an African nation never conquered, never colonized, never subservient. Small wonder Wakanda was foundational to the ethos and aesthetic later labeled Afrofuturist." While Lee and Kirby disavowed political motivation, historians of popular culture have commented on the coincidence of Black Panther's creation at the same time as Third World revolutionary movements and US Black Power organizations, such as the Black Panther Party and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Adilifu Nama reads T'Challa as "an idealized composite of third-world Black revolutionaries and the anticolonialist movement of the 1950s that they represented," and compares him to Jomo Kenyatta, Patrice Lumumba, and Kwame Nkrumah. However, while many third-world revolutionaries believed in some version of socialism, Wakanda is portrayed as a monarchy. Moreover, while African independence movements were usually skeptical of US national interests they perceived as imperialist, Black Panther is a friendly ally of Captain America and other American superheroes. Martin Lund suggests that the early appearances of Black Panther are partly meant to suggest a clearly anti-communist model of independent African state, to calm Western anxieties about decolonization. Later writers of Black Panther comics such as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay and Nnedi Okorafor, in the 2010s and '20s, explicitly make the ideal of monarchy problematic and strive to portray a more democratic and inclusive vision of African nationalism. Coates and Gay also emphasize the agency of women and lesbian characters.

Challenges and transformation of the human body

The series often emphasizes the vulnerability of the human body, or, conversely, a technologically armored heroic body. In Billy Graham's illustrations for Don McGregor's 1970s Black Panther stories, his costume is often destroyed and he is frequently depicted as resisting or overcoming immense exertion or suffering, In contrast, Priest's and Hudlin's runs of Black Panther depict him as extraordinarily powerful, with an armored, bulletproof suit that is rarely damaged. In addition, the later version of the Panther suit includes razor-sharp claws.

War

Black Panther comics often depict war. Sometimes this is portrayed as heroic, such as instances when Wakanda protects its freedom and independence, but in other instances war is depicted as random and cruel. For example, in Don McGregor's "Panther's Rage," the narrator intones, "War not only affects its perpetrators and its participants. It ravages all it touches, and scars much past that. Innocents die alongside warriors, and some warriors are as innocent as the civilians whose fates await the outcome of the conflict." This reflects an awareness of the various contemporary African wars. The comics also sometimes depict the African wars that affect Wakanda as a product of labyrinthine rivalries among different world powers. For example, in Priest's series the villain Achebe is described as a refugee from a "war instigated by Latin American terrorists who were financed by Russian mob money – all of this courtesy of rogue factions within the U.S. Intelligence community," with the intent of destabilizing Wakanda. The comics also depict economic warfare. For example, in Priest's series, Killlmonger crashes the Wakandan economy by deflating the value of vibranium and devaluing the currency; T'Challa responds by nationalizing foreign interests.

Supporting characters

Main article: List of Black Panther supporting characters

Allies

Black Panther draws from the combat skills of his bodyguards, the Dora Milaje. When facing cosmic threats, he works together with the Avengers, and has a particularly respectful relationship with Captain America. He also works together with the Crew, which includes Luke Cage and Misty Knight. T'Challa also sometimes works together with an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, Everett Ross, who is generally hapless.

Other Black Panthers

The mantle of the Black Panther is passed down from generation to generation among the rulers of Wakanda In the diegetic world of the character, there have been thousands of Black Panthers. In the comics, these include a Stone-Age Black Panther named Mosi, an 11th-century incarnation named Nehanda, and a nineteenth-century version named M'Teli. During World War II, the Panther was named T'Chanda, who first defeated Captain America and then allied with him to fight the Nazis.

T'Challa's father is T'Chaka, who appeared for the first time in Fantastic Four #53 (August 1966) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The eldest son of King T'Chanda and Queen Nanali, T'Chaka inherits the throne and the title of the Black Panther on his father's death by being helped in his monarch duties by his younger brother and trusted adviser S'Yan. After having married a woman named N'Yami, believing she cannot have children, he adopts a child with her, Hunter; however, she later becomes pregnant and dies giving birth to her first child, T'Challa; from the relationship with a woman of another tribe T'Chaka then has a second son, Jakarra, and finally remarries with Ramonda, with whom he has his only daughter, Shuri. When Ramonda subsequently disappears into nothingness, leading him to believe that he has been abandoned, he raises his children alone. To protect the kingdom, T'Chaka instituted a policy of strong isolationism, but in the course of his life he often collaborated with agents of the U.S. government. He is killed by Ulysses Klaw after having surprised him when he was trying to illegally extract vibranium in his kingdom.

In Black Panther vol. 3 #15 (February 2000), Erik Killmonger challenges and beats T'Challa in a duel for the throne, overthrowing him as king of Wakanda and taking on the role as the Black Panther. He becomes comatose after attempting to ingest the heart-shaped herb to acquire the Black Panther's powers, as he is not of royal blood. Killmonger's time as king is short-lived however, as he is killed by Monica Rambeau during T'Challa's attack to reclaim Wakanda.

When T'Challa ends up in a coma because of Doctor Doom, Shuri becomes his substitute as the Black Panther and queen of Wakanda which, after the rise of her half-brother to "king of the dead" creates, for the first time in history, two avatars of the Panther Goddess.

Romantic interests

In the Don McGregor period, T'Challa's romantic partner was Monica Lynne, an African-American singer. He also had a long-standing relationship with Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm of the X-Men, and they were married for years. Since their divorce, they maintain a close and intimate relationship.

Villains

T'Challa has frequently battled Erik Killmonger, his rival for the throne of Wakanda. He is also frequently in conflict with Doctor Doom and Namor.

Alternate versions of T'Challa

Other versions of T'Challa or Black Panther exist in other universes as part of Marvel's multiverse. These include Ultimate Black Panther, an alternate universe variant of Black Panther from Earth-6160 who appears in Ultimate Invasion. This version is Okoye's husband who succeeded T'Chaka after he was killed by a female suicide bomber working for Khonshu and Ra.

Cultural impact and legacy

Black Panther became widely popular since the release of the film in which he starred, Black Panther, in 2018. Many sources have commended the significance of the character, particularly with regard to the representation of Black people. For example, Anubhav Chaudhry of Sportskeeda described Black Panther as a "powerful, regal, and intelligent black hero," writing, "The introduction of the Black Panther in 1966 marked a pivotal moment in the history of comic books, opening the doors for diverse characters to enter the mainstream." Laura Bradley of Vanity Fair included Black Panther in their "Stan Lee's Most Iconic Characters" list, describing him as the "first superhero of African descent in the comics world." Fred Bluden of Screen Rant asserts, "As a technological genius, diplomat, statesman, and superhero, Black Panther helped to encourage the creation of other prominent black superheroes who were more than stereotypes. As a character, and a cultural milestone, his importance cannot be overstated." The A.V. Club ranked Black Panther 1st in their "100 Best Marvel Characters" list. Joseph J. Darowski, in the introduction to The Ages of Black Panther: Essays on the King of Wakanda, argues that "The Black Panther's place in popular culture history is secured even as it is constantly evolving." Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly ranked Black Panther 26th in their "Let's Rank Every Avenger Ever" list, writing, "The Black Panther has one of the most interesting backstory/mythologies in comic books." Wizard Magazine ranked Black Panther 79th in their "200 Greatest Comic Book Character of All Time" list.

In 2020, following the death of Chadwick Boseman, Disneyland unveiled a mural at Anaheim's Downtown representing the actor giving the Wakanda salute to a young fan wearing a Black Panther mask. In 2021, a wax figure of T'Challa / Black Panther was unveiled at Madame Tussauds London, inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) incarnation of the character. In 2022, BuyCostumes.com announced that T'Challa's Black Panther costume was the 8th most popular Halloween costume for kids.

In other media

Main article: Black Panther in other media

See also: T'Challa (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Boseman at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con.

In 2018, a film adaptation titled Black Panther was released, starring Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa and directed by Ryan Coogler. Black Panther was met with positive reviews from film critics. It became the highest-grossing solo superhero film of all time, the third-highest-grossing film of the MCU and superhero film overall, the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time, and the highest-grossing film by an African-American director. It is the fifth MCU film and 33rd overall to surpass $1 billion, and the second-highest-grossing film of 2018. It made history as the first superhero film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Chadwick Boseman also portrayed T'Challa / Black Panther in other media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. T'Challa appears in the live-action films Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). The actor voices three alternate timeline versions of T'Challa in season one of the Disney+ animated series What If...?, which were released posthumously. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), T'Challa's sister Shuri (portrayed by Letitia Wright) takes over the mantle of the Black Panther.

Black Panther's first animated appearance was in Fantastic Four, voiced by Keith David. He later appears in a self-titled animated TV series, voiced by Djimon Hounsou, as well as in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced by James C. Mathis III. and Avengers Assemble, voiced again by James C. Mathis III. The fifth season of the show is named "Black Panther's Quest", with the narrative focus on Black Panther, Shuri, and Wakanda rather than the Avengers. The season was first announced at the San Diego Comic-Con, and Daisy Lightfoot provided the voices for Shuri. For young children, the Black Panther appears in Spidey and His Amazing Friends, voiced by Tru Valentino. In 2023, Disney announced a new animated series called Eyes of Wakanda that will tell the stories of T'Challa's ancestors.

Black Panther has also featured in several video games, such as Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Phil LaMarr.

See also

• African characters in comics
• American comic books

References

Bibliography

• Bukatman, Scott (2022). Black Panther. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-4773-2535-3.
• Burroughs, Todd Steven (2018). Marvel's Black Panther: A Comic Book Biography from Stan Lee to Ta-Nehisi Coates. Diasporic Africa Press. ISBN 978-1-937306-64-9.
• Los Angeles Times Special Edition: Black Panther (2023).
• McGregor, Don, Rich Buckler, Billy Graham, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby. Black Panther. Penguin Classics. ISBN 978-0-14-313580-7.
• Priest, Christopher. Black Panther: The Complete Collection: Volume 1, 2016.
• Wiacek, Stephen "Win" (2018). Black Panther: The Ultimate Guide. DK. ISBN 978-1-4654-6626-6.

External links

• The Origin of Black Panther and Wakanda
• Black Panther (character) series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database