Black Panther
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Facts
- character_name:Black Panther
- real_name:T'Challa
- publisher:Marvel Comics
- debut:Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966)
- creators:Stan Lee,Jack Kirby
- alliances = Fantastic Four,Secret Avengers,Avengers,Defenders,Fantastic Force
- spouse : Storm
- aliases : Luke Charles, Black Leopard (alternate translation of his Wakandan title), His Majesty The King of Wakanda
- powers :Superhumanly acute senses,The peak of human physical capabilities,Genius level intellect,Skilled combatant/acrobat/gymnast and hunter/tracker,Vibranium uniform, boots and equipment,Retractable anti-metal claws,Ebony Blade
The Black Panther (T'Challa) is a character in the Marvel Comics universe who is the first modern Black superhero. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #52 (July 1966). Although there have been numerous men who have used the Black Panther identity during the history of the Marvel Universe, this article refers solely to the modern-day Black Panther, also known by his birth name, T'Challa.
The Black Panther, whose name predates the use of the October 1966 founding of the Black Panther Party, is not the first Black hero in mainstream comic books. That distinction is split between Waku, Prince of the Bantu, who starred in his own feature in the multiple-character omnibus series Jungle Tales, from Marvel's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics; and the Dell Comics Western character Lobo, the first Black and the first character of African descent to star in his own comic book. Previous non-caricatured Black supporting characters in comics include Daily Bugle managing editor Joe Robertson in The Amazing Spider-Man, and U.S. Army infantry] private Gabriel Jones of Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos.
Contents |
Publication history
Following his debut in Fantastic Four #52-53 (July-Aug. 1966) and subsequent guest appearance in Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1967) and with Captain America in Tales of Suspense #97-99 (Jan.-March 1968), the Black Panther sojourned from the African nation of Wakanda to New York City, New York to join the titular American superhero team in The Avengers #52 (May 1968), appearing in that comics for the next few years. During his time with the Avengers, he made solo guest-appearances in three issues of Daredevil, and fought Doctor Doom in Astonishing Tales #6-7 (June & Aug. 1971), in that supervillain's short-lived starring feature. He later returned in a guest-appearance capacity in Fantastic Four #119 (Feb. 1972) during which he briefly tried the name Black Leopard to avoid connotations invoking the Black-militant political party the Black Panthers.
The Black Panther's first starring series was in Jungle Action vol. 2, #6-24 (Sept. 1973 - Nov. 1976), written by Don McGregor with art by pencillers Rich Buckler, Gil Kane, and Billy Graham. One now-common innovation it pioneered was that of the self-contained, multi-issue story arc.
McGregor's first arc, "Panther's Rage", ran from Jungle Action vol. 2, #6 (Sept. 1973) through #18 (Nov. 1975). A second arc, "Panther vs. the Klan", was truncated when the series was canceled with issue #24. Jungle Action #5 and #23 reprinted, respectively, The Avengers #62 (March 1969), which featured the Black Panther, and Daredevil #69 (Oct. 1970), in which the Panther guest-starred.
Immediately following the initial series was Black Panther, written and illustrated by Jack Kirby for 12 of its 15 issues (Jan. 1977 - March 1979), with a corresponding shift in tone from McGregor's lyrical naturalism to Kirby's trademark high adventure. A four-issue miniseries, also titled Black Panther, appeared in 1988, 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.-Dec. 1989). He later teamed with artist Dwayne Turner in the square-bound miniseries Panther's Prey (Sept. 1990 - March 1991).
Writer Christopher Priest's and penciller Mark Texeira's 1998 series The Black Panther utilized Erik Killmonger, Venomm, and other characters introduced in "Panther's Rage", together with new characters such as State Department attorney Everett Ross, the Black Panther's adopted brother, Hunter, and Panther's protégé, Queen Divine Justice. The Priest-Texeira series, which was under the Marvel Knights imprint its first year, earned critical plaudits, but sales of the comic were never high.
The last 13 issues (#50-62) saw the main character replaced by an African American New York City police officer named Kasper Cole, with T'Challa relegated to a background 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.
In February 2005, Marvel began publishing a new ongoing Black Panther series, written by filmmaker Reginald Hudlin and penciled by artist John Romita, Jr.
Character biography
Early life and background
The Black Panther is the ceremonial title given to the chief of the Panther Tribe of the African nation of Wakanda. In addition to ruling the country, he is also chief of its various tribes (collectively referred to as the Wakandas). The Panther uniform is a symbol of office and is used even during diplomatic missions.
The Black Panther is entitled to the use of a heart-shaped herb that grants the person who consumes it enhanced strength, agility, and perception. The present-day bearer of the Black Panther mantle is T'Challa, who has had a lengthy career as a superhero, including a longstanding membership in The Avengers. For a brief time upon joining the superhero team the Avengers,Avengers #52-55, May-Aug. 1968) the Black Panther wore a cowled half-mask, similar to that of Batman. In stories published in the 2000s, it came to light that the Panther originally joined the Avengers with the intention of spying on them. This drove a temporary wedge between T'Challa and his teammates.
T'Challa is the son of T'Chaka, who was the Black Panther before him. In the distant past, a massive meteorite comprised of the sound-absorbing mineral vibranium crashed in Wakanda, and was unearthed a generation before the events of the present day. Knowing that others would attempt to manipulate and dominate Wakanda for this rare and valuable resource, T'Chaka concealed his country from the outside world. He would sell off minute amounts of the valuable vibranium while surreptitiously sending the country's best scholars to study abroad, consequently turning Wakanda into one of the world's most technologically advanced nations. Eventually, however, the explorer Ulysses Klaw found his way to Wakanda to covertly create a vibranium-powered, sound-based weapon. When exposed, Klaw killed T'Chaka and other Wakandans, only to see his "sound blaster" turned on him by a grieving T'Challa, then barely a teenager. Klaw's right hand was destroyed, and he and his men fled.
During his youth, T'Challa also met and fell in love with apparent orphaned child Ororo Munroe, who would grow up to become the X-Men member Storm; the two broke up over T'Challa's need to avenge his father's death.
T'Challa earned the title and attributes of the Black Panther by defeating the various champions of the Wakandan tribes. One of his first acts was to disband and exile the Hatut Zeraze — the Wakandan secret police — and its leader, his adopted brother Hunter the White Wolf; later, to keep the peace, he picked "dora milaje" ("adored ones") from rival tribes to serve as his personal guard and ceremonial wives-in-training. He then studied abroad before returning to his kingship. To prove himself worthy as the defender of his people, T'Challa attacked the Fantastic Four, also wishing to test the team and see if they could be as valuable allies against Klaw as he hoped they could be. He more than held his own against each member in individual combat, before being cornered by the assembled Fantastic Four. He then revealed his reasons to the team.Fantastic Four #52
After making up to the team with a sumptuous welcome, he persuaded the Fantastic Four to help him battle the returning Klaw, who had become a being made entirely of living sound.Fantastic Four #53 T'Challa next aided the heroes against the supervillain the Psycho-Man.Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1967)
T'Challa later joined the superhero team the Avengers,The Avengers #52 beginning a long association with the team. He first battled the Man-Ape while with the Avengers,Avengers #61 and then met the American singer Monica Lynne,The Avengers #73 with whom he became romantically involved. He helped the Avengers defeat the second Sons of the Serpent, and then revealed his true identity on American television.The Avengers #74 He encountered Daredevil, and revealed to him that he had deduced Daredevil's secret identity.Daredevil #69
Return to Wakanda
The Panther eventually leaves his active Avengers membership to return to a Wakanda on the brink of civil war, bringing Lynne with him. After defeating would-be usurper Erik Killmonger and his minions,Jungle Action #6-17 the Panther ventures to the American South to battle the Ku Klux Klan and Dragon Circle.Jungle Action #19-24; Marvel Premiere #51-53 He later gains possession of the mystical time-shifting artifacts known as King Solomon's Frogs.Black Panther #12-13 These produced an alternate version of T'Challa from a future ten years hence, a merry, telepathic Panther with a terminal brain aneurysm, whom T'Challa placed in cryogenic stasis.
Sometime later, Iron Man aids the Panther in defeating Killmonger.Iron Man Annual #5 Then, while searching for and finding his mother, the Panther contends with South African authorities during Apartheid.Marvel Comics Presents #13-37 T'Challa eventually proposes becomes engaged to Monica Lynne,Black Panther: Panther's Prey #1-4 though the couple never married.
Years later, the Panther accepts a Washington, D.C. envoy, Everett K. Ross, and faces multiple threats to Wakanda's sovereignty. First Xcon — an alliance of rogue intelligence agents — backs a coup led by the sorcerer Reverend Achebe. Afterward, Killmonger resurfaces with a plot to destroy Wakanda's economy. This forces T'Challa to nationalize foreign companies. Killmonger then defeats him in ritual combat, thus inheriting the role of Black Panther, but falls into a coma upon eating the heart-shaped herb — poisonous to anyone outside the royal bloodline, which had a hereditary immunity to its toxic effects. 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. There he mentors police officer Kasper Cole (who had adopted an abandoned Panther costume), an experience that gives T'Challa the strength to face his illness, reclaim his position, and return to active membership in the Avengers, whom he helps secure special United Nations status.
Marriage and superhero Civil War
T'Challa then helps Ororo Munroe, with whom he had a brief romance during his teens, reunite with her surviving family members in Africa and the U.S. He shortly afterward proposes, and the two are married in a large Wakandan ceremony attended by many superheroes.
One of the couple's first tasks is to embark on a diplomatic tour, in which they visit the Inhumans, Doctor Doom, the President of the United States, and Namor, with only that last ending well. After the death of Bill Foster, the Black Panther and Storm side with Captain America's anti-registration forces. During the end battle between both sides, the Wakandan embassy in Manhattan is heavily damaged, and the Panther and Storm briefly fill in for vacationing Fantastic Four members Reed and Sue Richards. While filling in on the New Fantastic Four, T'Challa and the team battled Silver Surfer and Stardust alongside the newly resurrected Gravity. Following the battle they began a journey across several parallel dimensions in the now mildly-malevolent hands of King Solomon's Frogs. During this they came up against the Marvel Zombies as the Skrull Galaxy was being invaded, meeting an alternate-reality Lyja who had no idea who they were. T'Challa briefly made contact with his Marvel Zombieverse counterpart before the group escape. Their next stop was an alternate version of Sub-Atomica where they were in the hands of Psycho-Man before escaping him back to the standard Marvel Universe. Unfortunately their new location was the Skrull world of Kral where they aided in another insurrection, much like the Thing's previous one in Fantastic Four #91-93 (Oct. - Dec. 1969).
Upon their final return to Earth they remained on the team to help as Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman found themselves caught up in a plot by the Frightful Four. With a group of six they defeat the new Frightful Four and then move on to help deal with the threat of the Contrasepsis, an alien race spawned by the Universe to cleanse all lifeforms because of the damage they're doing to the fabric of reality. With the New Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Dr. Strange, Gravity and the Silver Surfer they are able to save the universe once again before returning to Earth. With Reed and Sue back on the team, T'Challa plans to leave the group and return to Wakanda after a long absence.
Secret Invasion
In the upcoming tie-in to Secret Invasion, the Black Panther will have to help fend off the Super-Skrulls when the Skrull armada invades Wakanda.
Powers and abilities
The title "Black Panther" is a rank of office, chieftain of the Wakandan Panther Clan. As chieftain, the Panther is entitled to eat a special heart-shaped herb, as well as his mystical connection with the Wakandan Panther God, that grants him superhumanly acute senses (especially eyesight, night vision, and sense of smell) and increases his strength, speed, stamina, and agility to the peak of human development. T'Challa is a rigorously trained gymnast and acrobat, proficient in various African martial arts as well as contemporary ones and fighting styles that belong to no known disciplines. He is a skilled hunter, tracker, strategist, and scientist — he has a Ph.D. degree in physics from Oxford University. He is a genius in physics and advanced technology, and is a brilliant inventor. His senses are so powerful that he can pick up a prey's scent and memorize tens of thousands of individual ones.
As king of Wakanda, the Panther has access to a vast collection of magical artifacts, advanced Wakandan technological and military hardware, as well as the support of his nation's wide array of scientists, warriors, and mystics. The Wakandan military has been described as one of the most powerful on Earth. His attire is the sacred vibranium costume of the Wakandan Panther Cult.
In Volume 3, writer Christopher Priest expanded the Panther's day-to-day arsenal to include equipment such as an "ebony dagger", a vibranium-weave suit, and a portable supercomputer, the "Kimoyo card." In Volume 4, writer Reginald Hudlin introduced such specialized equipment as "thrice-blessed armor" and "light armor" for specific tasks, and also outfitted him with the Ebony Blade.
Other versions
Earth X
In the alternate universe of Earth X, T'Challa has been affected by the mutative event that drives the plot. Like most of humanity, he is mutated; in this case to become a humanoid black panther. He is entrusted with the Cosmic Cube by Captain America, who knows that T'Challa would be the only one to resist using it and to never give it back if asked. In fact, Captain America does ask for it back and T'Challa is forced to refuse.
Fox Kids
The Black Panther appears in issues #1 and #6-7 of Marvel Comics/ Fox Kids comic-book series based on the TV show The Avengers: United They Stand.
Marvel Knights 2099
A Black Panther was featured in the Marvel Knights 2099 one shots. A new Black Panther rose to fight and thwart the mounting invasions by the successor of Doom. While the victory over the new Doom appeared triumphant, the new Wakandan king was ultimately revealed to be a puppet of Doom.Marvel Knights 2099: Black Panther #1 (2005)
Marvel Zombies
Black Panther is one of the few uninfected superheroes in the alternate-universe series Marvel Zombies, where he is kept as a food supply for the Zombie Giant-Man. Despite having lost half of his right arm and his left foot, the Black Panther escapes with the aid of the head of the Wasp, joining forces with the mutant group the Acolytes. Many years later, an older T'Challa is fatally wounded in his sleep by an agent of the Acolytes, as a civil war is unfolding in New Wakanda between the militaristic Acolytes and the more peaceful Black Panther's followers. Wasp is forced to zombify him, reasoning that some week of isolation could be enough to beat their "hunger".
Mangaverse
T'Challa appears in the Marvel Mangaverse as a man, with a pet panther. When summoning the spirits, T'Challa and his panther combine to become the Black Panther. He also became The Falcon. This Black Panther was romantically attracted to Tigra .
Ultimate Black Panther
The Black Panther appears on the wraparound cover of the alternate-universe Ultimate Marvel series Ultimates 3.IGN.com UK (July 26, 2007): "Exclusive: Ultimates 3 Debut Part Two", by Richard George. He is shown briefly in the first issue, but not much is known about him except for the fact that Captain America vouched for his inclusion into the team. He fights Venom briefly before being tossed into Central Park. Hawkeye then searches for him with no luck. In the second issue, Hawkeye goes in search of Black Panther again and for answers about Venom's attack. He confronts Spider-Man about it but is interrupted by Captain America, who informs him of the Brotherhood's attack on Stark's Mansion. In the third issue, he suddenly appears before the Hellicarrier takes off towards the Savage Land, where Wolverine recognizes who he his, probably through his heightened sense of smell, but only tells of his discovery to The Panther himself, warning him that he better know what he's doing, and that he hopes he does not get somebody killed.
In other media
Television
- The Black Panther appears in the "Prey Of The Black Panther" episode of the 1994 Fantastic Four animated TV series, voiced by Keith David.
- The Black Panther cameos in the "Sanctuary" episode of the X-Men animated TV series.
- In The Avengers: United They Stand, a portrait of the Panther hangs in Avengers Mansion in Episode 1. While the Black Panther does not appear in the animated series, he does appear in issues #1 and #6-7 of the comic-book series based on the show.
- The U.S. cable television network BET announced in April 2008 that it planned to air a Black Panther primetime animated series during the 2008-2009 TV season.
Film
The Black Panther appears in the direct-to-DVD animated feature Ultimate Avengers 2 (2006) as a central character, voiced by Jeffrey D. Sams.
In June 1992, Wesley Snipes announced his intention to make a film about the Black Panther.[19] By August, Snipes had begun working on the film. In July 1993, Snipes announced plans to begin The Black Panther after starring in Demolition Man. Snipes said in August 1993, "We have a wide-open field for comic book characters on the big screen and we've yet to have a major black comic book hero on the screen. Especially the Black Panther, which is such a rich, interesting life. It's a dream come true to originate something that nobody's ever seen before." Snipes expressed interest in making sequels to The Black Panther. In January 1994, Snipes entered talks with Columbia Pictures to portray the Black Panther in the film adaptation of the comic book superhero. The following March, Stan Lee joined the development process for a film about the Black Panther. By May, the film was in early development with Columbia Pictures. In January 1996, Stan Lee said that he had not been pleased with the scripts he had encountered for the Black Panther. In July 1997, the Black Panther was listed as part of Marvel Comics' film slate. In March 1998, Marvel hired Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti to work on the Black Panther film adaptation. In August, corporate problems at Marvel had put the Black Panther project on hold. In August 1999, Snipes was set to produce, and possibly star, in the film featuring the Black Panther.
In Marvel's June 2000 deal with Artisan Entertainment to develop big- and small-screen products, the Black Panther was one of the four names (among Captain America, Thor, and Deadpool) that surfaced. In March 2002, Snipes told Cinescape magazine that he planned to do Blade 3 or Black Panther in 2003. In August 2002, Snipes said he hoped to begin production on Black Panther by 2003. In July 2004, Blade 3 director David S. Goyer said that Wesley Snipes would not likely be Black Panther. "He's already so entrenched as Blade that another Marvel hero might be overkill," said Goyer. In September 2005, Marvel chairman and CEO Avi Arad announced Black Panther as one of the ten Marvel films that would be developed by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. In June 2006, Snipes told Men's Fitness magazine that much work had been done toward a film adaptation of the Black Panther, and that he hoped to have a director soon. In February 2007, Kevin Feige, president of production for Marvel Studios, stated that Black Panther was on Marvel's development slate.
In July 2007, director John Singleton said that he was approached to do Black Panther.
Video games
- The Black Panther is a playable character in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by Phil LaMarr.
Bibliography
- Jungle Action vol. 2, #5-24 (July 1973 - Nov. 1976)
- The Black Panther #1-15 (Jan. 1977 - May 1979)
- Marvel Premiere #51-53 (Dec. 1979 - April 1980)
- Black Panther vol. 2, #1-4 (miniseries; July-Oct. 1988)
- "Panther's Quest" Parts 1-25 in Marvel Comics Presents #13-37 (Feb.-Dec. 1989)
- Black Panther: Panther's Prey prestige-format miniseries #1-4 (May-Oct. 1991)
- Black Panther vol. 3, #1-62 (Nov. 1998 - Sept. 2003)
- Black Panther vol. 4, #1- (April 2005- )
See also
