Black Panther is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

appearing in American comic books 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-editor

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

and artist-coplotter

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

, the character first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #52, published in July 1966. On Earth-616, 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 Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in the kingdom of Wakanda, the metal ...

, 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. These stories also engage with significant social issues of the time, such as the resurgence of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

in the U.S. state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. A subsequent story addressed the issue of

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. 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 The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...

. Hudlin's 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. While T'Challa and Storm's marriage was annulled in a subsequent storyline, their relationship has continued in other narratives. 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 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 ...

's films: '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), ''

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 ...

'' (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 An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. 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 origin of the character has been disputed by both Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, 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. Lee later recollected: "I suddenly realized that there were no black superheroes, and I felt we ought to have one. There were no black heroes that I knew about, and there were certainly no black heroes who were the king of their own country in Africa. ..He didn't live in a village with thatched huts--although that's what you saw on the surface. Underneath was that fantastic city that he had created, which was completely scientific and had all the latest equipment of every type in it. And we realize that the Black Panther is one of the world's great scientists-- ust like Reed Richards. So, again, I wanted to go against tereotypes" 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: 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''. Co-creator

recounted that the name was inspired by a pulp adventure hero who had a

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 ...

as a helper. Jack Kirby's original concept art for Black Panther used the concept name Coal Tiger; this was a swashbuckler. Lee asked for the concept art to be revised. There was some debate at Marvel, with Lee wondering how far to go with the introduction of a Black superhero, which was commercially risky 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 facemask. 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.

Predecessors

The Black Panther is the first Black superhero in American mainstream

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

s. Very few Black heroes were created before him, and none with actual superpowers. These included Lothar in the comic strip Mandrake the Magician and the characters in the single-issue '' All-Negro Comics'' #1 (1947).Culver, p. 9. Marvel's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics also introduced Waku, Prince of the Bantu, who starred in his own feature in the omnibus title '' Jungle Tales''. and the

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark"Wh ...

Western character Lobo, the first Black person to star in his own comic book. Previous non-

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...

d Black supporting characters in comics include U.S. Army

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

private Gabriel Jones of '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos''. Influences on the character included historical figures such as 14th-century

Mali Empire The Mali Empire (Manding languages, Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or ''Manden ...

sultan Mansa Musa and 20th-century Jamaican activist

Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) (commonly known a ...

, as well as

Biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

figures such as Ham and

Canaan CanaanThe current scholarly edition of the Septuagint, Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interprets. 2. ed. / recogn. et emendavit Robert Hanhart. Stuttgart : D ...

. Other scholars have identified other precursors: 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

also called the Black Panthers, the 761st Tank Battalion of the US Army.Qiana J. Whitted, "Volume Introduction," in McGregor, et al., p. xxxiv, 2022. Lee and Kirby also borrow from typical pop cultural tropes of their era inspired by

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...

's Tarzan, but subvert or transform stereotypes common in the "jungle adventure" genre. The name Black Panther predates the founding of the

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...

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". 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.Culver, p. 19. 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. ''Avengers'' writer Roy Thomas said that the Black Panther name "had more resonance," but that the political implications limited the character's prominence.

Early years: 1960s and early 1970s

Subsequent to his first appearance, Black Panther made guest appearances in ''Fantastic Four'' Annual #5 (1967) and with

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

in ''

Tales of Suspense ''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series, and two one-shot comics, all published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for s ...

'' #97–99 and ''Captain America'' 100 (January – April 1968). The Black Panther journeyed from the fictional African nation of Wakanda to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

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 Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...

in '' Astonishing Tales'' #6–7 (June & August 1971), in that

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

'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, titled "Panther's Rage," began running the following issue, written by Don McGregor, with art by pencilers

Rich Buckler Rich Buckler (February 6, 1949 – May 19, 2017) was an Americans, American comics artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' in the mid-1970s and for creating the character Deat ...

Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz , ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day vers ...

, and

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...

, and which gave inkers

Klaus Janson Klaus Janson (born January 23, 1952) is an American comics artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies. While he is best known as an inker, Janson has frequently worked as a penciller and co ...

and Bob McLeod some of their first professional exposure.Culver, p. 39. The critically acclaimed series ran in ''Jungle Action'' #6–18 (1973-1975). One now-common format McGregor pioneered was that of the self-contained, multi-issue story arc. Critic Jason Sacks has called the arc "Marvel's first

graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

": "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 Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholars of decolon ...

the character." The cast of the story arc is almost entirely Black. The second and final arc in ''Jungle Action'', also written by McGregor, was titled "Panther vs. the Klan" and ran in 1976. The subject matter of the

was considered controversial in the Marvel offices at the time, creating difficulties for the creative team. Scholars Burton P. Buchanan, Ivan Alcime, and Carlos D. Morrison point out that the story was published at a time of resurgence for the Klan in

, and that the story prescribes a self-defense strategy for Black people in response. African-American writer-editor Dwayne McDuffie said of the ''Jungle Action'' "Black Panther" feature: 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 Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

for the Watts, Los Angeles, community benefit concert that was released as the 1973 documentary film ''

Wattstax ''Wattstax'' was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Augus ...

''." Though popular with college students, the overall sales of ''Jungle Action'' were low. Marvel relaunched the Black Panther in a self-titled series, bringing in the character's co-creator

—newly returned to Marvel after having decamped to rival

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

for a time—as writer, penciler, and editor. In the series, Black Panther searches for a magic artifact called King Solomon's Frog. 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 Edward Hannigan (born August 6, 1951) is an Americans, American comics artist, writer, and editor for both Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Career Ed Hannigan's first credited comics story was published in Marvel Comics' Brand licensing, licensed ' ...

(writer), Jerry Bingham (penciler), and

Roger Stern Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. Biography Early career In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' (''Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfo ...

(editor). ''Black Panther'' ran 15 issues (January 1977 – May 1979).''Black Panther'', Marvel, 1977 Series
at the Grand Comics Database Because the series was discontinued, the contents of what would have been ''Black Panther'' #16–18 were published in ''

Marvel Premiere ''Marvel Premiere'' is an American comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics. In concept it was a tryout book, intended to determine if a character or concept could attract enough readers to justify launching their own ser ...

'' #51–53. In 1980, Black Panther appeared as a guest star in '' The Defenders'' #84-86, written by Ed Hannigan. This story introduced Black Panther's rivalry with

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 ...

and his kingdom of Atlantis, which becomes a recurring conflict in future story lines.Culver, p. 69. Later in the year, Black Panther appeared in a back up story in ''Marvel Team-Up'' #100 that establishes his relationship with Storm of the

.Culver, p. 70. A four-issue

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

, ''Black Panther'' vol. 2, (July – October 1988) was written by Peter B. Gillis and penciled by

Denys Cowan Denys Cowan (; born January 30, 1961) is an American comics artist, television producer, media executive and one of the co-founders of Milestone Media. Early life Denys Cowan was first inspired by superheroes as a child from reruns of the 1950s T ...

. McGregor revisited his Panther saga with

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...

in "Panther's Quest", published as 25 eight-page installments within the bi-weekly

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

series ''

Marvel Comics Presents ''Marvel Comics Presents'' is an American comic book anthology title that was published in three series by Marvel Comics: from 1988 to 1995; 2007 to 2008; and in 2019. Volume 1 The first volume was released on a bi-weekly basis and lasted for ...

'' (issues #13–37, Feb.–December 1989). The story takes place in

. In the view of critic Todd Steven Burroughs, "'Quest' attempts to show how oppressive

is for everyone involved."

1990s

McGregor later teamed with artist

Dwayne Turner Dwayne Turner is an American comic book artist and illustrator in the film and video game industry. Biography Turner began his professional career in the late 1980s while still in collegeChristopher Priest's and penciller

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 ...

's 1998 series ''Black Panther'' vol. 3 re-invented the character.Culver, p. 87. Scholar Todd Steven Burroughs describes the new vision for the Black Panther as "a combination of Frank Miller's

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

and

n president

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

." Priest was the first Black creator to become an editor at Marvel. Inspired by the

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...

film ''

Coming to America ''Coming to America'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed by John Landis, based on a story originally created by Eddie Murphy, written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, and starring Murphy (in various roles), Arsenio ...

'', 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."Burroughs, p. 56. Priest made the Panther god another form of the Egyptian goddess

Bastet Bastet or Bast (), also known as Ubasti or Bubastis, is a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, possibly of Nubian origin, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BC). In ancient Greek religion, she was known as Ailuros (). Bastet was ...

, originally depicted as a

black cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...

. The Priest-Texeira series was under the Marvel Knights imprint in its first year. Priest's initial concept was inspired by

but also one of Batman's nemeses,

Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil, and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared ...

, 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 Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...

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 ''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...

''. In Priest's characterization, T'Challa actually joined the Avengers in order to spy on them, protecting Wakanda's national interests."Panther by Priest," interview of Christopher Priest by Jess Harrold, included in Black Panther by Reginald Hudlin: The Complete Collection vol. 3, 2018. 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 ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...

'' 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

''Black Panther'' #25-27 (December 2000-February 2001) reintroduce

Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...

as a major character in Black Panther's world. Priest intended their love affair as a consistent aspect of their youthful development, but did not believe they could form a durable relationship. The last 13 issues of Priest's series (#50–62) saw the main character replaced by a

multiracial The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races (human categorization), races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicity, ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used ...

New York City police officer named Kasper Cole, with T'Challa relegated to a supporting character. This Black Panther, who became the

White Tiger The white tiger (ashy tiger) is a leucistic morph of the tiger, typically the Bengal tiger. It is occasionally reported in the Indian wilderness. It has the typical black stripes of a tiger, but its coat is otherwise white or near-white, and ...

, was placed in the series '' The Crew'', running concurrently with the final few ''Black Panther'' issues. ''The Crew'' was canceled with issue #7.

In 2005, Marvel began publishing ''Black Panther'' vol. 4,Culver, p. 109. 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 is a Hollywood writer and director who was at that time the president of the entertainment division of

Black Entertainment Television Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

. 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

, film director

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...

, and music artist

Sean Combs Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Mount Ve ...

. The Black Panther comics that Hudlin wrote sold much better than any previous series featuring the character, including Priest's.Burroughs, p. 109. According to

Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...

, ''Black Panther'' (2005) #1 was the 27th best-selling comic book in February 2005. Hudlin's series also received positive notice from figures outside the comic book world, such as

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

and

Ziggy Marley David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is the son of Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 2002, with whom he released eight studio albums. After ...

. In 2006, during Hudlin's run, T'Challa marries

of the

, and she appeared as a prominent supporting character in many subsequent storylines. Readers and critics compared the wedding to the relationship of

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

and

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

, although they did not marry until two years later. This wedding takes place during Marvel's

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

event, and presented a temporary truce in the conflict of that storyline.Burroughs, p. 116. Subsequently, as a result of the conflict among superheroes during this era, the two characters replace

Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character is a founding member and the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mast ...

and the

Invisible Woman The Invisible Woman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), The Fantastic Four'' #1 (November 1961). Susan St ...

in the

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...

.Culver, p. 116. Douglas Wolk observes that the wedding is the most well-known moment in Hudlin's run, 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 monarch of a physical nation." Hudlin responded to such criticisms in a 2010 interview, declaring that the wedding was set up for months by two different storylines and that the two characters are perfectly matched. 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.Bukatman, p. 41. In addition, Hudlin established T'Challa's complex friendship with

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...

, another prominent Black superhero created several years after Black Panther.Culver, p. 119. 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. 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 Colin Luther Powell ( ; – ) was an Americans, American diplomat, and army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American to hold the office. He was the 15th National Security ...

in D.C., kicking it in Harlem with

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

and

Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights and social justice activist, Baptists, Baptist minister, radio talk show host, and TV personality, who is also the founder of the National Action Network civil rig ...

, and brokering deals off the coast of Cuba with

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

and Prince

." In 2008, Jason Aaron concluded the fourth volume of ''Black Panther'' with a war story about battling a

Skrull The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...

invasion of Wakanda, tying in with Marvel's

Secret Invasion "Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...

event. ''Black Panther'' vol. 5 launched in February 2009, with Hudlin, again scripting, introducing a successor Black Panther, T'Challa's sister Shuri.Culver, p. 120. Tyler Huckabee of ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' 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." 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

, 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.Burroughs, p. 138. 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 Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, or Midtown West on real estate listings, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, ...

neighborhood. Under writer David Liss and artist Francesco Francavilla, he became the lead character in ''Daredevil'' beginning with issue #513 (February 2011); the series was retitled ''Black Panther: The Man Without Fear''. He takes on the identity of Mr. Okonkwo, an immigrant from the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

, 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 The Hate-Monger is the name of several different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The original character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #21 (December, 1963) and was cr ...

, a Silver Age emblem of bigotry who represents contemporary racist and anti-immigrant ideology. In

#608, written by

Jonathan Hickman Jonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for his creator-owned series '' The Nightly News'', '' The Manhattan Projects'' and '' East of West'', as well as his lengthy stints as a writer on Marvel's '' Fantastic Fo ...

, T'Challa again meets the Panther god Bast. Bast reveals that catastrophe will come to Wakanda and that T'Challa will need to be reborn as a new Black Panther. His restored powers exceed his previous strength, and he is also given the collective memories of all the previous Black Panthers.Culver, p. 134. Black Panther then takes part in the '' Avengers vs. X-Men'' event. As a result of this conflict, his marriage to Storm is annulled. For three years, beginning in 2013, Black Panther did not have in his own solo title but instead appeared as one of the primary members of ''

New Avengers The New Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The title has been used for four American comic book series. The first two were written by Brian Michael Bendis and depicted a version of Ma ...

'', written by Jonathan Hickman. Hickman later recalled that this was a conscious cross-media marketing plan to lead toward a relaunch of ''Black Panther'' coinciding with the feature film. In this series, Black Panther works together with a secret team of the most powerful heroes, the Illuminati.Culver, p. 147. He often finds himself torn between the needs of his particular nation and more global concerns. In particular, he has a mortal conflict with

, who is responsible for a bloody invasion of Wakanda.Culver, p. 148. Black Panther then joins ''

The Ultimates The Ultimates is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from '' The Ultimates'' #1 (cover date March 2002), ...

'', written by Al Ewing. The group battles

Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the p ...

.Culver, p. 161.

A new ''Black Panther'' series written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and drawn by Brian Stelfreeze was launched in 2016. Marvel intended the series to respond to contemporary

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

concerns. Coates was previously a correspondent for ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'' and won the

National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...

for his essay '' Between the World and Me''. As Todd Steven Burroughs writes, "The announcement that Ta-Nehisi Coates––the writer whom

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist and editor. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically accl ...

called the heir to novelist and essayist

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'' has been ranked ...

––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 Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jenny Blake Isabella and Arvell Jones, the character was first mentioned in '' Marvel Premiere'' #20 (January 1975) and first appear ...

, and

Manifold In mathematics, a manifold is a topological space that locally resembles Euclidean space near each point. More precisely, an n-dimensional manifold, or ''n-manifold'' for short, is a topological space with the property that each point has a N ...

.Culver, p. 164. According to

, ''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 Heidi MacDonald (born November 15) is an American writer and editor of comic books based in New York City. She runs the comics industry news blog '' The Beat''. Career MacDonald is a former editor for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint and '' Disney A ...

'' and ''

''. Critics found the second issue compelling and unusual, but enigmatic. Critic Todd Steven Burroughs characterizes the story as "ultra-cerebral," and suggests that some of the previous authors of the character may have found it pretentious.Burroughs, pp. 154–155. He interprets the story as a fascinating

deconstruction In philosophy, deconstruction is a loosely-defined set of approaches to understand the relationship between text and meaning. The concept of deconstruction was introduced by the philosopher Jacques Derrida, who described it as a turn away from ...

of Wakanda that removes "what oatesmight call the intellectual crutch of

Black nationalism Black nationalism is a nationalist movement which seeks representation for Black people as a distinct national identity, especially in racialized, colonial and postcolonial societies. Its earliest proponents saw it as a way to advocate for ...

" from the mythos of Black Panther. 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 Orishas (singular: orisha) are divine spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Haitian Vaudou, Cuban Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. The p ...

, a Yoruba word for spirit or deity from Yoruba mythology, the pantheon is composed of

Egyptian gods Ancient Egyptian deities are the gods and goddesses worshipped in ancient Egypt. The beliefs and rituals surrounding these gods formed the core of ancient Egyptian religion, which emerged sometime in prehistory. Deities represented natural for ...

and other origins, such as Kokou, an orisha from

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

. 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 The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference (), also known as the Bandung Conference, was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on 18–24 April 1955 in Bandung, We ...

. Coates also co-wrote a new series called ''Black Panther: World of Wakanda'' together with

Roxane Gay Roxane Gay (born October 15, 1974) is an American writer, professor, editor, and social commentator. Gay is the author of ''The New York Times'' best-selling essay collection ''Bad Feminist'' (2014), as well as the short story collection ''Ayiti ...

that detailed more about the Dora Milaje. 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 Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...

. According to

, ''Black Panther'' (2018) #1 was the fifth 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 ''

'' 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 John Ridley IV (born October 1, 1964) is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for '' 12 Years a Slave'', for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also the creator and showrunn ...

wrote a new five-issue Black Panther series. According to

, ''Black Panther'' (2021) #1 was the 10th best-selling comic book in November 2021. Hannibal Tabu of ''

Bleeding Cool ''Bleeding Cool'' is an Internet news site, focusing on comics, television, film, board games, and video games. Owned by Avatar Press, it was launched by Rich Johnston in 2009. Avatar Press also publishes an associated magazine, also called ''B ...

'' 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 ''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 ...

'' 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

'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 Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune (novel), ''Dune'' and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, ...

'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 in Wakanda to T'Chaka, the Black Panther, and Queen N'Yami. N'Yami dies in childbirth, and T'Chaka's second wife, Ramonda, gives birth to Shuri. Ramonda vanishes shortly after. T'Challa defeats his uncle during a ritual event; this earns him the right to ingest a powerful ancestral heart-shaped herb. The herb gives him superhuman strength and speed, and he inherits the title of Black Panther. However, in T'Challa's boyhood Klaw invades Wakanda and murders T'Chaka during an attempt to seize Wakanda's valuable natural resource,

. T'Challa and the Wakandans drive Klaw from the country and wound him.Culver, p. 13. As an adolescent, T'Challa goes on a walkabout manhood ritual and meets a young orphan in Cairo, Ororo Munroe (who will later become known as Storm). He is sent abroad and graduates from Oxford University. He travels the world and returns to claim his throne in Wakanda. Klaw returns to Wakanda to resume his attempt to steal the vibranium; this time, he is equipped with strange new weapons based on sound. T'Challa invites the Fantastic Four to Wakanda, then attacks and attempts to neutralize them individually. He does this to test himself as preparation to battle Klaw. The Fantastic Four and T'Challa learn mutual respect for one another and team up to defeat Klaw together. T'Challa later leaves Wakanda and joins the Avengers, on

's recommendation. T'Challa later reveals that he joined the team in order to spy on them and determine their possible effects on Wakanda's national interest. He lives in New York City and works as an inner-city school teacher under the secret identity "Luke Charles." He meets and establishes a relationship Monica Lynn, a soul singer, who accompanies him on his return to Wakanda.Whitted, p. xxix. However, upon his return, T'Challa finds that Erik Killmonger, a Wakandan who was exiled to the U.S. because his father assisted Klaw, is prepared to usurp his title. T'Challa eventually defeats Killmonger in a battle atop a waterfall. Along with Lynne, T'Challa then leaves Wakanda again to investigate the murder of Lynne's sister. He determines that the

are to blame, and defeats them in combat as well. In later adventures, he reunites with his stepmother Ramonda and confronts

. He enters into conflict with a rival monarch,

of Atlantis. He also works together with a staffer of the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

, Everett K. Ross,Whitted, p. xxxv. and a team of female bodyguards called the Dora Milaje. He leaves Monica Lynn, re-connects with Storm, and deals with a renegade Dora Milaje named Nakia who feels jilted by him and seeks revenge. Erik Killmonger returns and destabilizes the economy of Wakanda in a renewed effort to conquer it. Killmonger defeats T'Challa and becomes a new Black Panther, but he is poisoned by the heart-shaped herb during his ascension ceremony. Killmonger is rendered comatose and T'Challa returns to his position.Culver, p. 94. Later, T'Challa finds he has a brain aneurysm 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.Wiacek, p. 15. Klaw again attempts to invade Wakanda and to cause a war with Wakanda's neighbor, Niganda. The U.S. government sends an army of Deathloks, cyborg warriors, to occupy Wakanda and fight Klaw. It becomes evident that Klaw's invasion is actually a ruse to advance U.S. Imperialism. Klaw holds T'Challa's mother hostage, but he refuses to negotiate. Black Panther and the Wakandans successfully defeat the Deathloks and Klaw.Culver, p. 112. T'Challa marries Storm. They tour the world. Black Panther and Storm side with

against

Iron Man 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 ...

in the civil war among superheroes sparked by the superhero registration initiative. They then temporarily join the

. Killmonger again tries to conquer Wakanda, but he is killed by

Monica Rambeau Monica Rambeau is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr., the character first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #16 (October 1982). Monica Ram ...

. Storm and Black Panther then repel another invasion, from the alien

Skrulls The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...

. Storm returns to the

and Black Panther returns to Wakanda. T'Challa suffers a brutal attack after meeting with

and

. His sister Shuri is trained as the next Black Panther. T'Challa is temporarily in a coma; the supervillain Morlun tries to devour his body. Shuri rescues her brother from Morlun, and is officially inaugurated as a new Black Panther while T'Challa recovers. T'Challa and Shuri team up to fight Doctor Doom, along with the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and

Deadpool Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...

. T'Challa remains wounded, so he is mystically charged by a Wakandan healer. Now returned to power, T'Challa leads a Dora Milaje army. However, because Doom is on the verge of taking control of Wakanda's vibranium, T'Challa takes the desperate measure of de-powering all of it. Now stripped of his power, T'Challa leaves Wakanda, while Shuri searches the world for new vibranium. Matt Murdock (the superhero Daredevil) asks T'Challa to replace him as guardian of Hell's Kitchen, while Murdock takes a leave of absence.Wiacek, p. 14. T'Challa takes on a new secret identity in New York, presenting himself as "Mr. Okonkwo", an immigrant from

and a manager of a restaurant. Simultaneously, he takes on Daredevil's job as a crime-fighter. Upon his return to Wakanda, T'Challa serves as a second to his sister, Shuri, who remains the kingdom's active ruler. T'Challa calls on the Fantastic Four to help him with conflict with Necropolis, a tomb below Wakanda. T'Challa meets Bast, the Panther god, who shows him prophecies of future disasters and restores all of his Black Panther powers so that he will be able to face these challenges. He also gains all the collective memories of previous Black Panthers. Shortly after, the Avengers come into conflict with the X-Men. 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 because of her connection to her fellow mutant, Namor. T'Challa calls on an elite and secret group of superheroes to face a new threat to the universe and all alternative universes. This group, the Illuminati, includes

Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...

Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...

, Beast, and Namor. T'Challa has discovered incursions from parallel Earths that could lead to the destruction of universes. T'Challa must temporarily put his animosity toward Namor aside, though Black Panther vows to kill Namor when the crisis passes. Wakanda launches a secret attack on Atlantis, Namor's kingdom, just as

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 ...

invades Earth. Namor deceives Thanos and leads him to attack Wakanda. The Avengers defeat Thanos, but Shuri learns about T'Challa's collaboration with Namor in the Illuminati. In response to T'Challa's refusal to disclose the extent of their activities, she expels him from Wakandan leadership. T'Challa is also called upon to destroy a parallel world in order to preserve his own. He is unwilling to do so, and the spirit of his father strips him of the Black Panther powers as a result. Namor then destroys the parallel planet himself and reveals his role in sending Thanos to Wakanda; T'Challa tries to kill him, and the Illuminati expel him from their group. Namor takes over the Necropolis, beneath Wakanda, and T'Challa and Shuri invade this subterranean city. T'Challa ultimately works together with the Illuminati to defeat Namor. T'Challa is able to transport Namor to another world and abandon him there. However, the various universes continue to collide and threaten all of existence. Doctor Doom, however, is able to create a new reality with himself in control. T'Challa and Namor are forced to join forces to eventually defeat Doom and restore the previously existing universe. T'Challa joins a new group called the

Ultimates The Ultimates is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from ''The Ultimates (comic book), The Ultimates'' ...

in order to fight

. Shuri appears to have been killed by invaders. T'Challa loses his connection with Bast, and his people begin calling him ''Haramu-Fal'', meaning "the Orphan King." Wakanda is damaged and lacking in resources and connections as a result of the various invasions and wars. Wakanda experiences a national crisis as a result of its economic and political difficulties, loss of life, and the blow to their pride as a historically undefeated nation. A political conflict takes place when two of the Dora Milaje attempt to protect women from rape by foreign chieftains and are punished for doing so by Wakanda authorities. They respond by rejecting Wakandan authority and creating their own outpost. Partly as a result of this conflict, Wakandans generally become skeptical of the monarchy. This natural discontent is exploited by Zenzi, who works together with an American businessman to overthrow T'Challa. At the same time, a university professor named Changamire spreads democratic ideas among Wakandans. An insurgency develops against the Black Panther, and T'Challa consults with various dictators. Black Panther forms a new group called the Crew, including Storm and

in order to counter this insurgency. T'Challa recruits Changamire to mediate the conflict. Shuri is revealed to be comatose rather than dead. Her soul is transported to a new realm of Wakandan memory. She learns about their culture prior to the discovery of vibranium. T'Challa works together with Eden Fesi to recover Shuri. She becomes a new being, Aja-Adanna, who can maintain all Wakandan memory. Shuri can then consult T'Challa on the future of the nation. Shuri now has the ability to transform into a flock of black birds, a single large black bird, or a stone. Shuri helps to reconcile T'Challa with the dissident elements of the Dora Milaje. Wakanda embarks on a new path toward a democracy, with monarchy only performing a ceremonial role. Black Panther later 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

T'Challa is a shrewd political actor whose main concern is the survival and prosperity of his nation, Wakanda. Tom Brevoort, an editor of Black Panther stories at Marvel, says that Black Panther is unique because of his strategic planning. McGregor's stories establish that he is emotionally intelligent and naturally intuitive, rather than aristocratic. 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. 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. Reginald Hudlin, one of the character's most decisive writers, argues that Black Panther is "the African equivalent of

. Both represent the best of their nations. Not just physically but as moral paragons."

Colonialism and decolonization

The stories also explore imaginary approaches to the circumstances, opportunities, and difficulties of small, resource-rich nations in the

Global South Global North and Global South are terms that denote a method of grouping countries based on their defining characteristics with regard to socioeconomics and politics. According to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Global South broadly com ...

. Black Panther's character and his fictional kingdom, Wakanda, constitute an early example of what was later called

Afrofuturism Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and history that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology. It addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technoculture ...

. 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." Black Panther's first story also establishes that Wakanda is in possession of a valuable natural resource (vibranium) and that various powers wish to violate Wakanda's sovereignty in order to obtain that resource. 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 The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Southern Cone, NATO, Western European countries and oth ...

revolutionary movements and US

Black Power Black power is a list of political slogans, political slogan and a name which is given to various associated ideologies which aim to achieve self-determination for black people. It is primarily, but not exclusively, used in the United States b ...

organizations, such as the Black Panther Party and the

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and later, the Student National Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced ) was the principal channel of student commitment in the United States to the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Emer ...

. 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 Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He played a significant role in the ...

Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba ( ; born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa; 2 July 192517 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic o ...

, and

Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...

. However, while many third-world revolutionaries believed in some version of

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

, Wakanda is portrayed as a monarchy. Moreover, while African independence movements were usually skeptical of US national interests they perceived as

imperialist Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power ( diplomatic power and cultural imperialism). Imperialism fo ...

, Black Panther is a friendly ally of

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,

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 African nationalism is an umbrella term which refers to a group of political ideologies in sub-Saharan Africa, which are based on the idea of national self-determination and the creation of nation states.lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

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. Todd Steven Burroughs describes McGregor's rendition of the Panther as "a kind of warrior-priest who could endure suffering as well as any Hindu

yogi A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297–299, 331 ...

." 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.

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 The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

, 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 During World War II, the Panther was named T'Chanda, who first defeated

and then allied with him to fight the Nazis. T'Challa's father is T'Chaka. 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. To protect the kingdom, T'Chaka instituted a policy of strong isolationism. He is killed by Ulysses Klaw after having surprised him when he was trying to illegally extract vibranium in his kingdom. 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.Wiacek, p. 36-37. When T'Challa ends up in a coma because of

, 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.

Cultural impact and legacy

Black Panther became widely popular since the release of the film ''

'' 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 Nazara Technologies is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational technology company that has business interests in mobile games, esports, and sports media. It is based in Mumbai. History Nazara Technologies was founded by Nitish Mitte ...

'' 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 ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...

'' 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 ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' 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 ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' 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 ''Wizard'' or ''Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture'' (previously titled ''Wizard: The Guide to Comics'' and ''Wizard: The Comics Magazine'') was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by ...

'' ranked Black Panther 79th in their "200 Greatest Comic Book Character of All Time" list. In 2020, following the death of Chadwick Boseman,

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...

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 Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in London in 1835 by the French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. One of the early main attractions was the Chamber of Horrors, which appeared in advertising in 1843. In 1883, the restricted space of ...

, 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

In 2018,

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...

released a film adaptation titled ''

'', starring Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa and directed by

Ryan Coogler Ryan Coogler (born May 23, 1986) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is a recipient of ten NAACP Image Awards and four Black Reel Awards, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe ...

. ''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 Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...

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 $1billion, 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 The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...

. Chadwick Boseman also portrayed T'Challa / Black Panther in other media set in the

. T'Challa appears in the live-action films '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), ''

'' (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+ 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...?'', 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 ''

'', voiced by

Keith David Keith David Williams (born June 4, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his deep voice and screen presence in over 300 roles in film, stage, television, and interactive media. He has starred in such films as '' The Thing'' (1982), ''Pla ...

. In 2010, he later appeared in a self-titled animated TV series on

, voiced by

Djimon Hounsou Djimon Gaston Hounsou ( ; ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor. He began his career appearing in music videos and made his film debut in '' Without You I'm Nothing'' (1990). He then earned widespread recognition for his role as C ...

. This series was a literal adaptation of Reginald Hudlin's arc of the comic series. Subsequently, Black Panther appeared as a supporting character in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', voiced by James C. Mathis III. and '' Avengers Assemble'', voiced again by James C. Mathis III. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources. 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 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 ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (also known as ''Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends'') is an American animated television series produced by Marvel Studios Animation (formerly Marvel Animation) and animated by Atomic Cartoons (who als ...

'', 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 Phil LaMarr is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV'', where he stayed for five seasons. His voice acting roles in animated series include the Sam B of ' ...

. There was plans to give the character his own video game, developed by Cliffhanger Games and published by

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple Inc., Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry ...

but the game was later cancelled.

Notes

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. * Culver, Dennis (2018). ''Black Panther: The Illustrated History of a King''. Insight Comics. ISBN 978-1-68383-185-3. * Darowski, Joseph J., ed. (2020). ''The Ages of the Black Panther: Essays on the King of Wakanda in Comic Books.'' McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1476-67522-0. * ''Los Angeles Times'' Special Edition: Black Panther (2023). * McGregor, Don, Rich Buckler, Billy Graham, Stan Lee, & Jack Kirby (2022). ''Black Panther''. Penguin Classics. ISBN 978-0-14-313580-7. ** Whitted, Qiana J. "Volume Introduction." In McGregor, et. al., pp. xxi-xxxvi. * 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. * Wolk, Douglas (2021). ''All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told''. Penguin Press.

External links

The Origin of Black Panther and Wakanda
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Publication history

Creation

Predecessors

Early years: 1960s and early 1970s

1970s and 1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Characterization

Fictional character biography

Personality and motivations

Powers, abilities and equipment

Themes and motifs

Racism and Black pride

Colonialism and decolonization

Challenges and transformation of the human body

Supporting characters

Allies

Other Black Panthers

Romantic interests

Villains

Cultural impact and legacy

In other media

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links