Black Panther (character)

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

Black Panther is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #52, published in July 1966. Black Panther's birth name is T'Challa, and he is the son of the previous Black Panther, T'Chaka. He is the king and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, a technologically advanced society drawing from a supply of vibranium, a fictional metal of extraordinary properties. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan rituals of drinking the essence of the heart-shaped herb, T'Challa also relies on his proficiency in science, expertise in his nation's traditions, rigorous physical training, hand-to-hand combat skills, and access to wealth and advanced Wakandan technology to combat his enemies. The character became a member of the Avengers in 1968, and has continued that affiliation off and on in subsequent decades.

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

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