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The Black Panther is a fictional comic book superhero, owned by Marvel Comics.
Overview
The Black Panther is real African royalty, the King of the African Nation of Wakanda. To understand the Black Panther, one needs to understand Wakanda.
Wakanda is an unusual country, as it is the only nation in Africa that has never been conquered or exploited by any other nation, European or otherwise. As such, it has developed a level of culture, civilization, and technological advancement of which most countries can only dream.
The Black Panther possesses heightened physical strength and senses, though not to an inhuman degree. He has particularly keen eyesight and night vision. He possesses the speed, endurance and skill of a gifted athlete at peak physical condition. He has incredible tracking skills, and is particularly good at acrobatics, gymnastics, and something called "brachiation," which is the skill of swinging from tree branch to tree branch using ones arms.
The Black Panther is not just a superhero identity, but an ancient title of the spiritual and political leader of the Wakandan nation, as well as the spiritually based warrior religion known as the Panther Clan, though sometimes referred to as the Cult of the Black Panther or The Panther Cult. As such, the position and title of Black Panther must be earned, even by the hereditary king. T’Challa received special training from childhood towards this end. He is merely the latest in a long line of Black Panthers.
He is the best hand-to-hand fighter in Wakanda, something which he has to prove on a regular basis. Every year, there is a day when any Wakandan can challenge the king in combat for the throne.
The Black Panther also has access to his nations resources, such as a large collection of technological weaponry and supernatural talismans, and a wide array of scientists, engineers, and mystics.
The Black Panther and Storm as part of the Fantastic Four
The Wakandan embassy in New York is destroyed at the end of the crossover event, Civil War. The Black Panther and his queen, the mutant warrior Storm, currently reside at Four Freedoms Plaza where they are temporarily serving as part of the Fantastic Four while Reed and Sue Richards take a leave of absence. The Fantastic Four's quarters at Four Freedoms Plaza is also serving as the temporary Wakandan Embassy.
With the return of Reed and Sue, T'Challa and Storm have left the Fantastic Four for more adventures in the Black Panther comic book.
The Black Panther starred in the direct-to-video animated movie Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Black Panther (2006).
Recurring Villains: Klaw, Eric Killmonger, Man-Ape, Baron Macabre, Moses Magnum
Character Origin
T’Challa is the son of T’Chaka, who is King of the African nation of Wakanda. T'Chaka makes some enemies of the Western "powers that be" when he refuses to sell any vibranium or any other of Wakanda's natural and technological resources for any price. T’Chaka is slain by Ulysses Klaw, an elite Belgian assassin paid for by European interests who hope that the assasination of the royal family will bring in an administration easier to deal with. After he assassinates T’Chaka, Klaw has to flee because young T’Challa , a surprisingly good shot, chases him off with his own gun. T’Challa is then sent to the finest schools in the United States and Europe. He returns with a degree in physics. He also spends some time wandering and learning about his native continent, where he meets a youthful Ororo Munroe, with whom he has a romance and many adventures. Eventually, he breaks her heart to return to his responsibilities in Wakanda and to continue his quest to track down Klaw, his father’s murderer. Years later, he returns to propose to her and make her his queen. Ororo is also known as the mutant Storm, a powerful member of the superhero team, the X-Men.
To acquire the title of Black Panther, T’Challa has to defeat six of Wakanda’s greatest warriors in unarmed combat, and obtain the secret heart-shaped herb which grants great physical strength and heightens the senses. Passing both these tests, T’Challa takes on the ceremonial garb of the Black Panther.
T'Challa defeats Wakanda's champions.
After meeting Captain America, T’Challa is invited to join the Avengers. He is concerned about the implications of what a gathering of such powerful beings was about, and accepts the position to learn more about them. He takes a leave of absence from his country to accept this position. He remains an Avenger for an extended period of time before being satisfied that they are a force for good. He returns to Wakanda to continue his kingly duties.
Other Mediums
In 2008, Marvel Comics signed a deal to turn Black Panther into a primetime animated series for BET to begin airing in 2009.
Related Terms and Articles
External Links
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