Though there were other similar heroes in the Marvel vault, this one is unique.
The Black Panther has been a part of the Marvel history since 1996 but he has remained in the shadows of other more well-known heroes.
Something that is sure to change thanks to the successful Black Panther movie released this year. But for the purposes of this discussion, we are going to focus on the comic version and what make this hero truly unique.
Brief History
The Black Panther is not a singular person in the Marvel world. Rather, it is the ceremonial title given to the chief of the Panther. For this article, we will focus on T’Challa. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 1966. He would eventually broke out into his own feature, Jungle Action # 5 in 1973.
Early on the majority of the story arcs we short runs, less than 20 issues, but was brought more into the fold of the Avengers. This gave the hero more exposure and and helped bring him to one of the more recognizable characters.
T’Challa has come into his own as the Black Panther in more recent time, including series runs with the Daredevil and the most recent series that started in 2016. One of the more interesting arcs was one portion of his love life.
T’Challa crossed paths with an orphan named Ororo Munroe. Unbeknownest to him, she would later take on the role of Storm for the X-Men. Eventually the two would marry and take part in a diplomatic tour before having to take on a group of super villains organized by Klaw.
Positives
The technology. Over the years, we have seen some incredible tech gear come out of Wakanda and used effectively by the Black Panther. People sometimes compare him to being the Marvel’s version of Batman, but honestly we don’t think there is a strong correlation between the two.
Negatives
This was a tough one. On the surface some may say his royal bloodline could be seen as a negative. To the point where T’Challa could feel as being a child born with the silver spoon.We did not come across anything like this in our research, but there are still plenty of comics to read through.
Best Villain
There were some interesting choices for best villain, but in the end we went with Erik Killmonger. This decision was made prior to the MCU version. Klaw was a close runner-up but the relationship Killmonger and T’Challa have feels a step above.
Overall
When you take an overall look at the history of this hero, it is hard to imagine why he did not garner more attention. His background and personality make him a interesting hero worthy of earning a spot closer to the top.
