T'Challa

Latest revision as of 06:11, 12 June 2023

King T'Challa in Black Panther v1 #170.

T'Challa is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

The Black Panther in Fantastic Four v1 #52.

T'Challa was a male human born in the African nation of Wakanda where he was the son of King T'Chaka and his first wife N'Yami. (Rise of the Black Panther v1 #1) He had an older adopted brother by the name of Hunter who blamed T'Challa for their mother's death. (Black Panther v3 #10)

In his childhood, one of his closest companions was another boy named B’Tumba who was the son of the witch doctor N’Baza who was also T’Chaka’s most trusted council. (Avengers v1 #87)

When he was 8 years old, his adoptive mother Ramonda had returned to her native South Africa to attend her father's funeral when she disappeared. (Black Panther v4 #12)

After his fathers death, N’Baza was made Regent of Wakanda with the young T’Challa initially staying with him. The witch doctor believed that the young boy needed to travel outside the country in order to be a better man. This resulted in T’Challa travelling to Europe and America to study in the finest schools with B’Tumba being by his side to ensure he was not lonely. The pair studied hard together and had a fierce competition in sports leading to their eventual graduation. With his education complete, T’Challa decided to return to Wakanda to become chieftain of his people as was his birth right. (Avengers v1 #87)

Returning to Wakanda, he looked to resume his duties to his tribe and lead his country. This saw him being sent on the trial to acquire the heart-shaped herb where he came to be captured by A.I.M.. During this time, he came to find out that his old friend B'Tumba had joined A.I.M. and had been ordered to execute T'Challa. However, he found that he could not kill is old friend and instead freed T'Challa where together they fought against A.I.M.'s soldiers. In the battle, B'Tumba was fatally wounded and he came to apologise to T'Challa where he asked that he not reveal his betrayal to his father as he died. (Avengers v1 #87) He then made his challenge for the throne with this occurring two years earlier than was expected. (Rise of the Black Panther v1 #2) T'Challa came to fight his uncle S'Yan and was victorious against him where he was happy to stand down and pass the mantle to his nephew. (Black Panther v4 #2)

After his installation as king, he was noted to had disbanded the Hatut Zeraze. (Black Panther v3 #4)

Around a decade ago, he began liquidating the nation's Vibranium reserves with this being 400 ounces a day. T'Challa was then joined by Wakanda's best economists where they took the capital and diversified as well as invested heavily in emerging economies. (Fantastic Four v1 #607)

Black Panther

While developing nuclear weaponry inside Wakanda, he began to invite super-powered people to his country, beginning with the Fantastic Four. (Fantastic Four v1 #52) Although, once he found out what kind of people they were, T'Challa saw them as allies as well as friends. They helped T'Challa defeat Klaw without taking his life. (Fantastic Four v1 #53)

T'Challa led an army to Panther Island in a battle against the Inhumans. He realized that they have mutual allies and that Black Bolt brought the Inhumans because he sensed danger. Investigating, they came across the Psycho-Man's base and had to fight off his defenses. They found themselves overwhelmed and so they had Lockjaw bring the Fantastic Four to the Psycho-Man's base to turn the tide. There they battled their way to Psycho-Man, who revealed to them that he came from the Microverse and that he intended to take over this world with a giant emoto-caster weapon. Psycho-Man was subdued by all the heroes and Black Panther questioned him, only to find that he was actually a robot piloted by a tiny being. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #5)

Avenger

Black Panther and his allies traveled to Wakanda. There, they were greeted by an army of Wakandan troops who attacked the other Avengers with guns until Black Panther stopped them. When asking them who authorized them to carry such weapons, they told the Panther that it was his chosen stand-in M'Baku that gave the order. Angered, Black Panther called M'Baku to him. Having dinner, M'Baku explained that he ordered the troops to carry weapons because he had heard reports that Klaw was back in Wakanda. During their meal, Black Panther and his comrades were knocked out because M'Baku had drugged their food in hopes of taking over the nation of Wakanda. Waking, Black Panther found himself in costume, faced with M'Baku who was dressed as a white gorilla, a forbidden outfit in Wakanda. Calling himself the Man-Ape, M'Baku explained that he would kill T'Challa, take over the kingdom, and have everyone worship the white gorilla instead of the panther god. A battle waged on through the village of Wakanda, taking them to the atomic fire pits that power the small nation. Then the Man-Ape almost fell into the pit, but Black Panther grabbed him. As he was pulling up his foe, the Man-Ape attacked and knocked him out. Later, T'Challa awoke strapped to an altar beneath the Panther Idol. Man-Ape then attempted to knock the statue onto the Black Panther in an effort to kill him and destroy the idol. Meanwhile, the other Avengers came to and broke out of their prison cell. The Man-Ape's plan backfired, as his efforts to knock down the statue caused it to crumble and fall on top of him while the Avengers freed T'Challa from his restraints. With T'Challa free and the Man-Ape apparently deceased, the battle was declared over. (Avengers v1 #62)

The Sons of the Serpent had taken T'Challa hostage and had a hired minion sent in a copy of the Black Panther costume. In that guise, he was to rob various locations in order to increase tensions in the city. The goal of the Supreme Serpent was to the reveal that the Avenger was a black man under the mask to the people of the United States. Such a move was expected to had triggered racial tensions between black and white people. Trapped in the Serpent's submarine, T'Challa was helpless to stop them but managed to break free as the Avengers tracked down the imposter. The heroes then exposed the Supreme Serpents as being a white and black man both of whom were simply using racist ideology to attain power. (Avengers v1 #74)

The Man Without Fear

Bereft of his position, he decided to go out and find his purpose once again. At this time, Matt Murdock himself was recently coming to terms over his actions as leader of the Hand where he had created a criminal empire in the Shadowland. Looking to redeem himself as well, he intended to leave New York City for a time but needed someone to take over as guardian of Hell's Kitchen. He then asked T'Challa to accept the mantle as the former king of Wakanda was also looking to terms with himself for destroying the Vibranium that was the foundation of his nation. T'Challa accepted the offer and was given a new identity by Foggy Nelson that established him as Mr. Okonkwo who was a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo and was purchasing a small diner in the area. This would allow T'Challa to remain close to the people who was protecting under his watch. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear v1 #513)

Storm, although missing her husband, recognized his need to operate on his own, and agreed to leave him in private unless he asked for her. T'Challa found himself facing the new super criminal Vlad the Impaler, who was consolidating power in the city's underworld. He also faced foes such as Kraven the Hunter when a doctor attempted to provoke a conflict between T'Challa and Kraven when T'Challa discovered the doctor's illegal medical experiments to recreate the electricity-wielding powers of a dead foe, but with Storm's help, T'Challa was able to convince Kraven that the doctor had lied about being able to kill him and get his help releasing the mutated animals back into the wild. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear v1 #520)

Later, the new Hate Monger John Glenn who was possessed by the spirit of the original came to create the nationalist vigilante called the American Panther as part of a complicated scheme of revenge. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear v1 #521)

King of the Dead

Returning to Wakanda, he re-joined the royal family as the nation continued to enjoy its wealth. They were then attacked by undead warriors of an ancient god who looked to reclaim knowledge that had been given to the Wakandans by Bast. Seeking to stop this treat, T'Challa called for Reed Richards to accompany him into the Wakandan city of the dead namely the Necropolis where all Black Panthers were laid to rest. (Fantastic Four v1 #607) They eventually met Bastet the Panther God where and T'Challa told her that he desired to be Black Panther again but did not want to harm Shuri in any way. Meanwhile, Shuri, Susan Richards and Storm took an herb to make them 'see the gods', and immediately took the battle to Anubis the God of the Dead who was the source of the undead soldiers. They encountered and engaged Anubis and his army of the dead. Bast showed T'Challa a vision of Wakanda being flooded and told him that the catastrophic destruction of Wakanda was but a prelude to something worse, and for the salvation of his nation, he must become her king and not Wakanda's. She deemed him King of the Dead where he gained the power and knowledge of all the past Black Panthers to become a 'king of kings' and as 'Bast's champion' as well as her 'Black Panther'. He now ruled over Necropolis whilst Shuri remained in power in Wakanda. (Fantastic Four v1 #608)

Secret Wars

A Nation Under Out Feet

Overview

Personality and attributes

The King of the Dead in Original Sin v1 #2.

Upon taking the mantle of Black Panther, he was known as Damisa-Sarki (the Panther) that denoted the rulers of Wakanda. (Black Panther v6 #1) After losing his position as Black Panther, he sought out the goddess [Bast (Marvel)|Bast]] where he was made the King of the Dead as custodian of the Necropolis. (Fantastic Four v1 #608) He came to be referred to as the Haramu-Fal (Orphan-King) after being disowned by his ancestors and rejected by his country for a time. (Black Panther v6 #1) His uncle N'Baza made sure that T'Challa had a legal American name in addition to the tribal one with him going by Mr. Charles. (Avengers v1 #77) Whilst operating in Hell's Kitchen, he wanted people to know him as the Man Without Fear. Foggy Nelson once helped establish a fake identity for him as Mr. Okonkwo with the papers claiming that he was a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear v1 #513)

After the death of his father, T'Challa's boyhood was said to had ended as was set to inherit the throne. (Fantastic Four v1 #53)

Following T'Chaka's death, he swore to avenge his father and make Klaw pay in full measure. (Fantastic Four v1 #53)

Notable personality traits of T'Challa were his pride, honor and determination. (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear v1 #513)

As a fighter, he was noted for enjoying battling challenging opponents. (Fantastic Four v1 #52)

He had said that he used everything to his advantage regardless whether people agreed with him or not. (Avengers v3 #66)

T'Chaka was held as the greatest chieftain of all who was wise in council, just in judgment and brave in battle. To T'Challa, he was more than a father or a warrior where he viewed T'Chaka being like a god to him. (Fantastic Four v1 #53) Ramonda came to be the only mother that T'Challa had ever known. (Black Panther v4 #12)

His father had adopted a child before T'Challa's birth with this being his older brother named Hunter. (Black Panther v3 #10) He had a half-brother named Jakarra who was the product of a brief arranged marriage made to his father. (Black Panther v1 #7) From his fathers second wife Ramonda, he came to gain a younger sister by the name of Shuri. (Black Panther v4 #2)

He had a tumultuous relationship with his brother Hunter who believed that T'Challa was not fit to be king. However, he noted that if his adoptive brother had acted like the king he desired then he would swear allegiance to him. (Black Panther v3 #12) Hunter was also said to had blamed T'Challa for the death of their mother. (Black Panther v3 #10)

In his father's council was N'Baza who had been a witch doctor and advisor to the king. He was made regent after T'Chaka's death and wanted nothing but good for T'Challa. (Avengers v1 #87) He was considered to T'Challa with him being a man far ahead of his time who was a firm believer in education. (Avengers v1 #77)

Among the Fantastic Four, he came to consider Reed Richards to be the most dangerous foe of all. (Fantastic Four v1 #52)

Powers and abilities

N'Baza was noted to had sent him to study in the best schools in Europe. (Avengers v1 #77) T'Challa came to be regarded amongst the top 8 smartest people on the planet. (Incredible Hulk v1 #601)

He developed the ability to track a person through wind or rain by seeking out his quarry's soul. (Black Panther v6 #1)

Among the fighting techniques he knew included; Fist of Vibranium, Hungry Lion Organ Seeker, Leaping Buffalo Uppercut Elbow Strike, the Winds of the Serengeti, Drunken Elephant Headbutt, Flying Leopard Claw Kick, Black Mamba Spine Strike, Hippo Fist, the Rage of Many Wildebeests, and the West African Dambe Fist of Broken Glass. (Avenger v8 #36) He was able to strike several nerve pinches that could induce sleep in a human opponent. (Black Panther v4 #12)

As the Black Panther, he took part in the trial whereby he went to the Great Plateau at the very borders of the Wakandas where resided the heart-shaped forbidden herb. Eating the herb made him a true heir to the panther throne and gave him powers similar to the big cats. They afforded his body greater resilience and cat-like strength never known before. (Avengers v1 #87) He had noted that his senses were as sharp as any jungle cat. (Fantastic Four v1 #52)

One of these was the stalking costume that he kept stored in a secure compartment. The claws were capable of emitting a sleeping gas that could render a target unconscious. (Fantastic Four v1 #52)

The suit was capable of discharging bursts of energy both through the hands and around him allowing him to repel attackers. (Black Panther v6 #1)

From the suit, he was able to activate King's Roar that had a means of communicating with alien beings. (Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda v1 #4)

The soles of the boots were thick pads made of Vibranium alloy which vibrating at different frequencies allowing him multiple traits such as being able to run up the side of buildings or dropping from 50 foot heights without making a sound. (Black Panther v3 #3) His ability to track his prey was derived through his Soul-Stalker that could be interfaced with to gather data on his target. (Black Panther v6 #1) His Energy Dagger on its highest setting was able to effortlessly cut through forged steel. (Black Panther v3 #4) One item he used were Panther Webs that were a rapidly expanding Vibranum-based foam incapacitant. (Avenger v8 #36)

A weapon he was known to use were Wakandan Rhino Horn Energy Daggers. (Avenger v8 #36)

He made use of a larger armoured suit similar to the Hulkbuster armour that included built-in sonic weapons and could spray a spore cloud at enemies. It also had the ability to absorb and magnify energy with any attack making it stronger. (Totally Awesome Hulk v1 #10)

As King of the Dead, he was able to speak to the spirits of all his ancestors that held the title of Black Panther where their strength and knowledge flowed with him. (Fantastic Four v1 #608)

T'Challa was the hereditary chieftain of the Wakandas and considered perhaps the richest man in the world. (Fantastic Four v1 #52) The Wakanda tribe lived in the tradition of their forefathers and possessed modern super-scientific wonders. (Fantastic Four v1 #53)

The billionaire chieftain was noted to had purchased a small land mass that he called Panther Island. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #5)

Notes

• T'Challa as the Black Panther was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where he made his first appearance in Fantastic Four v1 #52 (July, 1966).

Alternate Versions

• In Infinity Wars: Ghost Panther v1 #1 (2018), an alternate world was created when Gamora using the Infinity Stones used its powers to merge various individuals with one another leading to T'Challa along with Ghost Rider combined into a single entity that had their own unique backstory as Ghost Panther.

In other media

Television

• In Fantastic Four, the Black Panther appeared in the 1990s animated television series in the episode "Prey of the Black Panther" where he was voiced by actor Keith David.
• In Black Panther, the Black Panther made a non-speaking cameo appearance in the 1990s animated television series.
• In The Avengers: United They Stand, the Black Panther made a cameo appearance as a portrait in the 1990s animated television series. He was shown in the picture at Avengers Mansion but made no actual appearance in the show.
• In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, T'Challa appeared as the Black Panther in the animated television series where he was voiced by actor James C. Mathis III.
• In Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, the Black Panther appeared in the anime television series where he was voiced by actor Mahito Ōba.
• In Avengers Assemble, T'Challa as the Black Panther appeared in the animated television series where he was voiced again by actor James C. Mathis III.
• In Marvel Future Avengers, T'Challa as the Black Panther appeared in the setting of the anime television series where he was voiced again by Japanese actor Mahito Ōba and by English actor James C. Mathis III in the dub.

Films

• In Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, the Black Panther was shown in flashbacks in the direct-to-DVD animated film. It was shown that he was a hero who had married Storm with the pair having a son named Azari. When Ultron conquered the world, Black Panther and his wife were among the many heroes slain but not before he had sent his son alongside the other heroes children to sanctuary.
• In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character made multiple appearances in the shared continuity setting:
  • In Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa made his first appearance in the 2016 live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Chadwick Boseman.
  • In Black Panther, T'Challa appeared in the 2018 live-action film where he was once more portrayed by actor Chadwick Boseman.
  • In Avengers: Infinity War, T'Challa appeared in the 2018 live-action film where he was again portrayed by actor Chadwick Boseman.
  • In Avengers: Endgame, T'Challa appeared in the live-action sequel film where he was once more portrayed by actor Chadwick Boseman.
  • In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, T'Challa was referenced in the setting of the live-action film sequel. It was revealed that in 2024 that T'Challa had passed away from an unspecified illness that Shuri believed could have been cured by the heart-shaped herb. Prior to dying, he fathered a child with Nakia in secret with them naming their child Toussaint who was raised in Haiti by his mother. This came from an agreement between both T'Challa and Nakia who wanted what was best for their child and intended to allow him to grow up away from the pressure of living in Wakanda. T'Challa asked that in the event of an untimely death that the two not attend his funeral, so they held their own ceremony in Haiti. Shuri later became the new Black Panther taking on her brother's mantle. It was then that Nakia introduced her to Toussaint who revealed that his Wakandan name was T'Challa just like his father.

Video games

• In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Black Panther appeared as a playable character in the Facebook video game.
• In Marvel Heroes, Black Panther appeared as a playable character in the MMORPG where he was voiced by actor James C. Mathis III.
• In Marvel Future Fight, Black Panther appeared as a playable character in the setting of the mobile video game.
• In Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, the Black Panther appeared as a playable DLC character in the setting of the fighting video game where he was voiced by actor James C. Mathis III
• In Marvel Strike Force, Black Panther appeared as a playable character in the setting of the mobile video game.
• In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, the Black Panther appeared in the setting of the video game where he was voiced again by actor James C. Mathis.
• In Marvel Super War, T'Challa as the Black Panther appeared as a playable champion in the setting of the MOBA video game.
• In Marvel's Avengers, T'Challa as the Black Panther appeared as a playable character in the setting of the 2020 action role-playing brawler DLC Operation: Black Panther - War for Wakand where he was voiced by actor Christopher Judge.

Other

Appearances

• Fantastic Four v1: (1966)
• Fantastic Four Annual v1:
• Jungle Action v1:
• Avengers v1:
• Black Panther v1:
• Black Panther v3:
• Doomwar v1:
• Black Panther: The Man Without Fear! v1:
• New Avengers v3:
• Ultimates:
• Black Panther v6:
• Totally Awesome Hulk v1:
• Rise of the Black Panther v1:
• Exiles:
• Avengers v8:
• Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda v1:
• Avengers v9: (2023)

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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