The first black superhero
Hi friends, I hope you're fine? Me, I had a great weekend, it was cold but the sun was there and it is rare in Belgium so we took good advantage: garden, bike, walk, we even ate outside, with a coat but still it feels good, it recharges the batteries.
T'Challa, aka The Black Panther, is a superhero from the Marvel universe of Marvel Comics. This fictional character appears for the first time in the comic book Fantastic Four # 52 in July 1966.
In France, the character is first known as Pantherman and appears in his own adventures in Jungle Action (1972) before obtaining his own series Black Panther in 1977.
The Black Panther is the first black superhero of American comics. He made his debut years before the old African-American superheroes such as Le Faucon (1969) and Luke Cage (1972), as well as the Green Lantern John Stewart (1971) or Black Lightning (1977) from DC Comics. The character is usually portrayed as the king and protector of Wakanda, a fictional African nation.
History
In 1966, the scriptwriter Stan Lee, to create the character of the Black Panther, was inspired by the name of a tank battalion of the Second World War, the 761st Tank Battalion.
Appeared in the pages of the Fantastic Four in the early 1960s, the Black Panther plays the supporting roles in Captain America adventures and regularly in the Avengers. The character marked the spirits first because it was black, which was new in the world of comics, and revealing enough of the societal anchoring of Marvel's stories, here in reference to the movement for civil rights, then in full news.
In July 1966, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby make the Black Panther not an American, but an authentic African whose kingdom is at the forefront of science. This hero, unusual at this time, values Africans and has marked the young black readers of the time. Moreover, the aura of the king of Wakanda may have a part in the denomination of the organization Black Panther Party, created in October 1966. The rise of this radical movement forced Marvel to rename for a time his character in Black Leopard. The character has subsequently taken over his original name of Black Panther.
In 2000-2001, screenwriter Christopher Priest and designers Sal Velluto and Bob Almond perform a monthly series on the superhero.
The character
The Black Panther aka T'Challa is a Crown Prince of Wakanda, an imaginary kingdom in Central Africa. Very technologically advanced, the Wakanda is the only place in the world where there are mines of vibranium, the metal so special in the Marvel universe. Wakanda also maintains a traditional way of life and remains cut off from the outside world.
On the death of his father T'Chaka, a king, T'Challa becomes king and wears the costume of the Black Panther. In Vienna during the signing of the Sokovian agreements by UN members, T'Challa accompanies his father T'Chaka. But a bomb exploded in the compound killing T'Chaka. T'Challa then decides to avenge his father and takes part in the search for the Winter Soldier suspected of being the author of the attack.
He breaks the isolationism of his country by asking the help of the Fantastic Four to defeat the super-villain Klaw. He was married for a time with the young Ororo Munroe, also known as the X-Men Storm.
Subsequently, the Black Panther joins the Avengers team, of which he remains a reserve member. He also represents Wakanda at the United Nations. In recent times, he has resumed his freedom to fully assume his royal prerogatives.
The Cult of the Black Panther makes its appearance very early in the history of Wakanda. The man holding the title of Black Panther is almost every time the leader of the Wakand. The first of them is Bashenga. T'Challa is the last Black Panther to date.
Each new Black Panther must go on a quest for a heart-shaped grass that only grows on Mount Kanda. The future sovereign must eat this plant, which brings him superhuman abilities and a mystical link with the Panther God.
As a Black Panther, T'Challa is endowed with sharp senses, and has increased strength and agility. He is an acrobat and an exceptional gymnast. It is also an individual with an intelligence close to genius.
His costume includes boots and vibranium claws. As the ruler of Wakanda, he also has access to sophisticated equipment and the material and scientific resources of his country.
Movies
• 2006 : Ultimate Avengers 2
• 2008 : Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
• 2016 : Captain America : Civil War
• 2018 : Black Panther
• 2018 : Avengers : Infinity War