History Franchise / BlackPanther

* ''WesternAnimation/BlackPanther''

* ''Black Panther'' (2016)

Black Panther has appeared across media of all types, for the ''Black Panther'' comic books, please see [[ComicBook/BlackPanther here]].

Black Panther has appeared across media of all types, for comic series featuring the Black Panther, see [[ComicBook/BlackPanther here]].

For comic series featuring the Black Panther, see [[ComicBook/BlackPanther here]].

[[folder:Comics]]
* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' (1968)
* ''ComicBook/JungleAction1972''
* ''ComicBook/BlackPanther1977''
* ''ComicBook/{{Black Panther|1988}}'' Vol. 2 (1988)
* ''Black Panther: Panther's Prey'' (1990)
* ''Black Panther'' Vol. 3 (1998)
* ''Black Panther'' Vol. 4 (2005)
* ''The New ComicBook/FantasticFour'' (2007)
* ''Black Panther'' Vol. 5 (2009)
* ''Black Panther: The Man Without Fear'' (2011)
* ''[[ComicBook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman New Avengers]]'' Vol. 3 (2013)
* '' Black Panther'' Vol 6 (2016)
* ''Black Panther: World of Wakanda'' (2016-2018)
* ''Black Panther and the Crew'' (2017)
* ''[[ComicBook/BlackPantherTheIntergalacticEmpireOfWakanda Black Panther Vol 7: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda]]'' (2018-2021)
* ''ComicBook/{{Black Panther|2021}}'' Vol 8 (2021-2023)
* ''ComicBook/{{Wakanda|2022}}'' (2022-)
* ''ComicBook/BlackPanther2023'' Vol 9 (2023-)
[[/folder]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Black Panther|2021}}'' Vol 8 (2021-)

* ''Black Panther'' (1977)

* ''Black Panther'' Vol. 2 (1988)

* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'', portrayed by Creator/ChadwickBoseman ([[Characters/MCUBlackPanther page]]):

* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour''

* ''Jungle Action'' (1973)

* ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers New Avengers]]'' Vol. 3 (2013)

* ''Black Panther: World of Wakanda'' (2016)

* ''Black Panther '' Vol 7: ComicBook/TheIntergalacticEmpireOfWakanda (2018)
* ''ComicBook/{{Black Panther|2021}}'' Vol 8 (2021)

* ''Black Panther'' Vol 8 (2021)

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[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_panther_56_6.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:'''WAKANDA FOREVER!!!''']]

->''"The thing people keep forgetting about my client is, well, he's a KING. He's not just another nutjob in tights. He's a full-bird monarch from one of the most technologically advanced nations on the planet. And, somehow, we keep forgetting that."''
-->-- '''Everett K. Ross''', about '''King T'Challa'''.

Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}}'s ''Black Panther'' was created in 1966, before even the formation of the Black Panther party, by Creator/StanLee and Creator/JackKirby and debuting in the pages of ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''. He is one of the earliest and most popular black superheroes in American comics.

For generations, Wakanda has been ruled by the Black Panther Kings. All was well until the treacherous Ulysses Klaw discovered the infinite potential of its large deposits of the mysterious [[AppliedPhlebotinum vibranium ore]], which is found [[NoBloodForPhlebotinum nowhere else on Earth]]. Klaw then tries to lead a band of invaders to overtake the country and kills King T'Chaka in front of his son T'Challa. The grieving young T'Challa, however, wasted no time attacking and maiming Klaw soon afterward, forcing Klaw and his forces to retreat.

Young T'Challa would later be educated and trained abroad, before finally attaining the full title of Black Panther. Soon afterward he invited the Fantastic Four to Wakanda to see if they were worthy of being allies against the now sound-powered Klaw and to prove himself. After that adventure, he soon began to meet various individuals within the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, eventually becoming a member of ComicBook/TheAvengers, along with having his own solo adventures.

T'Challa made major headlines with his marriage to popular ''ComicBook/XMen'' character ComicBook/{{Storm}}, along with his sister ComicBook/{{Shuri}} taking over the mantle of Black Panther. He also took on the role of protector of the Hell's Kitchen area from ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} a.k.a. Matt Murdock, the original ''Man Without Fear'' and his comic book numbering and subtitle. Until Daredevil got another ongoing series, Black Panther's series was then subtitled ''The World's Most Dangerous Man Alive!'' until it was cancelled. Following the ''ComicBook/MarvelNOW'' relaunch of several Marvel comics, Black Panther appeared in the third volume of ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'' as a member of [[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers the Illuminati]].

After ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', T'Challa will be a prominent component of the ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel initiative, featuring in ''[[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 The Ultimates]]''--a new take on the Ultimate Comics team title set in the main Marvel universe-- as well as a new ongoing series by Ta-Nehesi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze.

After appearing in a number of animated series (including his own animated mini-series on Creator/{{BET}}, co-created by Reginald Hudlin) Panther made his movie debut in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse feature ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', as a lead-in to ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}''. He was played by Creator/ChadwickBoseman. The character's future in the setting is uncertain due to Boseman's untimely passing in 2020, although Wakanda-related projects are very much in the cards.

On July 23, 2016, Marvel revealed that Roxane Gay and Creator/TaNehisiCoates were selected to co-write a ''Black Panther'' spin-off comic, ''World of Wakanda''. ''World of Wakanda'' focused on Ayo and Aneka, the Dora Milaje warriors who became the Midnight Angels.

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!! Black Panther appears in the following works:

[[AC:{{Anime}}]]

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

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!! Black Panther provides examples of the following tropes:

* AdvancedAncientAcropolis: Wakanda. Or at least, it was until [[spoiler:[[BrainwashedAndCrazy Phoenix Force-powered]] [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]] [[ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen floods the city]] and then [[FromBadToWorse it just goes downhill from there]]]].
* AffablyEvil: Erik Killmonger and the White Wolf are both polite, intelligent men.
* AffirmativeActionLegacy:
** Shuri, a female successor to a male hero.
** Kasper Cole, who is black [[TwoferTokenMinority and Jewish]].
%%* AfricanTerrorists: Moses Magnum, a RoguesGalleryTransplant from ''Spider-Man'' because he really makes more sense here.%%What is he like? *Why* does he make more sense here?
* {{Afrofuturism}}: Probably the most prominent example in mainstream comics; Wakanda is the most technologically advanced society on the planet.
* AgeOfReptiles: The Simbi, a race of snake-like beings with multiple arms, ruled Wkanada in the ages before humans arrived there.
* AmazonBrigade: The Dora Milaje are a small all-female army of well-trained and dedicated bodyguards.. These gals have fought such highly trained and powerful individuals as ComicBook/BlackWidow and ComicBook/{{Storm}} to a standstill.
* AndThenWhat: It's revealed that Zenzi and Tetu's benefactor is the Iron Monger. However, Stane then points out something to Tetu:
-->'''Tetu:''' It is not fear of my death that brings us together, Ezekiel Stane. It is fear of losing. Fear of tyranny extending itself, unchallenged, even one more day.\\
'''Stane:''' Have you ever actually seen someone drawn and quartered? (Pauses) Okay, here's the thing, you say you want a revolution, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor but are you ready for the future, friend?]] [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Let me tell you what is coming. Panic in the streets. Fire in the sky. Casualties. Agony.]]
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: As the name may indicate, his theme is a panther.
* AnimatedAdaptation
** Not exactly, but he appeared in ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' as an incredibly badass and very broken teenage version of himself.
** There is also the animated mini-series produced in the 2010 where he was voiced by Djimon Hounsou.
** The fifth season of [[WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble Avengers Assemble]], launched in 2018 is dedicated to the Black Panther and Wakanda.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: Kasper Cole briefly took the name Black Panther for some reason or other, and fights crime and junk and stuff. Used guns for awhile.
* ArcWords: Ta-Nehisi Coates' "A Nation Under Our Feet" arc has "No One Man", a phrase originally used by the Midnight Angels to protest that no one man should have power over all. It's later adopted by the philosopher Changamire. At the end of the arc, [[spoiler:it's adopted as the creed of the new Wakandan government]].
* ArchEnemy: [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Ulysses Klaw]]
** Erik Killmonger could also qualify. And as of ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'' and the Incursions Saga in ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', Namor is quickly gaining footing as T'Challa's arch-enemy.
** Achebe and White Wolf both have extremely strong cases as well, particularly during Priest's run. They haven't shown up much since, though.
* BadassBoast: More than a few spring to mind.
** First:
--->'''Black Panther:''' To live... to die... to rule again... The Panther walks alone!
** And:
--->'''White Wolf:''' I rarely move suddenly, but when I do, it's a sight to behold.
** Not to mention:
--->'''Super-Skrull:''' I have trained my entire life to face you.
--->'''Black Panther:''' Then you have already lost. For I have trained my entire life to face the unknown.
* BadassBookworm: He has a [=PhD=] in Physics from Oxford, and is a master of several African martial arts.
* BadassCape: T'Challa wore one during the Priest run, drawing some comparisons to Franchise/{{Batman}}, especially in that it had varying lengths (the length is actually adjustable).
* BaldWomen: The Dora Milaje, T'Challa's personal bodyguards.
* BatmanGambit: Most notable include tricking the Fantastic Four to his country to beat them up and get their help with Klaw, tanking the World Economy to put the screws to Killmonger, joining the Avengers originally to spy on them, and faking the death of one of Kasper Cole's friends and having them appear to him as a ghost in order to test him.
* BattleButler: Omoro, the butler at the Wakandan Consulate in New York, is also secretly the Head of Security there.
* BloodBath: His enemy Man-Ape gained his SuperStrength by eating the flesh and bathing in the blood of a rare white gorilla.
* BodyHorror: From Hydro Man's point of view after Black Panther uses electrolysis to make his all water body into composite hydrogen and oxygen molecules which are fused, making him useless.
* BodyguardBabes: Again, the Dora Milaje.
* BodyguardCrush: Okoye, Nakia, and all of the Dora Milaje, T'challa's personal guard and tribal fiancées who since childhood have been raised/trained to be loyal to the Black Panther.
* BoisterousBruiser: Zuri. He hits it off with [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] right away.
* BroughtDownToBadass: The entire point of the take over of ''The Man without Fear'' comic book. T'Challa was stripped of all his resources as king, Vibranium-based technology, even his [[LadyOfBlackMagic super-powered wife]], leaving him with his own regular skills and super-human abilities, trying to make like any other hero with no safety net. Panther fans [[BrokenBase did not like the new direction]], with many saying Panther had lost his intelligence as well. The direction was abandoned after the book's cancellation.
* BulletproofVest: Despite often taking [[ClothingDamage Heavy Battle Damage]], regular bullets only tickle Panther's basic vibranium-laced costume. Which he, for some reason, only wears when Priest is writing him. Mostly because most writers haven't read Priest's run. Or they just don't [[CanonDiscontinuity care]].
* ButtMonkey: Everett Ross, a White House stooge assigned to T'Challa during Priest's run.
* {{Catchphrase}}: Everett K. Ross: "But, as usual, I'm geting ahead of myself."
* ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction: T'Challa changes into his Panther uniform at times is done at the drop of a hat.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: A lot of the supporting cast (especially Queen Divine Justice) vanished when the writers switched.
* CloseOnTitle: "Seduction of the Innocent" does this at the end of every part.
%%* CousinOliver
* ColorAnimalCodename: The various characters who have held the title of Black Panther combines this with CaptainEthnic, as does the supporting character White Wolf.
* TheCowl: Very much so, though his future self is very much TheCape.
* CrazyPrepared: Black Panther is pretty much Marvel's Batman in this regard. T'Challa himself lampshades this in his ''Secret Invasion'' tie-in when going toe to toe with a Super-Skrull, who brings up he has the powers of Earth's most powerful warriors, and has trained his entire life to kill him. Panther simply replies, "Then you have already lost. For I have trained my entire life to face the unknown."
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Killmonger's plan to take over Wakanda via the economy. [[spoiler:It works, too.]]
%%* DoesntLikeGuns
* DeadpanSnarker
** Ross' coping mechanism to all the crazy involved in handling T'Challa.
** White Wolf. So much.
--->'''White Wolf:''' C'mon, T'Challa... Let me kill him. Please.\\
'''Killmonger:''' You!? Kill me?!\\
'''White Wolf:''' In a heartbeat. On my lunch break.
* DeathByOriginStory: T'challa's father T'Chaka.
%%* {{Determinator}}
* DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu: Everett Ross spends a good chunk of time of the story arc, "The Client", sitting in his living room on his couch next to Mephisto on a flaming throne of skulls.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu
** The entire sequence begins with T'challa kicking in a door, knocking out Mephisto with one punch, and then tearing out his heart. And ''then'' he tries to interrogate him. Of course, this doesn't perturb Mephisto in the slightest.
** In Creator/DwayneMcDuffie's ''F4'' run, he does this to the Silver Surfer... with an armbar. Though to be fair, he was using tech that Doom used when Doom faced the Surfer.
* DidYouJustScamCthulhu
** Black Panther in order to free his people and nation from the influence of Mephisto's servant Achebe, makes a deal with the devil for his soul. Mephisto gets more then he bargained for.
** Panther makes a pretty regular habit of this. Other victims include Nightmare, [[SealedEvilInaCan Black Dragon]], and Apocalypse. He's also scammed "mortals" like Doctor Doom, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]], and [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]].
* DivineRightOfKings: T'Challa rules Wakanda under this edict. Ta-Nehisi Coates' run promises to deal with the tensions within a technologically advanced nation existing under this form of government, and whether it can be sustainable, especially given Namor's and Doom's attacks on Wakanda which T'Challa failed to protect his people from.
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Averted. Malice's actions are treated as very much not OK.
* DumbMuscle: {{Lampshaded}} and {{Discussed}} during "Who is the Black Panther". After talking to the Rhino, Batroc asks why TheBigGuy on every team must be dumb. Klaw tells him to imagine how dangerous Rhino would be [[GeniusBruiser if he had a brain]].
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In his debut, the Black Panther was referred to as a chieftain rather than a king and rather than "Wakanda", a nation, he ruled "the Wakandas", a tribe. Of course, it should be noted that he was a "hereditary chieftain."
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: T'Challa himself; although he gained genuine superpowers after taking the heart-shaped herb, he underwent significant physical and mental training in martial arts, science, leadership... generally, he would easily qualify as being as much a BadassNormal as Franchise/{{Batman}} even ''before'' he took the heart-shaped herb.
* EnhancedArchaicWeapon: Wakanda specializes in making these weapons due to being a tribalistic hunter society combined with advanced technology by harnessing their massive Vibranium deposits in various ways over the centuries. Warriors can be seen equipped with spears and shields made from Vibranium that are more effective than any modern weapon.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Ross toys with it: "Cripes, you believe that guy?" *[[BeatPanel beat]]* "Magnificent, isn't he? Huh! What a man. I tell you -- if I was black -- and gay -- well, there you go."
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: In ''Black Panther'' (2016), T'Challa ignores the advice of evil foreign advisors who encourage him to brutalize the Wakandan people into submission. Kroawl concludes that T'Challa did so out of weakness, but Zenzi knows better.
-->'''Kroawl:''' Of course, T'Challa refused all our advice, as we all knew he would. The man is a poor excuse for a king.\\
'''Zenzi:''' That is because he does not want to be a king. He wants to be a ''hero''.
* EvilCounterpart
** Erik Killmonger and White Wolf. ComicBook/{{Magneto}} was called out as this in-story during the Priest run.
** Since he's originally a ''Fantastic Four'' character, one could call T'Challa a Good Counterpart to Doctor Doom: a brilliant scientist with a costume motif who rules a wealthy fictional country.
** The American Panther from ''ComicBook/FearItself'' was created as a xenophobic answer to the Black Panther, though he later turned out to be a victim of {{Brainwash}}ing.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: He is a black superhero and his motif just so happens to be an African black panther.
* FirstPersonSmartass: Ross' narration.
* {{Foil}}: Man-Ape to Black Panther. Both of them are super-beings based around an African animal, but while Black Panther is more athletic and agile, Man-Ape is raw strength. Both also have religious and cultural aspects to their mantles, but while Black Panther's is the official religion of Wakanda, Man-Ape's is a forbidden cult.
* FreudianExcuse: The White Wolf's bitterness and slip into villainy came about due to the people of Wakanda being unable to accept a white orphan as a legitimate son of the Wakandan royal family.
* FunPersonified: Future Panther
* GambitPileup: Constantly during Priest's run. At one point, [[MagnificentBastard Panther]], [[ComicBook/IronMan Stark]], [[EvilCounterpart Hunter]], [[MyFutureSelfAndMe another Panther]], and [[FutureMeScaresMe another Stark]] are all trying to [[OutGambitted outwit]] one another.
* GaiasVengeance: In ''Black Panther (2016)'', Tetu believes himself to be an emissary of nature spirits who are offended by the environmental harm inflicted by humans.
-->'''Tetu:''' Once when I was Tree, African sun woke me up green at dawn. African wind combed the branches of my hair. African rain washed my limbs ... Now Flesh comes with metal teeth, with chopping sticks and fire launchers. And Flesh cuts me down and enslaves my limbs to make forts, ships, pews for other gods. Flesh has grown pale and lazy. Flesh has sinned against the fathers. Now Flesh listens no more to the voice of spirits talking through my limbs. If Flesh would listen, I would warn him that the spirits are displeased and are planning what to do with him ... It is time that Flesh bow down on his knee again.
%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
* GirlFriday: Sofija in the most recent series.
* GreatWhiteFeline: Bast, the patron god of the Panther cult, [[http://worldofblackheroes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/bast-panther_god_1.jpg often appears as an enormous white panther]], though she may also appear as a white or black cat person.
* GreenRocks: Vibranium, although it is mostly {{Unobtainium}} for all those outside of Wakanda.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: ''Black Panther'' (2016) depicts the struggle for control of Wakanda in this light. Zenzi's revolutionary group, The People, provides for its members and longs to free Wakanda from the monarchy. However, their tactics involve a miner's riot, suicide bombers, and other acts of terrorism. T'Challa wants to restore peace and order to his country, but to do so, he consults evil men in issue #5.
* GuileHero: Priest's interpretation of the character.
* HalfBreedDiscrimination: Kevin "Kasper" Cole, who gets the nickname Kasper because of his light skin tone.
* HappilyMarried: With Storm. Averted, ironically; the ''[[ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen AvX]]'' event retcons them having more serious problems and seeing a marriage counselor [[spoiler:prior to the eventual breakup later in the event]].
* HiddenElfVillage: Wakanda, DependingOnTheWriter, is extremely isolationist.
* HumongousMecha: Wakanda fields [[AnimalMecha gigantic mechanical panthers]] as part of their armed forces. They have not yet [[Anime/{{Voltron}} been seen to combine]].
* JokerImmunity: Klaw and Killmonger especially. Malice has a little bit of this, too. Klaw and Killmonger are both kind of interesting cases, though, as they do frequently get killed, and it's almost never retconned... they just have a tendency to come back from the dead. Killmonger's racked up three or four resurrections and Klaw's well on his way to double digits; it helps that he's not really human.
* KidSidekick
** Queen Divine Justice
** Technically, all the Dora Milaje qualify. It's just hard to notice because they're generally about six feet tall, and the most famous two (Okoye and Nakia) look like Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks, respectively.
* KnightTemplar
** White Wolf and at times T'challa himself.
** W'Kabi and Zuri occasionally flirt with this territory, as well.
%%* LargeHam: Princess Zanda
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In Christopher Priest's run, Nikki constantly berates Ross for his jumbled narration and inability to stay focused on one story-thread. This was actually an early criticism of Priest's run.
* LegacyCharacter: The title of Black Panther is usually passed on only to the ruler of Wakanda. Although it should be noted that Kasper Cole, [[spoiler:Eric Killmonger]], and Shuri have gone under the title of Black Panther. As has [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Everett K. Ross]]. Shuri is acting ruler, though. As were (technically) [[spoiler:Killmonger]], and [[RunningGag Everett K. Ross]].
* LowCultureHighTech: Played with and sometimes played completely straight. Wakanada is a sometimes warring tribalistic society that functions under DivineRightOfKings and worship of an animalistic deity with the Panther tribe having complete control over religion, wealth, and military. They have arranged marriage traditions, primitive looking weapons, and many more hunter-gatherer traits. However they have massive levels of technology growth due to access to large amounts of Vibranium and their tendency to send Wakandans out to schools abroad to learn and bring back their knowledge to increase Wakanda’s own knowledge.
* MeetYourEarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Future Panther is right out of Jack Kirby's Black Panther run. Compared to the contemporary Black Panther, he speaks a lot more bombastically, has the ESP powers that he very briefly had during that run, and is drawn in a style right out of the 70's.
* MightyWhitey
** Deconstructed with Hunter, the White Wolf, T'Challa's white foster brother.
** Unfortunately played straight in a lot of the older Avenger stories featuring Panther.
* MiniMecha: T'Challa built his own version of ComicBook/IronMan's Hulkbuster armor to be able to fight ComicBook/AmadeusCho on even footing.
* MyFutureSelfAndMe: One long-running subplot involved such, although in a number of ways the Future Self was a throwback to earlier characterization. Essentially, the future self was the "Jack Kirby" Panther, and the then-current version was Priest's interpretation. Hudlin's interpretation is somewhere in between the two, and Liss' is completely disconnected from both.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Some people such as Hunter are not thrilled with T'Challa's actions to end the "Doom War".]]
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Future Panther (and his former companions Abner Little and Princess Zanda) are drawn in a distinctly [[http://www.hoodedutilitarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Costello_Panther_3.jpg Kirbyesqe style]].
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat
** Black Panther once went up against a mind-controlled [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Iron Fist]] and took multiple Iron Fist attacks. Kind of a subversion, as [[spoiler:the attacks did cause a fatal brain aneurysm that would have eventually killed Panther]] had Priest stayed on the book. Hudlin never addressed it in his run, and it appears forgotten.
** The same story arc had him swallowed by a dragon soon after that and then claw his way out.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Henry Gyrich. "I'm the government, mister."
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Played straight and subverted with "Kasper" Cole, subverted in that he has yet to keep a superhero identity without someone else taking it after two attempts. Technically he's still going by White Tiger (as far as we know), and unlikely to change as there are tribal implications to the name, and it could tick off the Wakandans if he did change his heroing name. That's part of why he changed from Black Panther in the first place.
* ThePlan
** Constantly during Priest's run. T'Challa still pulls them off occasionally, though they tend to be less complex/convoluted these days.
** During Priest's run, T'Challa was far from the only one doing this. Hunter, Killmonger, [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]], Black Dragon, Achebe, Mephisto, Junta, and even Man-Ape all tried their hand at the [[GambitPileup gambitting]]. Some of them were better at it than others. [[OutGambitted Panther]] was still better at it than they were.
* PraetorianGuard: The Dora Milaje, also an AmazonBrigade.
* PresidentSuperhero: Black Panther is the state leader of the [[{{Bulungi}} fictional country]] of Wakanda in Africa. He's a genius inventor and mechanic, is knowledgeable with his tribe's mystcism, and he kicks ass as a side job.
* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: T'Challa exiled and disband White Wolf and the Hatut Zeraze for their use of torture and secret assassinations in service of the crown. But throughout the earlier sections of Priest's run, he showed NO reservation of using [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique kinetic persuasion]] on gang members. Although Panther's tactics were nowhere near as severe as Hunter's. T'Challa also has no problems holding economic markets and entire villages hostage to end conflicts. In his defense, he usually cleans up after himself in these situations.
** Years and several creative teams later, the Hatut Zeraze are later shown active working under the royal family.
* ReedRichardsIsUseless: Wakanda has the ''cure for cancer'', and other resources which could change the Franchise/MarvelUniverse drastically in ways the writers don't want. Unfortunately, in having him ''choose not to'' instead of letting it just never come up, ThePowersThatBe make him look [[DesignatedHero less than]] [[{{Jerkass}} heroic]]. Worse than that: T'Challa was ''in the room'' when the original Captain Marvel died. ''OF CANCER.'' To be fair, the Captain Marvel story was written (and took place) over a decade before the story where Hudlin decided that Wakanda had cured cancer.
** As explained below, Wakanda is a heavily isolated country with little desire to interact with the outside world. It would take severe changes in cultural thinking for them to think beyond their country and market the cure for cancer.
* RememberTheNewGuy:
** Shuri, never mentioned until her debut. Who knew T'Challa had a hot younger sister?
** T'Challa's adopted brother, The White Wolf, as well. However, his absence was explained much better (read: at all) than Shuri's.
** What far fewer people remember is that the same storyline that introduced Shuri also established that T'Challa also had a little brother who was killed by Klaw. Said brother is almost never mentioned or remembered by the characters or writers.
** As mentioned below, the Dora Milaje didn't exist before Priest's run, and yet are still featured in flashback stories dealing with the previous Black Panthers.
* LaResistance: [[spoiler: The Midnight Angels and their Dora Milaje allies lead a revolution in Wakanda in ''Black Panther'' (2016). They kill Man-Ape, raze the citadel of the White Gorilla's worshipers, and placed several Jabari tribesmen on trial. Afterwards, the Midnight Angels call for elections and write and enforce their own laws.]]
* RetCon
** The biggest being T'challa and Storm's mutual past. It began with a brief short story about the two meeting in their youth in the pages of Marvel Team Up; 20 years later it was expanded upon to use as the basis for the two to get married.
** The exact circumstance of T'Challa and Storm's first meeting has changed as well. In the original story, a young Ororo Munroe first met T'Challa when she saved him from some kidnappers while he was WalkingTheEarth in the aftermath of his father's death. The later ''Storm'' mini-series completely flipped things around so that now it was T'Challa who saved Ororo from being kidnapped. ''Amazing X-Men Annual'' #1 then brought back the original version of their meeting, with Ororo being the rescuer.
** Most of Priest's run is either ignored or retconned by Hudlin's run, most notably Panther's fatal brain aneurysm and friendship with Everett K. Ross. Ross appears, but doesn't share a single scene with Panther or make any references to their shared adventures. Despite being Panther's best friend, he's basically the only guy in Marvel who ISN'T at his wedding with Storm.
** Covered above, but the sudden existence of Panther's sister Shuri probably qualifies.
** Similarly, the Dora Milaje flat out didn't exist before Priest's run, but are treated as though they've long been part of Wakandan tradition.
** In the original telling of T'Chaka's fight with Captain America, the fight ends as a draw (though Cap had the advantage). In the Hudlin telling, T'Chaka knocks Cap out cold.
** Wakanda itself has been [[RetCon RetConned]] a number of times, namely how it became so high tech. From Creator/StanLee and Creator/JackKirby up through Priest's run, the story was that Wakanda gained super-tech only after Klaw's attack that killed T'challa's father, and it acquired its advanced technology by sending out its best and brightest to study overseas and then come home to cheaply share the fruits of their labor (similar to how Japan modernized). Later authors stated it had ''always'' had super high tech, thanks to the presence of [[UnObtainium Vibranium.]]
* RippedFromTheHeadlines: ''Black Panther (2016)'' has several examples.
** In issue #1, T'Challa faces off against rioting miners from Wakanda's vibranium mines, which ends with several miner casualties. The scene brings to mind the protests and violent clashes at South African mines in 2012, including the Marikana massacre.
** In issue #2, the Midnight Angels discover a militia group that has been kidnapping women and girls for use as sex slaves. The atrocities of Boko Haram immediately come to mind.
* RoguesGalleryTransplant: In Priest's run, T'Challa fought the likes of Hydro Man and Alyosha Kraven (son of the first Kraven the Hunter, who was still dead after ''ComicBook/KravensLastHunt''), both of them being Spider-Man villains.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: And how! This king actually has political power, but he can be head of state and act as a Reed Richards or Daredevil substitute at the same time.
* RunningGag
** Ross was assigned to keep an eye on Panther for four days. Four. Days.
** "My loyalty is to Wakanda." "And its king?" "Him too."
** "No, I am the king of a small African nation."
** "But of course, as usual, I'm getting ahead of myself."
** When Ross is unsure of another character's origin story, he claims that they fell into a (sometimes radioactive) vat of Cream of Wheat. He does this several times in quick succession in issue 17 of Priest's run.
* {{Scandalgate}}: The Wakandan consulate sponsored a children's charity which was later revealed to be involved in embezzling and drug-running; one of the charity's wards ended up mysteriously dead. The resulting scandal was dubbed "Wakandagate".
* SchiffOneLiner: T'Challa's last line to Wilson Fisk at the end of Kingpin of Wakanda arc: "You can have your girlfriend back when we're done questioning her."
* ShoutOut: Tetu's internal monologue in Black Panther #3 (2016) is [[https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3727783821.html from poet Henry Dumas]]' "Rootsong"
* SmugSuper: Downplayed. T'Challa knows where he stands in the bigger picture of things and is extremely respectful of his alies, but he isn't shy about letting people know he believes Wakanda has the rest of the world beat in terms of military and economic might. Thing is, he probably isn't wrong, either.
* SinisterMinister: Achebe. Man-Ape could probably qualify on a technicality, but Achebe's textbook.
* SoapOperaDisease: T'challa's brain aneurysm was this for a while, causing him to have hallucinations and a deteriorating mental state, until he got better. Amusingly, even delusional Panther is a badass. He beat up a (probably) imaginary Magneto, using his usual "super smart and over-prepared" tactics.
* SpinOff: Priest's next project, ComicBook/TheCrew, could be considered this, as two of the four main characters ([[LegacyHero Kasper Cole]] and [[DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent Junta]]) were created during his ''Black Panther'' run, as was the primary villain, Triage.
* SpiritWorld: ''Black Panther (2016)'' explores Djalia, the plane of ancient memory. [[spoiler:Shuri]] finds herself there, learning about the ancient ways of the Wakandans.
* StalkerWithACrush: Nakia[[spoiler:/Malice]], which grows to its natural [[spoiler: [[FaceHeelTurn heavy extreme.]]]]
%%* StealthHiBye
* SuperSerum: The "heart-shaped herb" that is consumed as part of assuming the role of Black Panther, which drastically increases physical strength, reflexes, agility, speed, mental acuity, perception, and generally boosts up all traits to roughly ComicBook/CaptainAmerica-ish levels.
* SuperSoldier: Despite what you'd expect, averted. The heart-shaped herb used within the Ascension ritual for all Black Panthers is only compatible with certain individuals, namely T'Challa's genetic relatives. For anyone else, attempting to consume the herb brings death. [[DependingOnTheWriter Or not;]] T'Challa gave a bit to Comicbook/SpiderMan when Spidey was dying during "The Other" storyline, and the warrior woman Zawadi of the Monster Hunters was said to have gotten her abilities from it (though whether she might be of royal blood is never specifed).
* SupermanStaysOutOfGotham: Occasionally averted. The Avengers have had a few adventures in Wakanda over the years, as have the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Justified, as Wakanda is highly xenophobic and isolationist (and, sometimes, more than a little arrogant) and has extremely advanced technology of its own; it doesn't ''want'' outside superheroes running around, it usually doesn't ''need'' them, and the majority of superheroes both know they're unwelcome and have much bigger concerns in their own territory.
* TechnicalPacifist
** T'Challa does not approve of killing. Usually. But he's pretty willing to make decisions that get people killed (Q'noma valley), which makes sense, as he's the leader of a country, and all. And he occasionally threatened to kill people during the Priest run (although mostly only after he started going insane). But he prefers not to.
** [[WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures His teenage self]] considers it when he confronts the man who killed his father, but ultimately can't do it.
* TemporarySubstitute: Recently has done this for one or two heroes to varying results
** Kasper Cole is the most famous of several temporary Panthers.
** They attempted the same thing with Shuri years later.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Tayete and Kazibe, constantly beat-up Killmonger henchmen.
* TokenEvilTeammate
** The White Wolf, for the brief time he was a supporting cast member as opposed to a villain.
** The trope was all over Priest's run, and applied at various times to [[StalkerWithaCrush Nakia]], [[EvilCounterpart Erik Killmonger]], [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Henry Gyrich]], and [[FemmeFatale Nightshade]].
** Also during Priest's run, Killmonger was briefly this to the Avengers.
* TooSpicyForYogSothoth: How T'Challa deals with a giant dragon.
* UnfortunateNames
** Vibraxas: Master of Vibration! [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by his later girlfriend [[KidSidekick Queen Divine Justice]] after she first heard the title.
** Ross makes fun of more of the goofy superhero names that appear than not. Special mention for Man-Ape.
** Black Panther himself. Marvel briefly changed the hero's name to The Panther and Black Leopard to keep him from being identified with the controversial Black Panther Party even though Black Panther the superhero actually predated the BPP.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: So many subtle and drastic variations of his costume that the only set standard is usually the color and the cat ears.
* UnresolvedSexualTension
** With [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Susan Richards]]. They've gone as far as ''skinny dipping'' together, but cut things short before it became a TwoPersonPoolParty. "Anything said or done cannot be unsaid or undone," T'Challa insisted. Reed is obviously clueless, but was left wondering what Sue meant when she said Ororo was a lucky girl.
** Even after her FaceHeelTurn, Panther has loads of this with Nakia/Malice. Arguably, he also some with Nightshade and Queen Zanda.
** There's a tiny bit of this between Panther and Monica Rambeau during the New Orleans arc by Hudlin. His relationship with Storm started out this way, then Priest had them kiss (once), then Hudlin decided they should get married.
** Kasper and Okoye had a bit of this as well.
%%* TheWatson: Everett Ross
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: ''Black Panther (2016)'' depicts Wakanda as a nation torn by internal struggle. T'Challa must cope with mining strikes, militant groups, Zenzi's cult, and the increasing number of Wakandans who question the relevancy of their king. Also, the Midnight Angels [[GoodVersusGood oppose his rule]] and seek to protect the Wakandan people, believing that he cannot. [[spoiler:Issue 3 reveals that they've recruited several dora milaje warriors to their side.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist
** White Wolf and the Hatut Zeraze use extreme methods to protect Wakanda, despite being exiled at the start of T'Challa's reign they continue in this role without T'Challa's approval. Considering T'Chaka, Hunter and T'Challa's father, approved of Hunter's methods, its easy to see T'Chaka in this light as well.
** You can make a case for this with a lot of the Priest-era villains. Killmonger's a pretty well-meaning guy when it comes to absolutely everything except T'Challa. Magneto and Doom are both presented this way when they show up (and more than a few parallels are drawn between Panther and Magneto). And even Man-Ape only wants what's best for his people.
** The antagonists of ''Black Panther (2016)'' can be characterized as such. Zenzi and Tetu genuinely believe that they are acting in Wakanda's best interest by undermining its king.
* TheWestern: A late Christopher Priest story involved Panther and most of the supporting cast (including crazy future Panther) being sent back to the old west to team up with Marvel's Western Characters, and all the [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Asgardians]] (disguised as cowboys) against Loki.
* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Deconstructed in ''Black Panther (2016)'' whenever T'Challa attacks his fellow Wakandans. After T'Challa neutralizes a miner's riot, readers see the unconscious bodies of miners littering the ground. Later, when T'Challa defeats the guards at Zenzi's hideout, he discovers that the guards' wives, children, and elders are now bereft of their providers.
-->'''T'Challa:''' These men are responsible for crimes against your country. They will be brought to justice. Your king will provide for you.
-->'''Woman:''' ''These men'' were providing for us.
* WhatTheHellHero: Geoff Johns' and Christopher Priest's depictions of the character. [[OlderThanTheyThink Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's]] version as well.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: Wakanda's canonical location has varied over the years. ''Black Panther (2016)'' indicates that it shares a border with Nigeria.
* WifeBasherBasher: ''Black Panther (2016)'' gives us Aneka and Ayo, the Midnight Angels. Aneka killed a tribal chieftain who had been sexually abusing girls in his village. In another issue, Aneka and Ayo slaughter a group of militants who had been kidnapping women and girls for use as sex slaves.
* WithholdingTheCure: When Creator/ReginaldHudlin was writing the title, it was revealed that Wakanda has had a cure for cancer for centuries.
* WorthyOpponent
** Doctor Doom to Black Panther.
** Another one that was very prevalent in Priest's run: Panther and Hunter definitely feel this way about each other, as do Panther and Killmonger. For a while, this was how T'Challa and [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] saw each other was well. T'Chaka and Captain America started out this way, but quickly became friends. There was even a little bit of this starting to show between Killmonger and Kasper, but the book got cancelled before it could really blossom.
** Triage feels this way about Kasper, but the feeling is very much not mutual.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5011137_blap2016001_cov_d6d2a_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Wakanda Forever.]]

Black Panther is a character appearing in various Creator/MarvelComics media. You may be looking for:
[[index]]
* The ''ComicBook/BlackPanther'' comics
* The ''Film/BlackPanther2018'' movie
* The ''WesternAnimation/BlackPanther'' cartoon
[[/index]]

Black Panther is a character appearing in various Creator/MarvelComics media. It may refer to: