The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced the Black Panther character to a much wider audience than Marvel Comics could ever manage. However, with the various disruptions to the character and its various incarnations over the seven years since Chadwick Boseman first played T’Challa on the big screen, there are many greatBlack Pantherstories yet to be told.
Marvel Comics has had a focus onBlack Pantherfor a very long time. He was introduced in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966, still very early in the days of Marvel. He has gone from fighting alongside Captain America to fighting against the armies of Atlantis. All the while, he stands in one of the unique superhero positions of being a leader,a King, and a hero all in one.
6Killmonger’s Rage
Though only taking place inside the pages of a single issue of theBlack PantherVol.3 comic, Killmonger’s Rage has become its own iconic story for a number of reasons. This reintroduced a 70s villain as a much morecomplicated adversary to the Black Panther, a man who idealized all that Wakanda’s independence from the world stood against.
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Wakanda, in both the MCU and Marvel Comics, stands apart from the world to protect its precious resources. This version of Killmonger was the first villain to show what could happen if the Black Panther changed his mind about staying apart from the world. Their battle and the intricacies of their internal conflict formed the basis for Black Panther’s greatest adversary, and for theplot of the first Black Panther movieas well.
5Panther’s Rage
Nowadays, comic books often attempt to tackle social change and injustices. Complex stories featuring real-world problems being considered brave and intriguing for comic writers to hit upon. However, in the 1970s, comics weren’t known for doing this at all. Panther’s Rage was, therefore, an oddity.
In this 18-issue arc which took place in the pages of Jungle Action, Black Panther faced off with the Ku Klux Klan over an elongated period that made for one of the first arcs even close to this length in the history of comic books. Taking place over a year and a half, the story was the first time that Black Panther was placed in the limelight away from other heroes. It also included the first appearance of Erik Killmonger.
4The Bride
One of the most notable things that readers knew about the Black Panther in the mainstream before he first appeared in the MCU was his marriage to Storm of the X-Men. This is unlikely to take place anytime soon in the Cinematic Universe,unless Shuri takes T’Challa’s placein the relationship. Still, the pages of the comic book The Bride were fascinating, especially considering that it came in the midst of Marvel’s Civil War event.
This was a moment when the conflict halted and the two sides came together in neutrality while Storm and Black Panther, who had been together for a time already, got married and celebrated their love. This is by far the most enduring relationship Black Panther has ever had, especially with another superhero. But the marriage, as with most relationships in Marvel Comics, couldn’t last forever. The two eventually broke up after Namor flooded Wakanda.
3A Nation Under Our Feet
Ta-Nehisi Coates is known for a number of great things, from his journalism to his authorship of some amazing books. He is known more recently in the mainstream as theupcoming writer of an ElseworldsSupermanmovie. However, some of the best work of his career was done during his tenure writing for the Black Panther comic series.
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During this time, his story A Nation Under Our Feet brought T’Challa to his knees in his role as a King, and questioned much about his status as a leader and as a hero. It’s one of the most complex comic book stories not just in the pages of Black Panther, but in the history of comic books. This one is worth a read for anybody who thinks comic books are “silly” or “childish”.
2See Wakanda And Die
Tie-in comics for individual superheroes during massive events happening across the Marvel Universe are generally difficult to handle. Writers don’t have control over the major events happening, and sometimes don’t even get a say in their hero’s role in the pages of those events. See Wakanda And Die is a true feat, told by Jason Aaron over two issues of Black Panther’s comicduring the Secret Invasion storyline.
Wakanda is a country that has never been conqueredby anybody. T’Challa, in his role as Black Panther and King, showed his strategic might as well as his resiliency in battle against the Skrulls during this story. When all their tech stops working and the Skrulls and Wakandans go into combat with just their hands, the pages of this comic become truly breathtaking.
1Enemy Of The State
Black Panther is considered such a morally pure hero that readers don’t often think about his position as the King of a country that always has to focus on the interests of that country alone. While he joined the Avengers, Enemy of the State revealed that he did so only to keep an eye on them, not because he trusted them.
Christopher Priest is a legend among the Black Panther comic community for his incredible run that tackled so many social issues. Enemy of the State was the very best of an already incredible run. It focused on T’Challa uncovering a plot by the US government to overthrow his regime in Wakanda. This story was an absolute beast that tackled both the superhero and the King sides of Black Panther in equal measure and with equal dignity.
