Marvel Taps Prized Author To Introduce Black Panther In New Comics Series [Spoiler]
Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War is another classic for the company as it continues to narrate the story of the Avengers after what happened in the aftermath of Age of Ultron. However, the main storyline of the film focused on the interior conflict between Captain America and Iron Man, who formed their own teams to battle for their principles.
But with everything happening on the big screen, casual Marvel fans and moviegoers cannot help but wonder about the identity of the new superhero wearing a black bulletproof body suit.
The newcomer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the Black Panther, who was excellently played by Chadwick Boseman.
Here’s some fast facts about Chadwick Boseman, who plays Black Panther in ‘Civil War’! https://t.co/sF60pwQOhe pic.twitter.com/ZyB1aG1aZg
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) May 5, 2016
In the comics, the Black Panther is one of the most iconic characters for Marvel who first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966. This means the character marks its 50th anniversary this year.
Created by Stan Lee and illustrator Jack Kirby, the Black Panther is an important superhero in the Marvel Universe because he is the first black superhero to be printed, way before Falcon and Luke “Power Man” Cage.
“I had some super characters before [that were black], but the Black Panther was the first one we devoted an entire book to,” Lee said in an interview. “He first appeared in Fantastic Four and then he became an Avenger. Then we gave him his own book.”
But to anyone thinking that Black Panther is just another human freak with extraordinary cat-like powers, that’s just scratching the surface.
Born T’Challa, he was the prince of the fictional African country called Wakanda. In the Marvel comics, Wakanda is considered the “pinnacle of civilization,” and the most technologically advanced country in the world.
So Wakanda’s technology is more advanced than Tony Stark’s? That is highly probable, considering that the comics depict the nation as a country that has never been invaded by anyone, due to its technology.
By the end of Civil War, Wakandan scientists were able to return the Winter Soldier to a “cryo-sleep,” not something that people can casually do.
In Civil War, Wakanda’s king T’Chaka was killed in a bombing plotted by supervillain Baron Zemo, which automatically made T’Challa king. Later on, it was revealed that being king also entitles him to become the tribe or nation’s protector – the Black Panther.
In the comics, the new king would need to eat a heart-shaped herb to enhance the person’s strength, speed, and reflexes, which explains how he was able to keep in step with Captain America and the Winter Soldier while running on a busy highway.
#BlackPanther is 1 of the best parts of #CivilWar. Here’s his comic book history explained: https://t.co/qUfeaNkHTy pic.twitter.com/Qh3b88jf1C
— Dan Casey (@osteoferocious) May 4, 2016
The Black Panther’s key weapon is his claws that are made out of vibranium. For filmgoers who stay attentive to each scene, Black Panther’s claws were able to deeply scratch Captain’s America’s shield – that’s because they are made up of the same substance, vibranium, which is exclusively found in Wakanda.
Marvel Comics has recently tapped Ta-Nehisi Coates to write a brand new story for the Black Panther. The National Book Awardee and MacArthur Genius was joined by Brian Stelfreeze to release the new comics entitled Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet.
Marvel has also released a short video to introduce the Black Panther to casual fans who have not read the comics. It is a simple and easy way to get acquainted with the Wakandan king, who will most probably play a key role in the upcoming Marvel movies.
Unfortunately, for fans who fell in love with the character, they have to wait for a while as the stand-alone film for Black Panther is set to be released in 2018, under the supervision of director Ryan Coogler (Creed).
[Image via Marvel]
