First Appearance: Fantastic Four #52, July 1966
The Black Panther is the ceremonial alter ego of the Ruler of Wakanda, a technologically advanced nation located in equatorial Africa. The current Black Panther, T'Challa, became Wakanda's King when his father, T'Chaka, was murdered by the villainous Ulysses Klaw. As the Panther, T'Challa has the right to use a special herb that grants him even greater strength, speed and awareness. Beyond the benefits of this herb, and the assets available to him as Ruler of Wakanda (which are vast - T'Challa's home is the sole source of the rare substance known as 'vibranium'), the Black Panther has no super-human powers.
T'Challa is a wise and brilliant leader. In his first appearance, he acted as an enemy of the Fantastic Four, summoning them to Wakanda only to begin a sophisticated 'hunt,' which only narrowly ended in his defeat. After that early battle, T'Challa has been a longstanding ally of the Four, aiding them in many battles (including a confrontation with Klaw). The Black Panther also joined Marvel's second great superhero team, the Avengers, soon after his early encounters with the FF.
T'Challa's greatest attributes are his powerful mind and indomitable will. He is a brilliant tactician, strategist, scientist and leader. His greatest weakness is probably his tendency to manipulate and control others. As he demonstrated in his first encounter with the Fantastic Four, the Black Panther likes to play games. He is an excellent gamesman - and is also a member of the mysterious Illuminati (a secret group of Marvel's "movers-and-shakers" that also includes Namor, Reed Richards, Dr. Strange, Black Bolt and Professor Charles Xavier).
