I’m looking forward to seeing # blackpanther next week!!! Opens February 15th... # share
Since many us will be traveling to Wakanda, less than 2 weeks from today, here is a list of Black Panther tidbits for those unfamiliar with the Marvel comic. # WeAreWakanda # TheKingWillRise # WakandaForever
1) The Black Panther made his first comic appearance in Fantastic Four #52 in July 1966. The Black Panther Party was founded on October 15, 1966. Shortly after the release of the comics, the Black Panther was changed to the Black Leopard to distance any perceived relation to the Black Panther Party.
2) The title of “Black Panther” is a ceremonial one. It’s hereditary. All monarchs of Wakanda are known as the Black Panther. King T’Challa is the current Black Panther. When T'Challa is abroad, Shuri performs all the duties if the Black Panther in his place (yes, she has her own suit) to protect Wakanada against threats both foreign and domestic.
3) Black Panther is the first black super hero in “mainstream” comics.
4) T’Challa has a PhD in Physics from Oxford University. His nemesis in the film Erik Killmonger (
#
MichaelBJordan
) has his PhD in Engineering from MIT.
5) T’Challa was married to Storm (marriage was annulled after 6 years) In an alternative timeline they had a son named Azari.
6) Due to a meteorite crash in Wakanda, the country has a rare mineral resource called vibranium (Captain America’s shield is a mix of vibranium and steel)
7) Wakanda is the most technologically advanced country on earth and it has never been colonized by any European nation.
8)The Dora Milaje are the elite warrior women who protect Black Panther. They are also known as the Adored Ones/Midnight Angels.
9) Black Panther is faster than Wolverine and Captain America, he can run up to 50 MPH.
10) Black Panther is immune from all diseases, he is the richest man in the Marvel universe, his suit is bulletproof, and his superpowers include hearing, sight, smell, and strength.
11) In Wakanda there is a city of the dead called Necropolis that houses the spirits of all of the black panthers who ruled before. T’Challa is given the gift of all of the knowledge and power of the black panthers before him.
12) T’Challa has a sister named Shuri who is trained as a Panther as well and stands in for her brother when necessary.
13) T’Challa’s main enemy is the Klaw (you’ll see him in Avengers, Age of Ultron). Klaw not only killed T’Chaka (T’Challa’s father and the former king/BP), he also is the son of a Nazi and a physicist.
14) In the first Wolverine movie, that African village that they attack, it's just outside of Wakanda. Attamantium is a fragment of the Vibranium meteor that crashed in Wakanda
15)
#
RyanCoogler
is the director. He was also the director of Fruitvale Station and Creed.
16) The original cut for BP was 4 hours long. And it's still not rated
17)In one alternate universe, after a long winded battle against Thanos, Black Panther takes possession of the Infinity Gaunlet and kills all of the Avengers. Afterwards, he scatters the Infinity Stones amongst members of his family and flees to a distant planet and becomes ruler of Planet Wakanda
18) 16 year old Princess Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister is the head of the Wakandan Design Group (in charge of all that good Wakandan tech!) and the smartest person in the world - yes, even smarter than Tony Stark and Bruce Banner!
19) Black Panther has been called "Marvel's first graphic novel" many agree that the self-contained story arc is one of the most well written story arcs...ever
20) Black Panther is the ONLY Marvel character to have partnered with EVERY Marvel character/team. Everyone from the Fantastic Four to Spider-Man to the Defenders and the Illuminati.
21) In the comics, one of BP's nemesis is Man-Ape who believes he should be the true ruler of Wakanda. He and his followers worship a gorilla God, similar to how wakandians view BP as a god. Man-Ape dressed in a white gorilla suit. But because of the racial connotations of a Black man dressed in a White Gorilla suit, they changed him to be M'Baku in the movie for fear of back lash should it be done wrong. long black evening dresses
Movies to watch (in order) before BP Day:
Capt America: Winter Soldier
Avengers: Age of Ultron (for the back story of some other characters that appear in Black Panther.)
Capt America: Civil War (BP shows up in that first as far as the movies go)
Extras: Wesley Snipes has wanted to play the Black Panther since 92 and said he would after Blade but Marvel didn’t want the same character playing both iconic heroes. He also had difficulties getting in sync with John Singleton on how to do the movie. He said the tech back then wasn't ready to recreate Wakanda. He did Blade after.
Thank you Kamasi Hill, Rem Turnier and Kendra Alyce for compiling the list
#WakandaForever
