Connected to a panther goddess.
Immunity to magic.
The Black Panther is even cooler than you think!
Here's everything you need to know.
Technically, Black Panther is not a single person, but rather a title that has been passed
down through the monarchy of Wakanda.
The incumbent is also the leader of the Panther Tribe and is tasked with protecting their
country and people from all threats.
While the role is hereditary, that doesn't mean that the heir to the throne is guaranteed
to become a Black Panther, as they must first prove they are worthy of taking up the mantle.
Two of the first Black Panthers included the legendary Bashenga and his predecessor, Mosi,
who ruled Wakanda in the 8th century B.C. and 1,000,000 B.C respectively.
The character most commonly associated with the Black Panther moniker is T'Challa, the
son of T'Chaka.
He ends up becoming a hero not just for Wakanda but for the entire world, fighting alongside
superhero teams such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four while revealing his home nation
to other countries.
In both his movie form as part of the MCU and the comics, Black Panther has a range
of skills and abilities that make him a challenging adversary.
He is capable of fighting the Winter Soldier and holding his own in the battle.
His powers can largely be equated to the effects of the Super Soldier Serum, making him as
strong and durable as characters like Captain America.
"Move, Captain.
I won't ask a second time."
According to the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #2," the hero is stronger
than any standard human and easily able to outclass Olympic-level athletes in strength
and speed challenges.
He can lift more than four times his own body weight, run at speeds exceeding 40 mph, and
sustain strenuous physical activity for hours on end without being fatigued.
He is essentially at the peak of human condition for all of these attributes so that he can
pull off impressive feats like being able to hold his breath for almost 10 minutes or
leap across entire buildings.
All of these abilities come together to make T'Challa one of the best hand-to-hand fighters
in the entire Marvel universe, often cited in the top 10 alongside the likes of Wolverine
and Iron Fist.
"Come on.
Really?"
Another aspect that was powered up by eating the Heart-Shaped Herb was Black Panther's senses.
All of his mental faculties and senses have been heightened as a result of his connection
to the Panther Goddess Bast, who acts as his patron.
Though his senses are not quite as powerful as other heroes, such as Daredevil, they have
impressive practical uses.
For example, his sense of smell can distinguish between hundreds of people and even hunt them
using their scent.
"Black Panther" Vol 3 #25 states that he can pick up the scent of someone he is tracking
and follow them across vast distances, as well as being able to memorize and recognize
individuals from their smell alone.
From a person's body odor he can even tell if they are afraid or lying.
Along with the capacity to see more clearly, including in the infrared and electromagnetic
spectrums, Black Panther can pick out individual ingredients in the food that he eats.
All of this makes him a formidable opponent when it comes to trying to escape from or
deceive him, as the augmented senses give T'Challa a massive advantage.
Although T'Challa is undoubtedly well-trained and naturally talented, the source of most
of his powers is the Panther Goddess known as Bast.
This deity has long been associated with the country of Wakanda and the Panther Tribe in particular.
According to the official Marvel site, the god is inspired by deities from the Egyptian
pantheon and in the fictional history of the comics was first worshiped in the country
along with her father, Ra, and sister Sekhmet.
After several thousand years, Bast and Sekhmet began to be worshiped in Wakanda and bestowed
their blessings on those deemed worthy.
Bast's blessing is most closely associated with the Black Panthers, who lead the official
state religion of Wakanda.
The Panther Cult first emerged when Bashenga fought against the mutated Wakandans who had
been transformed by the vibranium meteor that hit the land.
He was made into an avatar of the Panther God to aid his cause, and this connection
to Bast allowed the Black Panthers to rule Wakanda for generations.
The descendants of Bashenga have subsequently sought the favor of Bast so that they themselves
can have the power and authority to lead.
As part of the process of becoming a Black Panther and gaining the blessing of Bast,
individuals have to go through a series of dangerous trials.
This ranges from challenging the incumbent Black Panther if they are still alive as well
as fighting warriors from the tribes in Wakanda.
Only someone who is capable of beating all of these opponents is deemed worthy, although
there are also other trials that must be completed as well.
"Justice will come soon enough."
The final step to becoming a Black Panther is to consume the mystical and rare Heart-Shaped Herb.
This plant is said to be a gift from the Panther Goddess herself but is actually the result
of the vibranium meteorite that hit Wakanda during prehistoric times, causing radiation
to mutate and drastically change all life around it.
A solution is made using the plant that is then applied to the body of the prospective
Black Panther, which can also be consumed.
However, the Heart-Shaped Herb is dangerous in its own right and capable of killing those
who come into contact with it if they don't have the protection that Bast offers.
Healing factors are not rare in the world of Marvel Comics.
Most fans will know of Wolverine's ability to repair himself after sustaining incredible
amounts of damage, in some cases even recovering from his body being completely destroyed.
In fact, the idea of super healing has become something of a trope in the fictional universe
that Marvel has created, with the likes of Blade, Deadpool, and the Hulk all demonstrating
an ability to heal much faster than normal humans can.
T'Challa doesn't have as potent a healing factor as many other Marvel characters, but
he is still capable of healing from minor injuries at a rapid rate.
As well as providing some immunity to diseases and poisons, it means that small wounds and
scrapes won't keep him out of action when in a fight.
Killing Black Panther is extremely difficult, and only serious injuries would ensure that
he can't get back up to fight.
Like many of his other powers, this healing factor manifested after he consumed the mystical
Heart-Shaped Herb.
As the king of Wakanda, T'Challa has access to a vast amount of wealth.
Fandom suggests that the hero may well be the richest superhero in comic book history.
His fortune largely comes from Wakanda itself, a rich and thriving nation that has huge reserves
of vibranium.
The impressive effects of the ore have made it much sought-after, and Black Panther's
wealth dwarfs that of other rich heroes, such as Iron Man.
"Me?"
The country has national reserves in the trillions of dollars, and it has diversified its investments
so that it doesn't have to rely solely on vibranium for its wealth.
Shut off from the rest of the world, Wakanda was largely untouched by the troubles of the
world throughout its history and has become the most advanced nation in the world due
to its technology.
The effect of this incredible wealth and technology is that the king has access to the very best
training facilities and equipment.
This allows him to hone his skills to perfection and ensures that he only gets the best, including
his gadgets and the vibranium-laced suit he takes into battle.
His decision to open Wakanda up to the world has also brought him strong allies and increased
diplomatic relations with other nations.
The suit that Black Panther wears, officially known as the Panther Habit, also boosts many
of his innate abilities.
Made with vibranium, the same material used in the construction of Captain America's shield,
it makes the wearer invulnerable to many types of damage.
It can even absorb the impact of gunshots at close range and other powerful attacks.
The movie version of the high-tech suit comes with retractable vibranium claws for close-quarters
combat and is made lightweight so that it doesn't restrict the hero's movements.
In battle, it is also able to absorb kinetic energy and disperse it to augment Black Panther's
own physical attacks.
His special outfit can operate in a similar manner to Spider-Man's, allowing him to grip
walls and climb buildings that would otherwise be impossible to mount.
The suit also gives Black Panther an advanced cloaking ability that can make him practically invisible.
The technology is especially useful when it comes to stealthily avoiding detection and
infiltrating enemy headquarters.
His boots can also allow him to drop from great heights unharmed or leap long distances
with grace and ease.
Fans who know of Black Panther from the MCU films might not be aware that the character
is as impressive an intellect as he is a fighter.
But it's true — Black Panther could even be compared to the likes of Batman from DC
Comics in terms of intelligence.
He's a character who is capable of outthinking his opponents as well as overwhelming them
in battle.
"Incredible Hulk" #601 noted that he has considered among the smartest people living on the planet,
while "Fantastic Four" #608 demonstrated that only Reed Richards was able to keep up with
him mentally.
The "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #9" even reveals that he has
something of a photographic memory and can replicate almost any technology that he is
given the chance to study even briefly.
Along with his resistance to disease and poison thanks to the power of the Heart-Shaped Herb
and the blessing of Bast, Black Panther has also acquired protection against magic.
This happened during the "Doomwar" series, when Doctor Doom was able to effectively remove
all of T'Challa's powers and force the mantle of Black Panther to be passed on to T'Challa's
sister, Shuri.
Doom himself even tries to prove his worthiness to Bast at one point to try and become the
leader of Wakanda.
In an effort to get back his powers by other means, T'Challa worked with the sorcerer Zawavari
to restore many of T'Challa's abilities as well as some new ones.
Chief among them was resistance to almost all forms of magic, making mystical attacks
almost useless against Black Panther.
As well as his arsenal of abilities and powers most people are familiar with, there are a
few less well-known examples that many fans will be completely unaware of.
One of the stranger powers that T'Challa has demonstrated during his long history includes necromancy.
"Secret Wars" #7, which was released in 2015, sees the King of Wakanda work with Namor and
Reed Richards to raise an army of zombies to fight against Victor von Doom after striking
a deal with the Panther Goddess.
The deity gives the hero the ability to communicate with the dead and raise them as soldiers to
fight on his behalf.
T'Challa becomes one of several Marvel characters who've had a brush with the undead in the comics.
The Heart-Shaped Herb that T'Challa had to eat as part of the ritual to become Black
Panther also allows him to communicate with his ancestors in the afterlife.
Other examples have been powers that Black Panther has only possessed for a short amount
of time or in one-off stories.
In "Incredible Hulk" #601, he uses a teleportation device that he has created himself to travel
large distances instantaneously.
Meanwhile, one storyline saw the hero able to exercise clairvoyance, so that he could
see into the future and witness events yet to occur.