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more articles from Ryan Mattimore" link-name="Ryan Mattimore" href="/author/ryan-mattimore">Ryan Mattimore</a></p><p>Updated: <time dateTime="2023-10-02T21:25:44">October 2, 2023</time>  | <span>Original: <time dateTime="2018-02-15T18:06:50">February 15, 2018</time></span></p></div><div class="page-header__sharing hide-print"><button class="button is-style-standalone is-style-standalone--dark-background has-icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24"><path d="M16 1H4C2.9 1 2 1.9 2 3V17H4V3H16V1ZM19 5H8C6.9 5 6 5.9 6 7V21C6 22.1 6.9 23 8 23H19C20.1 23 21 22.1 21 21V7C21 5.9 20.1 5 19 5ZM19 21H8V7H19V21Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg>copy page link</button><button class="button has-icon button--print page-header__print-button has-dark-background-with-outline" type="button" aria-label="Print this page"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" title="Print" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24"><path d="M19 7.5H5C3.34 7.5 2 8.84 2 10.5V16.5H6V20.5H18V16.5H22V10.5C22 8.84 20.66 7.5 19 7.5ZM16 18.5H8V13.5H16V18.5ZM19 11.5C18.45 11.5 18 11.05 18 10.5C18 9.95 18.45 9.5 19 9.5C19.55 9.5 20 9.95 20 10.5C20 11.05 19.55 11.5 19 11.5ZM18 2.5H6V6.5H18V2.5Z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg><span class="button__desktop-text">Print Page</span></button></div></div></div></div><figure class="page-header__figure hide-print"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0"><img alt="Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther." sizes="100vw" srcSet="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=640&height=426.66666666666663&crop=640%3A426.66666666666663%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 640w, 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class="article-content content"><p>The film <em>Black Panther</em>, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, broke <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/01/15/everything-we-know-marvel-superhero-film-black-panther/1020519001/">ticket-sale records</a> in 2018. But the Black Panther character first appeared in comic book pages decades before the hit film. Marvel Comics' first Black superhero debuted in Marvel’s “Fantastic 4” comic <a href="http://marvel.com/comics/discover/460/black-panther">in 1966</a>, and became a member of the Avengers two years later. By 1977, the groundbreaking superhero was starring in his own comic. </p><p>The series centers on T’Challa, king of Wakanda, and the wealthiest fictional character in the Marvel universe. Unlike many other heroes, T’Challa inherits his mantle from his father T’Chaka (the previous king), and gains his powers—including super acute senses and enhanced strength and speed—from a combination of skill, divine favor and a special herb. </p><p>In a <a href="http://www.tcj.com/jack-kirby-interview/">1990 interview</a> with <em>The Comics Journal</em>, co-creator Jack Kirby described why he created the character: “I came up with the Black Panther because I realized I had no Blacks in my strip…I had a lot of Black readers. My first friend was…Black! And here I was ignoring them because I was associating with everybody else.”</p><figure class="wp-block-image article__contained"><div class="wp-block-image__wrapper"><div class="wp-block-image__inner"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:relative;max-width:100%"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;max-width:100%"><img style="display:block;max-width:100%;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0" alt="" aria-hidden="true" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%271024%27%20height=%271533%27/%3e"/></span><img alt="Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="intrinsic" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%"/><noscript><img alt="Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="intrinsic" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 704px, calc(100vw - 2.5rem)" srcSet="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=1080&height=1617&crop=1080%3A1617%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 1x, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=2048&height=3066&crop=2048%3A3066%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 2x" src="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=2048&height=3066&crop=2048%3A3066%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp"/></noscript></span></div></div><figcaption class="wp-block-image__caption">Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)</figcaption></figure><p>Black Panther’s story originates in the fictional nation of Wakanda, touted in the comic as the only African country that was never colonized—though many tried. Over the years, observers have drawn real-world parallels between Wakanda and Ethiopia, which was never officially colonized, but was occupied by Italy in the 1930s. </p><p>Without outside powers extracting its resources, or imposing exploitative policies, Wakanda flourishes and becomes the most technologically advanced country on Earth, rich in natural resources such as the fictional element Vibranium. (Sound familiar? It’s what Captain America’s shield is made of.)</p><p>To understand more about “Black Panther” and the history it reflects, HISTORY spoke with author Adilifu Nama, author of <em>Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes</em>.</p><p><strong>HISTORY: Why is ‘Black Panther’ so significant?</strong></p><p>Adilifu Nama: What makes the Black Panther such a significant figure in American popular culture—as well as Black popular culture—is its groundbreaking representation of Blackness as more than a stereotypical and racist trope of inferiority. We have to keep in mind the historical context of the superhero’s first emergence—in 1966, against the backdrop of the civil rights and burgeoning Black Power movement. That becomes important because in many ways [the emergence of a Black superhero]…marks a racial transformation happening on a political and social level.</p><figure class="wp-block-image article__contained"><div class="wp-block-image__wrapper"><div class="wp-block-image__inner"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:relative;max-width:100%"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;max-width:100%"><img style="display:block;max-width:100%;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0" alt="" aria-hidden="true" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%271024%27%20height=%27446%27/%3e"/></span><img alt="Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie Black Panter. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="intrinsic" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%"/><noscript><img alt="Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie Black Panter. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="intrinsic" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 704px, calc(100vw - 2.5rem)" srcSet="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=1080&height=470&crop=1080%3A470%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 1x, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=2048&height=892&crop=2048%3A892%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 2x" src="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=2048&height=892&crop=2048%3A892%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp"/></noscript></span></div></div><figcaption class="wp-block-image__caption">Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie "Black Panther." (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)</figcaption></figure><p><strong>What is the significance of the nation of Wakanda?</strong></p><p>Wakanda symbolizes a wonderland of possibilities: What would have happened to a society not [affected] by the devastating impact of racism and colonialism? In that sense, the film is a beacon for the Black imagination…what Blackness could be in the future.</p><p><strong>Why do you think this film resonated so widely?</strong></p><p>I would argue that “Black Panther” as a film project is probably more attuned to being a Black science fiction film than a comic-book adaptation. The groundswell of buzz and anticipation, particularly across Black communities in the U.S. and world, was not a function of millions of comic-book readers that have followed the Black Panther in the various iterations you have in Marvel Comics. This film speaks to a broader pent-up demand and desire to see a science fiction version of Blackness that is on par with a “Star Wars." We’ve never seen this kind of visionary…African/Black representation of super science, and technological advancement and social standing outside the historical [context] of colonialism.</p><figure class="wp-block-image article__contained"><div class="wp-block-image__wrapper"><div class="wp-block-image__inner"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;position:relative;max-width:100%"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0;max-width:100%"><img style="display:block;max-width:100%;width:initial;height:initial;background:none;opacity:1;border:0;margin:0;padding:0" alt="" aria-hidden="true" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%271024%27%20height=%27541%27/%3e"/></span><img alt="Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="intrinsic" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%"/><noscript><img alt="Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="intrinsic" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 704px, calc(100vw - 2.5rem)" srcSet="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=1080&height=571&crop=1080%3A571%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 1x, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=2048&height=1082&crop=2048%3A1082%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp 2x" src="https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=2048&height=1082&crop=2048%3A1082%2Csmart&quality=75&auto=webp"/></noscript></span></div></div><figcaption class="wp-block-image__caption">Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)</figcaption></figure><p><strong>How do you think this character, who is such a product of the 1960s zeitgeist, resonates today?</strong></p><p>[It is] such a strong allegory [of] our contemporary moment, given the way in which racial tensions—in American society in particular—have come to the forefront. Particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the comments by the president disparaging African nations, Black football players standing up by kneeling… Against that type of backdrop, films such as “Get Out” and “Black Panther” have a vivid resonance.</p><p><strong>Do you think the film will retain the political aspects of the comic?</strong></p><p>The comic is more symbolic and allegorical… The film has more…racial politics right in your face.</p><p><strong>Which came first: The ‘Black Panther’ or the Black Panthers?</strong></p><p>It’s complicated. Stokely Carmichael gave his famous “Black Power” speech at University of California, Berkeley, a few months after the character’s debut, and that fall founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale named their movement the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. </p><p>Aidlifu Nama goes on to note that the Black Panther Party borrowed its moniker from Alabama’s Lowndes County Freedom Organization, which had adopted a panther logo. To escape the name’s radical political connotations, Marvel tried having Black Panther go by “Black Leopard” in the early 1970s, but it didn’t stick. And, over the years, the “Black Panther” standalone comic did delve into politics, featuring the titular character fighting racist forces such as the Ku Klux Klan and the <a href="http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Azania">“Republic of Azania,”</a> which was an allegory for apartheid South Africa.</p><div class="block-story-grid"><div class="card-grid"><div class="card-grid__container"><article class="card-grid-item"><a aria-label="How G.I. 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All Rights Reserved.</p></div></footer></div><script id="__NEXT_DATA__" type="application/json">{"props":{"pageProps":{"_sentryTraceData":"9de8054ee65f45089b4f3fea035ac8b2-8a8eb4d783360888-0","_sentryBaggage":"sentry-environment=production,sentry-release=zQ071g4z-1OJvlBLY3TcS,sentry-public_key=6a648ea8c0214c3eb9223c5771a039ab,sentry-trace_id=9de8054ee65f45089b4f3fea035ac8b2,sentry-transaction=%2Fnews%2F%5Bslug%5D,sentry-sampled=false","featuredImage":{"id":30283,"date":"2023-02-28T08:02:42","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T08:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"modified":"2023-02-28T08:02:42","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T08:02:42","slug":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo","status":"inherit","type":"attachment","link":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo/","title":{"rendered":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther\u0026#8217;s Featured Photo"},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"credit":"Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett","credit_url":"","getty_2025":""},"class_list":["post-30283","attachment","type-attachment","status-inherit","hentry"],"prepublish_checks":{},"description":{"rendered":"\u003cp class=\"attachment\"\u003e\u003ca href='https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg'\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=300\u0026amp;height=169\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther.\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=686 686w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n"},"caption":{"rendered":"Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther. 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Real History Behind the Black Panther\u0026#8217;s Featured Photo"},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"credit":"Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett","credit_url":"","getty_2025":""},"class_list":["post-30283","attachment","type-attachment","status-inherit","hentry"],"prepublish_checks":{},"description":{"rendered":"\u003cp class=\"attachment\"\u003e\u003ca href='https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg'\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=300\u0026amp;height=169\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther.\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=686 686w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n"},"caption":{"rendered":"Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett) "},"alt_text":"Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther.","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image/jpeg","media_details":{"file":"2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"width":"150","height":"150","crop":"1","source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=150\u0026height=150\u0026crop=1:1","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"medium":{"width":"300","height":169,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=300\u0026height=169","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"medium_large":{"width":"768","height":"0","crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=768","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"large":{"width":"1024","height":575,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=1024\u0026height=575","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"1536x1536":{"width":1536,"height":863,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=1536\u0026height=863","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"2048x2048":{"width":2048,"height":1150,"crop":false,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=2048\u0026height=1150","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"corpnews_large":{"width":1250,"height":625,"crop":true,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=1250\u0026height=625\u0026crop=2:1","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"corpnews_medium":{"width":800,"height":400,"crop":true,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=800\u0026height=400\u0026crop=2:1","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"corpnews_small":{"width":500,"height":250,"crop":true,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg?width=500\u0026height=250\u0026crop=2:1","file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"},"full":{"file":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","width":686,"height":385,"mime_type":"image/jpeg","source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"}},"width":686,"height":385,"filesize":179230},"post":30282,"source_url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg"}},"post":{"id":30282,"date":"2018-02-15T18:06:50","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T18:06:50","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-10-02T17:25:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T21:25:44","slug":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther","title":{"rendered":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe film \u003cem\u003eBlack Panther\u003c/em\u003e, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, broke \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/01/15/everything-we-know-marvel-superhero-film-black-panther/1020519001/\"\u003eticket-sale records\u003c/a\u003e in 2018. But the Black Panther character first appeared in comic book pages decades before the hit film. Marvel Comics\u0026#8217; first Black superhero debuted in Marvel’s “Fantastic 4” comic \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.com/comics/discover/460/black-panther\"\u003ein 1966\u003c/a\u003e, and became a member of the Avengers two years later. By 1977, the groundbreaking superhero was starring in his own comic. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe series centers on T’Challa, king of Wakanda, and the wealthiest fictional character in the Marvel universe. Unlike many other heroes, T’Challa inherits his mantle from his father T’Chaka (the previous king), and gains his powers—including super acute senses and enhanced strength and speed—from a combination of skill, divine favor and a special herb.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a \u003ca href=\"http://www.tcj.com/jack-kirby-interview/\"\u003e1990 interview\u003c/a\u003e with \u003cem\u003eThe Comics Journal\u003c/em\u003e, co-creator Jack Kirby described why he created the character: “I came up with the Black Panther because I realized I had no Blacks in my strip…I had a lot of Black readers. My first friend was…Black! And here I was ignoring them because I was associating with everybody else.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1796\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1\" alt=\"Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)\" class=\"wp-image-30285\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" /\u003e\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"\u003eFantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)\u003c/figcaption\u003e\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlack Panther’s story originates in the fictional nation of Wakanda, touted in the comic as the only African country that was never colonized—though many tried. Over the years, observers have drawn real-world parallels between Wakanda and Ethiopia, which was never officially colonized, but was occupied by Italy in the 1930s.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWithout outside powers extracting its resources, or imposing exploitative policies, Wakanda flourishes and becomes the most technologically advanced country on Earth, rich in natural resources such as the fictional element Vibranium. (Sound familiar? It’s what Captain America’s shield is made of.)\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo understand more about “Black Panther” and the history it reflects, HISTORY spoke with author Adilifu Nama, author of \u003cem\u003eSuper Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHISTORY: Why is ‘Black Panther’ so significant?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eAdilifu Nama: What makes the Black Panther such a significant figure in American popular culture—as well as Black popular culture—is its groundbreaking representation of Blackness as more than a stereotypical and racist trope of inferiority. We have to keep in mind the historical context of the superhero’s first emergence—in 1966, against the backdrop of the civil rights and burgeoning Black Power movement. That becomes important because in many ways [the emergence of a Black superhero]…marks a racial transformation happening on a political and social level.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"522\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1\" alt=\"Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie Black Panter. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\" class=\"wp-image-30286\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" /\u003e\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"\u003eTalon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie \u0026#8220;Black Panther.\u0026#8221; (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\u003c/figcaption\u003e\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the significance of the nation of Wakanda?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWakanda symbolizes a wonderland of possibilities: What would have happened to a society not [affected] by the devastating impact of racism and colonialism? In that sense, the film is a beacon for the Black imagination…what Blackness could be in the future.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy do you think this film resonated so widely?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eI would argue that “Black Panther” as a film project is probably more attuned to being a Black science fiction film than a comic-book adaptation. The groundswell of buzz and anticipation, particularly across Black communities in the U.S. and world, was not a function of millions of comic-book readers that have followed the Black Panther in the various iterations you have in Marvel Comics. This film speaks to a broader pent-up demand and desire to see a science fiction version of Blackness that is on par with a “Star Wars.\u0026#8221; We’ve never seen this kind of visionary…African/Black representation of super science, and technological advancement and social standing outside the historical [context] of colonialism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"633\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1\" alt=\"Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\" class=\"wp-image-30287\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" /\u003e\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"\u003eBlack Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\u003c/figcaption\u003e\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do you think this character, who is such a product of the 1960s zeitgeist, resonates today?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e[It is] such a strong allegory [of] our contemporary moment, given the way in which racial tensions—in American society in particular—have come to the forefront. Particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the comments by the president disparaging African nations, Black football players standing up by kneeling… Against that type of backdrop, films such as “Get Out” and “Black Panther” have a vivid resonance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo you think the film will retain the political aspects of the comic?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe comic is more symbolic and allegorical… The film has more…racial politics right in your face.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich came first: The ‘Black Panther’ or the Black Panthers?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s complicated. Stokely Carmichael gave his famous “Black Power” speech at University of California, Berkeley, a few months after the character’s debut, and that fall founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale named their movement the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eAidlifu Nama goes on to note that the Black Panther Party borrowed\u0026nbsp;its moniker from Alabama’s Lowndes County Freedom Organization, which had adopted a panther logo. To escape the name’s radical political connotations, Marvel tried having Black Panther go by “Black Leopard” in the early 1970s, but it didn’t stick. And, over the years, the “Black Panther” standalone comic did delve into politics, featuring the titular character fighting racist forces such as the Ku Klux Klan and the \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Azania\"\u003e“Republic of Azania,”\u003c/a\u003e which was an allegory for apartheid South Africa.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-story-grid\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid post-grid is-style-2-col \"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item--gutter-sm post-grid-item-sm-50\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"How G.I. Joe Jump-Started the Action Figure Craze\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"Vintage G.I. Joe figures\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2022/10/gettyimages-2120208-2.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"Vintage G.I. Joe figures\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eInventions \u0026amp; Science\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003eHow G.I. Joe Jump-Started the Action Figure Craze\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item--gutter-sm post-grid-item-sm-50\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"8 Boundary-Breaking Black TV Shows\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"8 Black TV Shows That Helped Change Culture, Featuring \u0026#039;The Jeffersons\u0026#039; \u0026amp; more\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2021/02/the-jeffersons-gettyimages-149219839.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"8 Black TV Shows That Helped Change Culture, Featuring \u0026#039;The Jeffersons\u0026#039; \u0026amp; more\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eBlack History\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003e8 Boundary-Breaking Black TV Shows\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t","protected":false,"blocks":[{"clientId":"f08e894f-085a-4a63-8ddf-97f9a222b5bf","name":"corpnews-blocks/subhead","attributes":[],"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"a47cd17a-83d2-4066-8b21-e7f87f6e3cd5","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The film \u003cem\u003eBlack Panther\u003c/em\u003e, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, broke \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/01/15/everything-we-know-marvel-superhero-film-black-panther/1020519001/\"\u003eticket-sale records\u003c/a\u003e in 2018. But the Black Panther character first appeared in comic book pages decades before the hit film. Marvel Comics' first Black superhero debuted in Marvel’s “Fantastic 4” comic \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.com/comics/discover/460/black-panther\"\u003ein 1966\u003c/a\u003e, and became a member of the Avengers two years later. By 1977, the groundbreaking superhero was starring in his own comic. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b6db4215-e4bd-4982-a416-081a9c206196","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The series centers on T’Challa, king of Wakanda, and the wealthiest fictional character in the Marvel universe. Unlike many other heroes, T’Challa inherits his mantle from his father T’Chaka (the previous king), and gains his powers—including super acute senses and enhanced strength and speed—from a combination of skill, divine favor and a special herb.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b992f26d-e7cb-4bda-b82a-f13b46b1e7b8","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"In a \u003ca href=\"http://www.tcj.com/jack-kirby-interview/\"\u003e1990 interview\u003c/a\u003e with \u003cem\u003eThe Comics Journal\u003c/em\u003e, co-creator Jack Kirby described why he created the character: “I came up with the Black Panther because I realized I had no Blacks in my strip…I had a lot of Black readers. My first friend was…Black! And here I was ignoring them because I was associating with everybody else.”","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"f6950f4b-ed86-4396-9dbf-72002264b4e4","name":"core/image","attributes":{"id":30285,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1","alt":"Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)","caption":"Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)","width":1024,"height":1533},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"0c24eade-ba04-420a-9381-acff941ece50","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Black Panther’s story originates in the fictional nation of Wakanda, touted in the comic as the only African country that was never colonized—though many tried. Over the years, observers have drawn real-world parallels between Wakanda and Ethiopia, which was never officially colonized, but was occupied by Italy in the 1930s.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b16c0b7b-08b3-48f3-ab47-a9cd91160c9e","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Without outside powers extracting its resources, or imposing exploitative policies, Wakanda flourishes and becomes the most technologically advanced country on Earth, rich in natural resources such as the fictional element Vibranium. (Sound familiar? It’s what Captain America’s shield is made of.)","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"9174bfd9-0876-4f27-b57a-2a440e0ccceb","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"To understand more about “Black Panther” and the history it reflects, HISTORY spoke with author Adilifu Nama, author of \u003cem\u003eSuper Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes\u003c/em\u003e.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"bc63a89f-333d-4d64-9ef7-87c7d1c1adab","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eHISTORY: Why is ‘Black Panther’ so significant?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"15e22113-8474-4019-9753-493a515a2b87","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Adilifu Nama: What makes the Black Panther such a significant figure in American popular culture—as well as Black popular culture—is its groundbreaking representation of Blackness as more than a stereotypical and racist trope of inferiority. We have to keep in mind the historical context of the superhero’s first emergence—in 1966, against the backdrop of the civil rights and burgeoning Black Power movement. That becomes important because in many ways [the emergence of a Black superhero]…marks a racial transformation happening on a political and social level.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"293d68a3-4265-49b6-845d-1c85f69f5434","name":"core/image","attributes":{"id":30286,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1","alt":"Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie Black Panter. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","caption":"Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie \"Black Panther.\" (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","width":1024,"height":446},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"79fe80ad-80b5-4437-bc0d-eff16534fc51","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the significance of the nation of Wakanda?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"78796eae-c3a9-4b8d-bd19-783b7621879f","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Wakanda symbolizes a wonderland of possibilities: What would have happened to a society not [affected] by the devastating impact of racism and colonialism? In that sense, the film is a beacon for the Black imagination…what Blackness could be in the future.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"eda2e130-cfdb-4cbc-9ebf-b5c14f03779a","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhy do you think this film resonated so widely?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"fb7c9ab2-f7e0-4127-8840-8f172a443530","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"I would argue that “Black Panther” as a film project is probably more attuned to being a Black science fiction film than a comic-book adaptation. The groundswell of buzz and anticipation, particularly across Black communities in the U.S. and world, was not a function of millions of comic-book readers that have followed the Black Panther in the various iterations you have in Marvel Comics. This film speaks to a broader pent-up demand and desire to see a science fiction version of Blackness that is on par with a “Star Wars.\" We’ve never seen this kind of visionary…African/Black representation of super science, and technological advancement and social standing outside the historical [context] of colonialism.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"e5c368cd-476d-427d-84b5-ec8805f6ef6e","name":"core/image","attributes":{"id":30287,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1","alt":"Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","caption":"Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","width":1024,"height":541},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"5ad318bf-d1ca-4bd6-94e0-49dcb489419b","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eHow do you think this character, who is such a product of the 1960s zeitgeist, resonates today?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"7f69f32b-1c62-4ad1-911c-7019fba8afa3","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"[It is] such a strong allegory [of] our contemporary moment, given the way in which racial tensions—in American society in particular—have come to the forefront. Particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the comments by the president disparaging African nations, Black football players standing up by kneeling… Against that type of backdrop, films such as “Get Out” and “Black Panther” have a vivid resonance.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"76558530-5429-4fc8-99a4-23787b1c587b","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eDo you think the film will retain the political aspects of the comic?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"88087399-a4ee-417e-9b45-c9c81f8c83f8","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The comic is more symbolic and allegorical… The film has more…racial politics right in your face.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"7185b8ee-155c-401f-8105-7680c4c62b88","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhich came first: The ‘Black Panther’ or the Black Panthers?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"c9ce0dc9-57e5-4822-8c99-51de8fd25610","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"It’s complicated. Stokely Carmichael gave his famous “Black Power” speech at University of California, Berkeley, a few months after the character’s debut, and that fall founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale named their movement the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"4e26f390-b073-43b8-bd50-8ab2886ff1de","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Aidlifu Nama goes on to note that the Black Panther Party borrowed\u0026nbsp;its moniker from Alabama’s Lowndes County Freedom Organization, which had adopted a panther logo. To escape the name’s radical political connotations, Marvel tried having Black Panther go by “Black Leopard” in the early 1970s, but it didn’t stick. And, over the years, the “Black Panther” standalone comic did delve into politics, featuring the titular character fighting racist forces such as the Ku Klux Klan and the \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Azania\"\u003e“Republic of Azania,”\u003c/a\u003e which was an allegory for apartheid South Africa.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"8cfae9de-59f8-4ad9-b2b8-9ddc4c32d46d","name":"corpnews-blocks/story-grid","attributes":{"posts":"[{\"id\":21649,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/action-figures-g-i-joe-star-wars\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"How G.I. Joe Jump-Started the Action Figure Craze\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"In the late 1970s, smaller 'Star Wars' action figures took over.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"},{\"id\":29220,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/black-tv-shows-culture\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"8 Boundary-Breaking Black TV Shows\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"These shows helped broaden the range of African American experiences portrayed on television.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"}]","preview":false,"postType":["any"],"className":"","cardsHeading":""},"innerBlocks":[]}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Marvel\u0026#8217;s groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights movement.","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":30283,"template":"","meta":{"video_platform_id":"","video_duration":0,"video_content_rating":"","video_disable_autoplay":false,"curated_related_posts":"","disable_related_posts":"","subhead":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights movement.","exclude_from_rss":false,"distribute_scheduled_post":[],"downloadable_assets":[],"footnotes":"","reading_time":5},"tags":[],"article_type":[],"story_byline":[1299],"story_category":[21,67],"class_list":["post-30282","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","story_byline-ryan-mattimore","story_category-1960s","story_category-black-history"],"prepublish_checks":{},"is_external":false,"article_type_meta":"","tags_meta":"","disable_interrupter":"","primary_term":67,"video_thumbnail":false,"hide_on_google_news":false,"yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther | HISTORY","description":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights 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HISTORY","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.history.com#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","datePublished":"2018-02-15T18:06:50+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-02T21:25:44+00:00","description":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights movement.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/#primaryimage","url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","contentUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","width":686,"height":385,"caption":"Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.history.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Posts","item":"https://www.history.com/news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.history.com#website","url":"https://www.history.com","name":"HISTORY","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://www.history.com/search/{search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.history.com/#/schema/person/af7dc21f5ffba5a21c122da723b52b0f","name":"Ryan Mattimore","url":"https://www.history.com/author/ryan-mattimore"}]},"news_article_schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther","description":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights movement.","url":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/","thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","datePublished":"2018-02-15 18:06:50","dateModified":"2023-10-02 21:25:44","articleSection":"1960s, Black History","creator":["Ryan Mattimore"],"keywords":[],"author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.history.com/#/schema/person/af7dc21f5ffba5a21c122da723b52b0f","name":"Ryan Mattimore","url":"https://www.history.com/author/ryan-mattimore"}}}},"posts":[{"id":30282,"date":"2018-02-15T18:06:50","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T18:06:50","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-10-02T17:25:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T21:25:44","slug":"the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther","title":{"rendered":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe film \u003cem\u003eBlack Panther\u003c/em\u003e, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, broke \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/01/15/everything-we-know-marvel-superhero-film-black-panther/1020519001/\"\u003eticket-sale records\u003c/a\u003e in 2018. But the Black Panther character first appeared in comic book pages decades before the hit film. Marvel Comics\u0026#8217; first Black superhero debuted in Marvel’s “Fantastic 4” comic \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.com/comics/discover/460/black-panther\"\u003ein 1966\u003c/a\u003e, and became a member of the Avengers two years later. By 1977, the groundbreaking superhero was starring in his own comic. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe series centers on T’Challa, king of Wakanda, and the wealthiest fictional character in the Marvel universe. Unlike many other heroes, T’Challa inherits his mantle from his father T’Chaka (the previous king), and gains his powers—including super acute senses and enhanced strength and speed—from a combination of skill, divine favor and a special herb.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a \u003ca href=\"http://www.tcj.com/jack-kirby-interview/\"\u003e1990 interview\u003c/a\u003e with \u003cem\u003eThe Comics Journal\u003c/em\u003e, co-creator Jack Kirby described why he created the character: “I came up with the Black Panther because I realized I had no Blacks in my strip…I had a lot of Black readers. My first friend was…Black! And here I was ignoring them because I was associating with everybody else.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1796\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1\" alt=\"Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)\" class=\"wp-image-30285\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" /\u003e\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"\u003eFantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)\u003c/figcaption\u003e\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlack Panther’s story originates in the fictional nation of Wakanda, touted in the comic as the only African country that was never colonized—though many tried. Over the years, observers have drawn real-world parallels between Wakanda and Ethiopia, which was never officially colonized, but was occupied by Italy in the 1930s.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWithout outside powers extracting its resources, or imposing exploitative policies, Wakanda flourishes and becomes the most technologically advanced country on Earth, rich in natural resources such as the fictional element Vibranium. (Sound familiar? It’s what Captain America’s shield is made of.)\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo understand more about “Black Panther” and the history it reflects, HISTORY spoke with author Adilifu Nama, author of \u003cem\u003eSuper Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHISTORY: Why is ‘Black Panther’ so significant?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eAdilifu Nama: What makes the Black Panther such a significant figure in American popular culture—as well as Black popular culture—is its groundbreaking representation of Blackness as more than a stereotypical and racist trope of inferiority. We have to keep in mind the historical context of the superhero’s first emergence—in 1966, against the backdrop of the civil rights and burgeoning Black Power movement. That becomes important because in many ways [the emergence of a Black superhero]…marks a racial transformation happening on a political and social level.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"522\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1\" alt=\"Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie Black Panter. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\" class=\"wp-image-30286\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" /\u003e\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"\u003eTalon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie \u0026#8220;Black Panther.\u0026#8221; (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\u003c/figcaption\u003e\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the significance of the nation of Wakanda?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWakanda symbolizes a wonderland of possibilities: What would have happened to a society not [affected] by the devastating impact of racism and colonialism? In that sense, the film is a beacon for the Black imagination…what Blackness could be in the future.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy do you think this film resonated so widely?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eI would argue that “Black Panther” as a film project is probably more attuned to being a Black science fiction film than a comic-book adaptation. The groundswell of buzz and anticipation, particularly across Black communities in the U.S. and world, was not a function of millions of comic-book readers that have followed the Black Panther in the various iterations you have in Marvel Comics. This film speaks to a broader pent-up demand and desire to see a science fiction version of Blackness that is on par with a “Star Wars.\u0026#8221; We’ve never seen this kind of visionary…African/Black representation of super science, and technological advancement and social standing outside the historical [context] of colonialism.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"633\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1\" alt=\"Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\" class=\"wp-image-30287\" srcset=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=300 300w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=1024 1024w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=1536 1536w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=2048 2048w, https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" /\u003e\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"\u003eBlack Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)\u003c/figcaption\u003e\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do you think this character, who is such a product of the 1960s zeitgeist, resonates today?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e[It is] such a strong allegory [of] our contemporary moment, given the way in which racial tensions—in American society in particular—have come to the forefront. Particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the comments by the president disparaging African nations, Black football players standing up by kneeling… Against that type of backdrop, films such as “Get Out” and “Black Panther” have a vivid resonance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo you think the film will retain the political aspects of the comic?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe comic is more symbolic and allegorical… The film has more…racial politics right in your face.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich came first: The ‘Black Panther’ or the Black Panthers?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s complicated. Stokely Carmichael gave his famous “Black Power” speech at University of California, Berkeley, a few months after the character’s debut, and that fall founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale named their movement the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eAidlifu Nama goes on to note that the Black Panther Party borrowed\u0026nbsp;its moniker from Alabama’s Lowndes County Freedom Organization, which had adopted a panther logo. To escape the name’s radical political connotations, Marvel tried having Black Panther go by “Black Leopard” in the early 1970s, but it didn’t stick. And, over the years, the “Black Panther” standalone comic did delve into politics, featuring the titular character fighting racist forces such as the Ku Klux Klan and the \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Azania\"\u003e“Republic of Azania,”\u003c/a\u003e which was an allegory for apartheid South Africa.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"block-story-grid\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid post-grid is-style-2-col \"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item--gutter-sm post-grid-item-sm-50\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"How G.I. Joe Jump-Started the Action Figure Craze\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"Vintage G.I. Joe figures\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2022/10/gettyimages-2120208-2.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"Vintage G.I. Joe figures\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eInventions \u0026amp; Science\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003eHow G.I. Joe Jump-Started the Action Figure Craze\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003carticle class=\"card-grid-item post-grid-item post-grid-item--gutter-sm post-grid-item-sm-50\" itemscope itemtype=\"http://schema.org/BlogPosting\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__link\" itemprop=\"url\" aria-label=\"8 Boundary-Breaking Black TV Shows\" \u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cfigure class=\"card-grid-item__image-fit image-fit\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http://schema.org/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__image-contain image-fit__image-contain\" aria-label=\"8 Black TV Shows That Helped Change Culture, Featuring \u0026#039;The Jeffersons\u0026#039; \u0026amp; more\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" src=\"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2021/02/the-jeffersons-gettyimages-149219839.jpg?width=768\" class=\"card-grid-item__image image-fit__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"8 Black TV Shows That Helped Change Culture, Featuring \u0026#039;The Jeffersons\u0026#039; \u0026amp; more\" /\u003e\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__title-contain\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat card-grid-item__meta-cat--narrow\"\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cspan class=\"card-grid-item__meta-cat-text\"\u003eBlack History\u003c/span\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch3 class=\"card-grid-item__title h5\"\u003e8 Boundary-Breaking Black TV Shows\u003c/h3\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/article\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t\u003c/div\u003e\n\t\t\t","protected":false,"blocks":[{"clientId":"f08e894f-085a-4a63-8ddf-97f9a222b5bf","name":"corpnews-blocks/subhead","attributes":[],"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"a47cd17a-83d2-4066-8b21-e7f87f6e3cd5","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The film \u003cem\u003eBlack Panther\u003c/em\u003e, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, broke \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/01/15/everything-we-know-marvel-superhero-film-black-panther/1020519001/\"\u003eticket-sale records\u003c/a\u003e in 2018. But the Black Panther character first appeared in comic book pages decades before the hit film. Marvel Comics' first Black superhero debuted in Marvel’s “Fantastic 4” comic \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.com/comics/discover/460/black-panther\"\u003ein 1966\u003c/a\u003e, and became a member of the Avengers two years later. By 1977, the groundbreaking superhero was starring in his own comic. ","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b6db4215-e4bd-4982-a416-081a9c206196","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The series centers on T’Challa, king of Wakanda, and the wealthiest fictional character in the Marvel universe. Unlike many other heroes, T’Challa inherits his mantle from his father T’Chaka (the previous king), and gains his powers—including super acute senses and enhanced strength and speed—from a combination of skill, divine favor and a special herb.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b992f26d-e7cb-4bda-b82a-f13b46b1e7b8","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"In a \u003ca href=\"http://www.tcj.com/jack-kirby-interview/\"\u003e1990 interview\u003c/a\u003e with \u003cem\u003eThe Comics Journal\u003c/em\u003e, co-creator Jack Kirby described why he created the character: “I came up with the Black Panther because I realized I had no Blacks in my strip…I had a lot of Black readers. My first friend was…Black! And here I was ignoring them because I was associating with everybody else.”","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"f6950f4b-ed86-4396-9dbf-72002264b4e4","name":"core/image","attributes":{"id":30285,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/fantastic-four-52-where-black.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1","alt":"Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)","caption":"Fantastic Four #52, where Black Panther was first featured. (Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions)","width":1024,"height":1533},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"0c24eade-ba04-420a-9381-acff941ece50","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Black Panther’s story originates in the fictional nation of Wakanda, touted in the comic as the only African country that was never colonized—though many tried. Over the years, observers have drawn real-world parallels between Wakanda and Ethiopia, which was never officially colonized, but was occupied by Italy in the 1930s.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"b16c0b7b-08b3-48f3-ab47-a9cd91160c9e","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Without outside powers extracting its resources, or imposing exploitative policies, Wakanda flourishes and becomes the most technologically advanced country on Earth, rich in natural resources such as the fictional element Vibranium. (Sound familiar? It’s what Captain America’s shield is made of.)","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"9174bfd9-0876-4f27-b57a-2a440e0ccceb","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"To understand more about “Black Panther” and the history it reflects, HISTORY spoke with author Adilifu Nama, author of \u003cem\u003eSuper Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes\u003c/em\u003e.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"bc63a89f-333d-4d64-9ef7-87c7d1c1adab","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eHISTORY: Why is ‘Black Panther’ so significant?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"15e22113-8474-4019-9753-493a515a2b87","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Adilifu Nama: What makes the Black Panther such a significant figure in American popular culture—as well as Black popular culture—is its groundbreaking representation of Blackness as more than a stereotypical and racist trope of inferiority. We have to keep in mind the historical context of the superhero’s first emergence—in 1966, against the backdrop of the civil rights and burgeoning Black Power movement. That becomes important because in many ways [the emergence of a Black superhero]…marks a racial transformation happening on a political and social level.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"293d68a3-4265-49b6-845d-1c85f69f5434","name":"core/image","attributes":{"id":30286,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/talon-fighter-over-wakanda-from.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1","alt":"Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie Black Panter. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","caption":"Talon fighter over Wakanda, from the movie \"Black Panther.\" (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","width":1024,"height":446},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"79fe80ad-80b5-4437-bc0d-eff16534fc51","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the significance of the nation of Wakanda?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"78796eae-c3a9-4b8d-bd19-783b7621879f","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Wakanda symbolizes a wonderland of possibilities: What would have happened to a society not [affected] by the devastating impact of racism and colonialism? In that sense, the film is a beacon for the Black imagination…what Blackness could be in the future.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"eda2e130-cfdb-4cbc-9ebf-b5c14f03779a","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhy do you think this film resonated so widely?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"fb7c9ab2-f7e0-4127-8840-8f172a443530","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"I would argue that “Black Panther” as a film project is probably more attuned to being a Black science fiction film than a comic-book adaptation. The groundswell of buzz and anticipation, particularly across Black communities in the U.S. and world, was not a function of millions of comic-book readers that have followed the Black Panther in the various iterations you have in Marvel Comics. This film speaks to a broader pent-up demand and desire to see a science fiction version of Blackness that is on par with a “Star Wars.\" We’ve never seen this kind of visionary…African/Black representation of super science, and technological advancement and social standing outside the historical [context] of colonialism.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"e5c368cd-476d-427d-84b5-ec8805f6ef6e","name":"core/image","attributes":{"id":30287,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","url":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/black-panther-credit-marvel-walt-disney.jpg?width=800\u0026amp;height=400\u0026amp;crop=2:1","alt":"Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","caption":"Black Panther. (Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)","width":1024,"height":541},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"5ad318bf-d1ca-4bd6-94e0-49dcb489419b","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eHow do you think this character, who is such a product of the 1960s zeitgeist, resonates today?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"7f69f32b-1c62-4ad1-911c-7019fba8afa3","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"[It is] such a strong allegory [of] our contemporary moment, given the way in which racial tensions—in American society in particular—have come to the forefront. Particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the comments by the president disparaging African nations, Black football players standing up by kneeling… Against that type of backdrop, films such as “Get Out” and “Black Panther” have a vivid resonance.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"76558530-5429-4fc8-99a4-23787b1c587b","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eDo you think the film will retain the political aspects of the comic?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"88087399-a4ee-417e-9b45-c9c81f8c83f8","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"The comic is more symbolic and allegorical… The film has more…racial politics right in your face.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"7185b8ee-155c-401f-8105-7680c4c62b88","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhich came first: The ‘Black Panther’ or the Black Panthers?\u003c/strong\u003e","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"c9ce0dc9-57e5-4822-8c99-51de8fd25610","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"It’s complicated. Stokely Carmichael gave his famous “Black Power” speech at University of California, Berkeley, a few months after the character’s debut, and that fall founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale named their movement the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.\u0026nbsp;","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"4e26f390-b073-43b8-bd50-8ab2886ff1de","name":"core/paragraph","attributes":{"content":"Aidlifu Nama goes on to note that the Black Panther Party borrowed\u0026nbsp;its moniker from Alabama’s Lowndes County Freedom Organization, which had adopted a panther logo. To escape the name’s radical political connotations, Marvel tried having Black Panther go by “Black Leopard” in the early 1970s, but it didn’t stick. And, over the years, the “Black Panther” standalone comic did delve into politics, featuring the titular character fighting racist forces such as the Ku Klux Klan and the \u003ca href=\"http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Azania\"\u003e“Republic of Azania,”\u003c/a\u003e which was an allegory for apartheid South Africa.","dropCap":false},"innerBlocks":[]},{"clientId":"8cfae9de-59f8-4ad9-b2b8-9ddc4c32d46d","name":"corpnews-blocks/story-grid","attributes":{"posts":"[{\"id\":21649,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/action-figures-g-i-joe-star-wars\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"How G.I. Joe Jump-Started the Action Figure Craze\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"In the late 1970s, smaller 'Star Wars' action figures took over.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"},{\"id\":29220,\"link\":\"https:\\/\\/www.history.com\\/news\\/black-tv-shows-culture\",\"title\":{\"rendered\":\"8 Boundary-Breaking Black TV Shows\"},\"type\":\"story\",\"excerpt\":{\"rendered\":\"These shows helped broaden the range of African American experiences portrayed on television.\"},\"article_type_meta\":\"\"}]","preview":false,"postType":["any"],"className":"","cardsHeading":""},"innerBlocks":[]}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Marvel\u0026#8217;s groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights movement.","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":30283,"template":"","meta":{"video_platform_id":"","video_duration":0,"video_content_rating":"","video_disable_autoplay":false,"curated_related_posts":"","disable_related_posts":"","subhead":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights movement.","exclude_from_rss":false,"distribute_scheduled_post":[],"downloadable_assets":[],"footnotes":"","reading_time":5},"tags":[],"article_type":[],"story_byline":[1299],"story_category":[21,67],"class_list":["post-30282","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","story_byline-ryan-mattimore","story_category-1960s","story_category-black-history"],"prepublish_checks":{},"is_external":false,"article_type_meta":"","tags_meta":"","disable_interrupter":"","primary_term":67,"video_thumbnail":false,"hide_on_google_news":false,"yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther | HISTORY","description":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights 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HISTORY","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.history.com#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","datePublished":"2018-02-15T18:06:50+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-02T21:25:44+00:00","description":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights 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(Credit: Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.history.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Posts","item":"https://www.history.com/news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.history.com#website","url":"https://www.history.com","name":"HISTORY","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://www.history.com/search/{search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.history.com/#/schema/person/af7dc21f5ffba5a21c122da723b52b0f","name":"Ryan Mattimore","url":"https://www.history.com/author/ryan-mattimore"}]},"news_article_schema":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The Real History Behind the Black Panther","description":"Marvel's groundbreaking superhero emerged in the 1960s—during the height of the civil rights movement.","url":"https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther/","thumbnailUrl":"https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2018/02/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panthers-featured-photo.jpg","datePublished":"2018-02-15 18:06:50","dateModified":"2023-10-02 21:25:44","articleSection":"1960s, Black History","creator":["Ryan Mattimore"],"keywords":[],"author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.history.com/#/schema/person/af7dc21f5ffba5a21c122da723b52b0f","name":"Ryan Mattimore","url":"https://www.history.com/author/ryan-mattimore"}}}}],"primaryTerm":{"id":67,"count":546,"description":"\u003cdiv id=\"1680273445.167319\" class=\"c-virtual_list__item c-virtual_list__item--initial-activeitem\" role=\"listitem\" data-qa=\"virtual-list-item\" data-item-key=\"1680273445.167319\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__background p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_container\" data-qa-unprocessed=\"false\" data-qa-placeholder=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__hover\" role=\"document\" data-qa-hover=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--default\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__gutter\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__gutter__right\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\" data-qa=\"message-text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\" data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-rich_text_block\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-rich_text_section\"\u003eAfrican Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones and figures in Black History.\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"1680273480.911289\" class=\"c-virtual_list__item\" role=\"listitem\" data-qa=\"virtual-list-item\" data-item-key=\"1680273480.911289\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__background p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_container\" data-qa-unprocessed=\"false\" data-qa-placeholder=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__hover\" role=\"document\" data-qa-hover=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--default\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__gutter\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__gutter__left\" role=\"presentation\" data-stringify-ignore=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n","link":"https://www.history.com/topics/black-history","name":"Black History","slug":"black-history","taxonomy":"story_category","parent":0,"meta":{"featured_articles":[0],"featured_topics":[9923,9881,11031,7662],"featured_stories":[62633,22828,24268,40234],"featured_videos":[2435,2059,3545,1140],"featured_video":{"platform_id":21155219,"duration":140,"rating":"TV-G","disable_autoplay":false,"id":21155219,"ppl_id":["37490"],"restriction_id":0,"public_url":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/nIfBMs04GgRS","title":"Black History Month","description":"A brief look at the history of African Americans and Black History Month.","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/21/180/History_Origins_Black_History_Month_SF_2021_HD.jpg"}}},"tags":[],"terms":[{"id":1299,"count":5,"description":"","link":"https://www.history.com/author/ryan-mattimore","name":"Ryan Mattimore","slug":"ryan-mattimore","taxonomy":"story_byline","meta":{"avatar_image_id":0,"featured_articles":[],"job_title":"","facebook_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":""},"title":[]},{"id":21,"count":223,"description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 1960s was one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history. The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging \"generation gap.\"\u003c/p\u003e\n","link":"https://www.history.com/topics/1960s","name":"1960s","slug":"1960s","taxonomy":"story_category","parent":0,"meta":{"featured_articles":[0],"featured_topics":[9132,8880,10637,6844],"featured_stories":[66217,38632,29137,38925],"featured_videos":[3892,6274,4393,5031],"featured_video":{"platform_id":790075459550,"duration":0,"rating":"TV-PG","disable_autoplay":false,"id":790075459550,"ppl_id":["194469"],"restriction_id":0,"public_url":"https://link.theplatform.com/s/xc6n8B/media/Strje6hW01sA","title":"The 1960s","description":"Historian Yohuru Williams sums up the tumultuous political and cultural movements of the 1960s.","poster":"https://cropper.watch.aetnd.com/public-content-aetn.video.aetnd.com/video-thumbnails/AETN-History_VMS/835/690/BRANDHD2398_THC_HOSF_194469_SFM_000_2398_15_20161013_00_HD.jpg"}}},{"id":67,"count":546,"description":"\u003cdiv id=\"1680273445.167319\" class=\"c-virtual_list__item c-virtual_list__item--initial-activeitem\" role=\"listitem\" data-qa=\"virtual-list-item\" data-item-key=\"1680273445.167319\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__background p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_container\" data-qa-unprocessed=\"false\" data-qa-placeholder=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__hover\" role=\"document\" data-qa-hover=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--default\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__gutter\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__gutter__right\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\" data-qa=\"message-text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\" data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-rich_text_block\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"p-rich_text_section\"\u003eAfrican Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones and figures in Black History.\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"1680273480.911289\" class=\"c-virtual_list__item\" role=\"listitem\" data-qa=\"virtual-list-item\" data-item-key=\"1680273480.911289\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__background p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_container\" data-qa-unprocessed=\"false\" data-qa-placeholder=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__hover\" role=\"document\" data-qa-hover=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--default\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv 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