Like several superhero mantle, the Black Panther title will get handed between folks on a semi-regular foundation, for all types of causes. In Wakanda correct, succession is the commonest–it is conventional for the king to additionally take up the Panther behavior and change into the avatar of Bast. However there have been loads of different causes, too, from character dying to mistaken identities to space-age empires coming to beat Earth.

Now, the identical factor shall be occurring within the MCU for the primary time. The tragic passing of star Chadwick Boseman has left an surprising emptiness within the Black Panther nook of the world, that means {that a} new character might want to step in and proceed the legacy. To date within the MCU, the one different predominant superheroes to undergo one thing related have been Ant-Man and Thor, which noticed the mantle “move” (form of) from Hank Pym to Scott Lang, after which briefly from Thor himself to Jane Foster. The transition will clearly be a bit extra everlasting within the case of Black Panther, although–so we must always positively be ready.

Whereas the thriller of who’s sporting the brand new Black Panther go well with within the Wakanda Perpetually trailers is, actually, barely a thriller in any respect–guessing that it is Shuri may be the simplest and most secure wager in MCU historical past–there are nonetheless a lot of potentialities and choices as Part 5 and Part 6 proceed on. Who’s to say there may be a number of Black Panthers working across the MCU–in spite of everything, there is definitely precedent for it within the comics.

So, with that in thoughts, let’s check out all of the characters who’ve taken up the Black Panther title within the mainline Marvel comics, from area emperors to historical shamans who roamed the Earth over 1,000,000 years in the past.

In 2018, the Black Panther comics took Wakanda to area as an intergalactic kingdom and with that got here a slew of latest characters. Considered one of them was Emperor N’Jadaka, who was not Killmonger however a distinct man with the identical title. He grew to become one thing of an area warlord and even had a Symbiote working with him. Severely. He could have been a villain, however he nonetheless known as himself Black Panther.

A warrior shaman who grew to become the primary king of Wakanda, Bashenga is technically the primary Black Panther origin story ever published–the Stone Age stuff is a contemporary invention. The Bashenga origin story truly took place within the ’70s. Bashenga’s story is the one which informs the intro of the primary film about uniting the tribes.

Within the comics, T’Chaka’s brother (T’Challa’s uncle) had a a lot totally different story. You could keep in mind one in every of T’Challa’s uncles being killed by T’Chaka throughout a flashback within the first film–totally different man! That was N’Jobu, father of Killmonger. S’Yan was truly one in every of T’Chaka’s allies and advisors who solely stepped into the Black Panther position when his hand was pressured after T’Chaka’s assassination.

This one is actually no shock–T’Challa’s father, T’Chaka, was Black Panther and king of Wakanda previous to T’Challa assuming the throne. Each within the comics and within the MCU, T’Chaka was assassinated–by Zemo within the latter and by Klaue within the former.

Within the comics, T’Chaka’s brother (T’Challa’s uncle) had a a lot totally different story. You could keep in mind one in every of T’Challa’s uncles being killed by T’Chaka throughout a flashback within the first film–totally different man! That was N’Jobu, father of Killmonger. S’Yan was truly one in every of T’Chaka’s allies and advisors who solely stepped into the Black Panther position when his hand was pressured after T’Chaka’s assassination.

T’Challa’s little sister Shuri grew to become the Black Panther within the comics after T’Challa himself was put right into a coma by Physician Doom. She continued to work in that capability for some time, even after T’Challa was cured, that means there have been truly two Black Panthers on the identical time. It is fairly secure to guess that that is the route the MCU shall be taking within the new motion pictures–although there’s nothing stopping them from placing their very own distinctive spin on the concept.

Kasper Cole (very briefly) assumed the id of Black Panther by, uh, “borrowing” a fancy dress–not by turning into king of Wakanda or doing any form of ritual–again within the ’90s. It was extraordinarily brief lived and really helped encourage him to create his personal superhero id, White Tiger. The inspiration is fairly apparent in case you ask us.

In fact, there’s Killmonger, who famously took on the mantle within the Black Panther film. This occurred within the comics as properly within the early ’00s.

As a result of that is comics, there’s been a complete sequence exploring the very literal primordial historical past of among the most well-known characters. In Marvel Legacy, we met the primary ever Black Panther who roamed the earth 1,000,000 years in the past as a part of the Panther Tribe.