Top 10 Black Panther Storylines Ever Written

The “Secret Invasion” run was a pretty big deal for Marvel comics. Alien shapeshifters stealthily planning an invasion by replacing our favorite heroes? Who do you trust? The Skrull’s takeover was so immaculately planned that they even managed to set foot in Wakanda... which went about as well as you’d expect when going up against someone like T’Challa - in his own home, no less. In Jason Aaron’s one-shot side story to the colossal crossover event, we see the full power of “Wakanda Forever.” Seriously, the Skrull should’ve turned and left when they saw their sleeper agents’ heads on those pikes.

Ah, Hell’s Kitchen, stomping grounds for the fearsome Black Panther... wait, what? We should probably backtrack a bit. In the “Shadowland” series of comics, Daredevil becomes possessed by “The Beast” - an Ancient Demon Lord of the Hand. The story ends with Matt Murdock sacrificing himself so he can’t be taken over again. While the villains of Hell’s Kitchen assume that this is the best time to strike, they now have to deal with a new threat: T’Challa, who has taken Daredevil’s place as protector of Hell’s Kitchen. David Liss’ take on the character is a fascinating one, and seeing T’Challa kick butt in the Concrete Jungle makes for some incredible visuals, culminating in a showdown with a Hate-Monger and a villain calling himself American Panther.

When Adolf Hitler discovers the existence of Vibranium, he sends Baron Strucker on a trip to Wakanda. Captain America teams up with the Howling Commandos to find out what’s going on, only to discover Strucker’s team already disposed of. It’s here that he meets Azzuri, T’Challa’s grandfather and the Black Panther of the era, but the two don’t see eye to eye right away. However, they’re able to put aside their differences in favor of defeating the greater threat.

As the first black women to pen an ongoing Marvel series, Roxane Gay and Yona Harvey teamed up to tell a more in-depth story of the Dora Milaje, the elite group of women warriors who protect the Black Panther and Wakanda. Serving as a prequel to Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther run, World of Wakanda centers on two Dora in particular: Ayo and Aneka. As the two women grow to love one another, they find themselves tangled in a dangerous, intriguing plot that’ll put their loyalty to their country, their king, and each other to the test.

As demonstrated with World of Wakanda, when tackling a hero like T’Challa, you’re gonna have to dive into politics. The Black Panther has always been more than a crime fighter: he’s the king of an entire nation. Dealing with supervillains is one thing, but dealing with other monarchs? This is a key focus in this story arc, as Wakanda is blamed for the sinking of a US Carrier, in the middle of T’Challa’s UN address, of all times. T’Challa has to work to clear his nation’s name while dealing with heavy hitters like Dr. Doom, Magneto, and Namor: all monarchs of their own kingdoms.

Every hero’s got an origin story, right? T’Challa may have been gracing the pages of comics since the 60s, but it took a while before we got a more detailed look at who he is and where he comes from. Enter Reginald Hudlin, who gets straight to the point: who is the Black Panther? This story arc answers that very question, showing us a more personal glimpse of T’Challa’s life -- with plenty of action and superhero hijinks. More importantly, this arc introduces us to key characters in T’Challa’s life, including his sister, Shuri.

You knew we were gonna talk about Killmonger eventually. He’ll definitely go down as one of the best villains in the MCU, and if they follow the lead of the comics, there’s a chance we’ll be seeing him again. In this storyline, Killmonger returns from the dead to seek revenge against T’Challa, and if you think he was full of rage before then you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. While bringing back an old foe is certainly a tired trope in comics, the feud between Panther and Killmonger is the kind of tension readers long for. Killmonger actually wins the confrontation, and briefly takes on the mantle of Black Panther… but T’Challa would return.

Speaking of Killmonger, this is where we’re first introduced to him... and his leopard? But that’s not the only significant aspect of this comic arc. After making appearances in other comics, T’Challa finally got a chance to shine on his own with Don McGregor’s story... and by “shine” we mean “dragged through hell and back.” Much like the movie, Killmonger has a chip on his shoulder toward Wakanda, and he enters the scene with one goal in mind: killing the Black Panther. What transpires is an arc where T’Challa is broken, both physically and mentally, but like all great heroes, he keeps moving forward.

At the time, there hadn’t been a central Black Panther arc since his Hell’s Kitchen adventures in “The Man Without Fear.” Enter Ta-Nehisi Coates with a fresh new story that breathed new life into the series. T’Challa has a powerful new enemy to face, but they hit him right where it hurts: Wakanda and its people. With a vicious terrorist group staging an uprising, he’s forced to deal with what’s right for his country, not just as a superhero, but as a king. Later, Coates would team up with Yona Harvey - from “World of Wakanda” - and the two would continue the hard-hitting social commentary with the short-lived “Black Panther & The Crew.”

Before we unwillingly leave Wakanda, let’s check out these honorable mentions:

“Panther’s Quest” (1989)

“Black Panther: Deadliest of the Species” (2009)

Arguably the most iconic run for T’Challa comes from Christopher Priest, who was the first black person with an editorial run at Marvel. His story is the go-to series to pick up when introducing readers to T’Challa, the Dora Milaje, and all Wakanda has to offer. With Mephisto, the devil of the Marvel Universe, acting as the story’s big bad, things certainly get dark. It can be a lot to take in, as demonstrated by Everett Ross, who's a complete fish out of water as he tries to come to terms with everything that is the great nation of Wakanda. This arc is a combination of everything you’d want from a comic book: action, amazing art, humor, and an engaging story that has set the tone of the character to this day.