Originally created in 1966, Black Panther would be one of the first African or even African-American heroes, preceding Black Lightning, Jon Stewart Green lantern, Luke Cage and Falcon. His original costume design by Jack Kirby looked like
this. I always find it fascinating how hero concepts, both physically and in terms of character change over time.
Fun fact, the naming actually predates the actual political party, The Black Panthers. He is not the only Black Panther and won't be the last either. The Black Panther is a title in the tribe of T'Challa, who is granted the right to eat a special herb that allows him connection to the Panther deity. This essentially gives him magical powers that result in enhanced senses, speed, agility and strength. His signature claws are made of the same vibranium as Captain America's shield. It is that alien meteorite that is a central conflict in T'Challa's homeland of Wakanda, where many vie for it's possession to be made into weapons. So, kind of a real-world reflection of the exploitation of Africans by corporations and arms dealers!
Wow, so you learn a lot doing a bit of wiki research. Even before all that info though, I find the Black Panther a fascinating character in the MCU. This figure impresses me quite a bit. They could have just made a general black body with some paint and standard articulation. They didn't thankfully.
This figure has awesome texturing over his entire suit, and despite the little paint, it still looks amazing. The articulation is pretty close to standard marvel stuff, and yet it has much more range due to the way he was designed. The only accessory he has is his alternate unmasked head, but hey! That's pretty nice for Marvel! It's not often you get alternate heads unless it's a special pack of some kind.
Sculpt&Paint: 9/10 Excellent! Like I said, despite paint this figure easily has equal sculpting detail to a much higher priced SH Figuarts version. Plus the gloss!
Articulation: 8/10: 25 points. Now it's interesting that while he has fewer points than some, he has a much much greater range. His ab crunch works very well back and forward, as do his legs for stances.
Price/Availability: 6/10 Decent. There is one you can find slightly below original MRSP, but most are double in price, in the 40 CAD dollar range.
Accessories: 3/5 Decent. An alternate head! Unfortunately it doesn't look much like the actor to me. Maybe others want to weigh in on that. I bought him loose, so I didn't get the BAF part he comes with.
Fun Factor: 4/5 Great. Even though I'm not a Marvel collector, this is a great figure. He's got a great look, balances well, has great articulation and is cat based! What's not to like?
I love Black Panther! He's had some really awesome stories. The movie design is pretty good and keeps the simplicity from getting boring. The textures look great and the silver really pops. I'll bet we'll get a reissue or a slight retooling of this figure when the Black Panther movie comes out. As for the head I wonder sometimes if they purposely fudge the likeness so they don't have to pay the actor as much? Either that or it's just hard to do real human faces in plastic.
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