| THE S.H.A.F.T. FILES | KING
T'CHALLA:
THE BLACK PANTHER Prince Akeem T'Challa was heir to the throne of the African nation of Wakanda, one of the richest and most technologically advanced countries on Earth. On his 21st birthday, faced with the prospect of entering into an arranged marriage with a complete stranger, he got permission from his father, King Jaffe Joffer T'Chaka, to travel to America and search for a beautiful woman who would love him for his true self instead of being attracted to his wealth and royalty. Accompanied by his younger brother Semmi, T'Challa settled in Queens, New York. In order to pose as a native New Yorker, T'Challa began working at the fast food restaurant McDowell's by day and fighting crime as the costumed vigilante Black Panther by night. He was successful in both ventures, eventually choosing the daughter of the owner of McDowell's to be his future queen, and briefly teaming up with the leader of The Ultimates, the recently revived Captain America, to put and end to the street crime in the rough neighborhoods they both called home. (Semmi, for his part, achieved nominal success as a talk show host, but was never able to get out from under the shadow of his more popular sibling). |
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| Shortly
thereafter King T'Chaka was assassinated by the CIA as part of a Legion
of Terror plot to overthrow the legitimate government of
Wakanda and install a puppet regime that would allow the United
States to control Wakanda's Vibranium supply. Vibranium, a
rare metal with unique scientific properties, is the core of
Wakanda's high-tech economy. With its ability to absorb vibrations,
Vibranium has a wide range of technological applications, many of
which are utilized in the Black Panther's costume. For example, the
Vibranium micro-weave bodysuit protects him from gunfire by
absorbing the momentum of the bullets that come into contact with
it; the Vibranium soles of his boots absorb sound and impact,
enabling him to move silently, leap from great heights without
injury, and run up vertical surfaces. Also, Captain America's shield
was manufactured by Stark International from
an alloy of Vibranium and Adamantium (the same metal that laces
Wolverine's skeleton and forms his retractable claws). The
Adamantium makes the shield indestructible, while the Vibranium
allows it to deflect projectiles without getting Captain America's
arm torn off in the process.
Returning to Wakanda, T'Challa was able to stop the attempted coup and assume the throne. When The Ultimates joined S.H.A.F.T. and changed their name to The Avengers, the Black Panther accepted their invitation to become a charter member. To strike back at the United States government, King T'Challa had the Wakandan Embassy constructed in Queens near the spot where he first met his beloved queen, and allowed Nick Fury to use it as his base of operations. He also designated all SHAFT Agents to be Wakandan ambassadors so that their diplomatic immunity would protect them from harassment by SHIELD, the government agency at the top of the Homeland Security hierarchy. |
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The Black Panther patrols the rooftops of Harlem. |
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Before his assassination, King T'Chaka visited his son in America, accompanied by T'Challa's stepmother Ramonda, W'Kabi, and the Dora Milaje. |
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T'Challa briefly considered teaching in Harlem, but realized that a high school would be an inadvisable place to search for a mate and decided to seek employment in the fast food industry instead. |
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Right: T'Chaka, the former Black Panther and King of Wakanda. Left: Lisa McDowell, T'Challa's bride and new Queen of Wakanda. |
See
also: Eye
on Wakanda
and The Avengers Resistance Cell