Black Panther first appeared in the 1960s and was groundbreaking in the comic book world as the first major superhero of African descent. His first appearance on the big screen was in Captain America: Civil War and he quickly became a favorite character in the MCU. Since he is still fairly new after only appearing in three movies, viewers of Marvel films have been trying to learn more about his abilities and background. The comics go into much more detail than any of the movies do.
- The MCU Black Panther franchise returns in November 2022, but there will be big changes in store for the Wakandan warrior. After actor Chadwick Boseman died, Marvel chose not to recast anyone in the role. Instead, a new warrior will take over the role of the Black Panther, introduced in the new movie, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the power of the Black Panther is passed down through generations, and there should be plenty of opportunities for some of the character’s more obscure comic book powers to show up in the movie, as well as some major weaknesses, regardless of who takes over the role.
While fans have already seen him claw Cap’s shield, indulge in the heart-shaped herb, and run with super speed, there are many powers that have yet to be introduced on the big screen. It’s also been said that T’Challa doesn’t seem to have very many weaknesses. While the MCU has dropped a few hints of what could bring him down, it’s much more obvious in the comics. It’s hard to fully encompass a hero’s entire list of abilities and flaws within a few hours of screen time.
Black Panther’s Powers
Clairvoyance
Most people don’t associate psychic powers in Marvel Comics with the Black Panther, but he actually once had the power of clairvoyance, if only for a short while. During a unique storyline in the comics, T’Challa woke up one day suddenly able to see the future. T’Challa suffered through strange and disturbing nightmares of the future, supposedly a result of being exposed to the Vibranium Mound.
This was during dealings with an energy vampire called Kiber the Cruel, who actually inflicted the hero with the visions. Black Panther tracked Kiber down to his secret lair, finding a sentient pile of flesh feeding off of energy. Black Panther shut down Kiber and his psychic powers left him not too long after. It was definitely one of the more unique powers the hero possessed.
Genius-Level Intellect
Tony Stark isn’t the only Marvel character possessing super-genius-level intellect. T’Challa remains one of the most intelligent heroes in the Marvel universe. It makes sense, considering Wakanda is a utopian society, valuing science above all else. T’Challa grew up with an incredible education and access to the best technology on the planet. He even has a Ph.D. in physics from Oxford and a photographic memory. Mix all of this with his heightened senses, and he is an incredibly dangerous opponent.
While this side of T’Challa appeared extensively in the comics, fans saw little of it in the MCU. Shuri did most of the scientific work in Black Panther, and if she takes over as the new Black Panther as rumored, this superpower could play out strongly in future MCU movies.
Superhuman Strength
Superhuman strength is one of the most common superpowers, and the Black Panther possesses it. This strength originates from the heart-shaped herb that the King of Wakanda must consume. Mix that with a nearly indestructible Vibranium suit, and Black Panther makes for a strong opponent. Black Panther went head-to-head with Captain America in Captain America: Civil War. The strength from Cap’s Super-Soldier Serum isn’t all that different from the herb.
Over the years in the comics, the Black Panther battled enormous animals like rhinos and won. The strength comes with being the Black Panther and leaves when stripped of the Panther’s mantle. It’s one of the most important powers that comes with taking on the role.
Healing Factor
There are a few Marvel characters known for their ability to self-heal, the most well-known one being Wolverine. While Black Panther doesn’t have too much in common with the X-Men member, he does share a similar healing factor, though it isn’t quite as intense. T’Challa cannot heal as quickly or from as serious of injuries, but he does possess the ability to heal himself of small injuries, like cuts, scrapes, and bruises, faster than the average human being.
This healing factor also makes him immune to all sorts of diseases, so he never has to take a sick day. This makes him a hard opponent to keep down. If he’s hit hard, he can heal his injuries quickly and get back in the fight. This immunity and healing skill is once again all thanks to that heart-shaped herb.
Invisibility
While Black Panther cannot technically turn invisible, he has technology that makes him disappear. His cloaking technology allows him to sneak past enemies undetected. In the comics, he upgraded his Black Panther suit with technological features he created himself. One of these features is the cloaking device that he controls with his mind.
Like Iron Man’s prime armor, he can make his suit look like whatever clothes he wants. He can also change it to appear as nothing, making him entirely invisible, an extremely beneficial skill to possess. His Vibranium padded boots and natural agility helps him move with complete silence. Add in this power of invisibility, and enemies never see him coming.
Superhuman Senses
Spider-Man’s spider-sense isn’t the only Avengers’ senses that are tingling. Black Panther has his own intuition, a result of having superhuman senses. They were augmented after he consumed the juices from the heart-shaped herb, so he can see with extreme clarity, even in the dark, thanks to the ability to see ultraviolet and infrared aspects of the electromagnetic spectrum. This sight also applies to extremely long distances.
His sense of smell is so strong he can recognize the scents of different people, helping his tracking abilities and acting as a lie detector. On top of that, he can detect sounds that typical humans cannot hear. He can eat any food and distinguish the individual ingredients, which is beneficial for finding poison. These heightened senses are some of his most critical powers, allowing him to locate any enemy.
Necromancy
Not only is T’Challa the King of Wakanda, but he’s also known as King of the Dead. This is quite literal, as he is actually able to practice necromancy and take control of and commune with the deceased. The deceased will bend to his will and follow whatever orders he gives them. In the comics, in Secret Wars #7, T’Challa used an entire army of zombies to take on Emperor Doom’s attacking forces.
In another storyline, he controlled the spirits of Necropolis. This all sounds sort of villainous, but T’Challa has only used this power to fight for good. This is definitely a darker power of T’Challa’s, but it’s certainly a big advantage to have a horde of zombie warriors too.
Walking On Water
It is not exactly a superpower that he has on his own, but Black Panther’s suit can help him do amazing things. His boots, in particular, have special padding made from Vibranium alloy that helps his movements. He can climb walls, scale buildings, and even walk on water. A lot of his abilities aren’t all that different from Spider-Man’s powers.
The Vibranium woven into his boots makes it so that his suit absorbs the momentum of whatever object he comes into contact with, so he can move quickly and silently. This includes everything from concrete to water. While water is certainly more difficult, with speed and momentum, he could sprint across the surface or even use it as a trampoline.
Teleportation
With all the other technological advances Wakanda has made, it should come as no surprise that T’Challa also has the ability to teleport. His teleportation device has come in handy quite a few times. Black Panther added it to his suit in case he needs to escape from a fight quickly, and it’s definitely helpful when he’s in a losing fight and needs to get away to regroup. Not only can he escape to short distances, he can also teleport to different universes.
The self-designed teleporter can even take other people along with whoever is wearing it. It’s unlikely this invention will make it into the MCU, but it would certainly benefit all the other heroes in the Avengers, particularly when needing to regroup during a tough battle.
Black Panther’s Weaknesses
Electrocution
Black Panther often seems nearly invincible, but every hero has weaknesses. Vibranium is huge contributor to his powers. While this is one of the reasons both T’Challa and Wakanda are so successful, it could also be his downfall if used against him in the right way. While Vibranium is good for absorbing kinetic energy, it is also a conductor of electricity.
Black Widow learned of this weakness when she electrocuted Black Panther with her Black Widow’s Bite, an electroshock weapon, and slowed him down in order to allow Captain America and The Winter Soldier to escape in the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This may seem like just a slight weakness, but the more electricity an enemy uses, the worse the effects would be. If the wrong person found out he was vulnerable to electricity, it would be bad news for T’Challa.
Arrogance
T’Challa can actually be quite arrogant. His over-the-top cockiness was toned down in the movies compared to the comics, but his overconfidence is certainly one of his biggest weaknesses. A lot like Iron Man, T’Challa’s ego can make him difficult to work with. While he is extremely intelligent and has the skills to back up most of his big talk, when he’s too cocky, it doesn’t make for playing well with others.
Black Panther isn’t always a team player. While being the King of Wakanda certainly gives him some say in how things are done, he isn’t king of the world. Arrogance isn’t always the best characteristic to show on screen, so it made sense the MCU toned down his tendency to be overconfident. Pushing even allies away isn’t a smart strategy when you’re trying to save the universe.
Lack Of Protection Against Magic
Magic is a huge aspect of the Marvel universe and made its way into the movies as well, especially in the world of Doctor Strange. It’s so relevant, in fact, that not having a mystical way to defend yourself from it would be a huge weakness. Unfortunately, T’Challa does not have a lot of protection against magical attacks. Despite the Vibranium that makes up his suit, as far as fans are aware, Black Panther has zero defenses when it comes to magic.
While the heart-shaped herb could be considered magical or spiritual in itself, it doesn’t give him magical powers or a way to stop magic if it’s being used against him. That makes magic one of his, and possibly Wakanda’s, biggest vulnerabilities.
Daddy Issues
As She-Hulk joked, Marvel characters have a tendency to have some conflict with their fathers. Star-Lord had to take down his own dad in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Gamora and Nebula actively worked to destroy their father, Thanos, and Loki and Thor both struggled with Odin. T’Challa is no exception to this daddy issues concept that seems to plague the MCU. These problems are touched on in the MCU, though not quite as much as in the comics.
In Black Panther, he struggles to deal with his father’s complicated past and trying to live without him. In the comics, his issues are a lot more detailed, but essentially his father’s passing still leaves him feeling incredibly alone and continues to be a soft spot for him. He can’t always see straight when it comes time to deal with decisions his father made because of his loyalty to him. While he’s typically strong and confident, his father can weaken him and leave him vulnerable.
He’s Still Just Human
While it may seem like a very simple and blatant weakness, one of Black Panther’s biggest issues is that even under his suit, he’s only human. In a world with aliens, robots, and magical beings, being human seems like a bit of a weakness. T’Challa is susceptible to the same sort of attack that would harm any human, especially without his suit.
He also still can break bones and sustain major injuries and is susceptible to weapons like knives. Even his powers have their limits. Heroes like Thor seem nearly invulnerable with unlimited power, but that isn’t the case for Black Panther against his most powerful villains.
Strong Nationalism
Black Panther is extremely loyal to Wakanda, but that strong sense of nationalism can easily be exploited and become his downfall. Wakanda is both a strength and a weakness. His family and friends always have his back and would do anything to defend their beloved country, but that can make them all blind to issues outside of Wakanda.
T’Challa is often torn between his moral duty to protect the world and his duty as king to protect his country’s own interests. This tunnel vision is one of his biggest weaknesses. He’s been known to destroy anyone who threatens Wakanda, regardless of the consequences. His dangerous mix of pride, distrust of others, and intense nationalism isn’t a good color on a superhero and can make it quite difficult to work with others.
