Over the years, Black Panther has created a productive alliance with the U.S.; married and divorced Storm; defended against alien invasion; temporarily stood in for Daredevil as Guardian of Hell’s Kitchen; handed the Black Panther mantle to his sister, Shuri, after suffering grave injury; connected with a different Wakandan deity, and served as his sister’s second-in-command; thwarted incursions from other dimensions; and allied with Captain America during his anti-registration protests. Each of these plot developments have served to cement the status of T’Challa and Black Panther as iconic characters – repeatedly delivering groundbreaking elements and progressions.
One of the most notable elements of the Black Panther story is its inclusion of women, as it’s one of the only titles in comic books to routinely feature female characters that equal the headline star. For example, when T’Challa first falls in love and marries, it’s to Storm, who’s a bona fide superhero in her own right. She has her own life and her own priorities, and sometimes, those are at odds with those of T’Challa. She also has her own formidable set of powers, though, and often employs them to help Black Panther in his battles.
Then, there’s T’Challa’s sister, Shuri. When T’Challa is unable to execute the functions of Wakandan King, due to severe injury, Shuri becomes Wakandan leader. She continues to serve and protect her nation as Head of State, while her brother is recovering, and later, travelling. Like her older sibling, Shuri is already highly trained in martial arts by the time she consumes the heart-shaped herb that bestows upon her the powers of the Black Panther. She later acquires further abilities, though, including the power to transform into animals, and a super-flexibility that also allows her body to become almost impenetrable to projectiles, such as bullets and blades.
Shuri is by no means a token Wakandan woman, though. While she’s certainly a powerful character, she’s also surrounded by a group of characters that are among the elements that make the Black Panther comic books so iconic: The Dora Milaje.
