BLACK PANTHER

The Black Panther was created by Marvel around the same time that the Black Panther Party began to rise in the 1960's public eye. Several efforts were made by Marvel to distance T'Challa from the group, referring to him in-story as the Panther (Avengers #52-53), the Black Leopard (Fantastic Four #119), or just by his given name (Avengers #99-100). None of these stuck, however, and by Avengers #105 T'Challa openly said he would keep the name regardless of connections it might draw, for good or for ill.

In between Black Panther (1st series) #10-14, T'Challa was exposed to energies from the Vibranium mound and gained "ESP". He demonstrated psychic gifts like clairvoyance, premonition, and thought casting. However, a change of writers and a retcon quickly walked this back, stating that what at first looked like ESP was merely the natural senses and insight of the Panther totem. Years later, T'Challa's time-travelling doppelganger, the "Fruity Pebbles" Panther from Christopher Priest's run on Black Panther (3rd series) also demonstrated ESP. This, plus his speech pattern and character design made it seem the second Panther haled from the past, during Jack Kirby's run. In fact he was from 10 years in the future, suffering from a terminal aneurysm. T'Challa's future self died in Black Panther (3rd series) #48-49, but T'Challa apparently got the aneurysm treated successfully, preventing this future fate.

T'Challa was at death's door after an encounter with Doctor Doom, and the Panther God chose a new avatar in his sister Shuri during Black Panther (5th series) #5-6. T'Challa recovered, but no longer had the blessing of the sacred herb. He eventually reclaimed his abilities parallel to Shuri by being named King of the Wakandan Dead in Fantastic Four (1st series) #608.