10 Things Marvel Wants You To Forget About Black Panther

10. He's Not Actually The First Black Superhero

Black Panther made a huge impression when he debuted in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966. Fans were so blown away by the character, it inspired Marvel and DC to create many other black characters, including Falcon, Blade, Storm, Luke Cage, and John Stewart. Because Black Panther played a major hand with introducing more diversity in comics, he's often hailed as the first black superhero.

But that isn't the case. Not by a long shot. The first dark-skinned comic book hero debuted in All-Negro Comics #1, which was published all the way back in 1947. In the story, Lion Man is an African-American scientist hired by the United Nations to stop terrorists from creating a uranium-powered warhead. Even though the story was only ten pages long, readers thoroughly enjoyed it, and were eager to see the further adventures of Lion Man.

Unfortunately, most vendors at the time refused to sell the comic, leading to the series' cancellation. Lion Man may have fallen into obscurity but it doesn't change the fact that he was the first black superhero, beating Black Panther by nearly two decades.