10 Comic Book Characters Who Were Forced To Change Their Name
4. Black Panther Became Black Leopard (Temporarily)
The same year Black Panther debuted in Marvel Comics, Bobby Seale founded a Black Power political group called The Black Panther Party. Because of this, many people erroneously believe T'Challa was inspired by the BPP.
However, T'Challa made his first appearance in July 1966, which was three months before Seale formed The Party. Even though the name-sharing was a coincidence, Marvel decided to distance themselves from the organisation in case readers got the wrong idea.
In 1972, T'Challa referred to himself as Black Leopard for the first time in Fantastic Four #119. When the Thing addressed T'Challa's new moniker, the Wakandan king explained the "term has political connotations. I neither condemn nor condone those who have take up the name." He also pointed out that his new persona doesn't contradict his heritage since a leopard is a type of panther.
To avoid having to explain this name-change over and over for new readers, T'Challa was usually referred to by his real name when he appeared in other stories. As the Black Panther Party's influence dwindled during the 1970s, T'Challa reverted to his original title.