10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Black Panther

Throughout his publication history, Black Panther has faced a myriad of threats. Regardless of the odds, T'Challa always seems in control and ready to do battle with whatever evil stand in his way. There has always been one evil that has stalked the Black Panther since his inception though: racism.

Debuting in a less than progressive era, Black Panther caught the ire of bigots and racists, who didn't believe a black man should be seen as heroic, let alone royalty. With every protest against the comic, the creators pushed back even harder and, in the 1970s, they had Black Panther take on the Ku Klux Klan itself.

There is no KKK in Wakanda, so for this story the writers sent T'Challa to the deep south where the Klan had a foothold. It's in the first issue of the arc that Black Panther decides to travel to Georgia to meet the family of his significant other Monica Lynne. There he is confronted by the KKK, who strapped the superhero to a cross and set it ablaze in a now iconic cover drawn Billy Graham.

The arc ended prematurely and with a whimper due to Jungle Action's low comic sales, but it's one to remember.