Stan Lee's 20 Greatest Marvel Comics Creations

Black Panther has become a household name since the movie became a surprising box office record breaker. Michael B. Jordan has even joked about the amount of people stopping Chadwick Boseman in the street to do the ‘Wakanda Forever’ sign. However, Stan Lee has such a wealth of character creations that T’Challa has to settle for eighteenth.

When Black Panther was introduced, he was a groundbreaking trailblazer. He was the first black comic book character to receive mainstream publication. His debut in 1966 came only two years after black people were given the right to vote in the USA.

Despite the political connotations of the name, Lee always maintained that it had nothing to do with the Black Panther Liberation Party, and was all a coincidence. Regardless, to give a black hero a starring role in 1960s America is an undeniably brave and political act.

To reduce Black Panther simply to this legacy does his character a great disservice though. His stories were often action packed, playing into the character’s energetic and rapid fighting style. They had substance too, blending in rituals and nature to create a compelling atmosphere throughout.