Black Panther has one of the greatest costume designs in the MCU. It is sleek, regal, and menacing. The suit that uses vibranium informs immediately that Panther is not someone to be trifled with. But the initial costumes of Black Panther were different.
Those who’ve pursued T’Challa’s journeys in the MCU remember that his sister Shuri regularly revises his suits to create them more dominant and stealthy.
In the comics universe, the Black Panther’s costume design went through various developments as well, indicating the road to his look took many detours. The initial costumes of Black Panther were ridiculous. It might sound absurd, but the Black Panther’s initial look wasn’t even black.
This gives rise to more sense when one understands that Jack Kirby, who came up with the actual theory for the Black Panther, didn’t initially name the character “Black Panther.” Rather, Kirby wanted to name the superhero “Coal Tiger,” it was eventually rejected with some of his initial costume layouts.
Kirby’s initial costumes of Black Panther were extensively more colorful. While the Panther’s sleeves and leggings were certainly black, he also wore a luminous yellow lined tunic, yellow boots along with yellow gloves. The lined look indicated his initial “Coal Tiger” name as he wore a big belt with a “T” symbol in the center. The actual design also didn’t comprise a mask to underscore that T’Challa was a black character.
He wore a “Panther Cape” but the earlier design gave a swashbuckling look because of its red-lining. The suit was flamboyant and did not help T’Challa blending with the shadows.
After the character was named “Black Panther”, Kirby drew a design for his debut in Fantastic Four #52. It was a greatly redesigned costume. The suit was completely different from what people associate with Black Panther.
Initial Costumes Of Black Panther Were Colorful, Once It Was Gray
The costume was gray rather than black. T’Challa wore a mask, but panther “ears” were further rounded and gave him nearly a teddy bear look.
By the time the character made his debut, Kirby finally established the iconic look of Black Panthers which was different from the initial costumes of Black Panther.
The Panther became prominent with audiences and T’Challa began appearing in other comic books, like the Avengers. Like many heroes, T’Challa would modify his suit as various artists experimented with new designs. In Avengers #52, he showed a dark blue suit that uncovered the lower part of his face. The impact made him look like a masculine version of DC’s Catwoman.
One new change that has brought it into the MCU, different from the initial costumes of Black Panther, and will be an ingredient of the Black Panther’s “default” look from now is the neckpiece that Panther wears, which now matches a necklace made up of claw-shaped chunks. In the MCU movies, the necklace, built by his sister Shuri includes the entire Vibranium suit and can embody it over his body through thought command. It’s a helpful and popular addition to the Black Panther’s look that has evolved to be a popular item in pop culture,
