T'Challa is the ruler of the kingdom of Wakanda, assuming the role of the protector of his tribe, Black Panther.
Powers and Abilities[]
Armor Capabilities[]
As the Black Panther, T'Challa dons a uniquely crafted Vibranium-weave combat suit that, like Captain America's Shield, is lightweight, nigh-indestructible, and renders him immune to most physical damages, especially from collisions and conventional firearms, though the Habit was notably susceptible to the electrical charges of Black Widow's Bite and vibranium weaponry. After his return to Wakanda, T'Challa received an updated version of the Habit designed by Shuri to be more advanced than his traditional Habit, capable of absorbing and manipulating energy for various purposes. The updated version also facilitates an extreme ease of storage, due to being constructed from vibranium nanites embedded in his necklace.
- Suit Materialization: After Shuri calibrated the new Habit's nanites to his Vibranium implant, T'Challa, similar to Tony Stark's use of the Telepresence Headset, is able to mentally command the Habit to materialize from his necklace with the same energy field generated capable of shredding any other clothing it replaces. Due to the helmet being integrated into the Habit, T'Challa is able to summon and dismiss the helmet portion at will, as well as just its lenses.
- Suit Regeneration: After a small portion of the suit was destroyed by a blast from Ulysses Klaue's Prosthetic Arm, the Habit was able to reform the lost portion back. During the Battle of Mount Bashenga, when Shuri fired on Erik Killmonger with her Vibranium Gauntlets, the stream of sonic energy caused the nanites to retract from the impact area before quickly rematerializing. Additionally, both T'Challa's and Erik's Habit were able to regenerate continually, albeit with a delay, after the stabilizers for the Wakandan Maglev Train interfered with the Habit's materialization technology, weakening their defensive properties. This disturbance ultimately led to the death of Killmonger, as T'Challa was able to mortally wound him through the destroyed area of the suit.
- Energy Redistribution: As explained by Shuri, a prominent feature of the upgraded Habit is its ability to redistribute stored energy. It can receive energy from any incoming source, such as bullets being fired at T'Challa or attacks from enemies, that its nanites will hold in place to release later. The Habit begins to glow from its accumulated charge of energy, to which Black Panther can use either by releasing it all at once, or to charge his strikes during combat, further augmenting the force behind them. However, the nanites' ability to store energy isn't without limit; after absorbing a grenade's explosion, the stored energy was suddenly released when Erik Killmonger fired a second grenade from close range at T'Challa, and again later during their fight in the Great Mound. Similarly, in his fight with Thanos, T'Challa was slammed with enough force to cause his Habit's stored energy to release.
- Kinetic Energy Pulse: Using the kinetic energy absorbed from the bullets being fired at him, T'Challa was able to disable a car with an energy pulse expelled by the Habit, using the propelling force to launch himself further into his pursuit. When he was overwhelmed by Border Tribe warriors, the Habit gained an increasing amount of energy from their attacks that T'Challa was able to release as a much more powerful and devastating pulse, strong enough to send multiple enemies flying. When the Dora Milaje turned on him, Erik Kilmonger was able to break the energy lock formed by their Vibranium Spears with a pulse, throwing them back several meters.
- Vibranium Claws: Like its predecessors, the Habit possesses razor-sharp vibranium claws that are able to cut through almost anything, such as the wheel disk or roof of a car. However, the second Habit can deploy claws out of the fingertips as well as its knuckles.
- Sound Nullification: T'Challa wears sound absorbent shoes while using the Habit, enabling his footsteps to be completely masked, making it easy for him to be stealthy.
- Communication System: The Habit has a built-in communication system, allowing T'Challa to communicate with Shuri through her Kimoyo Beads.
Powers[]
- Heart-Shaped Herb Enhancement: After having consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb, T'Challa's physical attributes have been significantly enhanced to levels comparable to a super soldier. Unlike the Super Soldier Serum, the Heart-Shaped Herb will last for a lifetime until T'Challa drinks a serum to negate the powers of the herbs in order for him to equally combat any who challenges him for the throne. He possesses powers such as enhanced strength, mobility, stamina, endurance, and instincts.
- Enhanced Strength: After having consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb, T'Challa's strength is tremendously enhanced beyond the peak of human potential, moving into the early levels of superhuman condition. His near-superhuman strength allows him for him to physically overpower combatants including humans as well as alien subservients. His strength also allows him to send opponents flying through the air from his strikes during combat. While rescuing Nakia from traffickers in the Sambisa Forest, T'Challa kicked one of the criminals hard enough to send them flying several meters and into a car. He could overpower the Winter Soldier despite the latter's own strength and fighting ability, able to send him flying through the air with his attacks, was strong enough to push back his bionic arm, and even battled Captain America on equal grounds. Furthermore, T'Challa was able to swiftly tackle down a charging rhino and throw a vibranium spear with enough force to take down a Wakandan plane. During the Battle of Wakanda, against Thanos' army, T'Challa was able to overpower the Outriders and even topple down the Cull Obsidian, who was the most physically powerful of Thanos' children.
- Enhanced Durability: T'Challa is much more durable than a normal human being. Even when not wearing his Panther Habit, he can survive blunt force trauma such as being hit with the Winter Soldier's bionic arm and surviving the explosion at the Vienna International Centre despite being right next to the blast's epicenter, both with minor injuries. During the Avengers Civil War, T'Challa was able to resist several of Black Widow's Taser Disks whereas a normal human would be knocked out by just one. During his pursuit of Ulysses Klaue, T'Challa was blasted down onto a casino table and exited the building unharmed. While wearing the Habit, T'Challa's durability is increased to superhuman levels thanks to the Vibranium composition, which allows him to withstand bullets and explosions while being completely unfazed. During the Battle of Mount Bashenga, T'Challa was able to withstand being struck by a charging rhino and being hit by a Wakandan train while battling Killmonger.
- Enhanced Speed: T'Challa can run and move at speeds beyond the peak of human potential, moving and running into the early levels of superhuman condition. He is able to catch up to and outrun speeding vehicles and outpace the running pace of Captain America and Winter Soldier respectively, eventually overtaking the Winter Soldier's motorcycle by using the vehicle Captain America hijacked as a springboard. T'Challa has proven to be slightly faster than Captain America, as shown during the Battle of Wakanda, when he ran at almost superior speeds with him when rushing towards the Outriders.
- Enhanced Agility: T'Challa's agility is outstanding, far greater than Olympic athletes. He can coordinate his body with perfect balance, equilibrium, flexibility, and dexterity. His movements are akin to an actual panther, being capable of climbing up walls and leaping great distances with great accuracy. He was able to lunge several feet when attempting to shield his father from the explosion in at the Vienna International Centre and could reach the second floor of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building faster than Barnes could walk up a set of stairs. After being propelled into the air by a kinetic pulse, T'Challa was able to contort his body mid-air and land on the roof of a vehicle while it was traveling at high speeds.
- Enhanced Stamina: T'Challa's musculature produces fewer fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human and his body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-producing chemicals in his muscles. This allows him to exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before tiring or slowing down, granting him exceptional endurance and lung capacity greater than normal humans. He was able to intensely pursue the Winter Soldier on foot without any signs of fatigue and fight against Killmonger for an extended period of time without tiring.
- Enhanced Reflexes: The Heart-Shaped Herb enhanced T'Challa's reflexes to be superior to those of the finest athlete, allowing him to effectively process the world at an accelerated rate to more efficiently find solutions using his sense and strategies. His reflexes were sharp enough to catch Hawkeye's arrows out of the air with his bare hands, cover a grenade using his body the moment he saw it, and catch a spear in mid-air. His reflexes also allow him to respond quickly to fast-paced combat, as he was able to keep up with the likes of Captain America and the Winter Soldier.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: T'Challa's fast healing capabilities allows for him to have a conditioned metabolism that enables an extraordinarily efficient recovery. After being stripped away the powers of the herb, T'Challa suffered blunt force, cuts, and bruises due to fighting for the Black Panther monarchy. Afterward, having being restored the powers of the herb, T'Challa recovered from many of the damages he endured and was healed in a matter of hours. This even enables him to fully recover from being on the brink of death in mere hours.
Abilities[]
- Genius-Level Intellect: T'Challa has a very high intellectual mind that is on par with some of the greatest scientific pioneers in human history, as seen by him being smart enough to have designed his own Panther Habit using his country's greatest resource with his own two hands.
- Master Tactician: T'Challa has great knowledge of tactics and leadership, which he uses to great effect as both the King of Wakanda and the Black Panther. Due to his desire for revenge on the Winter Soldier, T'Challa planned an attack on Barnes in the short time that he was on the run. He was also able to use his battle strategies to lead a Wakandan army and the Avengers against Thanos' Outriders. When battling Killmonger, he was able to strategically beat him by using his knowledge of the flaws in the vibranium suit to get the edge on his opponent in their rematch, ultimately defeating him and even impressing him.
- Master Martial Artist: T'Challa is an extremely skilled master martial artist, having been trained vigorously from childhood to one day take up the mantle of the Black Panther. His unique Wakandan fighting style is very acrobatic and heavily attack-oriented, primarily utilizing powerful sweeping kicks, aerial take-downs, and slashing attacks with hooked and clawed fists, reminiscent of the manner in which a panther strikes. His attacks are fluid and swift, allowing him to transition from attack to defense rapidly. Black Panther's techniques combine African oriented martial arts and other styles, including Zulu Stick Fighting, Tiger Style Kung Fu, Wushu, Dambe, Laamb, Capoeira, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, and Ninjutsu. T'Challa has displayed the sufficient level of skill that in his fight with the Winter Soldier after the latter had swiftly beaten Tony Stark, Sharon Carter, and Black Widow, he could fight on par with and even pressure Barnes, forcing him to flee eventually. While wearing his suit, T'Challa was skilled enough to fairly quickly overpower and knock out Hawkeye who was using his staff while T'Challa was unarmed, best and almost kill the Winter Soldier, and even fight on par with Captain America himself, briefly knocking him down. He was also able to contend with Erik Killmonger while wearing his own Panther Habit and boosted by the Heart-Shaped Herb, and eventually defeat him, although not without extreme effort. Even without the herb's power, T'Challa's skill and rigorous training in martial arts make him highly formidable and he is also accomplished with the use of Wakandan weapons, as displayed when he fought for the Black Panther monarchy. He was able to best M'Baku, the leader of the Jabari Tribe, and go up against Killmonger, initially having the upper hand, only losing due to the fact that he was hampered by his mercy and indecision to kill his cousin. T'Challa also managed to defeat many members of the Border Tribe, killed many of the Outriders during the Battle of Wakanda, and bested members of the Chitauri during the Battle of Earth.
- Expert Swordsman: T'Challa is able to use Wakandan swords with proficient skill. He was able to go up against Killmonger in their first duel and initially had the upper hand against the latter, managing to knock his opponent off of his feet and scar his cheek. Despite losing the fight due to his desire to show mercy towards his cousin, T'Challa is still a formidable swordsman in his own right.
- Master Acrobat: T'Challa is a professional gymnast and acrobat, which allowed him to quickly catch up to and cut off the Winter Soldier mere seconds after being knocked down, and the latter has gone up several flights of stairs. The Heart-Shaped Herb enhances his agility further to allow him to effortlessly outrun and vault over moving vehicles, perform aerial wheel kicks while fighting Captain America, and lunge forward several feet to knock Winter Soldier off his motorcycle.
- Multilingualism: T'Challa speaks his native Xhosa, as well as fluent English; albeit with a thick Wakandan accent. T'Challa also understands and can possibly speak Korean as he understood Nakia's conversation in Korean with Sophia.
- Pilot: T'Challa is a skilled pilot. He was able to follow Iron Man from the Raft to Siberia in his jet without being spotted.
Equipment[]
- Wakandan Royal Ring: The Royal ring worn by T'Challa is one of a set originally worn by Azzuri, passed down to T'Chaka and N'Jobu, and later their sons. T'Challa obtained the ring following T'Chaka's death in Vienna.
- Kimoyo Beads: Vibranium technology used by T'Challa to communicate and control any system they're interfaced with. T'Challa was able to stabilize the condition of Everett Ross by placing one of the beads into a bullet wound in his back. When needed, they are able to be deactivated, allowing T'Challa and Nakia to speak undisturbed.
- EMP Beads: T'Challa used EMP Kimoyo Beads to disable a human-trafficking convoy's vehicles in the Sambisa Forest during the Rescue of Nakia.
- Implant: T'Challa possesses an implant behind his right ear, which allows him to mentally communicate with Kimoyo Beads as well as control his second Panther Habit, using it to manifest the suit or remove his helmet mentally.
- Vibranium Iklwa Dagger: T'Challa used a cut-down Wakandan spear during the ceremonial duel for the monarch against M'Baku and later Killmonger.
- Sonic Spear: During the Battle of Mount Bashenga, T'Challa used a Sonic Spear to destroy a Dragon Flyer.
- Wakandan Short-Spear: During the Duel in the Great Mound, T'Challa stole Killmonger's spear and stabbed him in the heart to kill him.
- Wakandan Communicator: T'Challa was given a small communication device prior to his departure for Busan to capture Ulysses Klaue. The device is small enough to be placed behind the ear for concealment and can be placed on others for surveillance purposes, such as when T'Challa placed one on Everett Ross to listen in on Ross' interrogation of Klaue.
Vehicles[]
- Jet: T'Challa utilized an advanced personal jet to follow Iron Man from the Raft to Siberia in his pursuit of the Winter Soldier. The jet was able to follow Stark undetected and could facilitate the transportation of Helmut Zemo after his capture.
- Royal Talon Flyer: T'Challa has utilized a Royal Talon Flyer for transportation during missions and personal use.