Priest also expanded Black Panther lore, introducing the Dora Milaje – the all-female warrior bodyguards to the reigning Panther, gathered from across the tribes of Wakanda – and characters such as Okoye and Nakia (seen onscreen, portrayed by Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o).

This was a superhero book that was in fact more about state-craft, with focus on T'Challa's role as a political leader on the world stage, splitting his time between his home and the United Nations. Written by Christopher Priest and with art by Mark Texeira, this run thoroughly modernised the character, and dove into questions about Wakanda as a country. McGregor's run on Jungle Action is also collected in Black Panther Epic Collection: Panther's Rage, while Hannigan's appears in Marvel Masterworks: The Black Panther Vol. Years later, writer Ed Hannigan and artists Jerry Bingham and Gene Day picked up the threads in a three-issue arc of Marvel Premiere, giving some closure. Jungle Action was cancelled with issue 24, forcing McGregor to cut short his run with no real resolution. In many ways, it remains as relevant today as it was in the late 1970s. Along with powerful imagery – such as Black Panther being crucified on a burning cross, or flashbacks of slaves being dragged in nooses behind horses with klan-hooded riders – it tackles the excuses racists use to justify their bigotry – be it myths of stolen jobs, a false sense of cultural identity, or even anti-semitism, and addresses the Orwellian double-speak employed by fascists to paint opponents of racism as the aggressors.

The arc, drawn by Billy Graham, doesn't shy away from controversy.

This is a comic book run published over four decades ago, and tackles issues – from aggressive racism and police brutality to political corruption and suppression of the press – that are all still threats to society today. After Monica's sister Angela was murdered in suspicious circumstances, Black Panther is drawn into a Deep South conspiracy involving the Ku Klux Klan. The most striking issues came in the latter half of McGregor's run, which saw T'Challa and his love interest of the time, Monica Lynne, visiting her familial home in Georgia. It also introduced new villains such as Venomm – not Spider-Man's frenemy, but a scarred, deranged snake-charmer. Jordan), McGregor's run expanded on the politics and culture of Wakanda, including tribal rivalries with the likes of M'Baku, aka the White Gorilla. As well as marking the first appearance of Erik Killmonger, villain of the movie (where he is played by Michael B.

Black Panther, Vol. 1 by Jack Kirby