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1
BLACK PANTHER’S
SUIT TECHNICAL
REPORT
Emily Schettler
Jarod Valvo
Diana Arencibia
Lynn Wokeme
Sierra Britt
2
Section Contributors
Iterations
Diana Arencibia
History
Lynn Wokeme
Sierra Britt
Film
Jarod Valvo
Technology
Emily Schettler
3
Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Suit Iterations 5
Black Panther and History 16
Fictional History of Wakanda and the Black Panther 23
Black Panther’s Film Suit 29
Black Panther’s Suit Technology 41
Conclusion 48
4
Introduction
Black Panther is an iconic superhero movie that has recently
received its own movie installment, Black Panther (2018). The
film has reached the 18th biggest grosser of all time as of April
2018 by earning about $1.11 billion [1]. With the recent rise in
popularity of the Black Panther, it’s important to realize exactly
why this superhero is so well appreciated and to learn about the
intricacies and special things that make the Black Panther,
especially the suit, as impactful as it is. Looking through the
previous iterations of the suit, that will shine light on how the
Black Panther started in terms of design and abilities as well as
how it evolved overtime. The real life historical correlations are
another important piece of understanding Black Panther’s
relevance. The history of Wakanda can help appreciate all the
thought and significance put into the Black Panther’s world, as
well as the fiction history of the suit. The physical suit made for
the 2018 film will also be investigated, detailing the influence on
the silver screen’s version. Finally, the Black Panther suit will be
compared to real life technology, to see if it could be realized as
a possibility in our reality. The Black Panther’s suit has many
reasons as to why it is special, significant, and a large, worldwide
influence. Those reasons will be explored below.
5
Suit Iterations
The Black Panther, the first black superhero, made his first
debut in comics in July of 1966, 52 years ago. Throughout the
years he has appeared in other marvel hero comics as well as his
own, and his habit has gone through many revisions and
alterations. In this section, different versions of the Black Panther
habit will be explained. The aspects of the suit that will be
covered are the design and the technology that is involved in the
fictional making of the suit.
The first two designs of suits to be drawn were the original
design and its revision. These suits were not introduced in the
comics but later became the first suit that was introduced into
the Marvel Universe. This first design was thought up for the
character Coal Tiger, the original name for Black Panther. The
suit was designed to look similar to other comic book characters
that were popular and being released at the time. This design
consisted of a black superhero with a yellow and black striped
chest piece and black arm and leg pieces. Attached to the main
body of the suit was a red and black cape. Around the waist of
the character was a black belt with a white T at the buckle. The
details of the suit abilities were never expanded on because the
suit was only a proposed idea and was not elaborated on. Editor
6
Stan Lee did not like the idea of this
suit but did like the idea of a black
superhero and thus the suit went
into its first revision. The next suit is
similar to the Black Panther suit
that many people now think of when
they think of the Black Panther. This
suit is an all-black suit including
black shoes, gloves, shorts, and a
cape. Although in this version, the
Black Panther is now given a half
mask that leaves his nose and
mouth showing. Stan Lee liked this
design better but thought that the
character would be better suited
with a full mask, thus introducing
the original Black Panther.
Coal Tiger
The third suit that was
designed was the first suit that made an appearance in the
Marvel comics. This suit made its debut in July of 1966 in
Fantastic Four #52. This version of the suit looks very similar to
that of Batman in the DC Universe (fictional). Similar to the
Figure 1 - http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/dynamics/2012/04/24/9165/
7
second iteration of the suit, the habit is all black but with a full
black mask [2]. This first version of the suit is made of cloth,
meaning that the Black Panther can be wounded like most of the
other heroes. Although his suit made him vulnerable, the
character still possessed the training background that prepared
him to become the Black Panther, as well as the mystical
connection to the Wakandan Panther, God Bast. Some of the
abilities explained are, but are not limited to, superhumanly
acute senses, enhanced strength, speed, agility, stamina,
durability, healing, and reflexes. As time passed, the character
was developed. More abilities were explained and broadened
upon, and the suit changed.
The fourth suit iteration, the classic design, was introduced
in Fantastic 4 Annual #5 in 1967. With this iteration came the
removal of the suit’s cape, allowing for a sleeker appearance to
the suit. After being introduced, this design became the one that
was used for decades and was only changed for a short period of
time when Black Panther joined the Avengers; this was the fifth
suit design. The fourth suit was still made of cloth similar to the
third suit, and the powers were not changed.
The fifth suit, the Avenger look, was introduced in the
Avengers 1968. Artist John Buscema drew the Black Panther
with a half mask again, similar to the second suit design for four
issues, then reverted to the fourth suit iteration. Once the suit
8
was changed back to the full mask and no cape design, this
iteration stayed until the end of the 20th century. During this
four-issue change, there were no alterations done to the powers
or abilities of the Black Panther.
The next suit iteration came when the Black Panther joined
the Marvel Knights. In 1998, Mark Texeira was the artist for
Black Panther Volume 3. For this volume, Texeira brought back
the cape into the design while also introducing gold to the suit.
This design included gold accents around the neck and gloves,
gold daggers on the belt, and gold on the claws that came out of
his fingertips. With this design, the concept of the fictional metal
Vibranium being woven into the fibers of the suit was introduced
for the first time. Working Vibranium into the suit not only made
9
the suit bullet-proof but
yielded other benefits such
as the Vibranium in his soles
which would allow the Black
Panther to jump out of a
building and land on his feet.
The Vibranium would also
absorb all the impact. After
introducing this technology
into the suit, the creators
could not simply go back to
cloth. This made Vibranium
mesh a staple in the designs
of future iterations of the
habit.
Black Panther Marvel
Knights
The following iteration is
the post-knights suit. With
this iteration, Black Panther
transitioned into becoming
one of the main Marvel
superheroes. Artist Sal Velluto kept a lot of the design of the
Figure 2 - https://aminoapps.com/c/comics/page/blog/lets-talk-black-panther/jbiK_u8JgGY6xmNZQqjMBk6qP6NGBb
10
previous suit iteration with some minor changes. The gold
markings that were previously introduced appeared to look a
little more like teeth. Also, throughout the series, the character
alternated between a caped and not caped look. As the series
continued over time, the not caped look became the more
prevalent of the two, until he joined the Avengers again.
The next iteration came about when Black Panther rejoined
the Avengers in Avengers #66 in 2003. In this iteration, the gold
stylings remained tooth-like, and again he has striped gloves,
boots, and a cape. With this reintroduction of the cape, it was
drawn shorter than the other times.
The ninth iteration is the man without fear. In this story arc,
anti-hero Daredevil from Hell’s Kitchen was possessed by Beast
of the Hand in the Shadowland story arc. During this time, he
passes down his duties to T’Challa, the Black Panther. Artist
Francesco Francavilla reimagined the costume with more of a
SWAT team look, similar to Daredevil’s costume in the 2015
Netflix TV series. This series takes place after the events of the
Doomwar story arc. During this arc, super villain Doom takes over
Wakanda and steals the Vibranium that is stored in a vault. At
the end of the story, Doom has the upper hand until T’Challa
gains control of a device in Doom’s possession that renders all
the Vibranium in the world completely useless. T’Challa makes
the decision to use the device knowing that the nation of
11
Wakanda is powered by the metal [3]. After the events of
Doomwar are over, T’Challa leaves behind his nation, his
technology, and his suit. The nation is left to be protected by
Shuri, his half-sister, the Princess Regent, and the current Black
Panther [4]. Leaving behind his Vibranium weave suit, this means
the costume he uses in this arc is made of cloth and has no
technology embedded into it. The man with no fear stays like this
for a couple of issues and then returns to Wakanda.
The tenth iteration is the most current suit in the comic
universe, Marvel NOW. Daredevil had returned to Hell’s Kitchen
and relieved T’Challa of the temporary duties. This allowed the
Black Panther to return to a classic mantle. The suit is now once
again made of Vibranium weave and is drawn to look simpler,
with a stylized necklace for decoration. Also, the colors in the suit
that were gold were changed to silver, and the cape is removed
once again.
The next couple of suits move out of comic books and come
alive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The two films in
which the Black Panther is portrayed is Captain America: Civil
War (2016) and Black Panther (2018). The first suit that is
introduced is T’Challa’s original suit, a Vibranium weave combat
suit. T’Challa started wearing this suit a few years before his
father’s death in the movie. Some aspects of the suit that are
displayed in the movie are that the suit has retractable Vibranium
12
claws and it is bullet-proof. One of the disadvantages of the suit
is that it needs to be put on manually. One time that it is clearly
shown in the movie is when T’Challa needs to take off his helmet,
and it can be seen that he needs to grab the back of the helmet
towards the base of his neck. When looking into the design of the
suit, it is shown that the helmet has a latch on the back that
hooks it to the body. This is how the Black Panther is very
minimally introduced into the MCU. He is then expanded on in his
stand-alone movie.
In the Black Panther movie, there are two main suits that
are the focus of the movie. The second suit iteration that is in the
MCU is the upgraded version of the first suit. In the Black Panther
movie, T’Challa, who is the now king of Wakanda, has a sister
Shuri, who is a technical genius who designs the new suits and
gadgets in the fictional realm. The new upgraded habit includes
all the previous features of the first suit and some extra ones.
One of those upgrades is that the suit automatically manifests
itself on the user. With this automatic manifestation, it also
removes the current clothes that the user is wearing. The entire
suit is contained within a single silver necklace and manifests
from there.
Another upgrade is that the suit has the ability to absorb
kinetic energy. When the suit absorbs the energy, it begins to
glow purple. This is achievable in the fictional realm because the
13
Vibranium that the suit is made from absorbs any energy that
comes in contact with the suit. This is shown in the movie when
bullets hit the suit and do not ricochet off, but instead they simply
fall to the ground. The suit does not only absorb the energy, it can
also expel the energy in one blast.
A third upgrade that was created for this suit was the new
footwear called "sneakers" by Shuri. The new "sneakers" are
titled so because the shoes nullify all sound when the user walks,
making it so that the user can sneak around unheard. This
version of the suit is nearly identical to the second upgrade
version, the Golden Jaguar. The Golden Jaguar is the second suit
created by Shuri in the Black Panther movie. Like the other suit,
all the features are the same and is encased in a single
necklace, but this one is gold. In the Black Panther movie, the
suit is not worn by T’Challa because he thought the colors were
too ostentatious. It is instead later worn by Erik Killmonger after
he stole it. Another difference between the two suits is when the
Golden Jaguar suit absorbs kinetic energy, it will glow gold
instead of purple.
14
Black Panther Suit
Figure 3 - https://www.amctheatres.com/amc-scene/behind-the-seams-of-black-panther
Golden Jaguar Suit
Figure 4 - https://www.sideshowtoy.com/collectibles/marvel-erik-killmonger-hot-toys-903413/
15
In conclusion, in this section, different versions of the Black
Panther suit were examined, including the design and the
technology that was incorporated into the suit. Although in this
section, only thirteen different suit iterations were covered, there
are many more versions including one-off issues where the
changes can be subtle.
16
Black Panther and History
History of Wakanda
The Journey
To trace the journey from America to Wakanda, we must first
understand the significance of its history. Around the time
Wakanda was introduced to America in the form of Marvel Comic
Books, the country was at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement
(largely between 1954 and 1968). The movement represented
the struggle to secure legal rights such as ending legalized racial
segregation and discrimination in the United States. Although
slavery had been abolished for almost 100 years by that time,
these rights still had not been granted.
Contributions from community invokes communication and
structures social changes. When something dramatic is
happening around us, we often channel that energy into what we
would like to see changes in. If social injustices exist, the
likelihood of the political attention will often be determined by
presence (or absence) of community cohesiveness. The reneging
of the rights prompted by the Civil Rights Movement, caused
others to be more creative in their disagreement of such
disparities. Singers expressed their disdain through song,
17
journalists began writing more, and other artists applied their
talents to display their concerns.
Like any other form of art, self-expression generally affects
the media, attitudes of citizens, and what they display. Comic
book writers like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Ta-Nehisi Coates
utilized their platform to indirectly and passively show that they
were aware of social injustices in the community by creating a
black superhero.
Marvel’s Black Panther was introduced by two non-African
American comic book writers during the Civil Rights Movement.
Black Panther was thought to be a well-timed (political)
commentary that went hand-in-hand with a 1965 revolutionary
theme of black power.
18
What’s in a Name?
The very closely named
characters have more than just a
name in common. In 1966, Lee and
Kirby decided to introduce a new
superhero to the world in Marvel’s
Fantastic Four Comic Series (1966).
The Black Panther appeared on the
cover of the comic book just months
before the formal announcement of
the BPP for Self Defense founded by
Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in
Oakland, CA.
While the panthers appear to
have no official ties to one another, it is significant to note that
there are a couple of similarities:
• Black Panther’s character was introduced in 1966.
• Black Panther’s fighting force was predominately women
and based on real All-Women African army of Dahomey
• BPP for Self Defense formed in 1966.
• BPP were 60% female and presented protuberant roles for
women
Figure 5 - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/magazine/why-black-panther-is-a-defining-moment-for-black-america.html
19
During the time of Black Panther’s introduction, his writers
wanted to make it very clear that they were not in affiliation with
the BPP. They went as far as changing his name from Black
Panther to Black Leopard in more than one comic strip during his
reign. He made sure to explain that the correction was a minor
one and that he didn’t want to condemn nor condone the party
with the same name and that panther and leopard should be
treated as one in the same name since they’re from the same
species.
Figure 6 - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-character-wont-go-next-1085194
20
Figure 7 - https://www.theringer.com/pop-culture/2018/2/14/17012374/marvel-black-panther-comics-history
Co-founder of Black Comics Arts Festival Sean Taylor tells
how the serendipity of the name given to a black superhero
invoked a movement for black liberation in the same name. Both
Black Panther and the BPP represent a self-ruled, liberated group
of radicals in a sense. He stated that “This ‘coincidence’ of such
a significant name association was a clear indicator that ideas
are bigger than us.”
Panthers, Power, and Party
At the height of the movement in 1965, Stokely Carmichael
(US Civil Rights Activist and Black Panther) founded the Lowndes
County Freedom Organization because he was not satisfied with
21
the response of existing political parties to his previous
registration efforts. Due to a requirement to satisfy political
requirements in government inclusions, the Black Panther was
first utilized as a logo by Carmichael in Lowndes County, AL.
Carmichael also coined the phrase “black power” which is a ‘call
for black people in this country to unite, recognize their heritage,
build a sense of community, define their own goals and lead their
own organizations.’ ‘Black power’ (1966) is, and will remain to
be, everything the Black Panther displays in comic books and
media alike.
Figure 8 - https://www.theringer.com/pop-culture/2018/2/14/17012374/marvel-black-panther-comics-history
22
From Afrohistory to Afrofuturism
Wakanda (although fictitious in native land) displays real ties
to both history and futuristic platforms. The country is fictitiously
located in East Africa between Uganda and Kenya and is only
known for a rare source material, Vibranium. Lead costume
designer Ruth Carter and film director Ryan Coogler connected
African history to the country of Wakanda by including exploration
of African ancient peoples including Xhosa, Turkana, Maasai,
Himba and Zulu. It meant dividing the continent into smaller
representations in order to represent tribes presented as
Wakandans. It was said that the visuals of Wakanda are heavily
based on the country of Lesotho (the southernmost landlocked
country in the world entirely surrounded by South Africa). Lesotho
(like Wakanda) displays a very sparse colonization index and is
also radical in a sense [5].
The idea of colonization would begat resistance, unwanted
attention, and violence. This pushback to change would also
prompt a change in gear and armor. Due to violence and the idea
of realism, Black Panther’s suit (along with other superheroes)
basically went from tights to armor because of a decrease in
hand to hand combat and an increase in weapon usage. This
made advancements of superhero costumes necessary. Their
indestructability contributes directly to their superhero attributes.
23
Such a noticeable shift in costume design would create a need
for futuristic tech designs and visuals. Wakanda displays that in
the form of Afrofuturism. Afrofuturism was coined in 1993 by
Mark Dery as an artistic movement. It’s where ancient Africa
intersects with the fantastic. In a sense, it’s Sci-Fi but specifically
black fiction [6].
Black Panther’s history was first prompted by real events in
society. Social and political gaps were abridged through creation
of a black superhero representing liberation from oppression.
Because of his symbolic depiction, progression of peace and
equality may not be as farfetched as the idea of Afrofuturism in
reality, but very much likely.
Fictional History of Wakanda and the Black Panther
How the Black Panther Came to Be
The origin of the Black Panther, the suit, and Wakanda
begins in ancient Egypt. In the early third millennium BCE, the
goddess Bast (B’sst, Ubaste, Bastet) appeared in Egyptian history
[7]. Bast was a goddess who, over time, held different forms of
feline embodiments and many different roles as a goddess.
Some of her roles included being protector of home from disease
and evil spirits, fertility, the dead and much more. She became a
24
widespread worshipped goddess in the second dynasty c. 2890
through c. 2670 BCE, even earning a city named after her,
Bubastis [7].
The founders of Wakanda were descendants and travelers
from Egypt who worshipped Bast [8]. These travelers were being
led on an expedition by a man named Bashenga to investigate
the crash site of an alien metal that later came to be known as
Vibranium. There are two different stories relating to how Bast
came to give Bashenga a portion of her powers in order to
protect and hide Vibranium from the world. In one story, there
was a war happening between the neighboring tribes to fight over
who would possess the alien metal. Bast chose Bashenga by
instructing him to eat a heart shaped herb that grew around the
alien metal [9]. This herb granted him super human powers and
senses, granting him all he needed to unite all the tribes into a
nation which would be called Wakanda. In another story, after
discovering the alien metal on his expedition, Bashenga prayed
to Bast to recognize the land the metal had landed on as one of
her “realms,” and she decided to bestow a portion of her power
to him in order for him to protect the land and ensure that
Vibranium would stay hidden from the world [8]. He used this
blessing and founded the Black Panther tribe and Wakanda with
that blessing, making himself the first king of Wakanda and first
Black Panther.
25
The heart-shaped herb that was found near the Vibranium
and used by Bashenga is known to enhance the strength,
endurance, reflexes, and senses of its user only if they are of
royal blood, following the bloodline of the first king Bashenga.
The heart shaped herb acts as a poison to anyone who uses it
that is not royalty [10]. The ability to digest this herb safely during
a ritual became the third step in the trials for one to become
king. The first test in the three trials to become king is to defeat
six of Wakanda’s greatest warriors, and the second trial is to
survive in the wilds of Wakanda with only the land itself as
provisions [8]. The third test is to survive a heart shaped herb
ritual in which the one who ingests the herb will be buried in a
ceremonial sand and take on a spiritual journey. While the
entitlement to be the ruler and a Black Panther is inherited, one
must be able to pass these trials that demonstrate their bravery,
strength, intelligence, and combat prowess. The ruler of
Wakanda would be named the chief of the Black Panther tribe as
well as the King of all the tribes within Wakanda [10].
Further down the line the Wakandan king T’Chaka, who is
the father of the current Black Panther T’Challa, followed in
Bashenga’s footsteps of using Vibranium to nurture the nation.
T’Challa decided to advance Wakanda technologically more than
it already was by selling portions of Vibranium to some outsiders
and using the earnings to send select youth to the greatest
schools in the United States and Europe [8]. When these select
26
youth, including his only son T’Challa, returned from receiving
their higher educations, the knowledge and technology of
Wakanda flourished. T’Challa is said to have PhDs in physics,
engineering, chemistry, biology, genetics, and mathematics from
prestigious schools such as Oxford, MIT, Harvard and Berkley [8].
As Vibranium became more known to the world the King
T’Chaka attended the Bilderberg conference to discuss
Wakanda’s willingness to share its resources with other
governments. A man named Ulysses Klaue (known as Klaw) was
hired to assassinate T’Chaka at this conference, and he
succeeded using a Vibranium sound-based weapon created from
Vibranium stolen at an early invasion of Wakanda. T’Challa was
only able to destroy Klaw’s right hand using this same weapon
before he was able to escape with the help of the Belgian
government, fleeing the country and vowing revenge [10, 8]. The
event of the King T’Chaka’s death left T’Challa next in line to be
King of Wakanda but he was too young at the time, leaving his
uncle S’Yan to be king until he was of age [8]. This is when
T’Challa went off to school in the U.S. and Europe until he
returned to become king of Wakanda.
The new king T’Challa had a younger half-sister named Shuri
who also had genius-intellect, like the royal blood line and many
other Wakandans. Shuri is his half-sister due to the death of
T’Challa’s mother at child birth. Shuri is an adopted sister from
27
the new wife of his father T’Chaka [9]. Shuri is said to be the
smartest person in the world and “smarter than Tony Stark
himself” who is considered to be a super genius with feats such
as creating his own element [11]. With her genius intellect she
earned her place as the head of the design team of Wakanda’s
technology and serves the nation and the king by creating
weapons for them. The advancing suits and technology used in
king T’Challa’s success are created and designed especially for
him by Shuri. Some of these inventions included a lightweight
necklace that would transform into a full body suit made of
Vibranium mesh, Vibranium claws, energy daggers, energy
shields, cloaking technology, and gauntlets that allow
teleportation [10]. The Vibranium that the Wakandans possess is
known as the strongest metal in the world and the most versatile.
It allows the suit to remove momentum from incoming objects
such as bullets, which causes them to fall to the ground before
they come into contact with the suits wearer and unbreakable
claws as well as many other abilities. Some of the other powers
gifted to the Black Panther by Bast is the power of Black Panther
knowledge which allows the current Black Panther to collectively
gain the knowledge and experiences of all past Black Panthers,
super human sense of smell that allows the ability to track and
hunt down scents, and the ability to smell fear or lies [10]. The
Black Panther is also able to lift over 800 pounds and is granted
genius intellect along with a gift of self-healing. There are other
28
powers mentioned such as the ability to control the dead, which
is similar to some of the responsibilities of the goddess Bast.
29
Black Panther’s Film Suit
This section will be focusing on the conceptualization,
creation, and filming aspects that might’ve affected the physical
suit created for the film Black Panther (2018). Although the
Black Panther had another film costume for Captain America:
Civil War (2016), the Black Panther film is the most recent
rendition of the suit and will be covered in further detail.
Conceptualization
The Black Panther suit for the 2018 movie was initially
conceptualized by Ryan Meinerding (Head of Visual
Development) and his visual development team. In an interview,
Meinerding says that it was Adi Granov, who is a concept artist
known for Iron Man comics and films, that was the artist that
designed and produced the final concept art of the suit depicted
at the top of the next page.
30
Figure 9 - https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/qvek9m/the-fashion-in-black-panther-is-an-afrofuturist-vision
The director of the film, Ryan Coogler, was directing the
team along with the vision that he had in mind. Meinerding
states, “What Ryan really brought to it was the idea of upping the
technology of the suit so it was a higher-tech suit than we really
have seen in the MCU so far [12].” He also mentions that Coogler
wanted a more streamlined look for the suit than the bulkier
costume made for him in Captain America: Civil War, adding that
he wanted it to look like a “unified singular skin that almost felt
like a second skin for T’Challa.” What they’re saying is that their
goal was to make the suit appear as if it were not only incredibly
technologically advanced to reflect Wakanda’s futurism, but also
31
to make it appear more as a part of T’Challa rather than a clunky
suit that wouldn’t lend itself as well to the slender, sleek panther
style.
Meinerding also specifies some of their inspiration for the
suit. “Meinerding names his ‘two touchstones’…(as) Jack Kirby,
who co-created the character with Stan Lee in 1966, and Brian
Stelfreeze, who in 2016 began work on a critically acclaimed run
for the comic written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. “The ‘Civil War’ design
was really trying to lean into the Jack Kirby comic look,”
Meinerding says.” The team decided to roll with a newer design
rather than sticking to what was presented in Captain America:
Civil War [12]. Perhaps a suit that was presented in the movie
alone would allow more freedom in what they could design, as
well as innovate the suit to further fit what they’d like to do with it
in the film.
32
However, nothing comes
to be without possible
variations or scrapped forms
that didn’t make it on screen.
There are pictures of suit
designs that were early
developmental ideas for the
suit’s colors. They
“…experimented with blue
and even red, but ultimately
went with the purple design
seen in the actual movie. It’s
certainly an appropriate
choice, since this particular
power was inspired by the
original comics.” It goes on to
elaborate that the purple in
the comics created by Coates
and Stelfreeze in 2016 was
the ultimate choice with which to go along. Coogler followed
along with Coates and Stelfreeze’s decisions multiple times,
likely due to being a comic book fan himself [13].
Coogler also chose another feature from the 2016 comics
that became prominent in the Black Panther suit design.
Figure 10 - https://screenrant.com/black-panther-concept-art-costume/
33
Meinerding mentioned that Black Panther’s ears were chosen to
point backward instead of upward. This is what Meinerding calls,
“an angry-cat look [12].” It’s likely that this choice was made to
reflect a more menacing and aggressive Black Panther rather
than a feline that’s simply alert.
Making the mask look like a panther was done in more ways
than adjusting the ears. Meinerding says, “In the Brian Stelfreeze
design of the face, there’s this interesting mix of a panther and a
man’s face. Depending on how the light catches it, it can either
look more like a panther or it could look more like a man [12].”
Having this balance is a fascinating way to enforce the idea that
T’Challa is a man with the power and inspiration of a panther,
represented in the mask.
Creation and Construction
Something that Ruth E. Carter had to keep in mind when
physically creating the Black Panther suit was that Chadwick
Boseman, who plays T’Challa in the movie, would need proper
range of bodily motion. Carter says that during filming, “…he was
doing moves and he was telling us, you know, ‘I can’t raise my
arm, and I can’t breathe out of my nose.’ And we’re like, oh, O.K.,
that’s bad, Mr. Black Panther. We’ll change that [14].” When
creating a costume, creators have to keep these things in mind,
34
though often, it’s hard to tell how it will be on the actor until they
can try it on themselves.
The costumers hired a ballet costumer to create physically
versatile suits for the stunt doubles, Black Panther included.
Carter mentions that, “We brought in the head cutter [a.k.a. the
lead costume maker] from the Boston Ballet in to Atlanta,” which
is where Black Panther was filmed, “to give us a new suit for the
stunt guys that’s cut with these special gusset shapes so that
they could perform, like in the ballet [15].” The health and safety
of the stunt doubles needs to be preserved and making sure they
can move to their fullest ability can be important to ensuring
there are no accidents or mishaps.
Carter also mentions where Meinerding’s responsibilities
end as well as where hers begin. She says, “We have our
illustration from [Marvel Studios Head of Visual Development]
Ryan Meinerding. It gives you the language to a point, and then
there’s a point where I take over. All of those things are examined
[15]…” Once she receives the visual development team’s art, it
seems that the responsibility is entirely passed over to Carter to
create the suit and make changes where she sees fit.
Another change that was made to the suit was that the
Black Panther helmet had now become part of the suit. This was
even addressed in the plot itself, the character Shuri changing
35
the suit from having a helmet to the helmet now being
incorporated as part of the suit itself. This change was set in
place due to not only practicality, but because Coogler wanted to
“reveal T’Challa’s face for some scenes to show Chadwick
Boseman’s performance, so the mask was integrated into the
suit’s nanotechnology rather than existing as a separate helmet
[12]” It would be impractical or cumbersome in specific
situations for T’Challa to take off his helmet, so this change
makes complete sense.
The suit itself is made up of specific materials. “The new
design features a layer of silver material beneath a thin jersey
fabric [16]…” so says Carter. She elaborates on this, saying, “I
was a student of the superhero suit on this one, especially since I
had never done one before.” She said that she had very
experienced assistants that showed her Eurojersey that’s used
for superhero suits. “You start with this white, four-way stretch
fabric that comes from Europe
somewhere [15],” Carter says.
The thin jersey fabric mentioned
above is most likely Eurojersey,
and the silver beneath more of
what can be perceived as latex or
thick rubber. A picture of a
Eurojersey fabric is to the left.
Figure 11 - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410249847299381711
36
Chadwick Boseman, who portrays the Black Panther on
screen, was asked what he thought the suit was made from in an
interview. He said, upon being asked what the suit is made of,
“Latex. I think there’s got to be some kind of rubber in there. It’s
like Under Armour thickened to a certain degree [17].” This can
be used as the closest idea as to what the suit felt like to have
worn. Although there’s also the description of the company itself.
Eurojersey is utilized for most superheroes. Carter says that
“…you’ve gotta get your order in way in advance, because they
run out. There’s so many superheroes being built. We have to
build 12. Some other movie has to build 20. So if we don’t get
our order in, we won’t have the proper material for our superhero
suit [15].” Eurojersey produces the most sought-after materials
for superheroes of a high caliber, it seems. The website of the
company that produces Eurojersey, claims they have bountiful
color choices, large choice of texturing, prints, and more [18].
They work with custom orders, making it desirable for a team
creating a unique superhero.
37
Figure 12 - http://spayce.me/4k/black-panther-wallpaper-4k/
In an interview, Carter details her favorite aspect of the suit
that makes the suit special. There’s a detailed triangle on the
mask, which she calls an “Okavango” pattern. It’s shaped like a
triangle, as seen in the picture above. Carter explains, “that
triangle…made his suit have this character that would, in the
wide shots, make him this superhero but in the close-up, you see
this beautiful pattern that is consistent with a lot of the art of
Africa and would turn him into this African king [19].” Adding
specific details like the “Okavango” pattern adds character to the
suit. It’s admirable to have put so much love and effort into a
38
costume so that it has aspects to it that add depth to the
believability.
Filming
Not everything goes perfectly while filming. No matter how
something is planned, things will go wrong, and unexpected
things will happen that might cause alterations. There are also
aspects to filming that costumers have to keep in mind when
creating costumes. An example of something to remember with
what actors wear, is that some patterns are too busy for the
camera to capture comfortably. Carter says that, “I worry a little
that as we photograph lots of textures, sometimes you get a
buzzing or sensation that happens on film with beads [20].” She
continues to say that she had a lot of beads to include in the film
due to their prevalence in African culture and fashion. She had to
remember to construct the costumes in such a way that they
didn’t bother the camera and create that buzzing.
As for unexpected complications, there was a situation
within the set about the footwear. Carter says around the time of
filming that, “It’s a barefoot culture. So three out of five [people]
can walk around barefoot. In this weather, I don’t know? Maybe
as we keep shooting we’ll get to that [20].” Telling actors to be
barefoot in weather that’s uncomfortable might not be the best
39
environment for them to give the performance needed. Though to
be accurate, making enough people barefoot can properly portray
the culture of Wakanda.
Another circumstance that can change the outcome of a
final product is set design. Carter explains, “…as they’re
developing the sets, seeing what lanterns are going in, the
furniture – and still getting a surprise when I get to set. This
business is always morphing and you’re always tweaking when
you see things finally coming together [20].” That tweaking that
she mentions can affect the outcome of a costume. Upon seeing
the set design, the suit might have been altered slightly to match
it more.
Something that’s also necessary to keep in mind is that
there’s a CG element to Black Panther and his suit. Detailing the
line between costuming and CG, Carter explains, “…for the most
part, what Jeff Bowman, our special effects producer, has told us
is that just be as creative as you envision it. And let us just take it
from there. Don’t try to work in our world. Let us work in your
world [20].” She continues elaborating, saying that there are
cameras in 360 degrees that photograph the suit from all sides,
allowing them to take what the costumer has done and work with
it. What Carter is saying is that she seemingly doesn’t need to
worry much about making sure her costumes are easier to work
with for the computer graphics department.
40
Overall, the film costume is a conglomerate of planning,
ability of creation, and small changes made for filming’s sake.
There are so many stages to go through for this suit to have
happened. There was a lot of inspiration, finding materials, and
adding those special touches that make it something to be
appreciated. Its intricacy and care add to the reasons that even
fictional things like a superhero suit are worth understanding to a
further capacity so as to fully appreciate them and what they
represent.
41
Black Panther’s Suit Technology
Fictional Tech
Before knowing about the suit and the accessories that go
with it, it is important to know what the Black Panther is capable
of without the suit. Before even putting the suit on, the Black
Panther drinks from the Heart Shaped-Herb which endows him
with superhuman abilities. These abilities include knowledge,
experience, and strength from every other Black Panther that has
previously existed. Along with that he can see things at great
distances with clarity and his hearing is also enhanced which
allows him to detect sounds that are inaudible to humans [21].
Suit
The abilities of the suit are separate from the accessories.
Even though the accessories use Vibranium, the suit itself is only
able to do certain things. The suit is laced with Vibranium which
makes it exceedingly durable. The suit is also able to absorb the
kinetic energy from bullets and use the energy to strike enemies.
The suit can change its appearance to resemble normal street
clothes to allow Black Panther to blend in with his surroundings
or even become completely invisible. The suit is able to generate
energy daggers made from Vibranium that can function as a
42
blade or thrown as a projectile. The blades can be set to either
stun or kill his opponents [22].
The suit is virtually unbreakable. It also absorbs all
vibrations from things such as bullets and punches and it can
absorb magic [22]. What about Vibranium itself being able to
counter Vibranium? Vibranium, when hit with something,
becomes much more compact in molecular structure, absorbing
the damage inwardly [23]. If Vibranium hit Vibranium, both would
absorb the damage and nothing much would happen. An
example would be when Black Panther’s Vibranium claws hit
Captain America’s Vibranium shield in Captain America: Civil
War. The claws scratched it, got rid of its paint, and dented it
bluntly. What about anti-metal? Anti-metal is a material in the
Marvel universe found in the savage land in Antarctica [23]. It
can counter Vibranium, but only with an incoming kinetic force.
With that force, it can break down Vibranium’s molecular
structuring [23].
43
Accessories
The suit is also
equipped with
accessories that assist
the Black Panther in
combat. These include
boots, claws, and a
mask. These accessories
are really what help the
Black Panther fight his
enemies.
The boots have
energy regulators that
create varying fields
which enable the Black
Panther to land
soundlessly without any
injury from massive
heights. This same field can also be used offensively to shatter or
weaken objects or defensively to rob incoming objects of their
momentum [21].
Figure 13 - https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/7v9qqa/black_panther_suit_comparison/ (edited by Sierra Britt)
44
His claws can extend from the end of his gloves that he uses
as an offensive weapon, and he can even use them as
projectiles. They can also break down all metals at a molecular
level [21].
Black Panther’s mask gives him the ability to see in ultra
violet and infrared, enabling him to see in near total darkness
while still retaining the same level of clarity [21].
Real Tech
Searching for technology that we have today that could
possibly be used to make Black Panther's suit is a difficult task.
It’s essentially looking for an impenetrable material that not only
is bullet proof but will also hold onto the energy from the bullets
and use it to attack back. While researching, the science that
would be used to make a suit like Black Panther’s was found, but
it didn’t describe any materials that are currently had in this age
that would be along those lines. Also, a website was discovered
whose description of their product sounds like something one
could use to create Black Panther’s suit, but it has been found
out that it’s more of a gel and less of a fabric material [24].
Then there is the product that most people go to when
discussing making superhero items or suits, Kevlar. However,
45
upon further research, another material was discovered called
graphene which would be better suited for this particular use
than Kevlar.
The science behind making a suit like Black Panther’s
describes the conditions that it would need to have to be able to
function properly, and it also describes the types of applications
for both stretchable and self-healing materials. They include
electronics, displays, energy, the environment, and medicine.
What is important to know is that while most organic materials
are flexible, they are not stretchable, which would be an
important factor for Black Panther as he needs to be able to
move around [25].
The Product
An intrinsically self-healing and conductive composite that
self-heals without external aide, such as heat, light, or solvents,
is further desired to obtain electrodes for E-skin. To achieve this,
uniform electrical properties and facile processing are required.
However, intrinsically self-healing conductors are difficult to be
realized. A composite becomes conductive only when the amount
of conductive fillers exceeds the percolation threshold. Therefore,
chemical compatibility and adequate surface area are important.
Moreover, the ratio of the inorganic fillers will also affect the
46
physical property of the composite as well as the self-healing
capability [25].
There is a product currently
available that sounds like it has these
components as well as the
components that Black Panther’s suit
has. It talks about being able to
redirect kinetic energy, a difference
from other products that only absorb it.
It is able to redirect kinetic energy by
“acting as a liquid barrier to rapidly
dissipate energy outward like ripples
through a pond [24]”. To know whether
this product would have been
compatible in making a suit like Black
Panther’s, an email was sent to the
company asking if they thought their
product would work in the production
of it and how much it would cost if it
did. The company sent back a response to the inquiry (above).
Knowing that this product would not work in making a suit in
real life the next step was to find something that could. Most of
the forums that discussed products currently available to create
a suit discussed using Kevlar. However, there is a material even
47
stronger than Kevlar called graphene. This material is made up of
bonded carbon atoms, is super thin, and is capable of being
more bullet-proof than steel. This material is also more
comparable with Vibranium than Kevlar. Graphene is super-fast
compared to other materials and according to Kakalios, a
professor and author of The Physics of Superheroes, “So that
means when you come in with some kinetic energy from some
impacting projectile,” says Kakalios, “that energy gets the carbon
atoms vibrating, but because the speed of sound is so fast, the
vibration energy gets spread out very fast over the plane of the
graphene and the energy then gets diluted and so it doesn’t have
a chance to sit still and break the chemical bonds holding the
carbon atoms together, and if it can’t break the bonds, then the
bullet’s not getting through the material [26].”
Aside from graphene, there is also nanocomposite
structures. Professor Kakalios explains what this is by saying that
“What people are doing is creating structures that have other
little nanoparticles within them, and when the energy comes in
from some sort of blast or some sort of collision, the energy gets
spread out over the nanoparticles,” says Kakalios. “They can
spread out the energy over many many atoms so that no one
atom has to bear all of that burden and so you don’t break any
chemical bonds or create any cracks [26].”
48
Though these materials do exist or are close to existing, it is
important to remember that current technology is nowhere near
what Wakanda has, at least, when it comes to creating a suit like
Black Panther’s.
In the search for a material today that could own up to
Wakanda’s bullet proof, energy-absorbing and self-healing
Vibranium super suit, there were a few candidates found. These
candidates include Kevlar, graphene, and nanocomposite
structures. Each of these materials is a good start on what
science can do and surely will grow to have more possibilities
and knowledge of in the future. While these materials held some
properties that could contribute to the strength, endurance, and
particle regeneration needed for a Black Panther super suit, it is
safe to say that, at this point in time, the world of science is not
yet ready to make an exact suit with such levels of invincibility.
Though, in time, and with more study surely, we could reach
these possibilities. Who knows, the internet was invented only
twenty years ago; maybe in another twenty years from now,
advances in technological possibilities will come to us sooner
than we know.
49
Conclusion
There have been multiple intricate iterations of the Black
Panther that has changed largely throughout history. And
throughout that history, the correlations between Black Panther
and America have been explored. After looking through those, as
well as the intricacies of the suit constructed for the film,
hopefully all the reasons that Black Panther has been such a
cultural impact has been made clearer. There’s so much thought
and care put into a character with such a fascinating
representation and story behind it. As for the technological
comparisons, it’s also interesting to have explored something like
this. Learning about fantasy can often help one reflect on
themselves and learn or be inspired to create. The Black Panther
could have driven someone to create a future iconic character of
their own, to create technology inspired by this fiction, or to just
make it through their day a little more motivated than before. No
matter what, characters like these are full of depth. Just the suit
alone has extensive details and history. Recognizing the deep
aspects that may not have been known before is an important
step to understanding the significance of a character like the
Black Panther.
50
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