Who Was the First Black Panther? (MCU & Comics)

Due to the character’s inclusion into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther has seen a rise in popularity. Hailing from the fictional high-tech African nation of Wakanda, the mantle of Black Panther is a symbol of leadership and power among the Wakandan people, and on-screen, so far, we’ve seen two Black Panthers, T’Challa and his younger sister Shuri. But Wakanda has a far more detailed and longer history than what we’ve seen in the movies, and to explore it, we’re going have to peek into the source material, the comics. Now, without further ado, let’s see who the first Black Panther was both in the comics & and in the MCU. 

The first Black Panther in the comics was prehistoric Mosi; he was active in 1,000,000 B.C. and was part of the prehistoric Avengers he was the first human to consume the Heart-Shaped Herb and live. In the MCU, the first Black Panther is a warrior Shaman Olumo Bashenga. He was the first warrior shaman to unite the numerous tribes of Wakanda and the first to carry the mantle of Wakandan king.  

Now that we’ve given you a brief answer, let’s explore both the history of Wakanda and Black Panther in a bit more detail. If you’re interested, stay with us and keep reading! 

The prehistoric Black Panther Mosi was the first to consume the Heart-Shaped Herb and survive 

For a long time, the first and the oldest Black Panther in Wakandan history was warrior shaman Olumo Bashenga. He carried that mantle up until 2017 when prehistoric Black Panther under the name Mosi was introduced in ‘Marvel Legacy #1.’ His story and the history of Wakanda were further expanded in ‘Wakanda #1’ released in 2022, where it was officially confirmed that Mosi was the first individual to carry the mantle of Black Panther. 

So the story goes like this, for a long time, even after Mosi, the Wakandan nation was broken into separate tribes who warred both between themselves and against foreign invaders, and over time the celestial rifts started opening, bringing Brood to Wakanda among other celestial beings to.

The tribes of Wakanda were focused on survival, and even though they were aware of the potential beneficial effects of the Heart-Shaped Herb, without proper preparation and without Bast’s blessing, the ingestion of the Herb proved to be lethal for many tribesmen. 

Mosi was different, and while he wasn’t the first man to consume the Herb, he was the first to have goddess Bast on his side, and instead of dying, he received the enhancements provided to him by the Herb and, at the same time, became the first Black Panther in the known history.

Mosi was likewise the first (after Odin) to lift and carry Mjolnir, as Odin was one of the celestial beings that visited Wakanda at one point in the early history of humanity. Mosi was part of the prehistoric Avengers and helped the team deal with the out-of-control Celestial.

Mosi was killed in battle against the children of Laufey and Hyve. Followed by Mosi’s demise, the united Wakandans separated into several tribes once again and started their policy of isolation. They asked the Avengers to forget about them. 

The first Black Panther in the MCU was at the same time the first King of Wakanda 

Following Mosi’s death, Wakandan tribes stayed separated and at war for a long time. And this is where the MCU’s first Black Panther comes to the scene, a warrior shaman under than name Bashenga. Olumo Bashenga was introduced to Marvel Comics in the 70′ with the release of ‘Black Panther #7.’ Since then, Bashenga has remained one of the most influential figures in Wakandan history.

As the story goes, Olumo was born into the Black Panther tribe during the Bronze Age, and he successfully predicted that an alien meteorite would crash somewhere inside the borders of Wakanda, empovered by the cosmic energies of the nearby Vega System. 

When the meteorite crashed, Wakandans soon noticed the nearly magical properties of Vibranium and the fact that the metal was nearly indestructible. As we know, some of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe are made out of Vibrainum, and the metal is, due to its origin, durability, and usefulness, considered to be among the most powerful metals. 

Wakandans recognized this, and soon the bitter war of the Five Tribes commenced. Bashenga learned how to utilize the properties of the metal and how to work with it. He crafted the Spear of Bashenga, which remains a Wakandan sacred relic to this day. 

During the War of the Five Tribes, Bashenga had a vision of the goddess Bast, a deity sacred to Wakandanas. Bast led him to the Heart-Shaped Herb and gave him her blessing to consume it. Consuming the Heart-Shaped Herb empowered Bashenga much in the same way as any other Black Panther in history. He received superhuman enhancements in terms of his speed, strength, and durability and gained access to powers unique to Black Panthers. 

Once enhanced, Bashenga managed to unite 4 out of 5 warring tribes, and he became the first king of United Wakanada. Wakanda prospered under his rule but still remained strictly isolated. 

He was the founder of the Black Panther cult, a tradition sacred to Wakanadans to this day, and is one of T’Challa’s most important ancestors since every Black Panther since Bronze Age can trace its lineage to Bashenga. 

Bashenga’s vibranium spear is still kept as a sacred relic, being used mostly for ceremonial purposes. 

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