G1 Black Panther

You know about the Silver Age Black Panther, but the Golden Age incarnation has been criminally underlooked aside from the fact that he had one printed adventure. Showing up in Stars & Stripes #3, the caucasian Black Panther was another masked man in an absurd outfit whose real identity is secret even from the narrator and only having his expert fighting skills to boast any superhero status. The story involves Professor Taft getting kidnapped for his petrification formula by the ugly spy Argo, minion to agent Erick Rogats who is of course evil by 1940's standards since he works for a foreign country. Fortunately for the pinheaded professor, Black Panther already knew he was going to be captured by a deformed villain as he catches a ride on Argo's car hood all the way to Rogat's hideout. The fearless feline pounces on the sneaky snoops as Rogat is chased into an easily available whirlpool, to which BP states is a better fate for a lousy foreigner than being behind bars. Unlike other popular kitty-themed good guys of the time like Cat-Man, the first Black Panther needed a decent origin story or at least a mission statement in order to maintain any staying power. He seems to be trying too hard to fit into his whole cat motif with his costumed tail. Wakanda might be forever, but this guy couldn't get past a single chapter.

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