Black Panther clix have generally been underwhelming in the game’s history, missing his:

• SMARTS: Outwit is his signature power, but he sometimes lacks it
• SOVEREIGNTY: Leadership is a must, but he often lacks it
• SPEED: Needs IM:Elevated and good values. Often missing at least one
• STEALTH: ‘Nuff said. He usually has it but it’s surprisingly absent from otherwise best dials
• STRENGTH: Can he hit for 3-6 clicks on top dial? Usually not
• SURVIVABILITY: Damage reducers and good values. The armor is too frequently the soft spot.

T’Challa is supposed to be exceptional, though, even when not the official Black Panther. So let us ponder the question … WHAT IF…?

… THERE WERE A DEFINITIVE PANTHER DIAL

 

Marvel Studios Disney Plus 013 T’Challa Star-Lord

• SMARTS: No Outwit. F
• SOVEREIGNTY: Plenty Leadership. A
• SPEED: Flight is the IM:Elevated he needs (though from rocket boots more than jungle agility). A
• STEALTH: Only on back end. B-
• STRENGTH: Running Shot Penetrating/Psychic Blast is good offense. A-
• SURVIVABILITY: No reducers at all is bad defense. D

THE KING’S VERDICT: So this is from the Disney Plus “What if T’Challa got kidnapped instead of Peter Quill” some such or other. It’s not a bad rendition of Panther not being Panther. But it’s not Panther.

———

Marvel Studios Disney Plus 025 T’Challa Star-Lord

• SMARTS: This is more like it … he has lots of Outwit. A
• SOVEREIGNTY: No Leadership, but he can cheat a few keywords onto a Guardians theme team. D+
• SPEED: Flight. A
• STEALTH: None at all. F
• STRENGTH: Running Shot Pulse Wave used to be better in solo combat. Formerly A, now B-
• SURVIVABILITY: No reducers at all. C-

THE KING’S VERDICT: Nah. While this one is arguably a better piece than the 013, it’s somehow a worse rendition of T’Challa as he should be.

Marvel Studios Disney Plus 025e T’Challa Star-Lord

• SMARTS: Outwit for just first click. A-
• SOVEREIGNTY: D+
• SPEED: Only a single click of Running Shot dings him a bit. A-
• STEALTH: F
• STRENGTH: Just the single click of Running Shot dings him a lot in this metric — subsequent clicks of Precision and RCE notwithstanding. C+
• SURVIVABILITY: And it’s because with no reducers, he could EASILY be 40 points erased at once. C-

THE KING’S VERDICT: He’s priced right compared to his 100-point line, but still misses way off on the must-have qualities.

———

Marvel Studios Disney Plus 103a T’Challa Star-Lord

• SMARTS: Nothing here. F
• SOVEREIGNTY: Leadership, though. A-
• SPEED: No Flight or Improved Movement? Bleh. C-
• STEALTH: Nothing. F
• STRENGTH: Running Shot  to start with Ranged Combat Expert later. OKish. C-
• SURVIVABILITY: Zero armor. F

THE KING’S VERDICT: This is a training dial so it’s no wonder it’s not good.

Marvel Studios Disney Plus 103b T’Challa Star-Lord

• SMARTS: None. F
• SOVEREIGNTY: Not leading. F
• SPEED: No Improved Movement. C-
• STEALTH: Nope. F
• STRENGTH: Running Shot into Hypersonic Speed is a plus. His damage is light, which is a minus. C
• SURVIVABILITY: Nothing will save him if hit. D

THE KING’S VERDICT: It’s better than the “A” version yet somehow a bit worse. Back to REAL Black Panthers, I guess…

———

Avengers Forever 012 Black Panther

• SMARTS: No Outwit. F
• SOVEREIGNTY: Leadership to start. A
• SPEED: Mediocre Charge range with no IM:Elevated. C+
• STEALTH: He’s got it in his special speed power. B+
• STRENGTH: The SP also gives Flurry. Blades comes with normal Flurry later. A-
• SURVIVABILITY: No reducers. C-

THE KING’S VERDICT: Not this Panther. Not at 75 points.

Avengers Forever 012V Black Panther

• SMARTS: See above. F
• SOVEREIGNTY: See above. A
• SPEED: Speed is even worse. C-
• STEALTH: See above. B
• STRENGTH: See above. A
• SURVIVABILITY: No reducers and WAY shorter life. D

THE KING’S VERDICT: 25-point Leadership is his best and really only good quality.

———

Avengers Forever 060 Ghost Panther

• SMARTS: Outwit on click 1? Check. A
• SOVEREIGNTY: Leadership? At all? Nope. F
• SPEED: IM:Elevated makes up for the 8 speed. A
• STEALTH: SP gives Stealth — well, as long as the SP lasts. A-
• STRENGTH: It also gives Hypersonic Speed, which is great with Blades, which he has all dial long in some form. Later, Close Combat Expert Shows up. A-
• SURVIVABILITY: Invulnerability leads off, and then Toughness — though he gets a big soft spot in the middle. A SP gives Steal Energy which could potentially stretch that dial. B+

THE KING’S VERDICT: This WarpWorld version of BP crossed with Ghost Rider is OK, but clearly fails a big metric there to be a full 125 points. But maybe at 75…?

Avengers Forever 060V Ghost Panther

• SMARTS: Lost the Outwit! NAWWW. F
• SOVEREIGNTY: And still no Leadership. F
• SPEED: Just Charge now, until the end of his dial. B-
• STEALTH: Also gone until his SP shows up end-dial. D+
• STRENGTH: Charge+Blades. He’ll really need his trait and CCE to boost his AV. B-
• SURVIVABILITY: Just Toughness now, with that same soft underbelly. C

THE KING’S VERDICT: Worse in every metric except cost.

———

Avengers Forever L024 Black Panther

• SMARTS: Starts with Perplex and can no longer simply push to Outwit. B-
• SOVEREIGNTY: Still no Leadership. And without wild card status now, even, to possibly be a boon to a team. F
• SPEED: His old dial full of Leap/Climb (which no longer gives auto-breakaway) is bolstered by a new trait poofing him into hindering 4 squares away. B
• STEALTH: Traited now; a great improvement. A
• STRENGTH: The continuing lack of actual moving attack makes it difficult to leverage his offense — which starts quite anemic at 2 damage. C
• SURVIVABILITY: Boosted by, first, his original Toughness and, second, by his new “Diplomatic Immunity” trait preventing enemy Outwit or range shots at him if he’s been attacked in a turn. And then there’s the new Spider-Man team ability. B+

THE KING’S VERDICT: The low damage more than anything nerfs his chance to be effective again. Mid all around for 60 points.

———

SIGH… another era of less than kingly Panthers. But a new era of card design beckons. Maybe a good BP would emerge…