The Making of the Ruler of Wakanda – The Black Panther 
What was the overriding “theme” or direction you tried to capture with Black Panther?
Katie Orcutt
Animator
He’s not your average character. He’s got energy projection, the strength and agility of a supernatural predator and, because we’ve equipped him with the Ebony Blade, even a sword. These qualities gave us a bunch of different routes we could take his powers. Some of his moves use energy daggers, while others take advantage of his lightning speed and mastery of the sword. We wanted to keep him cat-like, making sure to incorporate these animal instincts into his animation set. It worked out well – Black Panther surely lives up to his name.
Travis Cameron
Effects Artist
Black Panther was a difficult character to approach from an FX standpoint mainly because most of his powers aren’t usually represented visually. One of the more interesting things about Black Panther is his connection to the Panther God. There’s this mystical side to him, and this was what I tried to suggest through the effects. This is mainly accomplished through a glowing, gold-colored mist that emanates from him. The mist became the theme that tied all of his “power” attacks and fusions together. The other elements found in many of his attacks are the claw, and sword swipes. These were added to emphasize the strength and, in some cases, the speed of the attacks.
What’s something you worked on that turned out particularly well?
Katie Orcutt
Animator
Many of his moves were actually created by animators in San Francisco (formerly Shaba Games of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows fame), and they did a great job at capturing his style. The cape animations were really beautifully done, very fluid and organic. It gave me inspiration when working on his powers, in particular the “Panther Pounce.” He springs forward into the air and then strikes down with his claws. I tried to make him seem like a predator, not just some guy in a panther suit. The cape flutters behind him and his claws draw FX trails into the sky. It came out to be a very powerful and satisfying move to play.
Travis Cameron
Effects Artist
I really like the “Panther Pounce” attack. Black Panther leaps high into the air and comes down on the enemy with a massive claw strike leaving behind a trail of mist. It’s a move that really captures the character and is a great example of animation and effects coming together to really strengthen the look of the move.
Now that Black Panther’s done, what’s your favorite part?
Katie Orcutt
Animator
I really enjoy the variety you get with Black Panther. One minute you’re hacking bad guys with your sword, the next you’re quickly dashing across the screen and clawing people like a jungle cat. There was a point where I was animating him one morning and without even realizing, I let out this little jaguar hiss. It was pretty weird. You don’t do that kinda thing when you’re working on Invisible Woman.
Travis Cameron
Effects Artist
I can’t really pick just one thing I like about him. More than anything, what I love to see is Black Panther fully powered up in the center of a gang of enemies. All you can see is a flurry of claw marks, sword attacks, and enemies flying into walls. Plus his model just looks cool. The design is elegantly simple, but you can tell at a glance that he’s capable of ruining your day.
Posted by: Onemanzoo on 10/28/09
first comment for the first time
Posted by: Loki54 on 10/28/09
He looks beast. Panther is the best.
Posted by: CaptainJohn on 10/28/09
I’m glad they added Black Panther. It would be awesome if they added Bishop. Consedering Black Panther and Cable were already in the game.
Posted by: BartonIsHawkeye88 on 10/28/09
I’m REALLY disapointed they gave T’Challa Black Knight’s freakin sword. It’s like if they gave Captain America Mjolnir because he lifted it once.
The Ebony Blade should have been given to Black Knight as a playable character (I know that’s unlikely)… but it still feels wrong.
Other than that… I really like the look. His moves sound kinda bleh to me… but still better than I was expecting
Posted by: Spacehart on 10/28/09
i completely agree with you....giving him Black Knights sword almost feels like a slap in the face, just make black knight playable....that would make my day!!
Just because he kept it in his palace for a little bit, it doesnt make alot of sense for him to be wielding it OTHER than they ran out of ideas for his powers and had to start stretching things. Has ever even used the sword?
Posted by: BartonIsHawkeye88 on 10/29/09
Yeah...makes me wonder if Punisher or Hawkeye were playable, would they each have Captain America’s Shield? They both held onto it/used it at one point after Steve’s death.
I can only remember T’Challa using the blade on one occasion.
Black Knight would have been AWESOME, btw…
Posted by: LB70145 on 10/29/09
Yeah but perhaps you haven’t read any Civil War with Black Panther. Black Panther used it against Iron Man. He’s had the Sword for a while now. It has only been recently that Black Knight has been active. When Black Knight asked for the Sword back, Black Panther did give it back. Maybe you should do your homework before saying opinions you have no background information on.
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 10/29/09
Whatever man black panther has the sword in the game so who cares
Posted by: BartonIsHawkeye88 on 10/31/09
Maybe you should learn to READ, or possibly work on your reading comprehension. In my comment above I stated that I could only remember ONE occasion where he used the blade. And that occasion was during Civil War… HOWEVER. I said that the blade does not belong to him. Black Knight has had the ebony blade for FAR longer than T’Challa and it is something associated with Dane, just like Lockheed to Kitty Pride, Mkolnir to Thor, or the Eye of Agomotto to Dr. Strange. I know they aren’t making this up, I know he used it in CW, I freaking own the tpb, chief. But it feels wrong to give him a weapon that truly DOESN’T belong to him. It would have been incredible to include Dane instead; an entirely new, greatly underappreciated character, with a potentially fun and incredibly varied moveset.
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 11/01/09
U are pretty big insulting people over the internet lady but whatever im not looking for trouble however u said it yourself black panther had the blade during the civil war so get your grandma panties out of a bunch u have your opinion that they should put the black knight in and i think that VV did a great job going by the comics
Posted by: BartonIsHawkeye88 on 11/01/09
First of all, I’m not a lady, and I don’t know what makes you think that I am. Second, That reply wasn’t for you. A little bit of common sense goes a long ways. And I’m not trying to insult anyone, if you get offended, that’s your problem, not mine.
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 11/01/09
Well sorry about that DUDE thought u were talking to me. A little bit of kindness could go a long way also, u say that u are not trying to insult anyone but telling someone that they should learn how to read sounds insulting to me man. But it is not my problem so we can stop replying to each other now.
Posted by: ZypherAwesomes on 11/06/09
Im with Toshiro H, though BartonIsHawkeye seems alot more keen to insulting people.
Posted by: Mortimer Toynbee on 11/03/09
Why are you guys complaining so much? Excluding fusions, only one of his moves uses the blade. And the blade gives him some variety, instead of all his moves being claw attacks. I personally don’t care if he has the blade or not, he’s going to kick ass in this game anyway.
Posted by: Darkknight95 on 10/28/09
aww yeah im so stoked to play as black panther!
and wow fifth nobody goes on here anymore
Posted by: Howlingatthemoon on 10/28/09
Why would Black Panther have the Black Knight’s Ebony Blade? Is there a reason for this? Or just because you felt like it?
Posted by: Darkknight95 on 10/28/09
because he found it on the sidewalk and thought it looked cool
Posted by: J 8493 on 10/28/09
I dont care for him and I still dont, and loki he is’nt the best thats just your opinion
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 10/29/09
it my opinion too black panther is the best hate all u want
Posted by: beastfromtheeast on 10/28/09
I really like the character model!
Posted by: JJHGambit10 on 10/28/09
Black Panther looks really neat and i look forward to playing as him!!
thank’s!!
Posted by: blackboltunleashed on 10/29/09
wow black panther uh ok?? pointless character we want hawkeye,cyclops,rogue,nova not black panther vv.
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 10/29/09
no thats what u want we got what we wanted which was black panther
Posted by: KidJuggernaut on 11/09/09
i like this kid. hes got some funny shit to add
Posted by: Loki54 on 10/28/09
Nope, pretty sure Panther’s the best.
Posted by: ZypherAwesomes on 10/28/09
well Im 6th, & I think Black Panther is awewsome, its even cooler because he has Black Knights Ebony Blade. It was unexpected, but its still a cool suprise. Personally, I think I’m going to die of insanity if I have to wait until the DLC add on pack comes out.
Posted by: ZypherAwesomes on 10/28/09
Sorry, I was 6th when I strated writing this, lol Im a slow typer!
Posted by: BazeVS on 10/28/09
Panther used the blade to rip Tony´s armor apart when he was visiting the White House during Civil War…
Posted by: Fzter on 10/28/09
Cant wait to use him!
Posted by: BloodSpider on 10/28/09
I was hoping that he would be playable in the main version and since I have a Wii, I can’t play as him.
Posted by: the_mediator on 10/28/09
Black Panther with the Ebony Blade. That definitely took me by surprise.
Good work once again VV with the character model. I’m excited for the final reveal and how they’ll turn out.
Posted by: Boy In Space on 10/28/09
Black Panther did cut up Stark’s armor one time with the Ebony Blade...nice lol.
I’m really happy to see Black Panther in the game and very excited to purchase DLC and use him 
.
Posted by: divinechampion on 10/28/09
his “panther ponce” reminds me of Ms. Marvel’s “ground slam” and Iron Fist’s “eagle strike” moves that move across the screen when in the air with great speed.This principle could also apply to Spider-man and daredevil .The Panther God sounds interesting,I would like to see that would work in fusion.
Posted by: divinechampion on 10/28/09
*would like to see how*
Posted by: SilverMarvel on 10/28/09
Oh the guys from web of shadows had some fun with BP sounds good.
Posted by: theshredder39 on 10/28/09
DCLs are lookin good, now if i remember correctly magneto’s involved as well
Posted by: Techon 7 on 10/28/09
He really looks cool.
Posted by: Jadryx on 10/28/09
I liked him in MUA1 and it looks like he’s been improved! Nice!
Posted by: comicfan1129 on 10/28/09
This and Cable have pushed me into buying the DLC camp.Good job! Panther is a favorite of mine and thankfully Not ANOTHER X-man.
Posted by: cable2006 on 10/28/09
Nice. Should have been in initially considering the storyline. Glad he is in the game though. I liked him in the first and he looks even better here.
Posted by: VivaLaNES on 10/28/09
lol “Jaguar hiss” Nice!
Seriously though Good job guys!
Posted by: Ibtesam on 10/28/09
Cool seems like a good choice.
Posted by: Bluntskull on 10/28/09
Not terribly surprising seeing as how he was a part of CW and you go to Wakanda and save him and his country. Least he could do is join up. My gut cries for balance so I’m going to say Bishop as #5. I could dig Magneto though.
Posted by: SilverFalcon on 10/29/09
Carnage, Psylocke, Black Panther the DLC I prayed for is nearly complete. One more to go! hopefully they make a second batch where Rouge is included.
Posted by: SecretAvenger on 10/29/09
coool.i like panthers sword!!! so who is the last DLC?
Posted by: storm09 on 10/29/09
Can’t wait! The Panther pounce sounds and looked deadily.
Posted by: black cat on 10/29/09
Another nice choice for dlc I can’t wait to find out who the final character is.
Posted by: BreezedIn69 on 10/29/09
Beautiful model, awesome graphics. I was a little away from comics, and didn’t know that he uses a sword now, cool. Looks like Ryo from Ninja Gaiden ...
Now, let’s see Magneto !
Posted by: SuperHiepsi on 10/29/09
Pretty excited about this one.
Posted by: Nexus on 10/29/09
Sounds like Black Panther will be fun to play. I can’t wait to add him to my team.
Posted by: Wonderman on 10/29/09
I have to admit when I heard BP was in I was totally PO’d but I am gonna download the DLC and give him a shot, he looked cooler to play with than I thought
Posted by: Dlark17 on 10/29/09
I can haz stelf?
Even though I’m kind of depressed I’m just getting an NPC put in my hands, I’m glad it’s Panther. T’Challa is a great character and has always been fun to play. I remember using him in the first one, building him to be a fighter with the fury and slashing attacks of Wolverine, but with a more stealthy, Nightcrawler-esque play style.
The sword? ... That’s questionable for a character I feel should play a little more claws and hunting style, but we’ll see how it goes. If they’re only special moves, I guess I’m okay with that.
So I’d get a few new missions and a couple of characters I might enjoy using… You guys are pulling me back (slowly), but I’d really prefer some DLC to give me more active abilities.
Also… GO SHABA! I freakin LOVE those guys’ work!
Posted by: SongbirdNova on 10/29/09
Black Panther FTW! I need a 360 or Ps3 now (screw the no DLC on a Ps2)
Posted by: Helllion on 10/29/09
ok so he’s better than i expected him to be.
i still don’t like him.
the swor sounds interesting, i might ahve to give that a try though :/
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 10/29/09
it is black panther whats not to like he is the king of wakanda
Posted by: FireMadeFlesh on 10/29/09
His character model looks good. I hope he’s fun to play. I’m a little miffed they’re pushing him on us because of his upcoming show. I would have rather had someone else, like HAWKEYE!
Posted by: HavoK 671 on 10/29/09
yay 45th
Posted by: WarlockAngel on 10/29/09
He has a really good character model. As far as the ebony blade, people should read the comics to find out why he has the sword. They are not just making this stuff up.
Posted by: kayjaa on 10/29/09
I hope they fix the Hulk with some update. He doesn’t have regenerative power like in MUA. That’s so stupid, he can heal just as fast as Wolverine & Deadpool.
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 10/29/09
i totally agree man
Posted by: Different on 10/29/09
would someone please give me a vip code
Posted by: bpabreu on 10/29/09
well for those who don’t know why he has the blade you would have to read who is the black panther issue. he defeated the black knight in that issue. the black knight lead a charge to conquer wakanda. I am glad to see that he is in the game. i like him and i also see him as the best choice for this game. seeing as how he was also in the civil war helping captain america.
Posted by: Nickbn1 on 10/29/09
Looks even stronger this time around
Posted by: cadaverash on 10/29/09
the only reason I would put him on the team would be to watch him die! ha ha.
Posted by: BuildingHP on 10/29/09
Nicely done VV XD definitely gonna use him with storm XD
Posted by: The_Man on 10/29/09
I’ll be spending my 1600 points on Psylocke and BLACK PANTHER!!!!!
Posted by: swordsoflight on 10/29/09
Thank you VV for awnsering our hopes. Black Panther is awsome! But, I do have to agree, the sword did take me by suprise. I never knew Black Panther had a sword.
Posted by: T dog on 10/29/09
I gotta say he looks freakin sweet. His powers and fusions look fun and effective.
Posted by: galactus2688 on 10/30/09
LET ME BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT THE BLACK PANTHER WILL, I REPEAT WILL BE USELESS TO THE ANTI AND PRO ASPECT OF THE GAME IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE HE IS NOT EVEN AMERICAN SO THIS LAW WON’T EFFECT HIM, OR EVEN APPLY, SO UNLESS THEY ADD A NEW STORY PLOT OR SOMETHING THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE ANOTHER WASTED CHARACTER!!!!!!!!!!!!! I MEAN IT WILL BE NICE TO USE A NEW CHARACTER BUT IT WOULD BE PRETTY FUCKING STUPID IF I HAVE TO PLAY THROUGH THE SAME STORY PLOT WITH A CHARACTER THATS ALREADY IN THE GAME (THIS APPLIES TO CABLE AS WELL) I CAN ONLY HOPE THEY ADD ON SOME SORT NEW STORY PLOT OR SOMETHING.... GALACTUS HAS SPOKEN!!!
Posted by: Toshiro_H on 10/30/09
well don’t buy the dlc pack then dude no one cares if u want another story plot or if u think that some of the characters are useless we will still buy the pack and enjoy it oh yeah...Torshiro has SPOKEN LMAO
Posted by: galactus2688 on 10/30/09
i… i respect that, you won’t hear any more negativity on my end. (P.S. remember Galactus’s word is bond) LOL
Posted by: Zaxlon on 10/30/09
The Panther is back in black! Wait, he’s always been in black, but i’ve never seen him with a cape… or a sword.
Posted by: warbyte on 10/30/09
Black Panther looks very elegantly detailed, very descriptive FX design to him. As mentioned in this developer blog I do hope to see his animation flow fluidly with the other characters especially during fusion attacks. Great Job VV! You’ve done it again for the true marvel believers.
Posted by: Batroc on 10/30/09
He looks great, but I’m confused as to why he has the Ebony Blade.
Posted by: PerfectExample on 10/30/09
panther is awesome!!!
Posted by: MightyAvenger on 10/31/09
is the sword a power or normal attack?
Posted by: MarcusTM7 on 10/31/09
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WTF it should had been bishop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: SecretAvenger on 11/01/09
what is ebony blade???
Posted by: LumberTadpole on 11/01/09
just spit-ballin’ here, but I think that Moon Knight should be at least considered for DLC. If not for this one, VV should think about him for a next one. He talks with Cap and Stark, blah blah blah, but more importantly he fights the Thunderbolts, takes a beating from Venom and STILL manages to fend off Bullseye to escape...I think he pretty much deserves it for being a badass human…
Posted by: XQHInc on 11/02/09
I’m happy they put T’Challa in the game and they gave him the Ebony Blade! That shows the developers did their homework 
I hope the alternate costume is the Thrice Blessed Armor that he used in the same issue where he tore up Iron Man’s armor I also hope that he and Storm have an amazing fusion and a good team boost or something. The next characters I’m looking forward to is Prince Namor the mighty Submariner, Dr. Strange, Professor X, Black Bolt, some World War Hulk charactes, Hercules, Punisher, and Red Skull. Keep up the good work guys and I hope there’s some new stages and missions for download I hope I threw in enough winks
Posted by: CylonDorado on 11/02/09
Don’t you ever touch a black man’s radio!
Posted by: Juxtion on 11/02/09
i need vip can anyone help me out gamespot ripped me off
Posted by: PerfectExample on 11/02/09
all hail the king!!!
Posted by: PerfectExample on 11/03/09
vibranium!!!
Posted by: Rho Mantic 27 on 11/03/09
Can somebody please VIP me I have had this game pre ordered since forever and bought it sept. 17 and I have not unlock Juggernault and now realize I can unlock Carnage Psylocke Cable and now Black Panther. I went on the gamestop website to see if I can find some codes to unlock these characters so please somebody VIP me I would deeply apperciate it. If you can email it to Thanks.
Posted by: Juxtion on 11/03/09
sorry to write this twice but can anyone vip me thanks sent to thanks again hugh fan of marvel!!!!!!!
Posted by: Different on 11/03/09
can someone please VIP me ive been asking for about a month now and still havent been able to get it I would really like too see the alt costumes and other stuff. Please send to
Posted by: Iron_America on 11/03/09
Is he gonna be available the 5th also??
Posted by: Concave_Ace on 11/12/09
Looks better than in comic books, but little bit too Batmanish.
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