Top 10 Most Feared Black Panther Enemies of All Time

What Baron Zemo lacks in superpowers, he makes up for in tactical skills and determination. In the MCU, Baron Zemo sets off the explosion that kills T'Challa’s father and frames Bucky for it. And that’s just the beginning of his chess match. Zemo’s actions indirectly set the Black Panther against several Avengers. If the Wakandan hero didn’t happen to overhear what really happened, he might’ve permanently ended the Winter Soldier. In the end, Black Panther shows his heroic nature by choosing to save the murderer instead of killing him. But Wakandan doesn’t forget to keep their eyes on Zemo. When the villain is released from prison by Bucky Barnes, the Dora Milaje track him down extremely quickly and make sure he is imprisoned once again.

In the MCU’s “Black Panther”, Nakia was introduced as a dedicated warrior and spy for the Wakandan royal line. She also has a ton of chemistry with T’Challa. In the comics, this character takes a darker turn. As one of the Dora Milaje, her relationship with T'Challa is kept ceremonial. Her infatuation and jealousy lead to her betrayal of Black Panther and banishment. After being tormented and killed by the villain Achebe, she’s resurrected by Killmonger as the genetically enhanced Malice. Her dark persona combines Nakia’s fighting skills with a new mastery of poisons and mind-controlling spores. As a villain, Malice is motivated to destroy those who betrayed her. This puts Black Panther and everyone close to him right at the top of her list.

M'Baku is a celebrated Wakandan warrior in practically every medium. At the same time, he despises his country’s technological society and wants to return Wakanda to a more naturalistic state. In order to do this, he believes it’s necessary to overthrow T'Challa and become the new king. M'Baku gains powers by ceremonially killing a mystical white gorilla. This gruesome act gives him increased superhuman strength, durability, speed and agility. With his shamanistic gorilla upgrade, M'Baku takes on the alias, Man-Ape. His augmented powers combined with his warrior skills and training makes him a formidable opponent for Black Panther.

The Masters of Evil have been fighting Avengers for a long time. This sinister team’s had many leaders and a rotating cast of villains with a variety of superpowers. One incarnation of this dastardly group was formed by Baron Zemo and included T'Challa’s nemesis Klaw. Another version, recruited by Crimson Cowl, also included Black Panther’s frequent opponent Man-Ape. The combined powers of this horde of evil-doers make them difficult to fight. They also could care less about laws or the usual rules of morality. The Masters of Evil are definitely a superhero sized nightmare.

Kraven prides himself on being one of the world’s greatest hunters. A Voodoo witch doctor gave him potions that extended his life and granted him the abilities of a jungle cat. This included enhanced strength, speed and durability. The extra decades gave him even more time to perfect his tracking skills, and Kraven lives for the hunt. When he became bored with regular prey, he decided to challenge himself by stalking animal based superheroes. Among his opponents were Spider-Man, Squirrel Girl, Howard the Duck and Black Panther. Kraven’s sense of pride and respect for his adversaries made him a popular anti-hero with comic readers. It would be interesting to see how his skills stack up against Black Panther in live-action.

A brilliant scientist who hides his damaged face with an iron mask, Dr. Doom is considered one of Marvel’s greatest villains. He’s a technological genius who can control machines with his mind. Oh, and he’s also a ridiculously powerful magic wielder. Even Dr. Strange thought Doom had the power to become Sorcerer Supreme. In Marvel comics, this fearless anarchist set his sights on Wakanda’s vibranium. He attacked and wounded T'Challa in order to take the country's powerful element for his own uses. It would be a really bad idea to give a power-hungry villain access to such a powerful element. In a true act of sacrifice, Black Panther destroyed his country’s greatest treasure before Doom could control it.

Imagine a vampire that feeds on the mystical energy between superheroes and their totem animal. This would be problematic for Black Panther. After all, most of his powers come from his connection to the cat goddess, Bast. So, it’s no surprise that Morlun is one of T'Challa’s most powerful adversaries. Morlun can drain the powers of magical beings just by touching them. Like a vampire, he needs this energy to remain young and powerful. He can survive an explosion and is one of the hardest hitters in the Marvel universe. After Morlun was killed by Spider-Man, he was resurrected by a cult and sent after Black Panther. The energy vampire was able to defeat Man-Ape, but met his match in the new Black Panther, Shuri.

Our first exposure to Ulysses Klaw in the MCU was as a weapons dealer who lost his arm to the evil robot Ultron. In one version of Black Panther’s origin story, a young T’Challa was responsible for the loss of limb. Although Klaw had different motivations in live-action, he still had a contentious relationship with Wakandans due to slaying some of their people. This motivated him to prepare to fight Black Panther by turning an arm into a sonic cannon. Klaw’s advanced weaponry, greed and ruthlessness makes him an enemy that cannot be underestimated. As long as Wakanda has something he wants, the villain will constantly stand as one of their biggest threats.

Erik "Killmonger" Stevens was born with the name N’Jadaka in Wakanda. The details of his history vary between comics and the MCU. In both, his parents die and he grows up outside Wakanda. Kilmonger’s deep hatred for his birth country and those who rule it is an integral part of his character. After harnessing his rage and becoming a skilled warrior, his intelligence and brilliant tactics allowed him to successfully take over Wakanda in both comics and film. Killmonger sought to achieve such power so he could create the ideal world he wanted. The fact that he was able to claim the throne on several occasions shows how dangerous this mereneary is.

Two kings; both ruling lands that seem magical. T'Challa is the calm and humble king of the land nation of Wakanda. Namor is the proud and quick-tempered king of the water nation of Atlantis. Their conflicting methods of rule have caused many troubles and problems between them throughout comic history. As a hybrid Atlantean, Namor can survive both underwater and on land. He has superhuman physical abilities and can mentally communicate with sea-life. One of his most unusual yet useful traits is the wings on his ankles that let him fly faster than an airplane. It’s not always clear if Namor is friend or enemy to Black Panther. Ultimately his decisions are motivated by what is best for the people of Atlantis.