Origin

First shown in Fantastic Four #52 (July '66), Wakanda possesses the largest stores of Vibranium on Earth, the result of a massive meteor strike. The radiation emitted by the meteorite caused mutations in small portions of the Wakandan population, turning some into "demons spirits", who attacked their fellow tribe members. The first Black Panther, Olumo Bashenga, sealed off the meteorite and formed the nation's religion: the Panther Cult.

The Panther God is one of the names used by Bast, the Egyptian black cat goddess. Bast is responsible for the powers received by the Black Panther, leader of the Wakanda nation. Before the founding of the Nation of Wakanda, African humans and the Orisha, the pantheon of Wakanda expelled the Originators of Wakanda, a group of animal species, these gods form the pantheon of Wakanda and are formed by gods of various origins in Africa: Bast, Thot and Ptah (Egyptian Gods), Kokou (Benin) and Mujaji (South Africa), the Pantheon of Wakanda is called The Orisha, orisha being a Yoruba word meaning spirit or deity.

Years later, under the ruling of King T'Chaka the Great (father of the modern Black Panther, T'Challa), Wakanda was cut off from the rest of the world. T'Chaka knew that the rare vibranium would bring Wakanda many enemies. Using only small amounts of the nation's mineral wealth, T'Chaka sent Wakanda's most intellectual citizens to the corners of the Earth, to learn everything they could in tandem with their own discoveries. As a result, Wakanda's level of technological and economic achievements exceeded those of the traditional world, making it the most advanced civilization on Earth. Wakanda has never been conquered in the entire history of it's existence. Although it did suffer great damage during AvX.

Statistics

Government: Monarchy

Capital: Birnin Zana

Major languages: Wakandan, Yoruba, Hausa, English; Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan, Niger-Congo, Khoe, Austronesian, Indo-European

Currency: Wakandan Dollar

Religions: Although there is a main Pantheon, there are different cults in Wakanda.

Panther cult,: dedicated to Bast, the Panther goddess.

White Gorilla Cult: present at the Jabari Tribe. The cult to Ghekre (from the Baoulé people). Previously, the tribe had a cult to Ngi (from the Yaoundé people).

Lion Cult: Dedicated to Sekhmet, Bast's sister.

Crocodile Cult: Dedicated to another Egyptian deity, Sobek.

Other gods of Wakanda are the Bast's sister K'Liluna and Magba, both of whom opposed Bast in ancient times.

Localization:

The first map of Wakanda, published in Jungle Action Vol 2 #6, places the country close to the Atlantic Ocean.

In Marvel Atlas #2, Wakanda is located in northeastern Africa, bordering Lake Turkana, near Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, along with Narobia, Canaan, Niganda, Rudyarda, Ujanka, Ghudaza, Mohannda, Zwartheid and Azania.

In Black Panther Vol 4 #1, Wakanda is located between Sudan in the north and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the south.

In, Black Panther Vol 6 #4, the country is close to "Nyanza" (Lake Victoria) to the east and surrounded by Mohannda to the north, Niganda to the southeast, Azania to the southwest and Canaan to the west.

Known Rulers

Mosi (first Black Panther and member of the Avengers 1,000 AD)

Olumo Bashenga (first king of Wakanda)

M'Teli: (father of T'Chanda)

T'Chanda aka Azzari the Wise (grandfather of T'Challa & Shuri)

T'Chaka the Great (father of T'Challa & Shuri)

S'yan the Swift (uncle of T'Challa & Shuri)

T'Challa (the most recognized and default Black Panther in Marvel Comics. T'Challa is the titular hero of the Black Panther mythos. All other Panthers were created after him and are supporting characters to him)

Shuri (younger sister of T'Challa, current ruler of Wakanda and Black Panther)

In Other Media

Television

• Wakanda appears in the Fantastic Four: The Animated Series episode "Prey Of The Black Panther", which is largely a retelling of Black Panther's first appearance in in the comics.
• Wakanda is mentioned in the Iron Man: Armored Adventures episode "Panther's Prey", with the plot revolving around Black Panther coming to New York to find Moses Magnum, his father's killer.
• Wakanda appears in the Black Panther animated series, which retells Reginald Hudlin's "Who Is The Black Panther?" story.
• Wakanda appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, with Black Panther initially recruiting the Avengers to help free the country from the rule of Man-Ape. In Season 2, Skrull impostors posing as the Avengers trick Ms. Marvel into helping them attack Wakanda, but they are repelled by Black Panther and the real Avengers. In a later episode, Captain America and Hawkeye later travel to the country once more, where Wakandan scientists help fix Cap's shield. During their time in the country, the heroes also have their first encounter with the Vision.
• Wakanda appears in the Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers episode "His Majesty, Black Panther!", where Jessica travels to the country to help stop HYDRA agents who are seeking to invade it. She ends up teaming up with Black Panther, who becomes her second hero.
• Wakanda appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Panther's Rage". The series' fifth and final season, "Avengers: Black Panther's Quest", was set in Wakanda.

Film

Ultimate Avengers 2

Wakanda appears as the main setting in the movie, with the country targeted by Chitauri invaders who want to steal all of the vibranium.

Iron Man 2

Wakanda makes a cameo on a map Nick Fury shows to Tony Stark. It is shown marked as one of the locations where SHIELD believes superhumans reside.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Wakanda is explicitly referenced for the first time in the MCU in this movie, with the Avengers learning that Ulysses Klaue stole a large amount of vibranium from the country some time ago. For his actions, the Wakandans branded Klaue's neck with their word for "thief", forever marking him as a criminal. Earlier drafts of the script featured Ultron taking of a Wakandan mine in order to create a new body for himself, but this was cut from the finalized movie.

Captain America: Civil War

Wakanda is again referenced in the film. At the beginning of the movie, a group of Wakandan delegates are accidentally killed during a badly botched Avengers operation in Nigeria, leading to global outrage. This proves to be the final straw that leads to the nations of the world crafting the Sokovia Accords, a series of laws designed to keep the Avengers in check.

At the close of the film, Black Panther provides safe harbor for Captain America and Bucky Barnes in Wakanda.

Wakanda is localizated around Lake Turkana, a point where Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia meet.

Black Panther

Wakanda will be heavily featured in the live-action film, marking its first full appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

• In the film, Wakanda has two languages, the main Xhosa (language spoken in South Africa and Zimbabwe) and Igbo (spoken in Nigeria), spoken by the Jabari Tribe. On a rescue mission in Nigeria, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) appears speaking Hausa.
• The clothing was inspired by clothing from the Maasai, Himba, Dogon, Sotho, Tuareg, Turkana, Xhosa Zulu, Suri and Dinka tribes.
• Although it does not describe a Wakandan martial art, the actors trained in a few well-known styles, Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa/Black Panther) trained in Dambe, Capoeira Angola, and Zulu stick fighting, Lupita Nyong'o trained in judo, jujitsu, silat, and Filipino martial arts.

An artbook from the film artbook locating Wakanda in the East African Rift Valley, bordering Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.

Video Games

• Wakanda is a setting in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, and is where the final battle with the nanite-controlled heroes takes place.
• Wakanda appears in Storm's ending for Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
• Wakanda can be visited in Marvel Heroes.
• Wakanda appears as a stage in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. Due to the merger of the Marvel and Capcom universes, Wakanda has been combined with Val Harbor from the Monster Hunter games to create Valkanda.