Black Panther will always have a special place in my heart. It’s not just that this was one of Marvel’s most important movies, breaking box office records; for me, it was the beauty of the world-building and the intricacy of the costume designs. Black Panther‘s creative team fashioned an entire fictional African nation, and every costume detail was carefully chosen to create a sense of Wakandan culture and society. The art book proves the point; I’ve always collected those, and every piece of concept art shows the team’s love and commitment.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Now, one of Black Panther‘s final costumes is officially up for auction. Heritage Auctions‘ latest Hollywood event includes several Marvel relics, including Killmonger’s full “Black Panther “Golden Jaguar” costume. Designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, the suit incorporates a visual language drawn from African cultural motifs, including Wakandan script and Okavango-inspired triangular geometries. It includes:
- padded gold camouflage undersuit
- translucent mesh bodysuit with rubber overlays featuring raised Wakandan glyphs and sculptural scarification marks corresponding to Killmonger’s recorded kills
- full hero helmet with raised glyph detailing
- pair of neoprene boots with extended claws
- pair of gloves with hands formed in a loose, clawed position attached to the bodysuit
- rubber necklace denoting his role as King of Wakanda.
Black Panther’s Costumes Are a Work of Art
Called the Golden Jaguar, this is probably the single Black Panther costume it’s easiest to overlook. The basic concept is simple, after all; it’s essentially a traditional “mirror image” design, created to reflect T’Challa’s own Black Panther super-suit. What’s more, it’s most commonly associated with the final battle between T’Challa and the villainous Killmonger; the poor CGI in this scene let down the whole film, the only blemish on an otherwise perfect MCU masterpiece. But, like everything else in Black Panther, the core concept was actually realized in a breathtaking way.
Heritage’s description shows just how unique Killmonger’s Wakandan costume really is. Carter worked hard to give Killmonger a distinctive visual identity, one that blended Wakanda with other cultures to show he doesn’t really belong there; she even gave him an American denim jacket at one point. “Killmonger is an unapologetic street kid,” she explained to Forbes. “So he’s a little gaudier, there’s a swagger to his walk. His suit is gold, he’s got spots, his necklace is gold.” The Golden Jaguar deliberately recreates that in his final “supervillain suit.”
Personally, I love the raised Wakandan glyphs and sculptural scarification marks. Killmonger followed an ancient tradition, scarring himself with every kill; the vibranium nanotech armor was supposed to be a tight sheathe around his body, and thus displayed them prominently. During the final battle, there are actually several scenes where the nanotech is disrupted – notably by Shuri’s own Panther’s Claw weapons – and CGI was used to show parts of his skin becoming visible. It’s a genius touch, because it makes the Golden Jaguar so sinister.
Sadly, with opening bids from $50,000, the Golden Jaguar Killmonger suit is outside my price range. But it’s a must-have for any collectors, tied to a cultural milestone that stands apart from the rest of the MCU. As Carter explained, “What Ryan said was that, yeah, this is an Afrofuturistic movement, but we want to create something different. It’s got to be fantastic, it’s got to be colorful, it’s got to be unique.”
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
