The time has come for Marvel to put some respect on the Black Panther's name, and we mean that literally. Not the hero's codename, as the Black Panther name is one that has become famous and revered in both comics and movies. But that fame makes it even more unbelievable that the world has been pronouncing King T'Challa's name wrong this whole time.

The bombshell was dropped all the way back in Jungle Action #19, and changes Marvel history in just one . Or more accurately, it was Marvel who incorrectly changed Black Panther lore forever. Because judging from this comic, the MCU changed how T'Challa's name is supposed to be said, canonically. So even if it is too late to correct the problem on film, Black Panther fans can start paying respect to T'Challa every time they utter his name.

Black Panther Fans: Pronounce T'Challa "Without The T"

Jungle Action #19 (1975) by Don McGregor, Billy Graham, Bob McLeod, Petra Goldberg, Denise Wohl

Still a relatively new star on the Marvel roster at the time, some of Black Panther's earliest adventures were depicted in the Jungle Action. book, with Issue #19 beginning Black Panther's mission against the Ku Klux Klan, or rather the "primitive power of the Clan," as noted on the cover art by Gil Kane, Dan Adkins, and Irv Watanabe.

It's one of Black Panther's first American allies who first asks if he goes only by his heroic moniker, and is met with T'Challa's true identity. While pronunciation is impossible on the comic page, the response asking if the proper pronunciation is "TA-CHALLA" is clearly mimicking the way the modern world addresses the King of Wakanda. So the correction that T'Challa should be pronounced "Without the T" is guaranteed to send fans spiraling.

As revealed in an article featured in Back Issue #27 ("The Blackest Panther: Don McGregor in the Jungles of Wakanda" by Tom Stewart), Jungle Action originally starred white protagonists Lorna the Queen of the Jungle, Tharn the Magnificent, and Jann of the Jungle. This lasted until Marvel's premiere proofreader at the time, Don McGregor, realized how many Marvel titles taking place in Africa starred white heroes. After pointing out how dated such a practice was, Black Panther became the new star of the comic, with McGregor overseeing the series as its writer. So this attention to pronunciation is no surprise, either.

Black Panther's Name Was Changed More Than Once

His Pseudonym Was Changed to 'Coal Panther' in Fantastic Four #119

Obviously both devoted and casual fans can all be forgiven for mispronouncing the Black Panther's Wakandan name, instead taking cues from Marvel's audible adaptations for the proper sound. Even before the MCU, most animated films and TV shows took the seemingly obvious cue to lead the Panther's name with a "T" sound, repeating the issue's own presumption. If Marvel itself doesn't have time to consult a half-century-old comic for reference, why would comic readers?

But even if correcting the issue now fails to reach the doorsteps of Kevin Feige's office, spreading the word about how to truly say Black Panther's real name could be enough to rectify a 50-year mistake. After all, it's not like Marvel keeping their ear to the markets hasn't convinced them to take a different approach to Black Panther's name before. In 1971, Marvel changed Black Panther's name to Black Leopard just five years after his debut.

It's never too late for Marvel to right a decades-old wrong, and correct the world on the proper way to pronounce King T'Challa's name.

Due to the growing media attention that the Black Panther Party was receiving at the time, Marvel wanted to distance the hero and publisher by re-naming King T'Challa as the Black Leopard. Even then, Marvel carefully approached the topic through T'Challa's own words: specifying that the Black Panther Party's actions and political views were not being condemned or condoned... "but T'Challa is a law unto himself."

Why Saying Black Panther's Name Right Still Matters

If The Name Isn't Repected, The Hero Can't Be Honored

Some might conclude that if Marvel changed the Black Panther's name, then reverted it back, or even ed it to other characters, his name can only be so important. Maybe the point is moot, when changing a name and establishing a new pronunciation are two different things (and after worldwide blockbusters starring Chadwick Boseman made the 'wrong' name a household one, why bother?). But it's never too late for Marvel to right a decades-old wrong, and correct the world on the proper way to pronounce King T'Challa's name.

Re-establishing T'Challa's original pronunciation allows fans everywhere to properly celebrate the character's legacy. Can respect to a character under a knowingly incorrect name be respectful? Unintentional disrespect is still disrespect. For all the success garnered by the character in the comics and the movies, T'Challa deserves his respect.

To celebrate these legacies in the way they deserve to be respected, it's time Black Panther fans around the globe collectively agree to put respect onKing T'Challa's name. Just 'without the T.'