Black Panther

T'Challa is The King of the African (are you sure it's real? It's in the almanac) nation of Wakanda.

Black Panther is the ceremonial garb and title of the leader of the Panther Tribe, and, for the last few sovereigns, the King of Wakanda. Any thorough research on Wakanda would reveal that T'Challa is the Black Panther.

Background
T'Challa was born in the remote African nation of Wakanda, the son of it's late king, T'Chaka. It was an isolationist country, keeping a low profile out of his father's fear that, should it's deposits of the unique, meteor deposited mineral vibranium were discovered by the outside world, the nation would be overtaken by outsiders. It was to this end that, along with many other promising youths, T'Challa was sent beyond Wakanda's borders for schooling, in the hopes of better preparing the country for whatever challenges the rest of the world might pose.

In America, T'Challa took a strong interest in science, particularly Engineering and physics, quickly earning a Doctorate in the former, and a Masters in the latter. He would have continued his education, but, while working towards his doctorate, he received word of his father's death, and returned home to ascend the throne. Before he could take his father's place, however, he had to pass the traditional trial. After a bout of ritual combat, he climbed the tallest of Wakanda's mountains, equipped with nothing but his own body. At the summit, he collected and ate the sacred herb of his tribe, a body enhancing, heart-shaped plant. It served it's purpose, enhancing his physique to the peak of humanity, and granting him his superhuman abilities. The trail complete, T'Challa descended the mountain as Wakanda's king.

Using his influence as King, T'Challa saw to bringing his nation into the 21st century, greatly speeding the slow modernization that had been occurring during his father's long reign, using his country's great mineral wealth to finance the efforts, using the pride of the tribal elders to provoke them into supporting the cause. By the end of the 20th Century, the Panther City had already caught up with the rest of Africa. By 2010, it had caught up with America, and their mining technology, the source of their wealth, the engine that drives everything, was the most advanced of anywhere in the world, using T'Challa's physics expertise, and the nation's vibranium reserves to speed the efforts.

Hearing of the growing abundance of superpowered individuals in America, and fearing what it could mean both for the world as a whole, and for Wakanda, he returned to America to see these superhumans first hand.

Personality
Stoic to a large degree, T'Challa runs cooly. His anger is a cold, calculating sort, slow to warm, his joy muted. Because of this, he makes a rather good diplomat, able to give a reasoned argument even on subjects he feels passionately about. However, as is common for brilliant men, he has problems dealing with fools, though he tends to hide it well. A dutiful ruler, he is strongly dedicated to his nation, acting solely in what he sees as it's best interest, willing to make some rather underhanded, unpopular, or otherwise questionable judgements. So far, they've all turned out for the best. Personal feelings tend to be fairly guarded. Certain trusted individuals know his heart well, but most people he encounter see him only in his King shoes, a role he is keenly aware of.