Kasper Cole
Encyclopedia
Kevin "Kasper" Cole is a fictional character
in Marvel Comics
' shared universe
, the Marvel Universe
, and the third to use the name White Tiger
. He has also adopted the moniker of the Black Panther
. The character was created by Christopher Priest and Dan Fraga
and introduced in Black Panther (vol. 3) #50.
In issue #50 of the Black Panther, Kevin "Kasper" Cole makes his first appearance. He is an officer in the narcotics division of the New York Police Department's Organized Crime Control Bureau (OCCB), looking to be promoted to homicide detective. He lives with his mother Ruth and his pregnant girlfriend Gwen in a squalid apartment in Harlem. His father "Black" Jack is a former cop that has been imprisoned on the charge of corruption.
The character was pitched by Priest as a 'dark satire of Spider-Man', in line with work he had done on DC Comics' Steel (John Henry Irons), who functioned similarly as a 'dysfunctional Superman'. The character of Kasper Cole and his friends and family therefore take many cues from Peter Parker and his supporting cast, with Kasper's mother Ruth correlating with Aunt May
, his father Jack with Uncle Ben and his girlfriend Gwen with Gwen Stacy
. Priest also drew inspiration from the film Training Day
, as well as sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond
.
The first storyline, "Black and White", running in issues #50 to #56, focuses on Kasper's investigation into the ties between his boss Sal Anthony and the criminal 66 Bridges gang. Suspended from the police force, he adopts the mantle of the Black Panther - stealing the costume from his Sergeant Tork, an ally of the Panther - so that he can gather evidence. This brings him into conflict with Nigel "Triage" Blacque (who leads 66 Bridges) and the police department's Internal Affairs.
During the course of the investigation, Kasper also comes into contact with the original Black Panther, as well as the Panther's antagonist and half-brother the White Wolf (Hunter). They both attempt to manipulate him to their needs. Christopher Priest has described "Black and White" as being 'about a war between The Black Panther (T’Challa) and the “white panther” (Hunter) over the soul of this young kid'.
Before the storyarc concludes, it is revealed to the reader that 66 Bridges is in fact led by Kasper's father as Kibuka (a plotline that has been left unresolved) and that Triage is his half-brother. Kasper does not succeed in taking down the gang, although he manages to expose a number of crooked cops. He has also struck a deal with his corrupt boss, who will help him take down 66 Bridges if Kasper locates his kidnapped son. This search is key to the final Black Panther storyarc, "Ascension" (#59-62).
In order to find the child, Kasper makes a deal with T'Challa's nemesis Erik Killmonger, the then rightful holder of the Black Panther mantle. Given a synthetic version of the herbs that grant the Black Panther his powers, Kasper gains the enhanced skills necessary to locate the child. The arc and the series concludes with Kasper becoming a White Tiger, a sort of acolyte to the Black Panther cult, although he remains in Harlem.
Before the final Black Panther arc was finished, Kasper Cole was already designated as one of the feature characters in the short-lived The Crew (2003–2004, 7 issues). He makes his first regular appearance in issue #1 and as the new White Tiger in issue #2. His character provides narration (the only one to do so) for the second, fourth, (part of the) sixth and seventh (the final) issue. In the series, Kasper teams with James Rhodes (War Machine
), Danny Vincente (Junta
) and Josiah X
in taking on Triage and the 66 Bridges Gang. While Kasper's relationship with the other characters is fraught with conflict, they nonetheless manage to defeat Triage.
After the conclusion of The Crew, there have been no appearances by Kasper Cole, although he is referenced in the Civil War: Battle Damage Report one-shot.
. Aspects of his heritage and the colour of his skin are frequently referenced in Black Panther and The Crew.
Initially, Kasper Cole was to be modelled after actor Vin Diesel
, an idea suggested by artist Oscar Jimenez. Language and culture barriers, as Priest describes it, precluded this from being properly translated to Jorge Lucas
, who ended up as the penciller of the Black Panther title.
The suit Kasper wears as the Black Panther and later as the White Tiger is a vibranium
microweave body suit capable of dissipating the kinetic
and hydrostatic shock
damage of bullets or bullet-like objects, essentially making it bullet-proof. It also has special vibranium soled boots for scaling vertical surfaces. Anti-metal properties of the Antarctic vibranium in his claws and boots will break down any known metal including adamantium. Kasper also carries energy based throwing daggers capable of paralyzing or tagging his enemies. He can track those tagged via an advanced pocket computer (which also has numerous other capabilities), a Kimiyo Card.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, and the third to use the name White Tiger
White Tiger (comics)
White Tiger is the identity used by several fictional characters in Marvel Comics. All of the people who called themselves White Tiger have been minorities with special abilities.-Hector Ayala:...
. He has also adopted the moniker of the Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
. The character was created by Christopher Priest and Dan Fraga
Dan Fraga
Dan Fraga is an American comic book writer and artist.Dan has worked on many of comics other top books including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Superman Bloodstrike and the X-Men franchise.-Biography:...
and introduced in Black Panther (vol. 3) #50.
Publication history
With sales numbers declining on the third volume of Black Panther, the decision was made to retool the series. The original character - T'Challa T'Chaka, the king of Wakanda - would be replaced with a new character impersonating the Black Panther, starting with issue #50. According to writer Christopher Priest, this would be 'some guy who starts this gig, essentially, as a scam, but who evolves over the curse of time to embrace and appreciate the rich heritage and culture of the Lord of the Wakandas'.In issue #50 of the Black Panther, Kevin "Kasper" Cole makes his first appearance. He is an officer in the narcotics division of the New York Police Department's Organized Crime Control Bureau (OCCB), looking to be promoted to homicide detective. He lives with his mother Ruth and his pregnant girlfriend Gwen in a squalid apartment in Harlem. His father "Black" Jack is a former cop that has been imprisoned on the charge of corruption.
The character was pitched by Priest as a 'dark satire of Spider-Man', in line with work he had done on DC Comics' Steel (John Henry Irons), who functioned similarly as a 'dysfunctional Superman'. The character of Kasper Cole and his friends and family therefore take many cues from Peter Parker and his supporting cast, with Kasper's mother Ruth correlating with Aunt May
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, his father Jack with Uncle Ben and his girlfriend Gwen with Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
. Priest also drew inspiration from the film Training Day
Training Day
Training Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
, as well as sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
.
The first storyline, "Black and White", running in issues #50 to #56, focuses on Kasper's investigation into the ties between his boss Sal Anthony and the criminal 66 Bridges gang. Suspended from the police force, he adopts the mantle of the Black Panther - stealing the costume from his Sergeant Tork, an ally of the Panther - so that he can gather evidence. This brings him into conflict with Nigel "Triage" Blacque (who leads 66 Bridges) and the police department's Internal Affairs.
During the course of the investigation, Kasper also comes into contact with the original Black Panther, as well as the Panther's antagonist and half-brother the White Wolf (Hunter). They both attempt to manipulate him to their needs. Christopher Priest has described "Black and White" as being 'about a war between The Black Panther (T’Challa) and the “white panther” (Hunter) over the soul of this young kid'.
Before the storyarc concludes, it is revealed to the reader that 66 Bridges is in fact led by Kasper's father as Kibuka (a plotline that has been left unresolved) and that Triage is his half-brother. Kasper does not succeed in taking down the gang, although he manages to expose a number of crooked cops. He has also struck a deal with his corrupt boss, who will help him take down 66 Bridges if Kasper locates his kidnapped son. This search is key to the final Black Panther storyarc, "Ascension" (#59-62).
In order to find the child, Kasper makes a deal with T'Challa's nemesis Erik Killmonger, the then rightful holder of the Black Panther mantle. Given a synthetic version of the herbs that grant the Black Panther his powers, Kasper gains the enhanced skills necessary to locate the child. The arc and the series concludes with Kasper becoming a White Tiger, a sort of acolyte to the Black Panther cult, although he remains in Harlem.
Before the final Black Panther arc was finished, Kasper Cole was already designated as one of the feature characters in the short-lived The Crew (2003–2004, 7 issues). He makes his first regular appearance in issue #1 and as the new White Tiger in issue #2. His character provides narration (the only one to do so) for the second, fourth, (part of the) sixth and seventh (the final) issue. In the series, Kasper teams with James Rhodes (War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
), Danny Vincente (Junta
Junta (comics)
Junta is a fictional antihero in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe. The character was created by Christopher Priest and Dan Fraga in Black Panther vol.3, #9.-Vulcan Domuyo:...
) and Josiah X
Josiah X
Josiah X is a fictional character who exists in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe. He is the son of Isaiah Bradley, the black Captain America and the father of Elijah Bradley, the Patriot...
in taking on Triage and the 66 Bridges Gang. While Kasper's relationship with the other characters is fraught with conflict, they nonetheless manage to defeat Triage.
After the conclusion of The Crew, there have been no appearances by Kasper Cole, although he is referenced in the Civil War: Battle Damage Report one-shot.
Appearance
Kevin "Kasper" Cole is depicted as biracial, the child of an African man and a Jewish woman. As a result of the sharp constract between his light skin and the dark skin of his father, he has been nicknamed Kasper, after Casper the Friendly GhostCasper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
. Aspects of his heritage and the colour of his skin are frequently referenced in Black Panther and The Crew.
Initially, Kasper Cole was to be modelled after actor Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
, an idea suggested by artist Oscar Jimenez. Language and culture barriers, as Priest describes it, precluded this from being properly translated to Jorge Lucas
Jorge Lucas
Jorge Lucas is an Uruguayan/Argentinan comic book artist and penciller. He was born in Salto, Uruguay, where he lived till the age of 10, then moved to Argentina and acquired the Argentinan nationality.-Biography:...
, who ended up as the penciller of the Black Panther title.
Power and abilities
Kasper Cole was initially non-powered, wearing only the Black Panther's outfit for protection and carrying a pair of 9 mm pistols (later loaded with non-lethal gel bullets). Later on, after ingesting a synthetic version of the herbs that give the original Black Panther his powers, he possesses peak human physical strength, speed, reflexes and reactions, agility and durability, superhuman eyesight, and night vision.The suit Kasper wears as the Black Panther and later as the White Tiger is a vibranium
Vibranium
Vibranium is a fictional metal that appears in the Marvel Universe. It is most commonly known as one of the materials used to construct Captain America's shield, but it is also noted for its connection to the Black Panther and his native homeland of Wakanda .-Publication history:Vibranium first...
microweave body suit capable of dissipating the kinetic
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
and hydrostatic shock
Hydrostatic shock
Hydrostatic shock or hydraulic shock describes the observation that a penetrating projectile can produce remote wounding and incapacitating effects in living targets through a hydraulic effect in their liquid-filled tissues, in addition to local effects in tissue caused by direct impact...
damage of bullets or bullet-like objects, essentially making it bullet-proof. It also has special vibranium soled boots for scaling vertical surfaces. Anti-metal properties of the Antarctic vibranium in his claws and boots will break down any known metal including adamantium. Kasper also carries energy based throwing daggers capable of paralyzing or tagging his enemies. He can track those tagged via an advanced pocket computer (which also has numerous other capabilities), a Kimiyo Card.