T'Challa was the young prince of Wakanda and the youngest son of King T'Chaka. Rather than allow his older brother M'Baku, the rightful heir to the throne, to engage in the legendary panther trial, T'Challa impatiently and foolishly undertook the trial himself, to prove his worth as a ruler and as a warrior. The trial involved hunting and defeating a black panther in combat. Unfortunately, T'Challa lost the trial and was severely maimed when the large cat tore out his throat. His brother M'Baku brought him back to his father's home so he could recuperate. Though T'Challa underwent seventeen hours of surgery, T'Chaka did not possess the resources to provide T'Challa the necessary medical treatment and he was forced to break Wakandan tradition and request aid from the United States, in particular, the Weapon X Program.