Kasper Cole

White Tiger
Kasper Cole as the White Tiger, art by Joe Bennett.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Black Panther (vol. 3) #50 (2002)
Created by	Christopher Priest (writer) Dan Fraga (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Kevin "Kasper" Cole
Team affiliations	The Crew NYPD
Notable aliases	Black Panther
Abilities	Peak human physical strength, speed, reflexes and reactions, agility and durability, Superhuman eyesight, Night vision

Kevin "Kasper" Cole is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is 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.

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 course 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, 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.