WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Avengers #33 by Jason Aaron, Javier Garron, Jason Keith and VC's Cory Petit, available now.
A little over two years ago, the Avengers once again assembled to stop an invasion of dark Celestials called the Final Host. As a result, a new team of Avengers assembled, mixing old standbys like Captain America, Thor, Captain Marvel and Iron Man along with more unlikely recruits like She-Hulk, Ghost Rider and Black Panther. Once the Final Host was defeated, it was decided, in Avengers #8, that neither Captain America nor Iron Man would be the leader of this iteration of the team. Instead, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Thor chose King T'Challa, Black Panther, as the Avengers' newest chairperson.
Since then, Earth's Mightiest Heroes have gone on multiple missions, from one corner of the Earth to other Asgardian realms and the far side of the galaxy. Through that time, T'Challa has proven to be a great leader for the team. However, it's in the middle of Moon Knight's attack in Avengers #33 that Black Panther proves, once and for all, why he deserves to be the leader of the team.
In Avengers #33, Moon Knight declares war on the Avengers and systematically attacks some of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe. While his endgame is unclear for the time being, it's tied to the biggest supermoon in a million years and the return of his god, Khonshu. Moon Knight starts by going after the Iron Fist and Doctor Strange, taking a bit of their power with him. He then steals Ghost Rider's car and assembles an army of followers and undead mummies.
Then, the next stop on his list is Wakanda, where he plans on facing Black Panther. As Moon Knight's massive army of mummy-esque monsters stands just outside of Wakanda, T'Challa walks out to meet them on the field by himself. As he does so, he communicates with Steve Rogers. He advises Captain America to remain in Avengers Mountain and to protect the Starbrand child. After that, he implores him not to come to his aid: "No, do not come here. Do not come for me," he orders.
When he arrives face-to-face with Moon Knight, Black Panther signs off by saying "Goodbye, Steven. The Avengers are yours now," ready to face his entire army on his own.
By sacrificing himself, T'Challa proves not only a great hero, but a great leader. He recognizes the threat Moon Knight represents, and he's not willing to risk the lives of the other heroes. Instead, he's willing to face an invading force by himself, passing on his role as leader to someone else should the worst happen to him. It shows exactly why Steve, Tony and Thor chose him to be their leader: T'Challa puts others first, no matter the situation.
What's more, T'Challa even takes things further by ensuring Wakanda's safety. Moon Knight brought an army to the nation's borders, and Black Panther, seeing that the invading force might be too much for his people, agrees to surrender himself on the condition that no harm comes to Wakanda. And since what Moon Knight needs -- Black Panther's power -- is in his very blood, he agrees.
Even though the nature of T'Challa's power means that Moon Knight can't take them, this brave, heroic act still shows how wise a leader T'Challa really is. Not only is he willing to sacrifice himself so that the Avengers may have a fighting chance, T'Challa is also willing to lay his life on the line for Wakanda. Simply put, these are qualities that make him the perfect leader for the Avengers.