This article contains spoilers for Black Panther #10, on sale now from Marvel Comics.

Comic book publishers regularly throw out new characters to see if they’ll resonate with fans. More times than not, a new character just ends up being a “deus ex machina” device with fading relevancy over time. It’s rare that one comes along that is actually pertinent to the story, is unique, and has an eye-catching visual. Introduced in Black Panther #10 (by John Ridley and German Peralta) Buffalo Soldier checks all of these boxes, and given a chance, would be a welcome addition to the Avengers.

Ousted from Wakanda, Black Panther is now the leader of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Introduced in Black Panther #9, the entity known as the Colonialist claims Earth as his own, setting forth an army of monsters in a small Texas town. These particular group of behemoths have anti-vibranium weapons, the very metal that Black Panther’s suit and Captain America’s shield are made from. Just as T’challa’s sister, Shuri, delivers a device to defeat the creatures, a man atop a massive buffalo and dubbed the Buffalo Solider destroys it.

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The Origin of Black Panther's Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo Soldier slapping Black Panther around

In the American Civil War, regiments of African American soldiers were referred to as Buffalo Soldiers. The name is derived out of visual context from the indigenous American tribes of the time, but these men were also known for their ferocity on the battlefield. The man that battles Black Panther certainly embodies these characteristics from a characterization and visual standpoint.

In the battle between the two, Buffalo Soldier manhandles Black Panther, as he swats him away with charge after charge. All the while, the mysterious new combatant critiques T’challa’s combat skills and insists that he doesn’t know how to fight. Buffalo Soldier is deceptively armed with two Civil War era pistols and a rifle and a large Bowie knife. But there is nothing normal about any of these weapons, as they can all destroy vibranium. Ultimately, the normally well-protected T’challa is cut deep and taken out of the fight, barely able to stand.

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Why Buffalo Soldier Would Be a Great Avenger

Black Panther talking to Buffalo Soldier about the Civil War

While Black Panther is incapacitated, Buffalo Soldier tells the story of how he came of service to the Colonialist. Eventually T’challa sees that Buffalo Soldier is being used by the Colonialist for his own personal gain and shows him that he has a choice in the matter. Realizing that Black Panther is right, and finally seeing a new path, Buffalo Soldier turns his rage upon the real villains -- the creatures invading the town and makes amends with the Avengers.

Traditionally, the Avengers rotate members and pull from all corners of the Marvel Universe. New members are always an exciting proposition for Avengers fans but too often they are derivative of an already existing character. In contrast, Buffalo Soldier is a completely new hero with a relatable history and an exciting powerset. His garb is certainly reminscent of the Western genre archetype but actually defies the colorful spandex of traditional superhero garb. In his last story appearance, Buffalo Soldier stands next to his fallen buffalo, bloodied and beaten by the hoards. But this is certainly not the last time readers will see the character. In fact, Marvel needs to immediately capitalize on this new protagonist and give him a regular role alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes.