It was an aircraft owned and used by Abner Little to get around the world with his allies.
--Black Panther I#1 (Black Panther I#1, Black Panther III#43-45
ABNER LITTLE
Real Name: Abner Little
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Collector
Group Membership: Member of the Council of Antiquarians (Silar Mourner, Colonel Nigel Pigman, Alfred Queely, Princess Zanda, Count Andreas Zorba)
Affiliations: Black Panther (T'Challa), Black Panther (T'Challa, alternate), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Monica Lynne, Dr. J. Vernon Mann, Nightshade (Tilda Johnson), Everett K. Ross;
formerly Samantha McGee
Enemies: Carnivore (Andreas Zorba), Henry Peter Gyrich, Hatch-22 of Earth-77211, Inferno (Samantha McGee), Iron Man (XCON alternate, Tony Stark), Kiber the Cruel & his guards, Ogar, Samurai City (Akiro, Senji, Shinzu, unidentified samurais), unidentified Aztec warrior, Warrior Guardians, a Yeti, anyone who gets in his way
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Mister Little
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: Black Panther I#1 (January, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: Abner is quite ruthless and ambitious. He has used a tranquilizer gun on Hatch-22 and wears an armored vest. He also uses other kinds of firearms.
He was well informed on unique items and hidden locations and was one of the users of King Solomon's Brass Frogs.
He travels by means of a helicopter-like craft.
Height: Unrevealed (3'3"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealad (65 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Blue (or brown; depending on the artist)
Hair: Gray; formerly black
History:
(Black Panther I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Alfred Queely discovered
the Brass Frog and tried to escape with it, but was killed by the
samurai protecting it.
(Black Panther I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Abner Little sent Black Panther a letter where he mentioned Black Panther's grandfather Azzuri the Wise and the Brass Frog.
(Black Panther I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Little met with Black Panther, so they could find the Brass Frog.
(Black Panther I#1) - Black Panther and Abner Little found Alfred Queely holding the Brass Frog, and soon discovered that he had been murdered. Little took the frog and called Queely a poor hapless fool, then announced "So ends the miserable career of Alfred Queely -- recluse, collector and thief!" Suddenly, Little and Black Panther were attacked from behind by the same samurai who killed Alfred Queely. Abner watched on, while Black Panther defeated the samurai, who still managed to escape. Abner told Black Panther that his grandfather Azzuri used to own the Brass Frog, and that he knew that it was a time machine. The two called the police to tell them of Alfred Queely's murder, then left in a jet-copter. Abner told Black Panther that he intended to bring the Brass Frog back to it's original resting place, King Solomon's burial chamber. Suddenly, the jet-copter was attacked by unknown men who tried to bring it to the ground, but Abner and Black Panther managed to escape and land it in Abner's secret hideout. There they were attacked by Zanda and her men, and Abner was shot by one of them.
(Black Panther I#2) - Black Panther checked on the body of Abner Little, only to discover the little man was still alive because of the armored vest he was wearing. When Hatch-22 woke again, he was shot by Abner with a dart gun, injecting him with a chemical that diffused the creature, winning the three of them some time to find a way to send him back...
(Black Panther I#3) - Searched for King Solomon's tomb, along with Black Panther and Princess Zanda, in order to find the machine to take Hatch-22 back to where he came from. Before entering the tomb, Black Panther had to fight a guard. In the meantime, Hatch-22 woke up and began to hunt Abner Little. He tried to blast Abner, but he managed to evade the beam, which instead hit the guard, who was destroyed. Zanda tried to knock Hatch-22 out with a stone, but Hatch-22 hit the rock with a beam, which dissolved the stone and struck a wall instead, revealing the tomb. In the tomb, the three found the machine and managed to send Hatch-22 back to his own time.
(Black Panther I#4/Black Panther III#48 (fb)) - In King Solomon's tomb, Abner used an item he had found there to shoot the guard, who disintegrated. The three "partners" began to argue whether or not to take something with them from the tomb. Black Panther took the Brass Frogs from Zanda and threw them away, smashing them on the ground, which caused the tomb to begin to fall apart. The three of them escaped just in time.
(Black Panther I#4) - After the incident at King Solomon's tomb, the three went to Princess Zanda's home country of Narobia. When they arrived, Abner and T'Challa were thrown into a room, where they were attacked by a samurai. After defeating the samurai, Abner and T'Challa were freed and taken to a large chamber in the royal palace, where T'Challa was introduced to the other Collectors. Princess Zanda then told Abner they had found a map to the legendary Samurai City...
(Black Panther I#5) - Despite the Black Panther's refusal to participate in the hunt for the legendary Samurai City, the rest of the Collectors made it clear they wouldn't let him leave. Princess Zanda showed him that she had missiles pointing towards Wakanda, and that she wouldn't hesitate to use them if he refused to bring back the water-skin. T'Challa reluctantly agreed to go to the Samurai City with Abner Little, and they left in an aircraft. The two were brought down and attacked by a Yeti-like creature, and, after defeating it, stood eye-to-eye with a samurai, who told them that they should prepare to die...
(Black Panther I#6) - After Black Panther had defeated the samurai, Abner rushed to get the samurai's sword. Black Panther told him to calm down, and asked him if he intended to bring the samurai and his sword to the Collectors as well. Abner warned him to be careful, as the Collectors were people of great power. Suddenly, they were attacked again by the defeated samurai, who told them that he was now in total disgrace, and that they must kill him. They refused, and asked him to take them to the Samurai City. The samurai took them there, and knocked on a huge gong, which was painful to Abner's ears. The other samurais were about to attack the strangers after they saw that T'Challa had the samurai's sword, but they calmed down after the defeated samurai told them that the strangers were to be brought to Shinzu. Abner and T'Challa followed the samurai and were introduced to Shinzu, who told them that the samurai's honor must be won back. Abner told T'Challa not to worry, it was nothing he couldn't handle, but when the challenger came back to win his honor, Abner had second thoughts. While the fight went on, Abner slipped away unnoticed. Discovering the sacred water-skin, he tried to steal some, but was discovered and chased by the other samurais.
(Black Panther I#7) - To save Abner and himself, Panther revealed his identity as the ruler of Wakanda, telling the samurais that according to their own code of honor, he could "buy" Abner free. After a little while, the samurais agreed, but demanded they leave the water-skin behind, and leave the city immediately. Abner wasn't fond of the idea, but was forced to agree, and left with T'Challa. The two of them returned to the other Collectors and told them they didn't get the water-skin. Suddenly, Abner revealed that he did get his hands on a small portion of the water-skin, and the Collectors began to fight each other to get at it. Abner threw the vial containing the water-skin to Black Panther, but one of Zanda's soldiers accidentaly shot the vial, which broke open...the water-skin was lost.
(Iron Man III#18) - At a private party at the Stark mansion in Seattle, Abner introduced himself to Tony Stark, telling him that he would like to hire Stark Solutions to locate a certain lost treasure. Tony told Abner that he couldn't accept the offer, because he was just hired by Baintronics.
(Iron Man III#21/2) - Abner was "reunited" with Tony Stark in the Canadian Nunavut territory. Tony was surprised to see Abner there, since he was hired by a museum, but Abner revealed he had recently bought the museum, thereby tricking Tony Stark into working for him anyway. Suddenly, the group of people were attacked by a mysterious spaceship lookalike. Abner tried to shoot it down with his gun, but was unsuccessful. When Iron Man succeeded in taking down the craft, the passengers were revealed to be fellow Collectors Princess Zanda and Count Zorba, who were also searching for the lost temple.
(Iron Man III#22) - After escaping from Inferno's fury, Tony questioned Zanda, Abner and Zorba about their interest in the temple. Abner told Tony that neither Zanda nor Zorba could be trusted, which Tony answered with "No more than I trust you...and that goes for all of you." Zorba and Zanda decided to tell Stark about the temple and the rest of the Collectors, and the four, along with Dr. Mann, decided to go to another temple that their partner Colonel Nigel Pigman had recently uncovered. Arriving, Pigman was surprised to see his "partners" and Tony Stark, and asked if Stark had joined their ranks. Suddenly, Zorba had dissapeared, and a bright light appeared, then a creature appeared before them. The creature called himself Carnivore, and was revealed to be Zorba, with new powers. Carnivore attacked his former partners, but Zanda shot Carnivore with her gun, which stopped him for a minute. The Collectors learned more about the temples, and how they were built for eight great entities, and that the first human who touched the totem created by the entities would be turned into an Exemplar...a living embodiment of that power.
(Black Panther III#41 (fb) - BTS) - Reunited with his old friend, the Black Panther, Little was asked to locate Zanda.
(Black Panther III#41) - Called the Black Panther to tell him that he had located Zanda in Philadelphia. Met with Ross, and told him that he was late, and to call him Mr. Little. Took Ross onboard an airplane, the two of them joined the Black Panther.
(Black Panther III#42) - Went to pick up his partner, Princess Zanda, in Philadelphia, along with Ross and the Black Panther.
(Black Panther III#43) - Onboard a craft with Black Panther, Nightshade, Princess Zanda and Ross, went to Kiber Island.
(Black Panther III#44) - Along with the Black Panther, Nightshade and Ross, returned the Brass Frog to T'Challa.
(Black Panther III#45) - With Black Panther, Ross, Nightshade and Monica Lynne, used their craft to go to Washington. Abner used the Brass Frogs to transport those they had sent through time, including Iron Man, the POTUS and the Canadian Prime Minister, back to where they came from. Henry Peter Gyrich arrived and ordered his men to take Little away before seizing the Brass Frogs.
Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.
Images provided by Bob Almond, who also shared:
The 'craft' that they flew in for these issues (Black Panther III#43-45) was the helicopter from Black Panther I# that Mr. Little supplied.
The Council of Antiquarians, including Little, appeared again in Defenders IV#7 (June, 2012), but only in the alternate timeline of Earth-11127.
New and additional images by Markus Raymond. Thanks to Stuart for the new main, armored vest image and physical stats.
Profile by The Beetle, with some links added by Daevanator
CLARIFICATIONS:
Abner Little is not to be confused with:
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It was an aircraft owned and used by Abner Little to get around the world with his allies. --Black Panther I#1 (Black Panther I#1, Black Panther III#43-45 |
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images: (without ads)
Black Panther I#1, p5, pan1 (main)
Black Panther I#3, p1 (head shot)
Black Panther I#2, p9, pan1 (armored vest)
Black Panther I#4, p16, pan3 (without hat)
Black Panther I#3, p11, pan2 (running)
Black Panther I#5, p4, pan4 (in samurai armor)
Black Panther I#5, p8, pan5 (green and purple outfit)
Iron Man III#18, p8, pan6 (new monocle)
Black Panther III#45, p21, pan4 (taken away)
Black Panther I#1, p7, pan2 (aircraft)
Black Panther III#43, p5, pan1 (aircraft)
Appearances:
Black Panther I#1-7 (January, 1977 - January, 1978) - Jack Kirby (writer/pencils), Mike Royer (inks), Jack Kirby & Archie Goodwin (editors)
Iron Man III#18 (July, 1999) - Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern (writers), Sean Chen (pencils), Lary Stucker & Eric Cannon (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Iron Man III#21 (October, 1999) - Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern (writers), Tom Grummett (pencils), Art Thibert (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Iron Man III#22 (November, 1999) - Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern (writers), Sean Chen (pencils), Rob Hunter, Mark Morales, Mark Nelson & Eric Cannon (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Black Panther III#41-45 (April-August, 20002) - Christopher Priest (writer), Sal Velluto (pencils), Bob Almond (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther III#48 (October, 2002) - Christopher Priest (writer), Sal Velluto (pencils), Bob Almond (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
First Posted: 02/07/2003
Last updated: 02/17/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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