SAL ANTHONY

Real Name: Salvadore Verasce Anthony

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Commanding officer of the 74th Precinct

Group Membership: New York Police Department (74th Precinct), Organized Crime Control Bureau

Affiliations: Max Anthony, Liddy, Bernie Scruggs, 66 Bridges (Dre, Kibuka/Jonathan Payton Cole, Triage/Nigel Blacque), Stu, Skip Taylor

Enemies: Black Panther (Kevin "Kasper" Cole), Daz, Eddie X, Hatut Zeraze, the Jinx, Captain Franklin de LaGuardia, T'Challa, Sgt. Tork, White Wolf (Hunter)

Known Relatives: Maxwell Rudolph Anthony (son), unidentified wife, unidentified daughter, two unidentified children

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: 74th Precinct, Brooklyn, Manhattan, New York, USA

First Appearance: (mentioned) Black Panther III#50 (December, 2002);
    (full) Black Panther III#51 (January, 2003)

Powers/Abilities: Sal Anthony is a ruthless police investigator. He carries a police sidearm.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'0")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 180 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Grey-black

History:
(Black Panther III#56 (fb) - BTS) - At some stage in his career, Lt. Sal Anthony formed an alliance with the 66 Bridges gang, who at first made small requests for his assistance in exchange for money. In time, however, the demands they placed on Sal increased and they kidnapped his son Max in order to force his compliance. As a further means of controlling him, the 66 Bridges stole Sal's gun and shot his daughter, paralyzing her. With the high costs associated with caring for his daughter, Sal felt he had no choice but to continue working with the 66 Bridges, taking their dirty money for his daughter's sake. Sal never reported his daughter's injury because he knew Internal Affairs would identify his gun as the one that shot her.

(Black Panther III#50 - BTS / Black Panther III#51 (fb)) - Sal asked officer Kevin "Kasper" Cole to run an errand for him by picking up a clock for his wife, suggesting it might lead to a promotion. Kasper refused and soon after, Kasper and his fellow undercover narcotics officers were attacked by members of the 66 Bridges. Kasper was given a 5-day suspension while Internal Affairs assessed what had happened. Kasper sensed that Anthony either wanted him dead or to recruit him into something.

(Black Panther III#51) - Dressed as the Black Panther, Kasper stalked Sal while he was out walking his dog. Kasper's father had advised him to murder Sal but Kasper ultimately chose to let him live.

(Black Panther III#52) - Sal joined detectives Scruggs, Liddy and Taylor in an investigation at "the Fortress," one of the 66 Bridges' safe houses which had just been hit by the Black Panther (actually Kasper). Sal found it hard to believe that the King of Wakanda would attack a drug house and interrogated Dre, a 66 Bridges gang member who had witnessed the Black Panther's assault. Sal threatened to kill Dre and frame the Black Panther for the crime until he surrendered a recording device that the Black Panther had planted on him. Sal ordered Liddy to help keep the Organized Crime Control Bureau from getting involved in the matter. Examining the recording device the Black Panther had planted on Dre, Sal observed it was a flimsy, store-bought item - again, quite unlike what he'd expect from the King of Wakanda. Sal called up Triage of the 66 Bridges to let him know what had happened.

    When Kasper's suspension was lifted and he reported to Sal, Sal reassigned him from undercover work to a beat in another attempt to humiliate and manipulate him.

(Black Panther III#53) - Sal and Scruggs took Dre out to Brooklyn and murdered him. As Sal continued to puzzle why the Black Panther would be interested in the 66 Bridges, he recalled Sgt. Tork had been affiliated with him in the past. Sal went to Tork's apartment and woke him up then took him to a bar to pump him for information about Kasper. Tork told Sal Kasper only wanted to earn his detective's shield and that he wouldn't rat out Sal to get it. While they were talking in the bar, Scruggs searched Tork's apartment and reported to Sal that he'd discovered a cache of bullets that matched what the "Black Panther" that attacked the Fortress had wielded (not realizing Tork was assisting Kasper and was concealing his weapons for him).

(Black Panther III#54) - Sal met with Triage at Grace and Tumbalt to inform him that he'd killed Dre and shared his suspicion that Sgt. Tork was impersonating the Black Panther. Sal suggested Triage share this information with Kibuka, the chairman of the 66 Bridges. Returning home, Sal found the Black Panther (Kasper) had broken in and was rifling through his effects. Feigning disinterest, Sal implied that he knew who the Panther was; although his statements were meant to implicate Tork, they were broad enough that Kasper feared Sal knew who he was. When Kasper fled, Sal believed this was confirmation of Tork as the Black Panther impostor. Heading to Tork's apartment, Sal fired a bullet at Tork that creased his skull then turned Tork over to Stu and two other of his fellow corrupt cops to torture him for information; Tork ultimately confessed to being the Black Panther to protect Kasper.

(Black Panther III#55) - Kasper confronted Sal. Having found what seemed to be Tork's body along with evidence that framed Tork for Dre's death, Kasper offered to join Sal's corrupt cops in exchange for preserving Tork's good name. Kasper claimed he'd look the other way around the 66 Bridges but warned Sal to leave his father alone, thinking Sal was responsible for a recent attempt on his father's life (both were unaware Kasper's father was Kibuka of the 66 Bridges). As an initiation, Sal ordered Kasper to report to Dyker Beach Park at midnight and give a lift to a woman with a shopping cart then deliver her to Grand Army Plaza. Kasper understood the woman would be smuggling drugs.

(Black Panther III#56) - Thinking Kasper had picked up the woman, Sal had his men ambush Kasper's vehicle in an attempt to kill him and the woman. However, Kasper had reinforced his car to protect the woman and he expected Sal would double-cross him. As Kasper confronted Sal, the actual Black Panther, T'Challa, intervened to help defend Kasper. When Sal asked if T'Challa were someone from Internal Affairs, T'Challa answered "No, I am king of a small African nation." Kasper was also being assisted by the White Wolf, who supplied a team of Hatut Zeraze agents to force Sal's men to stand down. Kasper forced Sal to ride with him in his car and revealed what he'd learned from White Wolf's files on him and demanded Sal reveal the identity of Kibuka but Sal didn't know his name. Sal thought Kasper was bluffing him, noting he'd never become a lieutenant if he killed him. Realizing this, Kasper shot himself in the head and drove his car off a bridge into the river; Kasper survived shooting himself because his gun was loaded with gel bullets. Captain Franklin de LaGuardia of Internal Affairs subsequently brought down all of the police officers who were on the take from 66 Bridges and Sal was demoted to sergeant but Kasper promised to help rescue his son in exchange for his continued aid against the 66 Bridges.

(Black Panther III#59 - BTS) - Sal was transferred to the Organized Crime Control Bureau and given Sgt. Tork's post.

(Black Panther III#61) - Sal was sent on an assignment with Kasper's fellow undercover cops Daz, Eddie X and the Jinx. Kasper's friends used Sal to provide alibis for Kasper's absence to Kasper's mother.

(Black Panther III#62) - As Kasper narrowed in on the location of Sal's son Max, he asked Sal for the password used that day by the 66 Bridges' dealers. Sal informed him it was "calamari." Kasper hunted for Max alongside Everett K. Ross and Queen Divine Justice but by the time they found him in a 66 Bridges safe house in Chicago, Max had already been rescued by T'Challa, Okoye and Sgt. Tork (who had not been killed by the 66 Bridges as it had appeared). Kasper brought Max back to Sal; although Sal was glad to see his son alive, he continued to resent Kasper.

Comments: Created by Christopher Priest and Jorge Lucas.

    Sal Anthony was named after Sal Velluto, former artist on Priest's Black Panther stories.

    This profile was completed on 11/20/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Sal Anthony should not be confused with:

Max Anthony

Max Rudolph Anthony was Sal Anthony's son. Early on in Sal's history with the 66 Bridges, they kidnapped Max in order to ensure they could control Sal. The 66 Bridges told Max that his father was dead. Sal had no idea where the 66 Bridges were holding Max but Kasper Cole convinced Sal to cooperate in bringing down the 66 Bridges if he rescued Max alive. The Falcon and Kasper tracked Max to a safe house on Staten Island but by then, Max had already been moved. He was ultimately located by T'Challa, Okoye and Sgt. Tork at a 66 Bridges safe house in Chicago. Kasper brought Max back to Sal, fulfilling his bargain.






--Black Panther III#62 (#56 (fb) - BTS, #59 - BTS, #62,


images: (without ads)
Black Panther III#51, page 2, panel 3 (Sal, main)
Black Panther III#51, page 3, panel 2 (Sal, face)
Black Panther III#62, page 17, panel 1 (Max)

Appearances:
Black Panther III#50 (December, 2002) - Christopher Priest (writer), Dan Fraga (penciler), Lary Stucker (inker), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther III#51-54 (January-April, 2003) - Christopher Priest (writer), Jorge Lucas (artist), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther III#55-56 (May, 2003) - Christopher Priest (writer), Jim Calafiore (penciler), Mark McKenna (inker), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther III#59 (July, 2003) - Christopher Priest (writer), Patrick Zircher (penciler), Norm Rapmund (inker), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther III#61 (September, 2003) - Christopher Priest (writer), Jim Calafiore (penciler), Norm Rapmund (inker), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther III#62 (September, 2003) - Christopher Priest (writer), Patrick Zircher (penciler), Norm Rapmund (inker), Mike Marts (editor)

First posted: 09/06/2026
Last updated: 07/23/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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