To be somewhat fair, Black Panther doesn't just dress like a black panther, he gets his powers (peak human physicality and superhuman senses of sight, hearing, smell, and kinesthetics) from the Heart-Shaped Herb gifted to Wakanda by the panther goddess Bast, much like how Spider-Man gets his powers ever since the JMS run from an avatar of a spider-god, who may or may not be Anansi.