Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

Joe Maneely Joseph Maneely (; February 18, 1926 – June 7, 1958) was an American comic book artist best known for his work at Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics, where he co-created the Marvel characters the Black Knight, the Ringo Kid, the Yell ...

Silver Age of Comics The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an in ...

The second ''The Second'' is the second studio album by Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf, released in October 1968 on ABC Dunhill Records. The album contains one of Steppenwolf's most famous songs, " Magic Carpet Ride". The background of the orig ...

Dick Ayers Richard Bache Ayers (; April 28, 1924 – May 4, 2014) was an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of Jack Kirby's inkers during the late-1950s and 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comics, including on s ...

Tales to Astonish ''Tales to Astonish'' is the name of two American comic book series and a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics. The primary title bearing that name was published from January 1959 to March 1968. It began as a science-fiction anthology tha ...

The third is a light novel series, that has also been made into manga and anime series by Ryo Hoshino and illustrated by Ariko Ito. The anime series goes under the name . According to the New York Comic Convention, ''The Third'' has been licensed by ...

John Verpoorten John Verpoorten (May 15, 1940 – December 15, 1977) was an American comic book artist and editorial worker best known as Marvel Comics' production manager during the latter part of the Silver Age of Comic Books and afterward, during a seminal peri ...

George Tuska George Tuska (; April 26, 1916 – October 16, 2009),George Tuska
at the

, is the villain's nephew, a superhero and a member of the superhero team the

Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...

, who first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #47 (Dec. 1967). A fourth Black Knight with no revealed genetic connection debuted in ''The Black Panther'' #3 (June 2005), created by writer

Reginald Hudlin Reginald Alan Hudlin (born December 15, 1961) is an American film screenwriter, director, producer, and comic-book writer. Along with his older brother Warrington Hudlin, he is known as one of the Hudlin Brothers. From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was P ...

and penciler

John Romita Jr. John Salvatore Romita (; born August 17, 1956), known professionally as John Romita Jr., is an American comics artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2010s. He is the son of artist John Romita Sr. Early ...

Dane Whitman appears in the live-action

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

film '' Eternals'' (2021), portrayed by

Kit Harington Christopher Catesby Harington (born 26 December 1986) is an English actor who is widely known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO epic fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019). After studying at the Royal Central School o ...

.

Publication history

Marvel Comics' first Black Knight, Sir Percy of

Scandia Scandza was described as a "great island" by Gothic-Byzantine historian Jordanes in his work ''Getica''. The island was located in the Arctic regions of the sea that surrounded the world. The location is usually identified with Scandinavia. Jor ...

, first appeared in the medieval-adventure series ''Black Knight'' #1–5 (

cover-date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unu ...

d May 1955–April 1956) from Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor to Marvel Comics.''Black Knight''
at the

Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...

. Sir Percy's descendant, Professor Nathan Garrett, debuted as the modern-day supervillain Black Knight in ''

Tales to Astonish ''Tales to Astonish'' is the name of two American comic book series and a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics. The primary title bearing that name was published from January 1959 to March 1968. It began as a science-fiction anthology tha ...

'' #52 (Feb. 1964). This villainous Black Knight appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6, #14–15 (July 1964, March–April 1965), and in the feature "Iron Man" in ''

Tales of Suspense ''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such arti ...

'' #73 (Jan. 1966), in which he was mortally wounded. Dane Whitman, Garrett's nephew, made his first appearance in '' The Avengers'' #47 (Dec. 1967) and became a heroic version of the Black Knight in the subsequent issue. Whitman sporadically appeared with the Avengers until becoming a core member, regularly appearing in #252–300 (1985–1989) and #329–375 (1991–1994). The Gatherers storyline running through ''The Avengers'' #343–375 (1992–1994) placed the spotlight on the Black Knight, as the book's focus turned toward his tumultuous relationship with the Eternal

Sersi Sersi () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a member of the Eternals, a race of superhumans. She was also a member of the Avengers and God Squad. Sersi first ...

and mysterious connection to the other-dimensional villain Proctor. Whitman later starred in Malibu Comics' ''

UltraForce The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in American comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel. The purpose of the group was to protect the public and keep other "Ultras" (superheroes) from becoming unruly. The group con ...

'' #8–10 (1995) and ''UltraForce vol. 2'' #1–12 (1995–1996), leading a new team of heroes on a parallel world. Returning to the Marvel Universe proper, Whitman appeared in ''

Heroes for Hire Heroes for Hire are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in '' Power Man and Iron Fist'' #54 (December 1978), and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias. The team continued to ap ...

'' #1–16 (1997–1998) and, later, ''

Captain Britain and MI13 ''Captain Britain and MI13'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics and written by Paul Cornell, with art by Leonard Kirk. The series centers on the fictional British government agency MI: 13, which is dedicated to protecting ...

'' #1–15 (2008–2009). The Black Knight has yet to return to the Avengers, the team with which the character is most closely associated. In 2015, as part of All-New All-Different, a solo series was launched featuring Dane Whitman; however, it was canceled after 5 issues due to low sales. Whitman and Sir Percy also starred in the limited series ''Black Knight'' #1–4 (June–Sept. 1990), written by Roy and Dann Thomas and drawn by successive pencillers

Tony DeZuniga Antony de Zuñiga (November 8, 1932 – May 11, 2012) who worked primarily under the name Tony DeZuniga, was a Filipino comics artist and illustrator best known for his works for DC Comics. He co-created the fictional characters Jonah Hex and ...

and

Rich Buckler Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling ** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated comm ...

. In 1995, Percy had a cameo in ''Namor'' #60 as part of the Atlantis Rising story. Whitman and Sersi then headlined the one-shot ''Black Knight: Exodus'' (Dec. 1996), written by

Ben Raab Benjamin Raab (born October 13, 1970, in New York City, New York) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer and editor. Early life Raab is a native of Cedarhurst, New York, and attended Lawrence High School. He grad ...

and illustrated by Jimmy Cheung and

Andy Lanning Andy Lanning is an English comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett. Career Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker. He has also pencill ...

. Another Black Knight one-shot starring Sir Percy, written by Thomas and illustrated by

Tom Grummett Thomas Grummett (born 1959) is a Canadian Cartoonist#Comic books, comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as ''Teen Titans, The New Titans'', ''Superman (comic book)#1986 revamp, The Adventures o ...

and

Scott Hanna Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saskat ...

, was published as ''Mystic Arcana: Black Knight'' #1 (Sept. 2007), the second of four ''Mystic Arcana'' one-shot issues.

Fictional character biographies

Sir Percy of Scandia

The original Black Knight is Sir Percy of Scandia, a 6th-century knight who serves at the court of King Arthur as his greatest warrior. Recruited by the wizard Merlin, Percy adopts a double identity, and pretends to be very incompetent until changing into the persona of the Black Knight. As the Black Knight, Percy wields the Ebony Blade, which Merlin forged from a meteorite. A constant foe of the evil knight Mordred the Evil (Arthur's traitorous nephew), Percy is eventually killed by him during the fall of Camelot when stabbed from behind with an enchanted blade – although Mordred then dies himself of wounds inflicted by Arthur.'' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #17 (Nov. 1968) Merlin ensures that Percy's spirit will live on by casting a spell that will revive his ghost if Mordred should ever return. Percy's spirit has appeared several times to counsel his descendant,

Dane Whitman Dane Whitman or Black Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The third character to bear the Black Knight name, he was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and first appeared ...

.

Nathan Garrett

Biologist Professor Nathan Garrett is the direct descendant of Sir Percy (although it has been implied Percy's nephew Raston inherited the blade), and found Sir Percy's tomb and the Ebony Blade. Garrett's evil tendencies make him unworthy of wielding the sword, and Sir Percy’s ghost shuns him. An embittered Garrett then devises an arsenal of medieval weapons that employ modern technology and has genetic engineers create a winged horse. Calling himself the Black Knight, Garrett embarks on a life of crime to spite his ancestor. After a battle with the hero

Giant-Man Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Editorial Story Hank Pym, the first Giant-Man, with the Wasp, appeared in many superheroes stories published in the serial ''Tales t ...

Garrett joins the supervillain team the

Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...

at the request of master villain

Baron Zemo Baron Zemo () is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Heinrich Zemo and his son Helmut Zemo have both been depicted as a major adversary of Captain America and the Avengers, as well as t ...

and like the others spreads Adhesive X over the city, but is first defeated by Thor. After two unsuccessful battles with the Avengers, the second time of which he was broken out of jail by the Enchantress, he battled Iron Man due to Doctor Doom's mind-control machine (which made supervillains attack

Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...

's and the

Invisible Woman The Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during ...

's wedding, which the affected villains subsequently forget due to a machine created by Mister Fantastic). Garrett is mortally wounded falling from his winged horse while trying to kill Iron Man. A dying Garrett reveals his secret identity to his nephew, Dane Whitman, and repents for his life of crime. Whitman then adopts the identity of the Black Knight himself.

Dane Whitman

Dane Whitman Dane Whitman or Black Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The third character to bear the Black Knight name, he was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and first appeared ...

is the Black Knight who has been a longtime member of the

Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...

as well as a member of the

Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: *Defense (military) *Defense (sports) **Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The Defender'' (1994 f ...

,

Ultraforce The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in American comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel. The purpose of the group was to protect the public and keep other "Ultras" (superheroes) from becoming unruly. The group con ...

,

Heroes for Hire Heroes for Hire are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in '' Power Man and Iron Fist'' #54 (December 1978), and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias. The team continued to ap ...

, and MI: 13.

Augustine du Lac

A Vatican Black Knight named Augustine du Lac received the Ebony Blade after Vatican agents retrieved it from an Iraqi vampire nest. He is a member of a team of supervillains that invades the African nation of

Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther (comics), Black Pa ...

. A devout Catholic, du Lac hopes to convert the populace to Catholicism. Black Panther takes the Ebony Blade and defeats him. He had his own version of

Aragorn Aragorn is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Aragorn was a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of Ar ...

to use as a steed. This Aragorn was later captured by Alyosha Kravinoff and killed for food.

Female Black Knight

A teenage female Black Knight later appears in the ''Vengeance'' limited series as a member of the Young Masters. Like Garrett, this incarnation is a villain, and appears to possess the Ebony Blade. How she came into possession of the sword and what happened to Augustine has yet to be revealed. She was with the Young Masters when they were at an abandoned HYDRA base in Pennsylvania. While inspecting Bullseye's corpse, they were attacked by

Lady Bullseye Lady Bullseye (Maki Matsumoto) is a supervillainess appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A female counterpart of Bullseye, she was created by Ed Brubaker, Marko Djurdjevic, and Clay Mann, first appearing in ''Daredevil (M ...

. Later targeting

Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...

for "execution", the Young Masters found themselves battling the

Sinister Six Sinister commonly refers to: * Evil * Ominous Sinister may also refer to: Left side * Sinister, Latin for the direction "left" * Sinister, in heraldry, is the bearer's true left side (viewers' right side) of an escutcheon or coat of arms; see dex ...

while being assisted by the Teen Brigade, with Black Knight being assisted in taking down

Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...

by Teen Brigade member Ultimate Nullifier. While visiting a nightclub, Black Knight encountered Ultimate Nullifier at the time when the Young Masters plotted to recruit a reborn Loki to their side. In the morning, Black Knight showed Ultimate Nullifier a letter that spurred the Young Masters on their quest to kill older villains along with a CIA file discussing genocide on Russian prisoners carried out by

Red Skull The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...

in World War II Poland. Informing Ultimate Nullifier that she was going to leave the Young Masters and had plans that did not involve evil, she left the Young Masters' base leaving behind the CIA file for Nullifier. Black Knight was later seen with the Young Masters where they are seen as members of the

Shadow Council The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several fictional teams and organizations and this page lists them. 0–9 198 A A-Force A-Next A.I. Army Because of his revelation that he is now a simulated A ...

's

Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...

, which is led by Baron Helmut Zemo following Max Fury's death.

The Black Knight lineage

Nathan Garrett and Dane Whitman are part of a lineage of Black Knights stretching back to the 6th century. In ''

New Excalibur Excalibur is a fictional superhero group appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are depicted as an offshoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-write ...

'' #10, the first part of the "Last Day of Camelot" storyline, it is revealed that Dane has turned Garrett Castle into a Black Knight museum with various exhibits on the Black Knights, including the body of Sir Percy. There is a long line of paintings of the Knights including, according to the curator, "Sir Ralston 'sic''.html"_;"title="sic.html"_;"title="'sic">'sic''">sic.html"_;"title="'sic">'sic''and_Sir_Eobar_or_lesser_known_knights_like_Sir_William_and_Sir_Henry."_These_Black_Knights_are: *_Sir_Raston_("Ralston"_appears_only_in_''New_Excalibur''_#10)_–_Sir_Percy's_nephew,_who_became_the_Black_Knight_after_him._He_lived_in_the_Dark_Ages,_but_was_recruited_into_the_Anachronauts_(comics).html" ;"title="sic">'sic''.html" ;"title="sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''">sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''and Sir Eobar or lesser known knights like Sir William and Sir Henry." These Black Knights are: * Sir Raston ("Ralston" appears only in ''New Excalibur'' #10) – Sir Percy's nephew, who became the Black Knight after him. He lived in the Dark Ages, but was recruited into the Anachronauts (comics)">Anachronauts by Kang the Conqueror and travelled through time. * Sir Eobar of Garrington – He was the Black Knight during the Crusades. * Sir William – He is depicted fighting in the trenches of World War I. * Sir Henry – He is depicted as a

swashbuckling A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, ...

figure. Later in "The Last Days of Camelot", Sir Percy reveals to Dane that he was not the first Black Knight and that eight knights had carried the Ebony Blade before him, the last being King Arthur's cousin Sir Reginald. Each one had been driven mad by the sword and had to be killed until it was decided there were only three people who could take the sword, but King Arthur and Merlin were needed in other capacities, so the "burden" fell to Sir Percy who accepted despite knowing the risks. The apparent "Last Knight" is Ernst Wythim, a member of the lineage from around 2600 AD.

Other versions

Earth X

In the Earth X series,

Ahura Ahura (Avestan: 𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀) is an Avestan language designation for a particular class of Zoroastrian divinities. The term is assumed to be linguistically related to the Asuras of Indian Vedic era. Etymology Avestan ''ahura'' "lord" der ...

– the son of Black Bolt and Medusa – becomes the Black Knight. Dane Whitman was turned to stone by the

Grey Gargoyle Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The Grey Gargoyle first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #107 (Aug. 1964) and was created by Stan Lee and J ...

.

Marvel Zombies

Dane becomes one of the dozens of super-powered zombies that are laying siege to the castle of Doctor Doom. The zombies have detected delicious humans hiding inside, all of whom ultimately escape.

Ultimate Marvel

In the

Ultimate Marvel universe Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters ...

, the Black Knight (real name Alex) is a member of the would-be superhero team the

Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: *Defense (military) *Defense (sports) **Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The Defender'' (1994 f ...

. He is long-haired, bearded, and out-of-shape, with a piece of

armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

, and resembles a

LARP A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically portray their characters.(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of two unique feature ...

er. He later shows up in '' Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates'', alongside the super-powered Defenders from a mysterious source. The Dane Whitman version of Black Knight appears in the pages of '' Ultimate Comics: Ultimates'' as a member of an Ultimates team that preceded the current one by almost a decade. This Black Knight was highly unstable and was kept from officially joining the team until he stabilized. This never came to pass as the team bungled a mission and the project was shut down immediately after.

Ebony Blade

History

The Ebony Blade was created by comic book writer Stan Lee in ''Black Knight Comics'' #1, published under Atlas Comics in 1955. Its history was later revealed in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #17 (Nov 1968), written by Roy Thomas. The blade was shown to have been carved from a meteor and enchanted by the wizard Merlin for Sir Percy of Scandia, the first Black Knight. Due to all the blood that Sir Percy shed with the blade, it acquired a curse. The sword passed down through the generations until it came to Sir Percy's descendant

Dane Whitman Dane Whitman or Black Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The third character to bear the Black Knight name, he was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and first appeared ...

. Dane used the blade for many years. It passed briefly to

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

when Dane's body was turned to stone and his soul sent back in time to the 13th century, but it was soon returned to him. Due to the curse, Dane eventually gave up the Ebony Blade by driving it deep into the same meteor that it was forged from, now residing in his castle. Only another deemed worthy would be able to withdraw it. Sean Dolan, Dane's ex-

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a ...

, was able to draw the blade during an attack on Whitman's castle. This transformed Dolan into

Bloodwraith Nakia Bahadir Nakia Bahadir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a Turkish girl and friend of Kamala Khan. Nakia Bahadir in other media Nakia Bahadir appears in ''Ms. Marvel'', portrayed ...

. Dolan fought with the curse and was able to give up the sword for a brief time. During this time, it was trapped in the

Negative Zone The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...

barrier outside of

Attilan The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places f ...

. In the meantime, a second Ebony Blade had been brought into this dimension by Proctor, an alternate reality version of Dane. When Proctor was killed, his blade was taken into Avengers custody. Dolan was drawn to this second Blade, and once again became Bloodwraith.

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...

retrieved the original Blade, and The

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

threatened to destroy it if Bloodwraith did not surrender. Bloodwraith tossed the alternate Blade aside and reclaimed his own. Crystal picked up the second Blade and said it would be important to the future of the

Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...

. Bloodwraith was last known to have the Blade in his possession in Slorenia, where he was trapped by the

Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964 ...

. At some point Dracula replaced Dane Whitman's blade with a fake one ( see below), and the real Blade came to be in

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and was secured by the Vatican after it was found by Opus Dei in a purging of a vampire nest. The Vatican sent a new Black Knight assassin (Augustine du Lac) to kill Black Panther, who took it from the Knight for his own uses. Black Panther used the blade in several battles, including the Skrull invasion. Upon learning the blade was fake for a second time, Dane Whitman retrieved the real blade from Black Panther's

Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther (comics), Black Pa ...

n nation where he was presented it by Queen Ororo T'Challa.''Captain Britain and MI13'' #10 During ''

War of the Realms "The War of the Realms" is a 2019 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. The storyline has been met with positive reviews, with critics praising the storyline and the art. Premise The story details the heroes banding together when Male ...

'' event, when

Malekith Malekith the Accursed () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, and has come into conflict with Thor. He once wielded the Casket of Ancient Wint ...

attacked Black Knight,

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

, and

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...

, he acquired the Ebony Blade and was ready to kill them until the War Avengers arrived. It comes to light in ''

King in Black ''King in Black'' is a comic book event written by Donny Cates with art by Ryan Stegman, and was published from 2020 to 2021 by Marvel Comics. It is a continuation to 2019's '' Absolute Carnage'', also containing fallout from 2020's ''Empyre''. I ...

'' that the wizard Merlin had lied about how a wielder uses the cursed sword. Knull, primordial dark god of all symbiotes, revealed it only gives its true power to those who prove to be the most "baneful" and hate-filled of individuals, not those who are pure in body and mind; it takes one who is able to come to grips with their own faults and push on despite them to utilize what the evil deity described as ''World Ender''. The sword also gives its users a state of resurrective immortality wherein if the wielder were to fall in battle, a blood offering of sorts can be used to restore them to life.

Powers and abilities

The Ebony Blade is a powerful enchanted weapon. It is said to be indestructible, and only the extremely powerful Iron Ogre, a magic creature, could split it in half. The blade has many mystical or quasi-mystical capabilities, including the ability to: * shear through any physical substance with the exception of other enchanted weapons and extremely strong metals like

adamantium Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and in various games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. In ...

. * cleaves mystical barriers * deflect energy when angled correctly * absorb all forms of energy, including the Promethean Flame * grants retroactive immortality * manifests shadowed armor in a similar manner to a Klyntar * discharges force of its own * can absorb souls to make itself stronger * bypass intangibility * wispy armor enables wielders to fly * protection from mysticism * bestows an incredible healing factor

Dane Whitman Dane Whitman or Black Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The third character to bear the Black Knight name, he was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and first appeared ...

discovered most of these abilities through scientific testing of the Blade. Additionally, the Blade bonds to its wielder in such a way that the wielder can summon it back to himself or herself using a mystical ceremony if it is ever lost, even if it is in a different time period. The Blade cannot be used against its owner, as seen when Caden Tar tries to use it to kill Dane Whitman, but cannot pierce his skin. The Blade formerly rendered its wielder invulnerable to everything except another weapon carved from the same meteor, such as the Ebony Dagger. Other notable wielders of the Blade include Whitman's ancestors Sir Percy of Scandia, Eobar Garrington,

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

, and Ares.

Curses and influences

The Ebony Blade was afflicted with a blood curse due to all the blood the original Black Knight had spilled.

Dane Whitman Dane Whitman or Black Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The third character to bear the Black Knight name, he was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and first appeared ...

eventually purged the Blade of its curse at Doctor Strange's behest by plunging it into the Brazier of Truth while Strange bathed them both in magic fire. The curse returned, however, when the Sub-Mariner used it to kill his wife Marrina. The curse seems to affect different people in different ways. It turned Dane into a statue, it amplified Proctor's ''gann'josin''-based powers, and it granted Sean Dolan great physical powers as

Bloodwraith Nakia Bahadir Nakia Bahadir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a Turkish girl and friend of Kamala Khan. Nakia Bahadir in other media Nakia Bahadir appears in ''Ms. Marvel'', portrayed ...

. The Blade was sometimes known to subtly compel Dane to do things or go places that were tied to its previous wielders, as well. It was revealed by the symbiote god Knull that its power relies on the curse. As it thrives on the negative proclivities of flawed and imperfect wielders to maximize on its inherent power. Something that only the unworthy can utilize as its edge dulls when wielded by a chivalrous soul.

Fake Ebony Blade

On occasion, the Ebony Blade appears in two separate comic series simultaneously, most notably in 2006 when it was in use by Dane Whitman (Black Knight) in the ''

New Excalibur Excalibur is a fictional superhero group appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are depicted as an offshoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-write ...

'' series whilst it was in use in a '' Black Panther'' ongoing by another Black Knight and subsequently Black Panther. In a 2006 interview, when addressing a question about the confusion of the Ebony Blades appearing in two comics, Marvel Comics' editor

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and New wave music, new wave,Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Ch ...

and

Pete Wisdom Pete Wisdom is a fictional secret agent published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Excalibur'' vol. 1 #86 (February 1995), and was created by Warren Ellis and Ken Lashley. Wisdom is a British Secret Service agent with the mutant abilit ...

knew the location of the real blade, Whitman had somehow forgotten it was fake during his next comic appearance in '' Captain Britain and MI-13'' #1. Writer

Paul Cornell Paul Douglas Cornell (born 18 July 1967) is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as ''Doctor Who'' fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield. As well as ''Docto ...

revealed a full explanation within the Captain Britain series, having Dracula replace Dane Whitman's blade with a fake version at some point between ''The Avengers'' vol. 3 #37 and ''

New Excalibur Excalibur is a fictional superhero group appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are depicted as an offshoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-write ...

'' #10. This fake blade has a

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...

fang within it, which has shown some signs of sentience as people have talked to the blade directly. This mystical sentience has acted in the same fashion as the original's curse; convincingly enough to fool Whitman. Even after Whitman first realized it was fake in ''New Excalibur'', it affected his memories so that he forgot, meaning he thought he held the real one by the time of ''Captain Britain and MI-13''. Upon learning that the blade was fake for the second time in #7 of that series, Whitman retrieved the real blade from Black Panther's

Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther (comics), Black Pa ...

n nation where he was presented it by Queen Ororo T'Challa.

In other media

Television

* The Nathan Garrett incarnation of the Black Knight appears in ''

The Marvel Super Heroes ''The Marvel Super Heroes'' is an American animated television series starring five comic book superheroes from Marvel Comics. The first TV series based on Marvel characters, it debuted in broadcast syndication, syndication on United States, U.S. ...

''. This version is a member of Baron

Heinrich Zemo Heinrich Zemo is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first made a cameo appearance in '' The Avengers'' #4 (March 1964), before officially being ...

's

Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...

, though he has also appeared on his own. * The Sir Percy incarnation of the Black Knight appears in the ''

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends may refer to the following shows: * ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' (1981 TV series), a 1981 cartoon series * ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (2021 TV series), a 2021 Disney Junior cartoon {{Disam ...

'' episode "Knights & Demons", voiced by

Vic Perrin Victor Herbert Perrin (April 26, 1916 – July 4, 1989)Cox, Jim (2007). ''Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether fr ...

. Dane Whitman was also meant to appear, but was rejected to avoid confusion. * The Augustine du Lac incarnation of the Black Knight appears in '' Black Panther'', voiced by JB Blanc. * The Nathan Garrett incarnation of the Black Knight appears in '' Iron Man: Armored Adventures'', voiced by

Alistair Abell Alistair Abell is a Canadian actor, producer and director who works in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has voiced several roles in anime, most notably Colin MacLeod in '' Highlander: The Search for Vengeance'' and Lord Djibril in '' Gunda ...

. This version is a member of the Maggia and personal enforcer to

Count Nefaria Count Luchino Nefaria is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The character first appears in '' The Avengers'' #13 (February 1965), and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. Fictiona ...

. * The Dane Whitman incarnation of the Black Knight makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' episode "Come the Conqueror".

Film

Dane Whitman appeared in '' Eternals'' (2021), portrayed by

Kit Harington Christopher Catesby Harington (born 26 December 1986) is an English actor who is widely known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO epic fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019). After studying at the Royal Central School o ...

.

Video games

* The Dane Whitman incarnation of the Black Knight appears as a playable character in '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. * The Nathan Garrett, Dane Whitman, and Augustine du Lac incarnations of the Black Knight appear in ''

Lego Marvel's Avengers ''Lego Marvel's Avengers'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Wind ...

'', with Garrett and Whitman appearing in the Masters of Evil DLC pack while Du Lac appears in the Black Panther DLC pack. * A teenage version of Dane Whitman / Black Knight appears as a playable character in ''

Marvel Avengers Academy ''Marvel Avengers Academy'' was a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It was released on February 4, 2016. The game was shut down three years later. Despite the name, the game was not rel ...

'', voiced by Ian Russell. * The Dane Whitman, Sir Percy, and Nathan Garrett incarnations of the Black Knight appear as unlockable characters in ''

Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 14 November ...

''. Sir Percy resides in the Medieval England section of Chronopolis until Garrett and the Enchantress take over. However, Captain America, Captain Avalon, Doctor Strange, and

Star-Lord Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a fictional character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, first appeared in '' Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 197 ...

defeat the villains and free Sir Percy.

References

External links

Black Knight
at the Marvel Universe
Black Knight
at the Marvel Database Project
Atlas Tales

The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Knight (Comics) Arthurian characters Arthurian comics Fantasy comics Fictional knights Characters created by Stan Lee Fictional swordfighters in comics 1955 comics debuts Comics set in the Middle Ages Comics characters introduced in 1955 Atlas Comics characters Atlas Comics titles