Black Knight

Real Name: Sir Percy of Scandia

Identity/Class: Golden Age Human with magical weapons

Silver Age Ghost

Occupation: Knight of the Round Table

Affiliations: Golden Age Merlin, King Arthur

Silver Age Black Knight (Dane Whitman)

Enemies: Golden Age Mordred, Morgan le Fay

Silver Age Tyrannus

Known Relatives: Golden Age Unnamed parents (deceased).

Silver Age Lady Rosamund (wife, deceased), Edward (son, deceased), Geoffrey (son, deceased), Sir Raston (nephew, immediate successor to Sir Percy), Eobar Garrington (descendent, Black Knight of the Crusades, deceased), Nathaniel Garrett (descendent, villainous Black Knight of the late 20th century, deceased), Dane Whitman (descendent, heroic Black Knight of the late 20th and early 21st centuries), Ernst Wythim (descendent, a.k.a. Last Knight)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Camelot, c.6th century A.D.

First Appearance: Black Knight I #1 (Atlas, May 1955)

Powers/Abilities: Excellent swordsman, skilled rider. The Ebony Blade could cut through virtually any substance, was indestructible, and was linked to its wearer, so that even time and space could not keep them apart. The Knight's armour was enchanted to be invulnerable to any weapon, except one made from the same metal as the Ebony Blade.

History: (Black Knight I #1-5, ga) Sir Percy was the son of one of the Knights of the Round Table. His father had been an ally of King Arthur, but when Percy was an infant, they had left their home in Camelot to live on the family lands in Scandia. Before they departed, Merlin advised Percy's parents that the boy should be thoroughly tutored in all the skills required of a Knight, and this advice was heeded. Some time later Sir Percy's parents passed away, and Percy was summoned back to Camelot by Merlin. The magician saw forces moving within Camelot which sought to end the rule of Arthur, and needed an agent who could covertly oppose them. While Percy was to publicly act a buffoon, Merlin devised an armoured disguise, so that he could fight unrecognised as the Black Knight. To aid him in his battle against such foes as Arthur's son Mordred and the magical Morgan le Fay, the wizard gave his agent the mystical Ebony Blade, a sword forged using metal obtained from a meteorite.

(Black Knight II #1-4, various others) While Percy married and sired children, the Black Knight defended Camelot for more than two decades. Eventually the kingdom was engulfed in a civil war, following the revelation of Guinevere's affair with Sir Lancelot. Before Percy could aid Arthur against the forces of Mordred, he was lured into an ambush and stabbed in the back by Mordred, who used a dagger forged from the same metal the Ebony Blade came from. The Black Knight died from his wounds, but his spirit entered the Ebony Blade and  remained active.

(FF Annual #25, bts) Sir Percy's ghost led his nephew, Sir Raston, to his tomb, where he gifted him the Ebony Blade and bade him become the new Black Knight.

(various) In the modern day, Sir Percy's spirit led his ancestor Dane Whitman to become the latest Black Knight, wielding the Ebony Blade against evil and injustice once more.

Comments: Thanks to Jess Nevins for allowing me to use information from his excellent Golden Age Heroes Directory and his Guide to Golden Age Marvel Characters. Thanks also to Richard Boucher & Darrin Wiltshire @ PR-Publications for permission to use information from their equally brilliant collection of Golden Age Sites, PR Publications. Their knowledge of Golden Age characters far outstrips my own.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to US Independents Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.