Black Knight 1-5 (1955-56) & Marvel Preview 22 (1980)

[StrayLamb]

MARVEL PREVIEW #22 (Summer 1980)

“The Quest of the King” by Doug Moench, John Buscema, Tom Palmer, John Tartaglione & John Costanza

APPEARANCES: King Arthur; Queen Guinevere; Mordred; Merlin; Sir Lancelot; Sir Gawain; Sir Pellias; Sir Kay; Asmodiar, a Hell-Lord; Beliar, his son; Goldenwing, the King’s favorite Falcon; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; Villagers

STORY: On a Spring day in the time of Camelot’s glory, King Arthur and his retinue are out hunting, when they come across an injured knight, unfamiliar to them. Mordred rides ahead, sending a page to fetch Merlin, while Arthur and his knights bring the wounded man to Camelot. Merlin has a feeling of foreboding, but tends to the young man, who recovers quickly and is presented to Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. He tells them his name is Beliar, son of Asmodiar, a baron of the Netherlands, and spins them a yarn of his good deeds, battling dragons and rescuing maidens in distress.

Arthur welcomes Beliar as a guest of the Court, to be granted the benefit of all good graces, and the Knights accept him as an apprentice to the Fellowship of the Round Table, inviting him to prove himself a true knight in the tournament to be held in a month’s time. Merlin has his doubts, but keeps them to himself. Lancelot of the Lake returns to Camelot from his latest adventure, and is introduced to the lad.

Over the next few weeks, Beliar becomes a hit with the ladies of the court, including Queen Guinevere, while the knights, squires and pages also embrace him, and he takes to roaming freely throughout the castle. One day, Beliar enters Merlin’s sanctum and starts leafing thru his tomes, when Merlin catches him. Beliar feigns having become lost in the passages, but Merlin confronts him with his suspicions, and tells Beliar he knows who he really is. Beliar is taken aback, but quickly composes himself, reminding Merlin that he is a guest of the Court, and to be affored all good graces. Merlin admits he is a guest, but questions whether he deserves its good graces.

Several evenings later, King Arthur winds up judicial matters, and calls for entertainment. Merlin produces a bird with magic, but Beliar heckles him, so he takes Sir Gawain’s sword, and makes it vanish in a puff of smoke. Beliar continues to goad him into displaying more of his powers. Knowing he’s being manipulated, Merlin nonetheless believes Belair’s in need of a lesson, and conjures images of horrors unknown. The Knights leap to their feet, drawing their swords, but Beliar remains unmoved and grins. Unwilling to carry the game any further, and having learned what he needed to know, Merlin banishes the demons.

The next few days pass uneventfully, then on the eve of the great tournament, a feast is held in the banquet hall. When Beliar makes a disparaging comment, he is cuffed by Sir Pellias, and demands satisfaction in a trial of arms, but when he finds Sir Pellias is a much better fighter than he had bargained for, he transfixes him with his gaze and cuts him down with a single undefended blow. Beliar tells them he expected Sir Pellias to defend himself, and didn’t mean to kill him. Guinevere tells Beliar it wasn’t his fault, but Merlin tries to tell Arthur that he meant to do it. As Guinevere walks Beliar to his chamber, she tells him that tomorrow’s tournament will be his chance to permanently join their Court. He kisses her gently on the cheek, but a cold shiver runs up her spine.

The following morning, King Arthur opens the Great Tournament and the jousting commences. Sir Gawain unhorses Sir Kay, who good naturedly requests that they swap lances. Soon, only Sir Lancelot remains undefeated, when he’s challenged and unhorsed by an anonymous knight before he’s fully prepared. Before he has a chance to recover, Lancelot is attacked by the unknown knight, when Arthur intervenes, demanding the knight remove his helm at once. Beliar removes his helmet, and Arthur tells him he has proven himself unworthy of the field of honor, and calling him a scoundrel, banishes him from his Court.

Beliar retires to his chamber, telling Arthur he leave on the morrow, but that night, Beliar abducts Guinevere. At dawn, Arthur amdn Merlin ride out together, but find the rain has washed away any tracks they may have left. Merlin tells the King they are facing an enemy who is more than a mortal man, when they are forced to take cover from a wind demon. Coming to a high and narrow stone causeway, they dismount to lead their horses across, but half way across, the causeway crumbles, and they lose their mounts. Merlin tells Arthur that whatever evil agency is at work, clearly wants him dead, so he may be the only one who can destroy it.

Arthur refuses they are up against anything other than a common man, when they are confronted by a dragon, the first which Arthur says he has seen with his own eyes, but Merlin tells him it’s sorcery as there are no dragons, and the legends are lies. Merlin convinces Arthur to lower his sword and ignore it, whereupon it vanishes.

Coming to a cliff, they see a castle below, and Merlin tells Arthur the evil has taken carnate form, and is using his agent Beliar to imprison Guinevere. Approaching the castle, they find the doorway stands open, and they follow a rising stench down a long stairway, until they find themselves in a hell-realm, with Guinevere chained to a wall across a smoking chasm. A wall of flame leaps from the chasm, and they find themselves facing the Hell-Lord Asmodiar. Beliar approaches, walking on thin air across the chasm, thru the flames.

Arthur asks Asmodiar why he seeks his death. Asmodiar tells Arthur he’s the most noble and selfless king who has ever lived, a living inspiration for good in others, and that quite innocently he spread this force of good throughout the entire world if left unchecked. Beliar attacks Arthur and they battle it out. When Beliar finds that Arthur is too strng for him, Asmodiar makes a gesture, adding his power to Beliar’s. As Arthur falls back against the crushing onslaught, Merlin adds his own power to Arthur’s arm, and the opponents battle with equal strength. Asmodiar adds more power to Beliar, who grows in stature, while Merlin falls in agony. Arthur is defeated, and Asmodiar has Beliar bring Guinevere, so he may watch them die together. Arthur begs Asmodiar to take his soul, but to let Guinevere go free, when Asmodiar realizes that Merlin has vanished. As he searches around for Merlin, Beliar lops off his head. The fire dies and Guinevere staggers over to Arthur, when Beliar transforms into Merlin, who points to the real Beliar, laying dead on the other side of the chasm, where Merlin left him after he freed Guinevere from her shackles.

Asmodiar’s head begins to laugh, and he tells Merlin they have won this time, and have proven themselves worthy foes for next time. Merlin tells Arthur to pay him no heed, as he is powerless, but Asmodiar tells them he is powerless only until his next coming in a more subtle guise. His head then explodes in suphurous flames, blasting a tunnel back to the world they know. They emerge from the tunnel at the base of the mountain, where summer has returned, and they anticipate a long walk home.

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BLACK KNIGHT #1 (May 1955)

Cover art by Joe Maneely

STORY 1: “The Menace of Modred the Evil!” by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; Sir Lancelot Du Lac; Sir Galahad; Merlin; Sir Modred; Morgan Le Fey; King Arthur Pendragon; Lady Rosamund; Hawkes, Modred’s Man; Queen Guinevere; The King’s Fool (Sir Dagonet); Soldiers and Courtiers of Camelot; Modred’s men.

NOTE: Mordred is named Modred throughout this series.

STORY: Summoned in secret by Merlin, Sir Percy of Scandia, a kinsman of Sir Modred, seeks sanctuary at Camelot, claiming that the Baron of Emsore has layed siege to his lands. When they’re alone, Merlin explains that Modred plots to dethrone Arthur, and that he wants Percy to play the coward while watching over the king, so as not to arouse Modred’s suspicions. Merlin outfits Percy with the armor of the Black Knight to disguise his true identity, when Hawkes, Modred’s man, bursts in with his men, but the Black Knight quickly dispatches them.

Staying behind when Arthur, Guinevere and their entourage go hunting, Percy runs into Lady Rosamund, then he suits up as the Black Knight and rides after the company. As Arthur pursues a wild boar in the forest, he is besieged by Modred’s men, when the Black Knight rides to his aid. Arthur asks the Black Knight to lift his visor, but he declines, and tells Modred the day he sees the face beneath his helmet shall be the day he meets his doom. Arthur tells the Black Knight he will always be welcome at Camelot, and dubs him a true knight.


STORY 2: "The Crusader"

Art by Joe Maneely

APPEARANCES: Sir John O’Dare; Gerlaine; El Alemain/Sir Crusader; Tengha Khan; Sir John’s crewmen; Saracen soldiers; Mongol soldiers

STORY: While sailing with King Richard to the Crusades, the ship of Sir John O’Dare is separated from the rest, and runs aground during a storm. After seven days, the entire crew has become stricken with the plague. The Saracen chieftan El Alemain, armed with a blade said to make its wielder invincible, watches as they set up camp on the shore, but refuses to attack the sick men. Tengha Khan covets El Alemain’s blade, believing that with it, he can fight his way to the leadership of all the Eastern warriors and become the Great Khan.

The Mongols launch a surprise attack on the Frankish knights, sweeping the Saracens forward as they charge. Sir John warns the attackers of the plague, and the Mongols turn back, preparing to loose their arrows. El Alemain forbids the attack, challenging Tengha Khan to private combat, but the Mongol is killed by a knife, thrown by one of his own men. As the Mongols attack, El Alemain fights side-by-side with Sir John to defend the Frankish knights, and the Mongols fall back. The dying Sir John sees El Alemain’s amulet, and realizing they’re brothers, aks him to take his robes and armor, and fight for King Richard.


STORY 3: “The Abduction of King Arthur!” by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; Sir Lancelot Du Lac; Sir Galahad; Sir Gawain; Merlin; Sir Modred; Morgan Le Fey; King Arthur Pendragon; Lady Rosamund; Hawkes, Modred’s Man; Queen Guinevere; Soldiers and Courtiers of Camelot; Modred’s Men.

STORY: Modred & Morgan Le Fay lock King Arthur in a dungeon and sieze the throne of Camelot. Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain and Sir Galahad ride off to search the realm for the king. Learning the truth, Merlin has Sir Percy of Scandia don the raiment of the Black Knight, and arms him with the Black Blade. The Black Knight battles his way thru Modred’s men and rescues the king, but disappears before Arthur can thank him. When Sir Percy comes before the king, he’s ordered to assist the ladies in waiting with their chores, and takes delight in being close to Lady Rosamund, who scorns his advances.


NOTE: This issue also contains a text story, “Excalibur,” which realtes the story of how Arthur pulled the sword from the stone.


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BLACK KNIGHT #2 (July 1955)

Cover art by Joe Maneely

STORY 1: Untitled

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; Leif the Lucky; Sir Galahad; Lady Rosamund; The King’s Falconer; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; Norsemen

STORY: Sir Percy accompanies Lady Rosamund, when Leif the Lucky intrudes, intent on stealing Rosamund for his bride. Percy grabs the lance of the King’s falconer, his eyes blazing with anger, when he remembers to keep up his cowardly disguise. Leaping upon his black horse, he rides away. Returning as the Black Knight, Percy thunders into the midst of the Norsemen, then with a smashing blow of his lance, he smites the longship below the water line, and rides off with Rosamund.


STORY 2: “Tournament of Doom”

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Lady Rosamund; Merlin; Sir Modred; Hawkes; a Soothsayer; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot

STORY: A tournament is held at Camelot to celebrate the safe return of Lady Rosamund from the clutches of the Norsemen, but with Galahad and Lancelot away, Sir Modred is the Champion of the Lists, and claims his right to joust with the King. Percy sings Rosamund a madrigal, but she shuns his advances. As the company retires to the Great Hall for lunch, Modred obtains a poison from a Soothsayer, brought to the tent by Hawkes.

After lunch, Merlin and Rosamund watch the King ride out to joust with Modred, when the Black Knight appears, and challenges Modred, breaking his poison-tipped lance with the Black Sword. As the King orders preparations for a feast, Modred orders Hawkes to gather the men and have them delay the Black Knight, so that they may learn his true identity. The Black Knight rides along a passage to the supply chambers, when he’s ambushed by Hawkes and his men, but he makes short work of them. Merlin shows the Black Knight a secret entrance to his chambers from the supply room, and quickly changing back to Sir Percy, he returns to his quarters just as Modred enters.


STORY 3: Untitled Crusader Story

Art by Joe Maneely

APPEARANCES: Sir Crusader/El Alemain, the Hawk; King Richard, Coeur de Lion; Saladin; Duke De Montfort; Saracens; Frankish Knights

STORY: Having learned that he is of noble Frankish blood, El Alemain, the Hawk, rides to join King Richard, Coeur de Lion. Battling his way thru the Saracens, he cries a warning, alerting the camp to the Saracen attack. While fighting side-by-side with Richard, he tells the King his story. De Montfort refuses to believe him, but the King accepts El Alemain’s story, remembering how Lady O’Dare was cast upon eastern shores with her infant son. Saladin offers single combat to a worthy opponent, and El Alemain faces him on behalf of the King. El Alemain defeats Saladin, but spares his life. King Richard dubs El Alemain Sir Crusader, a true Knight of the Realm, and Lord of O’Dare Manor.


STORY 4: “The Siege of Camelot” (from the cover)

Art by Joe Maneely

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Modred; Merlin; Morgan Le Fey; Hawkes; Sir Robert De Quincy; Sir Gillis; The King’s Fool (Sir Dagonet); Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; Norman Soldiers.

STORY: Having stayed behind to keep an eye on Modred, the Black Knight watches as King Arthur and his retinue ride out to journey thru the countryside during the time of the shearing, a peasant holiday. Modred tells Hawkes to ride to the camp of Sir Robert de Quincy, and tell him the time is ripe to strike. He explains to Morgan Le Fay that when the Norman has taken Camelot, De Quincy will set him upon the throne, and then he will plot De Quincy’s downfall. As the alarm is raised, Modred leads his forces out, in order not to appear to be plotting with the Normans, while Sir Percy excuses himself.

As Modred leads his knights out to be surrounded by the Normans, the Black Knight rallies Camelot’s forces, with Sir Gillies by his side. As they retreat within the castle to withstand a siege, Modred strikes the Black Knight from behind, and he slips from the drawbridge into the moat. Pulling himself out with vines, the Black Knight waits for cover of darkness, using a reed to breathe as the Normans search for his body. Climbing the north wall, the Black Knight re-enters the castle, finding Modred about to raise the portcullis, when a sentry calls out that King Arthur has returned and is attacking the Normans from the rear. The Black Knight rallies his forces and rides out, and they the Normans between them. That night in the Great Hall, Arthur praises Modred for nobly defending the castle.


NOTE: This issue also contains a text story, “The Round Table.”


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BLACK KNIGHT #3 (September 1955)

Cover art by Joe Maneely

STORY 1: “The Black Knight Unmasked”

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Modred; Merlin; Morgan Le Fey; Hawkes; Lady Rosamund; Guy of Gascombe; Knights of the Lowlands; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot.

STORY: As Champion of the Lists, the Black Knight takes on all challengers during the June Tournament, but Merlin feels evil in the air. As the final tests of arms begin, Merlin consults his crystal ball, in which he sees Hawkes giving instructions to the giant Guy of Gascombe. Merlin rushes to warn the Black Knight, but can’t reach him, while Hawkes reports to Sir Modred. Led by Guy of Gascombe, the knights of the Lowlands overwhelm the Black Knight. The knights of Camelot ride to his aid, but feeling himself losing consciousness, the Black Knight rides off to protect his identity. Sir Modred orders Hawkes to lead his men in pursuit. The Black Knight collapses as he reaches Merlin, who hurls some powder before the oncoming horsemen, obscuring their vision, then gives the Black Knight a healing draft.

Back at the castle, Hawkes makes his report to Sir Modred, while Merlin bandages Sir Percy’s shoulder. Later, in the Great Hall, Modred has Hawkes circle amongst the knights, and find a way to test each of their shoulders. He ignores Sir Percy, but a serving man bumps into him, revealing Percy’s injury. Percy excuses himself, but Modred and his men confront him in the empty halls. Modred accuses Percy of being the Black Knight, when Merlin appears, wearing the Black Knight’s armor. Taken aback, Modred and his men flee. Percy suits up and confronts Modred in his chambers, where he lays low each of Modred’s men. Later, Sir Modred apologizes to Percy, offering him satisfaction, but Percy declines.


STORY 2: Untitled

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Lancelot; Sir Galahad; Sir Modred; Merlin; Lady Rosamund; A band of Gypsies; the Gypsy Master; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot.

STORY: King Arthur celebrates his birthday with his knights, when Sir Percy enters, informing them that the gypsies’caravan of beasts approaches. As Percy, Arthur and Rosamund watch the caravan enter Camelot, Merlin catches Percy’s eye, and a sign passes between them. Lady Rosamund asks Percy to bring her back from tomorrow’s hunt the hide from one of the Nubian lions, and she shall smile upon him, but he tells her that he shall only earn one of her frowns, as the sound of their roars pains him. Sir Percy enters Merlin’s chambers, and peering into the crystal ball, they see Sir Modred passing a sack of coins to the Gypsy Master. The Black Knight rides from the castle in the dead of night, then just before dawn he sees a gypsy planting false lion tracks in a corner of the King’s hunting preserve.

At daybreak, the lions are released, and the hunt begins. As the day grows hot, the knights’ zest for the hunt wanes, until only the King and Modred remain. Modred points out the false lion tracks, and they follow them to a cave, where the King is ambushed. The Black Knight saves the King, but as they ride for Camelot, Modred and his men fall upon them, disguised as gypsies. Together they rout the band, but Modred escapes. As the King’s knights ride up, the Black Knight takes off. That evening, in the Great Dining Hall, as Modred makes his explanations to the King, Sir Percy sings an uncomplimentary madrigal to him.


STORY 3: Untitled Crusader Story

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Crusader/El Alemain, the Hawk; King Richard, Coeur de Lion; Duke De Montfort; Sir Robert De Quincy; Jaquet; Saracens; Frankish Knights

STORY: When the Crusader foils an attempt by Duke de Montfort to have King Richard assassinated, Montfort sends Jaquet to strike a bargain with the master of a Saracen slave galley. When the Crusader confronts Montfort, he is struck down by the Duke’s men and taken to the galley, where he is chained to the oars. Finding the wood rotting, the Crusader frees himself and swims back to shore, but finds De Montfort’s men guarding the camp. The clinking of his shackles betrays the Crusader, but as he fights for his life, Sir Robert de Quincy comes to his aid. The Crusader then retrieves his sword from De Montfort.


STORY 4: Untitled

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir D’Arcy; Simon the Strong; Lady Rosamund; an Innkeeper; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; Peasants.

STORY: The Black Knight topples France’s visiting Sir D’Arcy from his horse at the end of a tournament. Sir D’Arcy complains to the King that he came to England to join the Knights of the Round Table, but has been refused, and has also been refused the hand of Lady Rosamund. Arthur reminds him that if he had won the tournament, perhaps Rosamund would have looked upon him with favor, but that his ward is free to choose her own mate. When Sir D’Arcy also complains of having been bested by a man with no coat of arms, and who may be a peasant, Arthur suggests that he return to France, since his stay at Camelot has been so unhappy. Furious, Sir D’Arcy and his retinue leave Camelot.

Lady Rosamund decides to mingle with the peasants in disguise, along with her ladies in waiting, and Sir Percy joins them. They call at a country inn, where Simon the Strong takes on all challengers with his staff. Naming his own prize, as is the custom, Simon demands a kiss from Rosamund, when Percy reappears as the Black Knight, but without his armor, and armed only with a staff, having desired to test his mettle against Simon. During their bout, Sir D’Arcy appears with his men, to take Rosamund and her ladies captive. The Black Knight tells Simon and his men to follow him as he leaps over the wall. The Black Knight has Simon and his men lie in wait at the inn’s entrance, while he dons his full armor. As Sir D’Arcy rides out with his captives, the Black Knight leads Simon and his men against the Sir D’Arcy. His foe defeated, the Black Knight rides off, telling Rosamund that he will return to claim the champion’s prize that he won by defeating Simon with the staff. Rosamund calls out that she will be at Camelot, awaiting the day.


NOTE: This issue also contains a text story, “The Plotters”


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BLACK KNIGHT #4 (November 1955)

Cover art by Joe Maneely

STORY 1: “Betrayed” (from the cover)

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Guy Wenderell; his Armorer; Lady Rosamund; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot.

STORY: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table attack Castle Wenderell, as Sir Guy Wenderell and his forces have been plundering lesser baronies and devastating the countryside. The Black Knight rides by the side of King Arthur as they defeat Sir Guy, who pleads that he was so driven by love of Arthur’s ward, the Lady Rosamund, that he attempted to acquire greater holdings and fill his coffers with gold to lay at her feet. Arthur confines Sir Guy to his own castle and lands, ordering him to never again covet that which is another’s, or he shall return in force and take him to the dungeons of Camelot in chains.

Sir Guy orders his armorer to fashion a suit of armor in the image of the Black Knight’s. Returning to Camelot, the Black Knight runs thru a secret passage, changing into his alter ego, Sir Percy of Scandia, when a merchant appears before the king with a story of the Black Knight having attacked his caravan and stolen his goods. As the days pass, the false Black Knight strikes again, tarnishing the real Black Knight’s reputation, until Arthur is forced to declare him outlaw, Merlin being absent from court. As two Black Knights arrive at the tournament, Sir Guy has his archers ready themselves to bring down the real Black Knight, but Sir Percy prevails, unmasking Sir Guy as the imposter.


STORY 2: Untitled

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Modred; De Montfort; Tibbet, a Beggar; Kevin MacCaul; Lady Rosamund; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; MacCaul’s men.

STORY: As King Arthur and his retinue return from a tournament afield, they come across a beggar in the road near the deserted Black Castle. De Montfort makes sport of the beggar, when the Black Knight intervenes. Lingering behind to speak with the beggar, the Black Knight learns that the castle has been deserted ever since King Arthur drove out the Scottish outlaw knight, Kevin MacCaul, and that the beggar Tibbet now makes it his home. Returning to Camelot, the Black Knight enters by a secret passage and resumes his role as Sir Percy. Seeing Sir Modred with Lady Rosamund, he refers to them as Beauty and the Beast, but Rosamund bids him hold his tongue, as Modred was beaten by the Black Knight in the tournament, and is ill humored.

Several galleys land on the nearby coast, as Kevin MacCaul returns to England to avenge himself upon King Arthur, outlaws from all climes at his side. Tibbet watches from the shadows as MacCaul’s courier is dispatched to Camelot. The next morning, as the Knights of Camelot ride out to meet the challenge, they are joined by the Black Knight. As they approach the Black Castle, Tibbet warns the Black Knight of traps set for the men of Camelot, pits that contain many strange beasts from across the seas. The Black Knight gallops off to warn the King, saving him from falling into a pit of lions. As Arthur’s men lay siege to the castle, he challenges MacCaul to gather his knights and meet them in open battle, but he refuses, and sends a herd of elephants across the drawbridge, capturing Arthur in a net.

Tibbet offers to show the Black Knight a secret way into the castle, and they swim across the moat, entering the castle just in time or the Black Knight to save Arthur from MacCaul’s blade. The Black Knight’s Ebon Blade slices thru MacCaul’s shield, as well as Arthur’s chains. He tells Arthur thay must feign retreat in order to draw MacCaul’s forces into the open. After a bloody battle, Arthur once again banishes Kevin MacCaul.


STORY 3: Untitled Crusader Story

APPEARANCES: Sir Crusader/El Alemain, the Hawk; King Richard, Coeur de Lion; Duke De Montfort; Sir Robert De Quincy; Saladin; Fortuno; Abdullah; Saracens; Frankish Knights

STORY: King Richard, Sir Crusader, and a heavilly bandaged De Quincy study a map detailing their line of march and secret supply bases, when a sentry reportsa Saracen attack from the east. Leaving De Quincy to guard the map, Richard and Sir Crusader join the battle. Saladin breaks thru De Montfort’s men, and takes De Quincy prisoner, unaware he’s wearing the map as a loin-cloth to protect its significance. Disguising himself as a half-witted beggar, the Crusader rides after Saladin, but De Montfort sends Fortuno to warn Saladin, but not to mention the map, as he doesn’t want the crusade to fail, just the Crusader and King Richard out of his way.

Three days later, the Crusader enters Saladin’s camp and frees De Quincy, but warned by Fortuno, Saladin’s men surround the Crusader as De Quincy makes his escape. The Crusader moves threateningly towards Fortuno, but Saladin stops him from killing the traitor. In return for the Crusader having previously saved his life, Saladin allows him to return to King Richard, and tells him that Fortuno will replace De Quincy as his prisoner, and will serve on a Muslim galley. Returning to camp, the Crusader is toasted by King Richard and De Quincy, then he returns Fortuno’s sword to De Montfort, along with a warning.


STORY 4: Untitled

Art by Joe Maneely

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Lancelot; Sir Galahad; Sir Modred; Merlin; Lady Rosamund; Le Ponneau; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; French and Sicilian Pirates; English Seamen.

STORY: As King Arthur distributes food to his people on the Day of the Harvest, he and his retinue are attacked by French and Sicilian pirates under the command of Le Ponneau, who is in the pay of Sir Modred. Le Ponneau takes King Arthur, Sir Percy and Lady Rosamund captive aboard his galley, when Percy breaks free and leaps overboard. Upon reaching the shore, Percy arms himself with the King’s sword, Excalibur, which he finds on the beach.

Back at Camelot, Sir Modred has Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad lead search parties for their King, while he sits upon the throne to guard England until Arthur is returned to them, when Sir Percy arrives. As Percy armor’s up, Merlin tells him he has summoned stout English seamen to guide him to the pirates’ island.

Just before dawn, the Black Knight lands on the Island La Soire, where he has some of the seamen remain to guard the ship, while he has the rest follow him with pike and bows. At dawn, Le Ponneau displays his captives in the town square, when the Black Knight strikes. He severs the King’s chains with his Ebon Blade, and tosses Excalibur to him. Along with the English seamen, the Black Knight and King Arthur make short work of the pirates and return to Camelot. Later, in the banquet hall, Sir Percy sings a madrigal.


NOTE: This issue also contains a text story, “The Intruder”



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BLACK KNIGHT #5 (April 1956)

Cover art by Russ Heath

STORY 1: “The Dragon of Kentswood Swamp!”

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Lancelot; Sir Modred; Sir Gilles, a Lord of the North; Lady Rosamund; Merlin (BTS); a Tale-Teller; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; Sir Gilles’ men.

STORY: King Arthur, his Knights, and Lady Rosamund listen to the Tale of the Kentswood Dragon, when Sir Gilles, the most powerful Lord of the North, arrives, seeking the hand of Lady Rosamund. Calling him a Robber-Baron, the King refuses to marry him to Rosamund. Angered, Sir Gilles stalks off, but is met in the halls by Sir Modred, who offers to aid him any plan he may have to dispose of King Arthur. Hearing Arthur say he doesn’t believe in the Dragon of Kentswood Swamp, Sir Gilles tells him he will snare the beast and bring him alive to Camelot in return for the hand of Lady Rosamund. Arthur agrees, believing that not even Merlin could conjure up a mythical beast. Sir Percy wishes he could seek the counsel of Merlin, but he’s away on a pilgrimage to the South for his health.

Weeks have passed, with no word from Sir Gilles, when he arrives one evening at Camelot with a covered wagon, and tells them he has brought the Dragon of Kentswood. His men drop the sides of the wagon, revealing a chained dragon. When the Black Knight says he would test his mettle against the creature, Sir Gilles tells him he must first challenge him. They joust and the Black Knight knocks Sir Gilles from his horse. He then severs the dragon’s chains with his Ebon Blade, and circling around, charges at the beast. As his lance sinks deep into the creature, a human cry is heard. The Black Knight smites the oxen with the shaft of his lance, and as they lumber forward, the dragon topples from the wagon and splinters into fragments as hidden soldiers pour out. The men of Camelot engage the men of the North, while the Black Knight bests Sir Gilles, and they surrender. After accepting a rose from the Lady Rosamund, the Black Knight vanishes into the night.


STORY 2: "Men of the Shadows!"

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Big Tim; Sir Joshua Costain, High Sheriff of Nottingham; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; a Band of Outlaws; Costain’s Men.

STORY: Riding abroad from Camelot, Sir Percy is attacked by a band of robbers; when he asks what quarrel they have with the men of Camelot, their leader, Big Tim, tells him they were once honest men, but the King’s taxes have taken everything from them, and they have been declared outlaws by Sir Joshua Costain, High Sheriff of Nottingham. Sir Percy agrees they have been used badly, but not by the King, who taxes no man. Snatching a staff from one of the outlaws, Sir Percy bests Big Tim, winning his freedom. Sir Percy tells them he is going to find a knight to question Sir Costain, and for them to hide near the Sheriff’s castle and await the coming of the knight, who will be dressed in black.

The Black Knight arrives at the castle to find an expensive tournament in progress, then in the name of the King, he confronts Sir Costain, who orders his men to take him. His sword arm numbed by a leaden ball, the Black Knight is taken prisoner and thrown in the dungeon, but once the men-at-arms have left, Big Tim and his men free him, having entered the castle thru secret passages. Refusing to leave with them, the Black Knight once again confronts the High Sheriff, and with the help of Big Tim and his outlaws, defeats Sir Costain. The Black Knight tells the outlaws to take from the castle’s coffers the amount swindled from them, then to take Sir Costain to the King for trial.

When Sir Percy rides into Camelot, the King tells him he missed all the excitement, and that the Black Knight struck once again to cleanse his name of false evil.


STORY 3: “The Scent of Treason!”

Art by Syd Shores

APPEARANCES: Sir Crusader/El Alemain, the Hawk; King Richard, Coeur de Lion; Duke De Montfort; Baron Hinden; Saladin; Ahab, the Crusader’s hound; Saracens; Frankish Knights

STORY: Sir Crusader battles the Saracens alongside Richard Coeur-de-Lion, forcing them back to the small town of El Kahib. Returning to their camp at nightfall, Sir Crusader takes his leave of King Richard, as Sir Guy de Montfort and his second-in-command Baron Hinden watch from a nearby tent, and plot the King’s downfall. Later that night, disguised as Saracens, De Montfort’s men abduct Richard. Taking command, De Montfort orders Sir Crusader to ride to El Kahib and find Richard. Donning the garb he wore as El Alemain, the Hawk, he rides to El Kahib and appears before Saladin, and learns that the Saracens were not behind Richard’s abduction. Saladin giges the Crusader a bloodhound, Ahab, to track King Richard, and tells him they will meet again on the battlefield

Taking the hound to Richard’s tent to pick up the trail, the dog leads the Crusader to a nearby cave. Sir Crusader routs the captors and rescues the King, who praies De Montfort for sending the Crusader to find him.


STORY 4: “The Invincible Tartar!”

Art by Joe Maneely.

APPEARANCES: Sir Percy of Scandia/Black Knight; Thunder, his horse; King Arthur Pendragon; Sir Lancelot; Sir Galahad; Lady Rosamund; Merlin; Mohar Jinn, Chief of All the Tartars; Timultor, his Brother; Knights and Courtiers of Camelot; Tartars and their slaves.

STORY: Mohar Jinn, Chief of all the Tartars, visits King Arthur at Camelot, where he gives a demonstation of his great strength and wrestling skills. As Arthur congratulates Mohar Jinn on defeating Camelot’s mightiest wrestler, Merlin whispers to Sir Percy to meet him in his chambers. Arthur tells Mohar Jinn that it is his custom to make a pilgrimage to the sea at this time of year, and to make free of his court and castle during his absence. Merlin warns Sir Percy not to go with Arthur, as his crystal ball is clouded with evil, but he cannot yet discern its form. Percy tells Merlin that if there is danger, then he must be at Arthur’s side, and has him take his knightly trappings and hide them in the large oak by the seashore. Merlin agrees, and tells Percy he will stable his black charger at the inn.

The next night, King Arthur’s retinue arrives at the inn by the sea, where they are set upon by Mohar Jinn’s Tartars. Taken captive, they are taken to a mighty galley, commanded by Mohar Jinn’s brother, Timultor. Chained to the oars, they discover the wood is rotting, and the prisoners pass the word to pour half of each day’s water ration over the wood, while King Arthur is refused food or water until he agrees to sign his Kingdom over to Mohar Jinn.

Days later, with Arthur growing weaker by the hour, Sir Percy leads the slaves in revolt as they break free of their chains. Overpowering the Tartars, they nail new wood to the benches and chain them to the oars. Sir Percy heads the ship back towards the coast and tends to Arthur.

Three days later, the ship puts in to shore. Arthur leaves Sir Percy and a small crew to guard the Tartars, and heads back to Camelot with the others. Sir Percy dons the garb of the Black Knight that Merlin left for him in the old oak, and returns to the inn for his charger, then taking a secret short cut, he arrives at Camelot before King Arthur, and enters with Merlin thru the secret passage. They free Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, and other Knights of the Round Table, and while they battle the Tartars, the Black Knight lowers the drawbridge and opens the portcullis for King Arthur and the freed slaves. Mohar Jinn attacks King Arthur, but the Black Knight comes to his defense, cutting down Mohar Jinn with his ebony blade. As they wipe up the rest of the Tartars, the Black Knight vanishes, when a bedraggled Sir Percy rides in.


NOTE: This issue also contains a text story, “The Invaders”


************************************************************


SOUNDTRACK: Rick Wakeman’s Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table 2016 Extended Version.


GENERAL NOTES, MOSTLY ON THE CHRONOLOGY OF SURROUNDING ISSUES AND FLASHBACKS:

1. As the Crusader stories have already been entered into the MCP, but they have been included above for the sake of completeness. They have not been included in the character chronologies below.

2. ST 71 appears to take place during Merlin’s time at Camelot. He appears in a room with a library. The issue was published just three years after BK 5, and should probably be placed not long afterwards.

3. BK2 2-FB takes place just before the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot has broken the fellowship of the Round Table. This is also where Morgan Le Fey is imprisoned by Merlin. It seems that Morgan Le Fey compiling the Darkhold, Black Knight and Merlin riding to do battle with her while Kang takes Camelot, and her imprisonment by Merlin should all take place in fairly quick succession, late in the piece.

The incident involving Tyrannus probably takes place shortly before this.

4. Regarding A@ 22/2, the final three panels, in which Merlin appears, should probably be considered apocryphal, or possibly as occuring on some alternate Earth. In fact, the entire part of the story that occurs in the past should probably be relegated to an alternate timeline. The Starstone shown here is much smaller and lighter than the one normally depicted. Professor Gamble is able to carry it in one hand. He hands it to Merlin, rather than Merlin seeing it fall to Earth, smoking hot. A dumb story that adds nothing to the existing storyline, and alters it in such a way as to be untenable.

[Edit: The Appendix accepts the A@ 22/2 story, so i guess Professor Gamble must have used some sort of device on the Starstone to make it manageable to handle. I don't think he has super-strength.]

6. I would be tempted to apply the same reasoning to the past shown in NXCAL 10-12, which reveals eight Black Knights prior to Sir Percy, each of whom were driven insane by Ebony Blade, but i don’t know if that can work without disrupting the NXCAL series. The eighth Black Knight is revealed to be Sir Reginald, brother to King Arthur. MYSARC:BK reveals that Sir Percy himself forged the Ebony Blade under Merlin’s guidance, which does seem to be possible to reconcile with pre-exisiting stories, by way of adding more detail, but we’re left with two different accounts of the origins of the Ebony Blade and the Ebony Dagger. Perhaps each of the previous Black Knights were made to undergo a similar ritual, and each forged their own blades, or possibly that Merlin had Sir Percy forge a new Ebony Blade himself, perhaps hoping this would prevent him from also being driven insane by the Blade.

It’s difficult to reconcile this story within the framework of the existing storyline. There is no other mention of the previous 8 Black Knights in any other issues that i could find.

[Edit: The Appendix accepts the existence of the prior eight Black Knights from NXCAL 12, so there's that. Since only the last of them, Sir Reginald, is shown on panel, i would suggest listing the previous seven as BTS]

7. A number of surrounding stories and flashbacks have been rearranged. Some were clearly in the wrong positions and needed to be corrected. Others were adjusted to create a more cohesive whole. Nothing has been deleted, except where a character did not appear, or where the issue has been broken into page and panel numbers. Some flashbacks have been added where they didn’t appear to be duplicated from earlier stories. The final flashback that i checked, XCAL 50-FB, had the strangest placement of them all, as it actually occurs at least two millennia ago, according to the Otherworld entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z 14.

8. Regarding Merlin’s FF 5-BTS ~ DAZZ 3-FB entry: Merlin appears, conferring power upon the gems, but in FF 5, Doom sends the FF back to the age of Blackbeard to retrieve them. This doesn’t warrant a BTS appearance for Merlin any more than the creator of any artifact in the MU requires a BTS any time the artifact is on panel. Being mentioned doesn’t really constitute a BTS appearance.

9. The name DU LAC, SIR LANCELOT seems like it would be more correctly entered as LANCELOT DU LAC, SIR. Similarly, the name LE FEY, MORGAN would be more correctly entered as MORGAN LE FEY. Theese names are similar to MODRED THE MYSTIC, LADY OF THE LAKE, MORDRED THE EVIL, etc.


CHRONOLOGIES:

ASMODIAR * ADD LISTING
M/PRV 22
JIM 627

BELIAR * ADD LISTING
M/PRV 22

BIG TIM * ADD LISTING
BK 5/2

BLACK KNIGHT/SIR REGINALD * ADD LISTING
NXCAL 12-FB

BLACK KNIGHT/SIR PERCY OF SCANDIA (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT II)
MYSARC:BK /2 (4:2 - 9:3)-FB * ADD PAGE RANGE
{BK 1 (1 - 2:5)} * ADD
BK2 1 (5:1 - 5:3)-FB * MOVE TO HERE
BK 1 (2:6 - 10) * ADD
BK 1/3 (1 - 4:4) * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (10:3 - 13)-FB * ADD
BK 1/3 (4:5 - 8) * ADD
NXCAL 12 (11:6)-FB
BK 2 * MOVE TO HERE
BK 2/2 * ADD
BK 2/4 * ADD
BK 3 * MOVE TO HERE
BK 3/2 * ADD
BK 3/4 * ADD
BK 4 * MOVE TO HERE
BK 4/2 * ADD
BK 4/4 * ADD
BK 5 * MOVE TO HERE
BK 5/2 * ADD
BK 5/4 * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (15 - 18:3)-FB * ADD [BK battles Tyrannus, then Pluto]
A@ 20/2-FB * MOVE FROM HERE [BK resumes his battle with Tyrannus, brings him before the King]
T@ 17/4-FB * MOVE FROM HERE [BK away battling Morgan Le Fey]
BK2 2-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
{BK 1} * DELETE
BK 2 * MOVE FROM HERE
BK 3 * MOVE FROM HERE
BK 4 * MOVE FROM HERE
BK 5 * MOVE FROM HERE
NXCAL 10
NXCAL 11
NXCAL 12
UO 11 (13:4)-FB
FF 405
MYSARC:BK /2 (15 - 18:3)-FB * ADD [BK battles Tyrannus, then Pluto]
A@ 20/2-FB * MOVE TO HERE [BK resumes his battle with Tyrannus, brings him before the King]
T@ 17/4-FB * MOVE TO HERE [BK away battling Morgan Le Fey]
BK2 2-FB * MOVE TO HERE [Morgan Le Fey is imprisoned by Merlin]
BK2 1 (7:1 - 7:4)-FB * ADD [BK weds Rosamund; Merlin already imprisoned by Nimue, straight after BK2 2-FB]
MYSARC:BK /2 (1 - 2:3) * ADD
M/S-H 17 (5:2 - 5:3)-FB * ADD
BK2 1 (7:5 - 7:6)-FB * ADD PAGE RANGE
MYSARC:BK /2 (3:2 - 3:3) * ADD
BK2 1 (8:4)-FB * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (3:4 - 3:5)-OP * ADD
M/S-H 17 (5:4 - 6:2)-FB * ADD PAGE RANGE
MYSARC:BK /2 (4:1) * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (18:4) * ADD
M/S-H 17 (6:3)-FB * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (19 - 20) * ADD
M/S-H 17 (6:4)-FB * ADD
BK2 1 (8:5)-FB * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (21:1 - 21:2) * ADD
BK2 1 (8:6)-FB * ADD
M/S-H 17 (6:5 - 7:1)-FB * ADD
UO 11 (14:3)-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
MYSARC:BK /2 (22) * ADD PAGE NUMBER
M/FAN 52-FB-BTS
BK:E (6:2)-FB-BTS
DEF 11-BTS
M/FAN 52-BTS
M/FAN 53-BTS
M/FAN 54-BTS
A 264-FB-BTS
M/S-H3 4/6-FB-BTS
BK:E (6:4 - 6:5)-FB-BTS
BK:E (1 - 38)-BTS
C 30-BTS
BK:E (39)-BTS
A 225-FB-BTS
A 225-BTS
A 226-BTS
A 48-BTS
UO 11 (14:3)-FB * MOVE TO HERE [immediately prior to M/S-H 17]
{M/S-H 17}
A 71
---

COSTAIN, SIR JOSHUA * ADD LISTING
BK 5/2

D’ARCY, SIR * ADD LISTING
BK 3/4

DAGONET, SIR * ADD LISTING
BK 1
BK 2/4

DE MONTFORT * ADD LISTING
BK 4/2

DE QUINCY, SIR ROBERT * ADD LISTING
BK 2/4

DU LAC, SIR LANCELOT
M/PRV 22 * ADD
M/PRM 14
ST 134 * MOVE FROM HERE [BK away battling Morgan Le Fey as per T@ 17/4-FB]
{BK 1}
BK 1/3 * ADD
BK 3/2 * ADD
BK 4/4 * ADD
BK 5 * ADD
BK 5/4 * ADD
NXCAL 11
NXCAL 12
UO 11-FB
ST 134 * MOVE TO HERE [BK away battling Morgan Le Fey as per T@ 17/4-FB]

GALAHAD, SIR * ADD LISTING
BK 1
BK 1/3
BK 2
BK 3/2
BK 4/4
BK 5/4

GAWAIN, SIR
M/PRV 22 * ADD
BK 1 (1 - 2:5)-OP * ADD PAGE RANGE & OP
BK2 1 (5:1 - 5:3)-FB * ADD
BK 1 (2:6 - 10)-OP * ADD
BK 1/3 * ADD
UO 11-FB

NOTE: Sir Gawain is shown in the BK2-FB, and is therefore OP in BK 1

GEOFFREY OF SCANDIA * ADD LISTING
BK2 1-FB

GILLES, SIR * ADD LISTING
BK 5

GILLIS, SIR * ADD LISTING
BK 2/4

GUINEVERE, QUEEN * MODIFY NAME
M/PRV 22 * ADD
BK 1 (1 - 2:5) * ADD
BK2 1-FB * ADD
BK 1 (2:6 - 10) * ADD
BK 1/3 * ADD
NXCAL 11
NXCAL 12

GUY OF GASCOMBE * ADD LISTING
BK 3

GUY OF WENDERELL * ADD LISTING
BK 4

HAWKES * ADD LISTING
BK 1/3
BK 2/2
BK 2/4
BK 3

KAY, SIR * ADD LISTING
M/PRV 22

KING ARTHUR/ARTHUR PENDRAGON
M/PRV 22 * ADD
NXCAL 12-FB
MYSARC:BK /2-FB * ADD
ST 134-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
ST 134 * MOVE FROM HERE
{BK 1 (1 - 2:5)} * ADD PAGE RANGE
BK2 1 (5:1 - 5:3)-FB
BK 1 (2:6 - 10) * ADD
BK 1/3 * ADD
BK 2/2 * ADD
BK 2/4 * ADD
BK 3 * ADD
BK 3/2 * ADD
BK 3/4 * ADD
BK 4 * ADD
BK 4/2 * ADD
BK 4/4 * ADD
BK 5 * ADD
BK 5/2 * ADD
BK 5/4 * ADD
ST 71 * MOVE TO HERE
JIM 96-FB * MOVE FROM HERE [After Merlin leaves Camelot]
A@ 20/2-FB * MOVE FROM HERE [Before Merlin leaves Camelot]
NXCAL 11
NXCAL 12
UO 11-FB
IM 150 * MOVE FROM HERE [After Merlin’s imprisonment]
CB 34-FB
CB 35-FB
BK2 1 (7:5 - 7:6)-FB
A@ 20/2-FB * MOVE TO HERE [Before Merlin leaves Camelot]
JIM 96-FB * MOVE TO HERE [After Merlin leaves Camelot]
ST 134-FB * MOVE TO HERE
ST 134 * MOVE TO HERE
IM 150 * MOVE TO HERE [After Merlin’s imprisonment]
BK2 1 (7:4)-FB * ADD
BK2 1 (8:1 - 8:3)-FB * ADD [Arthur and Modred both mortally wounded]
XCAL:XXC
MYSARC:BK /2 (3:4 - 3:5) * ADD [Arthur fights for his life at Castle Scandia]
M/S-H 17-FB [Death of Arthur at Castle Scandia]
MYSARC:BK * DELETE [Only appears in MYSARC:BK /2]
ST 71 * MOVE FROM HERE
---

LE FEY, MORGAN (CHANGE TO LE FEY, MORGAN/MORGANA)
N 62 (10:2 - 11:4)-FB
N 62 (12:4 - 13:3)-FB
MYSARC:BK /2-FB * ADD
{BK 1 (1 - 2:5)} * ADD
BK2 1-FB
BK 1 (2:6 - 10) * ADD
BK 1/3 * ADD
BK 2/4 * ADD
BK 3 * ADD
DSSS 11/2-FB * ADD [Morgan Le Fey creates the Book of the Darkhold]
ASM@ 22/3 (5:2)-FB
A 241 (17:2 - 17:3)-FB
ASM@ 22/3 (5:3)-FB * ADD
A 187 (10:3)-FB
ASM@ 22/3 (5:4)-FB
A 187 (10:4 - 10:5)-FB
ASM@ 22/3 (5:6 - 6:1)-FB
A 241 (17:5 - 17:6)-FB
T@ 17/4-FB
BK2 2 (6:3)-FB
IM 209 (1 - 4:3)-FB [Morgan Le Fey imprisoned by Merlin]
N 62 (13:4)-FB
DEF 152 - FB
IM 150 [After Morgana’s imprisonment]
BK2 2 (7:4)-FB
---

LE PONNEAU * ADD LISTING
BK 4/4

MACCAUL, KEVIN * ADD LISTING
BK 4/2

MERLIN/MERLYN
XCAL 50-FB * MOVE TO HERE [According to the Otherworld entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z 14, this occurs at least two millennia ago]
WSDM 3-FB
NSUB 62-FB
MYSARC:BK /2-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
M/PRV 22 * ADD
A@ 22/2 * MOVE TO HERE (OR PREFERABLY DELETE)
UO 11 (13:1)-FB
M/S-H 17 (7:4 - 7:5)-FB-FB * ADD -FB[Merlin creates the (first) Ebony Blade]
UO 11 (13:2 - 13:3)-FB
A@ 22/2 * MOVE FROM HERE
FF 5-BTS ~ DAZZ 3-FB * DELETE FF 5-BTS
NXCAL 12-FB * ADD [Merlin needs a new wielder of the Ebony Blade]
MYSARC:BK /2 (7 - 9:3)-FB * MOVE TO HERE & ADD PAGE RANGE [Merlin recruits Sir Percy]
{BK 1 (1 - 2:5)} * ADD
BK2 1-FB
BK 1 (2:6 - 10) * ADD
BK 1/3 (1 - 4:4) * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (11:3 - 14)-FB * ADD
BK 1/3 (4:5 - 8) * ADD
BK 2/2 * ADD
BK 2/4 * ADD
BK 3 * ADD
BK 3/2 * ADD
BK 4/4 * ADD
BK 5-BTS * ADD
BK 5/4 * ADD
ST 71 * MOVE TO HERE
BK2 2-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
A@ 20/2-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
DSSS 11/2-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
IH2 210-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
NXCAL 11
NXCAL 12
UO 11 (13:4)-FB
CB 35-FB * MOVE TO HERE [Merlin still at Camelot]
A@ 20/2-FB * MOVE TO HERE [Maha Yogi impersonates Merlin]
T@ 17/4-FB-BTS * ADD [Went with BK to battle Morgan Le Fey]
DSSS 11/2-FB * MOVE TO HERE
IM 209-FB * MOVE TO HERE [Merlin imprisons Morgan Le Fey]
BK2 2-FB * MOVE TO HERE [Morgan Le Fey has been imprisoned by Merlin]
IH2 210-FB * MOVE FROM HERE [Merlin has returned to Camelot, exposes Maha Yogi]
IM 150 [After Merlin’s imprisonment of centuries by Nimue]
IM 209-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
IM2 11
MYSARC:BK /2 (1 - 2:3) * ADD
M/S-H 17 (5:2 - 5:3)-FB * CHANGE PAGE RANGE
MYSARC:BK /2 (19 - 21) * ADD
M/S-H 17 (6:5 - 7:1)-FB * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (20) * ADD PAGE NUMBER
ST 71 * MOVE FROM HERE
XCAL 50-FB * MOVE FROM HERE
CB 35-FB * MOVE FROM HERE

---

MOHAR JINN * ADD LISTING
BK 5/4

MORDRED THE EVIL/SIR MODRED * MODIFY NAME
M/PRV 22 * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2-FB * CHANGE TO MYSARC:BK-FB
{BK 1 (1 - 2:5)} * ADD
BK2 1-FB * ADD
BK 1 (2:6 - 10) * ADD
BK 1/3 * ADD
BK 2/2 * ADD
BK 2/4 * ADD
BK 3 * ADD
BK 3/2 * ADD
BK 4/2 * ADD
BK 4/4 * ADD
BK 5 * ADD
BK2 2-FB
BK2 1 (8:5 - 8:3)-FB * ADD [Death of Arthur]
M/S-H 17 (5:4)-FB * ADD PAGE RANGE
M/S-H 17 (6:4)-FB * ADD PAGE RANGE
MYSARC:BK /2 (21:1) * ADD PAGENUMBER
BK2 1 (8:5)-FB * ADD
MYSARC:BK /2 (21:2) * ADD
BK2 1 (8:6)-FB * ADD
DEF 11
---

PELLIAS, SIR ADD LISTING
M/PRV 22

ROSAMUND, LADY * ADD LISTING
BK 1 (1 - 2:5)
BK2 1-FB
BK 1 (2:6 - 10)
BK 1/3
BK 2
BK 2/2
BK 3
BK 3/2
BK 3/4
BK 4
BK 4/2
BK 4/4
BK 5
BK 5/4
BK2 1-FB

SIMON THE STRONG * ADD LISTING
BK 3/4

THUNDER [SIR PERCY’S HORSE] * ADD LISTING
BK 1
BK 1/3
BK 2
BK 2/2
BK 2/4
BK 3
BK 3/2
BK 3/4
BK 4
BK 4/2
BK 4/4
BK 5
BK 5/2
BK 5/4
NXCAL 10
BK2 2-FB
M/S-H 17-FB

TIBBET * ADD LISTING
BK 4/2

TIMULTOR * ADD LISTING
BK 5/4

TYRANNUS/ROMULUS AUGUSTULUS CEASAR
MYSARC:BK /2-FB * ADD [BK battles Tyrannus, then Pluto]
A@ 20/2-FB [BK resumes battles with Tyrannus, brings him before the King]
{IH 5}


OTHER ALTERATIONS TO EXISTING CHARACTERS:

BLACK KNIGHT II/SIR RASTON (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT III)

BLACK KNIGHT III/EOBAR GARRINGTON (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT IV)

BLACK KNIGHT IV/PROF. NATHAN GARRETT (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT V)

BLACK KNIGHT IV IMPOSTER [SPACE PHANTOM] (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT V IMPOSTER)

BLACK KNIGHT IV IMPOSTER II (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT V IMPOSTER II)

BLACK KNIGHT V/DANE WHITMAN (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT VI)

BLACK KNIGHT V DOPPELGANGER (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT VI DOPPELGANGER)

BLACK KNIGHT V DOPPELGANGER II (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT VI DOPPELGANGER II)

BLACK KNIGHT VI (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT VII)

BLACK KNIGHT VII (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT VIII)

BLACK KNIGHT VIII (CHANGE TO BLACK KNIGHT IX)

LORD OF BUCKLEY/SIR ROBERT DE QUINCY (CHANGE TO LORD OF BUCKLEY/SIR ROBERT DE QUINCY II)

SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM (CHANGE TO SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM II)

THUNDER (CHANGE TO THUNDER II)

THUNDER II (CHANGE TO THUNDER III)

THUNDER III ( CHANGE TO THUNDER IV)

[StrayLamb]

STRANGE TALES # 108 (May 1963)

STORY 3: “The Iron Warrior” by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko

King Arthur Pendragon; Merlin; Sir Mogard; other Knights of Camelot

STORY: Boasting to his fellow knights that he is mightier than Merlin, whom he derides as a faker and a charlatan, Sir Mogard intrudes on Merlin’s privacy, flings down his gauntlet, and tells him to select a warrior to act as his champion, to meet him on the field of battle. Merlin accepts Sir Mogard’s challenge, and the following morning, Merlin presents his champion, a Black Knight, to Sir Mogard. The Black Knight quickly defeats Sir Mogard, but he’s satisified that Merlin had nothing to do with it, as he has no real magic, when Merlin waves his arm, and the Black Knight’s armor falls apart, revealing it to be empty.

NOTE: Probably takes place prior to Merlin’s work with the human Black Knights.

CHRONOLOGIES:

KING ARTHUR/ARTHUR PENDRAGON
M/PRV 22
ST 108/3 *** ADD
NXCAL 12-FB
MYSARC:BK /2-FB
{BK 1 (1 - 2:5)}
BK2 1 (5:1 - 5:3)-FB
BK 1 (2:6 - 10)
---

MERLIN/MERLYN
XCAL 50-FB
WSDM 3-FB
NSUB 62-FB
M/PRV 22
ST 108/3 *** ADD
UO 11 (13:1)-FB
M/S-H 17 (7:4 - 7:5)-FB-FB
UO 11 (13:2 - 13:3)-FB
DAZZ 3-FB
NXCAL 12-FB
MYSARC:BK /2 (7 - 9:3)-FB
{BK 1 (1 - 2:5)}
BK2 1-FB
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MOGARD, SIR *** ADD
ST 108/3