| Sir Percy Black Knight | |
|---|---|
 Black Knight #1 (May 1955). Cover art byJoe Maneely. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Black Knight #1 (May 1955) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Joe Maneely |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Sir Percy of Scandia |
| Team affiliations | Knights of the Round Table |
| Abilities | Master swordsman, horseman and hand to hand combatant Talented poet, singer and musician Invulnerability Wears impenetrable body armor and helmet Wields enchantedEbony Blade |
Sir Percy of Scandia, also known as the originalBlack Knight, is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. He was amedievalknight created by writer-editorStan Lee and artistJoe Maneely.
Marvel Comics' first Black Knight, Sir Percy ofScandia,first appeared in the medieval-adventure seriesBlack Knight #1–5 (May–Dec. 1955) fromAtlas Comics, the 1950s precursor to Marvel Comics.[1] The five-issue series was written by Stan Lee, with art by Joe Maneely in the first three interiors and all five covers.Fred Kida and the team ofpencillerSyd Shores andinkerChristopher Rule drew stories in the latter two issues.[2]
Sir Percy appeared inMystic Arcana, representing the element of earth.
The original Black Knight isSir Percy ofScandia, a 6th-century knight who serves at the court ofKing Arthur Pendragon as his greatest warrior and one of the Knights of the Round Table.[3] Recruited by the wizardMerlin, Percy adopts a double identity, and pretends to be totally incompetent until changing into the persona of the Black Knight. As the Black Knight, Percy wields theEbony Blade, which Merlin forged from a meteorite.[4] A constant foe of the evil knightMordred the Evil (Arthur's traitorous "nephew") andMorgan le Fay, in time Sir Percy retired his dual identity and married Lady Rosamund.
Percy is eventually killed at Castle Scandia by Mordred during the fall of Camelot when stabbed from behind with an enchanted blade made of the same material as his own Ebony Blade – although Mordred then dies himself of wounds inflicted by Arthur during theBattle of Camlann earlier that day.[5] Merlin ensures that Percy's spirit will live on by casting a spell that will revive his ghost if Mordred should ever return.
Sir Percy was survived by a son, Geoffrey. Lady Rosamund later gave birth to his second son, Edward the Posthumous, who reportedly became ancestor of "a proud lineage". Several of Sir Percy's descendants adopted the Black Knight identity:Sir Raston, active during the late 6th and early 7th century, who eventually became an agent of thetime travelerKang the Conqueror; andSir Eobar Garrington, a 12th-century knight serving underRichard the Lionheart during theThird Crusade.
Percy's spirit has appeared several times to counsel his descendant,Dane Whitman.[6] He first appeared as a spirit to act as a mentor to Dane, revealing the circumstances of his death,[7] and appeared a number of times subsequently as a spirit, summoned to give advice.[8] Percy was eventually released from the mortal plane byDoctor Strange.[9]
Percy's spirit again appeared to Dane Whitman, revealing how he wed Lady Rosamund. His spirit then took possession of Dane's body.[10] With Doctor Strange, he fought Morgan le Fay and Balor, and was rescued byValkyrie. He then madeSean Dolan his squire.[11] Percy's spirit then took possession of the Ebony Blade itself.[12]
The Black Knight was a man with an athletic build with no superhuman powers. Percy was a master at swordsmanship, horseback riding and every combat form known in Britain in the age of Camelot. Percy was a skilled poet, singer, and lute player.
Percy wielded theEbony Blade, andMerlin's spells rendered the Black Knight invulnerable to physical harm as long as long as he was holding the Ebony Blade. These spells had no effect against a weapon made of the same metal that the Ebony Blade was made from. He also wore body armor and a helmet which were similarly rendered impenetrable by Merlin's spells.
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Era Black Knight/Yellow Claw Masterworks | Black Knight (vol. 1) #1-5 andYellow Claw #1-4 | September 2009 | 978-0785135159 |
