When Marvel fans think of characters with mystical weapons, their first thought usually goes to Thor. Thor is the Asgardian God of Thunder, and proved himself worthy of the greatest weapon of his people, Mjolnir. Over the years, Thor has become one of Marvel’s popular heroes, his adventures combining mythology and sci-fi to give readers some unforgettable stories. Thor has risen to the top of the Marvel Universe, and has made his way into the greater pop culture because of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, for fans of the deepest Marvel lore, there is a cooler hero out there who uses a magic weapon, one who has toiled in obscurity for years: Black Knight.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Mjolnir is one of the Marvel’s most powerful weapons, but the Black Knight’s Ebon Blade has its own rich legacy, one that started far back in the ancient days of yore. There have been several Black Knights over the years, from a founding member of the Masters of Evil to a hero that fought against Apocalypse in ancient days and rose to become one of the leaders of the Avengers. I’m going to make a rather controversial statement — Black Knight is more interesting than Thor, Marvel just has to give him a chance to shine.
Black Knight Has a Rich Legacy Most Marvel Fans Know Nothing About
The first Black Knight readers were introduced to was Nathan Garrett, a villain who held the Ebony Blade. The Garrett family had been the keepers of the cursed weapon for years, and its influence made Nathan evil. He battled the Avengers alongside the Masters of Evil, and eventually died. His nephew Dane Whitman inherited everything from him, including the Ebony Blade, and his life changed forever. He passed the tests of the spirit of his ancestor Sir Percy, learning the dread legacy of the sword (which eventually corrupted its holder), and decided to be a hero infiltrating the Masters of Evil from within.
Dane was then thrown back in time, his spirit taking over the body of his ancestor Eobar Garrington. Dane fought in the Crusades, battling alongside the mutant known as Exodus, and helped Exodus in battle against Apocalypse. He was brought back to the present, and eventually became an Avenger, rising to the leader of the team during what is known as “the Leather Jacket era”, fighting the curse of the Blade, sometimes falling to it. He’s made a few appearances in the modern day, even battling against Knull in a King in Black tie-in. Dane’s popularity has faded away since then the ’90s, to the point where he’s one of many forgotten characters.
The Black Knight is one of those legacies that has never gotten the spotlight it deserves. The Ebony Blade was crafted from the Starstone meteorite and it was made by Merlin himself. That makes it a very important magical weapon, one that can be positioned as one of the most powerful items on the Earth. Even Knull knew about it, meaning that it is much more important to the world than it gets credit for. Its curse is pretty standard, but it gives its bearer something to fight against; Nathan fell to it, Dane has been able to fight it. All Mjolnir is is a power battery in unbreakable hammer form; the Ebony Blade has a personality all its own, and can compel its bearer.
Dane is a character who has been explored, but there’s so much more that could be done with the character. Thor was introduced to readers because he had learn humility; since then, he’s become the hero that he always could be. Dane has done some pretty amazing things over the years, but there are kinds of places the character can be taken across space and time. Dane isn’t exactly a blank slate, but his battle against the Ebony Blade is something that can played up in a way that doesn’t feel right for Thor and Mjolnir. This is a former leader of the Avengers; he’s traveled through time and the mulitverse (to the defunct Malibu Comic universe), and yet Marvel has mostly forgotten him. There’s so much more to do with the character, something that can’t really be said for Thor anymore.
Black Knight Deserves Another Shot at the Big Time
Thor really hasn’t had any kind of character arc for decades. Thor is a great character, but Thor stories all start to repeat themselves after a while. However, the same can’t be said for Black Knight. One of the things that hasn’t really talked about a lot is the legacy of the Ebony Blade. Marvel can easily establish it as a powerful artifact, showing readers its history and the way it has affected the history of the planet (retcons can be annoying, but they are useful storytelling devices). Showing the Ebony Blade and what it means is the right way to begin building the Black Knight and the Ebony Blade as important, and could allow readers to see what is interesting about it.
Dane Whitman is a character who is able to resist the temptation of the Ebony Blade. He’s fought across space and time. He has a history with Apocalypse, and has led the Avengers. We talk a lot about potential and Dane Whitman is the kind of character who exemplifies that. There’s so much that can done with the character, and Marvel needs to build new stars. The Black Knight and the Ebony Blade opens the door to so many stories, and it’s about time that he got some A-list treatment.
What do you think? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm -
Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films
