Marvel's Black Knight from the beginning

[Chris N]

Avengers #48, by Roy Thomas and George Tuska
"The Black Knight lives again!"
January, 1968



Grade: B-

Brief Synopsis: Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are prisoners of Magneto. Quicksilver manages to get a call out, which Jarvis receives.

Ant-Man and Wasp are in Vegas dealing with a cheater when the call comes in.

Dane Whitman recalls how his uncle died, and how he vowed to become a good Black Knight to atone. Now his chance has come.

Goliath, Wasp, and Hawkeye have answered the call, but do not know where their teammates are being held. Black Knight arrives to tell him, but they mistake him for his uncle and attack. After they resolve the misunderstanding, he leads them to Garrett Castle, only to find Magneto is gone. Another argument leads him to fly off, leaving them to their search for Magneto.

Review: George Tuska is filling in for John Buscema this issue, but nobody can quite fill Big John's shoes.

This costume is much closer to the original Black Knight than to his uncle's. Though the odd choice was made to color the cape yellow. The newest part is the helmet, which is quite a good design. Dane notes the legends of the Black Knight who served King Arthur, and that he doesn't know if there is any truth to them. He apparently knew what the costume looked like though.

The trial of fire for this new Black Knight is not the expected battle with Magneto, but rather a battle with the Avengers. A misunderstanding had led to heroes fighting each other, an event almost unheard of in Silver Age Marvel.

Other notes.

Hank and Jan make a big deal about the man cheating at roulette cheating the other customers. But it seems to me he's only cheating the house. Who are the ones really cheating the customers. Out of a little over 5% of their chips in expectation.

There is an unfinished story here. Magneto still holds two Avengers captive, and the Avengers plan to find them. This quest will lead them to conflict with the Uncanny X-Men, and the days will come will bring them up against gods and against the Grim Reaper. But it will not involve Black Knight. So this thread will take leave of the Avengers for now. We will rejoin them when next they meet Dane Whitman, against the new Masters of Evil!

Notes:

• Dane first dons the armor of Black Knight, patterned after Sir Percy. He uses his uncle's energy lance, and a sword. He had genetically engineered his own flying horse, a white one named Pegasus.

[foxley]

Hank and Jan make a big deal about the man cheating at roulette cheating the other customers. But it seems to me he's only cheating the house. Who are the ones really cheating the customers. Out of a little over 5% of their chips in expectation.

Well, if it's a typical Marvel comic of the period, I would expect a lecture from Hank or Jan about how the casino is a triumphant example of free enterprise and for the customer cheating to be revealed to be a Communist agent sent to America to undermine people's faith in casinos.