BIOGRAPHY - Page 8
Dane and Sersi were mysteriously separated in the dimensional void of their exile. Sersi was pulled away from Dane by an unknown force, and he arrived back in his home universe, alone. Dane Whitman was at loose ends after learning Crystal and most of the major Avengers had seemingly died fighting a creature known as Onslaught. He was considering a job as a scientific researcher at Oracle, Inc. when the Lady of the Lake manifested before him from Central Park lagoon. The Lady brought him to Avalon via mystical transference and bade Dane to serve as the successor to Arthur as the Pendragon of the modern age. She provided him with a new 
enchanted armor that could be summoned with a charm, the Sword of Light and the Shield of Night and a new steed named Strider. While Dane was interviewing at Oracle the next day, Nitro attacked Wall Street and Oracle’s charity team Heroes for Hire responded. Dane evoked the name of Avalon and transformed into the Black Knight, joining the Heroes and bringing the Pendragon back to the realms of men. [Heroes for Hire (1st series) #2]
It took time for the Heroes to gel as a team. The Black Knight’s old comrade Hercules had lost his immortality after Dane left the Avengers. Furthermore, he was perpetually drowning his sorrows over not being at his team’s side when they died. No longer having the constitution of a god, Hercules soon realized his alcoholism made him a liability to the team and left. The Black Knight lent his steel to the remaining members Iron Fist, Luke Cage and White Tiger. However, Dane also began experiencing visions of Sersi disappearing from his side in the dimensional vortex they were exiled to. These visions would prove true as Sersi soon materialized in Oracle’s halls, begging for his help. [Heroes for Hire (1st series) #3-4]
Dane and Sersi had an uncomfortable reunion, for the Gann Josin bond had now been severed twice over, leaving them alone in their own minds. Sersi revealed an outside force had grabbed her by her mind in their dimensional exile, forcibly drawing her back to Earth and breaking their fraying bond at the same time. Priest-lord Ghaur had resurfaced in Deviant Lemuria and once again wanted to forge his own Uni-Mind, an Anti-Mind, to take over the Celestials when they returned to Earth. He had captured the children of the Eternal Thena and her Deviant mate Kro as a conduit for his plans and as hostages to force Thena into retrieving Sersi from exile. Sersi 
escaped Lemuria and sought out Black Knight (and the Heroes for Hire) for aid. Thanks to their intervention, the Anti-Mind failed and Thena’s twins formed their own composite form. Afterwards, Sersi approached Dane over what remained of their relationship. Freed from the Gann Josin, the Black Knight wanted distance from Sersi to make sure his thoughts (and his decisions) were truly his own again. [Heroes for Hire (1st series) #5-7]
It was Dane’s lingering, unresolved feelings for Crystal that kept him from embracing Sersi’s love. When the heroes believed dead to Onslaught began to return, Dane thought he had a second chance. The Black Knight traveled to Avalon and petitioned the Lady of the Lake to help him in his quest to find his lost love. The Lady rejected his plea, however, declaring his feelings for a woman wed to another were dishonorable. [Heroes for Hire (1st series) #8] Undeterred, the Knight used the scrying pool of Avalon himself to locate where Crystal had rematerialized in this world. He 
rushed to her side, but Crystal had already reunited with Quicksilver. The two had moved forward with their reconciliation after Dane and Sersi departed until Onslaught separated them. Dane was ready to declare his heart to Crystal, but she needed to reconnect with her daughter and her daughter’s father after so long apart. Although she didn’t deny their connection, Crystal told Black Knight to leave her with Pietro. [Quicksilver #7]
The Black Knight was not deterred for long. The Avengers reformed for the first time after Onslaught to deal with the dual threats of Morgan le Fay and Mordred the Evil. Every living Avengers was called together to face this threat united. Observing Crystal and Quicksilver from a distance, Dane vowed to reconnect with Crystal. [Avengers (3rd series) #1-4] When he could not wait any longer, the Black Knight interrupted Crystal and Pietro at the castle where the Knights of 
Wundagore were staying. The married couple was already in the midst of an argument and Pietro was in no mood to entertain the Black Knight so he forcibly removed him from their home. Dane quickly returned and their pride led the two men to exchange blows rather than listen to Crystal’s protests. When the fighting woke Luna, that was enough. Crystal rejected both Dane and Pietro, returning to her family in New Attilan. [Quicksilver #7]
Despite his personal strife, the Black Knight remained active with Oracle and Heroes for Hire. His team fought the Master of the World to prevent the death of 70% of the world’s population. The Master had created Strike Force One, a group of clones of the Heroes and Dane defeated his mirror, the Knight Errant. Jim Hammond, Oracle’s acting CEO and the original Human Torch, was damaged in the conflict. With his scientific knowledge, Dane Whitman guided Scott Lang (Ant-Man) through the synthezoid’s body to reactivate him, just as Hank Pym once did for the Vision. As the Pendragon, Black Knight was also called upon when a dragon was purportedly 
manipulating the stock market with magic. Although his mystic senses saw through the glamours of “Malcolm Drake,” Dane confirmed the dragon Drake was using only his own intellect to play the market. The knight left the dragon to his own devices and they even teamed up against the true culprit, Malekith of the Dark Elves. [Heroes for Hire (1st series) #12-14]
Black Knight and the Heroes for Hire became uncomfortable allies with Quicksilver when his charges, the Knights of Wundagore, joined their liege the High Evolutionary in attempting to retake his citadel from Exodus and the Acolytes. The Heroes’ member White Tiger was another of the Evolutionary’s creations and she begged the Heroes’ aid. During the conflict, Dane and Pietro made peace and came to a mutual respect for one another. The Black Knight also came face-to-face with Bennet du Paris for the first time since learning of their connection. Dane announced himself to Exodus as Eobar and Paris looked inside his mind to see that this Black Knight was the same man he thought of as a friend and a betrayer. Old scores were settled and the Black Knight 
defeated Exodus using the enchanted weapons at his disposal. [Siege of Wundagore crossover] Afterwards, Dane and the Eternal Thena returned Exodus to the tomb crafted for him by Apocalypse. The Black Knight accepted an offer by the High Evolutionary to train with his Knights of Wundagore and left the Heroes for Hire to take advantage of this opportunity. [Heroes for Hire (1st series) #17]
While Dane was away with the Knights of Wundagore, the Heroes for Hire disbanded after Oracle was bought out by Stark-Fujikawa. Looking to reconnect with his old team, the Black Knight was 
at Avengers Mansion when Captain Marvel (now called Photon) arrived warning them that the Wrecking Crew was tearing up New Orleans. Dane jumped at the chance to join the Avengers in action. However, his inexperience working with the newer members like Justice and Firestar nearly led to tragedy. Justice and Black Knight made uncoordinated attacks on Piledriver and Dane’s sword swing went wild, striking Vance in the head. As the Avengers pursued the Wrecking Crew to Polemachus, Black Knight had an awkward working relationship with the convalescing Justice’s fiancé, Firestar. Once the mission was finished, Black Knight and Photon went back into the reserves, letting the new roster find its footing without them. [Avengers (3rd series) #16-18]
Black Knight next reconnected with Brian Braddock, who had lost his powers and was working as a scientist at Darkmoor. Dane was drawn into a conflict in Otherworld, as the sentient computer Mastermind lay siege to the Captain Britain Corps. Brian was restored as Captain Britain and offered Dane a place in the Corps, but the Black Knight chose to return to Earth. [Excalibur (2nd series) #1-4] In his absence, the Avengers had had another encounter with Dane’s lost squire, Bloodwraith. The Ebony Blade brought Sean Dolan to the devastated nation of Slorenia to feed off of the souls released in Ultron’s slaughter. Unable to defeat the now-colossal Bloodwraith, Scarlet 
Witch cast a spell, binding him inside the ravaged country’s borders instead. [Avengers (3rd series) #36-37] As part of the new Avengers Field Operations, Black Knight and Firebird were stationed with S.H.I.E.L.D. outside of Slorenia. Their Monitor Squad was tasked with keeping watch over Bloodwraith in case he became a threat again and possibly finding a way to separate him from the Ebony Blade or its curse. [Avengers (3rd series) #38]
While stationed in Slorenia, Black Knight and Firebird detected a radiation signal from Siberia. They assembled a field team of Avengers with the main roster and sought out the radioactive madman known as the Presence. [Avengers (3rd series) #40-44] Later, when Kang began his active campaign of conquering 21st century Earth, the Avengers led the opposition movement. The Master of the World entered the fray as well, growing rings of organic technology around major cities to prevent Kang from conquering the world before him. Dane was called upon to study the rings in the hopes of seizing control of the Master’s Plodex technology. [Avengers (3rd 
series) #46] Warbird and an Avengers strike force killed the Master, but Kang advanced on Washington D.C. soon after with a massive show of force, compelling a surrender by most of the world powers. Black Knight went underground with the remaining free Avengers. He worked with Iron Man, Yellowjacket and Stingray to study and ultimately command the Master’s defensive rings. In the final battle against Kang, Dane operated the command center directing the Plodex tech against Kang and his armies. [Avengers (3rd series) #52-55]
[Note: The Black Knight’s status as the Pendragon would not be referenced again after this point and he would only occasionally mention still having the Sword of Light. The fate of the Bloodwraith also remains an unresolved plot thread from this era of Avengers. Sean Dolan has never reappeared and as for the Ebony Blade, well, read on.]
After the Kang War was won, the Avengers Field Operations quietly dispersed and Dane Whitman was left to his own devices. With the Ebony Blade safely back in his possession, Dane turned towards his history and decided to reopen Garrett Castle in England as a Black Knight Museum. The chronicles of various Black Knights from throughout the centuries were assembled by historians and made available for public consumption. Even the magically preserved body of the first Black Knight, Sir Percy, was put on display in a glass tomb. Dane was also being scouted by Brian Braddock, who had returned to Earth as Captain Britain and formed a new Excalibur team, which could use a new member.
While Dane was considering his options, he was possessed by the spirit of Sir Percy again. Not 
the long dead ghostly mentor from the Brazier of Truth, but a still-living Percy whose mind was projected forward in time by the Lady of the Lake. After proving his identity to Excalibur, Sir Percy convinced Captain Britain and the others to follow him back in time to prevent the early fall of Camelot. Back in the Dark Ages, Dane’s mind returned to his body as he met the physical Sir Percy, but his sword remained in the present. Even though both Black Knights could wield the Ebony Blade of this time, Sir Percy guarded the sword jealously against Dane being allowed to hold it.
Dane and Excalibur strategized with King Arthur to defend against the coming invasion of alien dragons that threatened Camelot. Still, Dane could not shake his concerns over Sir Percy’s behavior and made a point of speaking to Merlyn alone. Dane was worried the Ebony Blade’s curse was affecting Percy’s mind, as it had affected his in the past. Merlyn countered by pointing out that, despite how dangerous and cursed the blade was, Dane had never destroyed it or parted with it, either. Percy and Merlyn conveyed more half-truths about the Ebony Blade on Dane, claiming the blade’s curse was stronger and undiluted in Percy’s time compared to Dane’s. Percy described how eight men failed to wield the sword properly before Percy and only he was suited 
to carry it. He claimed only he, Arthur and Merlyn were found to be noble enough to wield the blade without falling to its temptations and, of the three, only Percy was expendable should the curse ultimately take him. Percy explained that he kept the newly-forged blade from Dane so that Whitman would only succumb to the inevitable curse when his appropriate time came and no sooner. [New Excalibur #10-12]
Meeting with the young Sir Percy gave Dane a great deal to think about when he returned to the present. Moreover, wielding the Ebony Blade in Camelot brought him to a curious revelation: the sword he carried in the present was NOT the Ebony Blade. Now able to sense the difference between the two swords, Black Knight chose not to join Excalibur full-time. Instead, he left on a quest to find out where this new sword had come from and what force had been responsible for convincing him to believe it was the Ebony Blade without further questioning it. [New Excalibur #13-15]