The most recent issue of Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade saw the Knight drink from the Ebony Chalice which led to disastrous results.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #4, by Si Spurrier, Sergio Davila, Sean Parsons, Arif Prianto, Chris Sotomayor and VC’s Cory Petit, on sale now.
The Black Knight’s Ebony Blade is one of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel universe. It was revealed that Sir Percy, the first Black Knight forged more than a sword out of the Starstone meteorite. A shield, chalice, and staff were also created that fateful day. When Percy chose the sword for himself, the other items were cast into lava and seemingly destroyed. Unbeknownst to Percy, the other weapons survived, and the staff was crafted into a dagger by the dreaded Mordred. The other two ebony weapons have now made their presence and Dane Whitman just used the Ebony Chalice to disastrous effects.
After the Knight survived yet another resurrection, he became more intrigued with discovering the knowledge behind his power. The Knight’s new medieval assistant Jacks was able to find the Ebony Chalice while the Knight fought with Mordred. She presented it to Dane after his most recent resurrection and he did not hesitate before taking a drink of the murky liquid within.
The Chalice immediately filled Dane with immense knowledge that came in the form of visions. One of his visions saw Mordred within a software developer’s office. As the Knight, Elsa Bloodstone, and Jacks approached Mordred in the office, the Knight was overtaken by his visions. Mordred made a deal with Elsa which caused her to abandon the Knights’ side and leave the offices. This allowed Mordred the perfect opportunity to attack.
Meanwhile, the Chalice was channeling powerful visions of the past to the Knight. He learned the truth of Sir Percy, the first Black Knight who allowed his rage to grow while he defended Camelot. The price became too much and Percy allowed himself to be killed while not holding the blade. This prevented his resurrection and he elected to remain as a spirit to try and cure the curse from beyond the grave. He also learned the truth about Mordred and how he came to be. Mordred was born after an unholy union between King Arthur and his half-sister Morgause. Due to the sinful nature of Mordred’s heritage, Arthur claimed that Mordred would be the last of his heirs to take the throne. Mordred took this personally and worked in the shadows of Camelot and brought ruin wherever he went. It was also revealed that Mordred was influenced by Merlin during his time in Camelot.
Lastly, the Chalice revealed the true nature behind the Ebony Blade and the Knights that took up the weapon. He learned that every single wielder of the Ebony Blade initially fought with good intentions. They attempted to turn the darkness and rage within the blade into a power that they could control. Ultimately, each wielder fell to the same fate and turned to the evil that they fought so diligently to defeat. The Knight has recently been feeling an evergrowing pull to the darkness and this final vision brought him to a revelation.
After the Knight came out of his final vision, he exclaimed that he refused to be defined by his flaws before casting the Ebony Blade away. Mordred used this opportunity to lash out at the Knight piercing through his armor with a dagger. Dane then crawled away from the scene as he slowly bled out. As Dane sits awaiting death, he no longer has the Ebony Blade in his possession so it would appear that he may have already been resurrected for the final time.
There does appear to be some hope for the Black Knight. Even though Mordred smelted down the Ebony items and crafted them into a crown, he left the Ebony Blade alone. Jacks picked it up in an attempt to stop Mordred but was destroyed by the awesome new power of his Ebony Crown. While it may seem like Jacks could not survive that attack, she was holding the Ebony Blade as she was killed. She had been seen channeling the rage within the weapon earlier in the series. There is a chance that she has Pendragon blood in her veins and could be resurrected herself, similar to the previous Black Knights. If Jacks is resurrected, she could become the first female Black Knight. The final battle with Mordred could create permanent changes to the Black Knight mythos.
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