Black Knight #5
The Black Knight
In the court of King Arthur, Arthur, the knights and Sir Percy hear the tale of the Dragon of Kentswood Swamp and are very entertained by the tale, however King Arthur doubts the existence of dragons although wishes he could go to battle with one. Soon Sir Mordred brings robber baron Sir Gilles who has come to ask for Lady Rosamund's hand in marriage. King Arthur refuses to allow the marriage, however agrees that if Sir Gilles brings him the Dragon of Kentswood Swamp he will allow the marriage -- confident that Gilles will fail due to the fact that the dragon does not exist.
Sir Percy fears that there is some king of duplicity at hand due to the fact that Sir Gilles and Sir Mordred are later seen conspiring together -- another one of Mordred's plots to take over the kingdom. Weeks later when everyone has but forgotten Sir Gilles challenge, he arrives with what appears to be a dragon. However, he tells King Arthur that the creature should not be fought until the following morning.
However present is the Black Knight who offers to battle the creature right away. When Sir Gilles refuses to allow him, the Black Knight challenges him to a duel, and defeats him in a joust and then attacks the dragon, smashing it open to reveal it is not only fake but has an army of Sir Gilles' soldiers hiding inside. The Black Knight easily defeats the soldiers. With the battle over, Lady Rosamund gives the Black Knight a rose as a token of her thanks before the masked hero sneaks off to resume his unassuming alter-ego of Sir Percy.
Recurring Characters
Black Knight
King Arthur
Lady Rosemund
Mordred
Thunder
Men of Shadows!
Sir Percy is riding through the woods when he is suddenly attacked by a gang of thieves. However to their surprise Sir Percy fights his way free. He learns that these men have turned to a life of thievery because Sheriff Joshua Costain has been over taxing them. After Sir Percy defeats the thieves leader he assures them that King Arthur does not tax his people, Sir Percy promises to get a knight from Arthur's court to come and deal with the matter.
Riding to cover, Sir Percy then changes into his alter-ego of the Black Knight. Arriving in town, the Black Knight seeks an audience with Sir Joshua Costain and sees him living in opulence and orders him to return the money he has taken from his people. When Costain refuses, and before the Black Knight can use force he is knocked out from behind and is tossed into the dungeon. However the Black Knight is freed by the thieves and he leads them in overthrowing Sir Costain from his position of power.
Returning to Camelot in his alter-ego of Sir Percy, the Black Knight feigns interest in word of the Black Knights latest exploits and complains about the dreadful dust he experienced while out riding.
Recurring Characters
Black Knight
Thunder
The Secret of Treason!
The Crusader helps King Richard fight off another legion of the Saladin's minions before they camp out for the night. After night falls, Sir Guy de Montfort and his minion Baron Hinden conspire to capture King Richard in order to trick the Crusader into thinking that the Saladin kidnapped their ruler and eliminate both threats so that De Montfort can take control. As King Richard sleeps, Guy and the Baron attack, knocking him out and taking him prisoner.
Hearing the commotion, the Crusader awakens to find the king missing without a trace. As per De Montfort's plans, the Crusader suspects that the Saladin has kidnapped their king. So the Crusader dawns his traditional Muslim clothing and pays audience to the Saladin, and learn the truth. An honourable warrior, the Saladin tells the Crusader that he does not have Richard as a prisoner and gives the warrior a blood hound to track down Richard.
The Crusader takes the dog back to his army's camp and the dog tracks Richard's scent to cavern where he fights De Montfort's minions and forcing them to flee. He frees King Richard and brings him camp knowing that De Montfort was behind this latest attack on the King, but cannot do anything without proof.
Recurring Characters
Crusader
King Richard
Saladin of Egypt
Sir Guy de Montfort
The Invincible Tartar
When Mohar Jinn, the leader of the Asian Tartars has come to Camelot to wrestle with Camelot's best warriors to the amusement of King Arthur and his court and as an ambassador to his people. King Arthur tells the Tartar that he and his knights are heading on a pilgrimage to the sea. Sir Percy is called into Merlin's private chambers where the old wizard warns him that his crystal ball predicts danger coming but cannot tell from what. Percy tells Merlin to stash his Black Knight armor in a nearby tree by the sea so that he can face any trouble as his alter-ego.
Along the way to the sea, King Arthur and his knights decide to stop for the night at an inn. There they are ambushed and all, including King Arthur and Sir Percy, are taken prisoner. They soon find that they are prisoners of the Tartars led by Mohar Jinn's brother, all part of a plot to conquer Camelot. Soon King Arthur is locked aboard the Tartars ship and Sir Percy and the other knights are chained in the slave galley to operate the ores.
Noticing that the wood around their shackles is rotting, Sir Percy and his fellows ration their water to put on the wood and rot it enough to break free. They then storm the soldiers on the ship and easily take control of the ship, freeing King Arthur in the process. Returning to the mainland, King Arthur -- although weakened -- orders his men back to Camelot. Sir Percy feigns fatigue and stays behind just long enough to change into the Black Knight. On his way back to Camelot, he is stopped by Merlin who warns that the Mohar has taken over the castle. The elderly wizard then leads the Black Knight through the secret passages within the castle.
There the Black Knight fights through Mohar Jinn's minions and arrives in the throne room just as King Arthur falters in combat against Mohar Jinn. The Black Knight then steps in and defeats Mohar Jinn in combat, allowing King Arthur to retake his kingdom. Before the Black Knight can be thanked he slips away so he can change back into Sir Percy and "return" to the castle.
Recurring Characters
Black Knight
King Arthur
Lady Rosemund
Merlin
Thunder
