The Great Escape

Hawkeye has traveled to France to answer a challenge issued from his old mentor, Trickshot. However, upon his arrival he is arrested by Silver Sable for Trickshot’s murder and locked in a cell in an old castle, despite the fact he is innocent.

After Clint is locked up, Sable meets with a representative from the French government while she goes through a training session. She explains that Trickshot is not actually dead and their only chance of catching the wanted criminal is by using Hawkeye’s arrest to draw him out of hiding. She locked the Avenger up because she knows he will be resourceful enough to break out.

Sable is absolutely correct as Hawkeye is presently disassembling his bunk. When some of her Wild Pack go to check on him, he uses the chunks of wood to knock the guards out and escape. Recovering his bow and arrows the archer tries to find a way out. Unfortunately, instead of an exit he runs into an entire squad of Silver Sable’s men. Retreating into the court yard, Hawkeye makes his stand. His trick arrows give him the edge he needs to fight off his attackers and thin out their ranks.

He eventually makes his way to the castle wall and uses a zip-line arrow to get past the moat and to freedom. However, moments after he lands he is struck in the chest with an arrow and collapses. This was fired by Trickshot who has finally come to begin Hawkeye’s final test to determine who is the better archer.

Recurring Characters

Hawkeye, Trickshot, Silver Sable

Knight’s Errant

Within the lab beneath the Avengers Hydrobase headquarters, Dane Whitman — aka the Black Knight — is running examinations on his Ebony Blade. He is joined by Doctor Druid who is curious to know more about the enchanted weapon. Dane explains that the Ebony Blade is one of the last known artifacts from fallen Camelot and that it was created by the wizard Merlin from a meteor that fell to Earth centuries ago.[1] The sword was wielded by his ancestor, Sir Percy of Scandia who was the original Black Knight and it had been passed down to each successive generation.[2] He explains that the weapon can cut through nearly everything, can be returned to his hand with the mind, and can deflect and absorb energy. It would be the ideal weapon if not for the blood curse. Dane explains that should the blade ever taste blood it will crave more and more, forcing its wielder to use it to commit murder. Although this curse is currently dormant, a single drop of blood will re-awaken it, thus Dane always uses the flat of his blade when fighting against a foe.[3]

Doctor Druid offers to use his mystical intuition to see if he can divine anything more about the blade. However, after touching the enchanted weapon some unseen force attacks his mind. Recoiling from the sword, Druid tells Dane to stay away. Suddenly he begins to glow with mystical energy and he is replaced by a man in high tech armor who calls himself the Last Knight. He is Ernst Wythim, Dane Whitman’s descendant from the distant future.[4] He has come back in time through the Ebony Blade to end the blood curse by killing his ancestor and preventing himself from being born.

The Black Knight finds himself on the defensive, having to fend off attacks from his own Ebony Blade. However, he manages to disarm his foe by ripping loose a gas hose and spraying the Last Knight with it. This allows Dane to take back his weapon, but he refuses to use it to kill his descendant and tosses it away. Furious, the Last Knight pulls a knife and tries to stab his ancestor. However, Dane is able to hold his own thanks to the martial arts training he received and eventually knocks Wythim out. Upon defeat, Ernst vanishes leaving Doctor Druid in his place.

After telling Druid what happened, Dane now — more than ever — must make it his mission to remove the curse from the Ebony Blade once and for all.

Recurring Characters

Black Knight, Doctor Druid,

Continuity Notes

1. The creation of the Ebony Blade was first chronicled in Marvel Super-Heroes #17. It’s origins were expanded upon in Avengers Annual #22 and Mystic Arcana: Black Knight #1. It was forged from the so-called Starstone. A voice called out to time traveler Justin Alphonse Gamble, who was instructed to give the stone to Merlin, and he suggested that the wizard create a sword from it. Merlin later said he embuned the sword with a life-force.

2. For more on Sir Percy’s career as the Black Knight see Black Knight #1-5, New Excalibur #10-12, Thunderbolts #167-170, and Black Knight (vol. 2) #1-4.

3. Doctor Strange lifted the blood curse on the Ebony Blade back in Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #68-69. It will be re-awakened again in Avengers #293.

4. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3, this future takes place in Reality-8834.

Topical References

• The present day is referred to as being in the 20th Century in this story, this should be considered a topical reference. As the Sliding Timescale pushes the Modern Age forward in time, it actually does not begin until after the start of the 21st Century.