The Curse Of The Black Blade!

Often the best Dr. Strange stories are those where Strange's confidence in his abilities works in tandem with a methodical investigation to unravel a mystery that ends with his satisfaction as well as our own. One classic example would be "The House Of Shadows!" from 1964, but there are a number of others--including "Sword & Sorcery," a 1984 tale which featured Strange's reunion with Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, following the Knight's return to the 20th century at long last (capping a series of events set in motion when he crossed paths once more with the Enchantress).

But this is a very different Black Knight--and Strange may not live long enough to solve this mystery.

Written by Roger Stern, with artwork by Paul Smith and Terry Austin, Strange at last delves into the curse of the Black Knight's ebony blade--one that began with his ancestor, Sir Percy of Scandia, and which now haunts the very disturbed Dane Whitman.

The mystery begins with Strange answering an urgent call from Victoria Bentley, a mutual friend of himself and the Knight, who has been helping Dane readjust to the present but is concerned for his state of mind.

The proof of Victoria's unease regarding Dane comes with a visit to the stables, where his veterinarian, who's treating his winged steed Valinor which returned with him from the 12th century, is receiving a tongue-lashing concerning his inability to help the animal which has fallen ill. Strange's intervention results in a touching scene that allows Stern and Smith to not only provide a nice bit of characterization for Strange, but also to use the same scene to more clearly reveal Dane's difficulties.

With Dane resting under one of Strange's spells, Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to pierce his thoughts and provide some insight into his troubled mind. What he discovers are symptoms of PTSD, a condition first diagnosed four years before this story saw publication and which Strange believes is tied to the bloody battles Dane fought during the Crusades--but the door is also opened to troubles which may relate directly to the Knight's enchanted sword.

(At least part of Dane's problem could have been alleviated by Victoria offering him the opportunity to buy back the castle; or she simply could have paid the castle's taxes in his absence and be reimbursed upon his return.  Yet they're moot points, given Stern's insistence that Victoria's decision be added to Dane's woes.)

To explore the situation further, Strange descends to the lower chambers of Garrett Castle where he finds the Brazier of Truth, which he lights to bring forth the shade of Sir Percy, just as the Knight has done on occasion. Long ago, it was Sir Percy who had suggested destroying the sword when the Knight first came to understand the effect it was having on him when dealing with London's criminal element:

From Stonehenge, the Knight was transported to the world of Arkon, where he was to hurl his sword into the mystic Well At The Center Of Time--which he accomplished after the Avengers arrived to save him from Arkon and the Enchantress. But instead of being destroyed in the explosion which followed, the sword materialized, intact, in Olympus of all places, where Ares, the God of War, discovered it and used it to launch a plan which would conquer not only Olympus but Asgard and Earth as well.

But once the Knight and Thor confront Ares in Olympus, that plan meets defeat along with Ares--and the Knight reclaims the sword, for better or worse.

Now, however, Sir Percy suggests a different approach be taken--one which not only points the way toward helping Dane but could also free himself from his current existence in spirit form.

To carry out his plan, Strange indeed hands over the sword, and then sees to Victoria's safety. From there, he invokes a challenge that he knows Dane, in his current state, won't refuse.

Unfortunately, due to an unrelated attack through the dimensions by Umar, the sister of the Dread Dormammu, Strange's illusion is shattered, forcing him to instead subject the Knight to the realm of madness in order to confront him with the roots of his own mania. The gambit succeeds--but there is still work to be done before Dane can be free from the sword's curse.

Strange's words are curious in light of the steps the Knight took on Arkon's world to do the very thing that Strange proposes, but there's an important distinction: While the Well At The Center Of Time was also of mystic origin, the sword wasn't so much "cleansed" as presumed destroyed by contact with it. To truly purge the sword of its curse, however, requires that the Brazier of Truth also be part of the Knight's actions, since the source of of the sword's evil lies there with Sir Percy.

Had the Brazier been resting in the Well at the time the sword came into contact with it, the Knight might well have accomplished his goal--but since there's well over a decade between that story and this one, who's to say, since Roy Thomas hadn't yet established the link to the Brazier in his earlier tale. Yet it's reasonably clear that Stern has done his homework in connecting the dots to Thomas's story vis-à-vis the sword's evil--and luckily for the Knight, there's a mystic master at hand to provide the fires by which the curse of the ebony blade may finally be lifted.

It's a moving ending for a figure like the Knight, who up to this point has been under the radar as both an Avenger and a character in his own right; and as for Strange, he was clearly the perfect choice to navigate his friend (as well as the reader) through this ordeal in order to untangle the true cause of the sword's curse, though it's now clear that Merlin's enchantment doesn't preclude a new curse to embed itself in the sword depending on the actions of its wielder. It's something of a harsh safeguard on Merlin's part to guard against corruption and what he would consider to be misuse of the sword, but he no doubt knew the flawed nature of man would survive through time.  But hold that thought for a moment...

BONUS!

Let's take a brief trip back to 1955, and the Atlas Comics series Black Knight, where we first meet Percy of Scandia, embarking on his mission to protect Arthur and his kingdom--thanks to Merlin, who comes up with a way for Percy to accomplish his deeds anonymously.

Later, Merlin grants Percy an invincible weapon to wield:

Though we don't learn of the blade's properties until a later story in 1968.

In neither instance do we learn of any caveat that Merlin has bestowed on the sword regarding a curse that will come into effect if the sword's wielder turns to evil.

In regard to Sir Percy himself, there is another mystery to be solved here. It's clear in that story that Sir Percy fought for Arthur right up to the time his life was ended by Modred's dagger, at which point Merlin had nothing but praise for Sir Percy's service to his king and kingdom. In addition, we know that Nathan Garrett, Dane's uncle, would choose a life of crime for himself, becoming the first contemporary Black Knight and joining the original Masters of Evil, before meeting his death in battle with Iron Man. It's of note, however, that Garrett never drew and wielded the black blade, as Dane later did; consequently, Garrett never suffered from the blade's curse, and his criminal actions were the result of his own choices.

But as for Sir Percy, it's unclear just what evil deeds he committed to bring the curse of the blade on himself--unless you count using the blade to slash his way through the king's enemies, which Merlin had no problem countenancing. In the Doctor Strange story, Stern is completely vague on the subject--but in the entire Black Knight series, Sir Percy remains the nobleman, defended by Arthur and making Merlin proud, a status quo that Thomas continues in his solo tale for Whitman in Marvel Super-Heroes where he presents an accounting of Sir Percy's death. All of which is to say that, with no clear foundation established for Percy's evil, there is no curse present in the sword--and thus, unfortunately, no basis for Stern's story as outlined here. Though if there are any sleuths among you who can shed some light on the subject, do chime in, eh? If you uncover the answer, there's an exact replica of the black blade in it for you! (Not really!)

COMING UP NEXT:

"The Will of Margali!" ...or maybe not!