Black Knight #1 (1955)

The Castle of King Arthur is put on high alert as someone begins to approach the castle. Watching intently are Mordred and Morgan le Fay, who quickly recognize the man approaching as Sir Percy, Mordred's nephew. Seen as no threat, Percy is allowed to enter the castle and seek an audience with King Arthur due to his noble blood, but none of those gathered are overly impressed by the man who appears to be a weakling. Meeting with King Arthur, Sir Percy explains that he has come to seek a boon from the King for shelter after his lands were taken over by the Baron of Emsore. The King allows for this, but all are disgusted by Percy's cowardice when he tells them that he does not seek to reclaim his land. King Arthur agrees to allow Sir Percy to stay in the castle and assigns Merlin, his court magician, to show Percy to a room. Merlin, having summoned Sir Percy to the castle, takes the young man to his quarters and thanks him for playing the part of a foppish coward in order to act as his secret agent in stopping Mordred from taking over the castle, explaining that King Arthur does not believe Merlin's warnings. As part of his mission, Sir Percy is given a suid of armor and is christened the Black Knight. Merlin tells Percy that he must act as the realms masked champion and that none should know his true identity. Suddenly, some of Mordred's men, having overheard their discussion storm into Percy's quarters and attack, but the Black Knight easily slays them to cover his secret. Days later, Sir Percy goes about the castle cementing his cover as a coward. When King Arthur and some men go out on a hunting party, Percy declines to join. Rushing off to change into the Black Knight he runs into Lady Rosamund, ward of King Arthur, and a woman for whom Percy is smitten by. She is uninterested in the cowardly Percy and tells him to watch where he is going. Slipping away to change into the Black Knight, Sir Percy rides off and the Black Knight is glimpsed by Rosamund who wonders who the stranger armored knight could be. While out in the forests, King Arthur goes after a wild boar and is attacked by warriors who are loyal to Mordred. Arthur fights them off but as his strength begins to wane, the attackers are about to slay him when the Black Knight arrives and saves his life. When King Arthur asks the Black Knight who he is, the Knight refuses to divulge his identity, telling King Arthur that he is a loyal defender of Camelot. Mordred soon arrives at the scene and believes that the Black Knight is attacking the King and tries to "defend" Arthur, but the Black Knight holds his own until King Arthur orders Mordred to stand down. Despite Mordred's protests Arthur then officially knights the Black Knight and tells him that as a servant of Camelot, he will honor the Black Knight's need to keep his identity a secret. Meanwhile, Merlin watches the entire affair through his crystal ball and is pleased that his plans are being set into motion.