Dane Whitman is about to stab you.
Thor: Why can I not lift [the Ebony Blade]?
Black Knight: Because it lightens only in shadow.
— Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1
Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade is a 2021 Marvel five-issue mini-series by Simon Spurrier and Sergio Davila, with colors by Arif Prianto and letters by VC's Cory Petit.
Set after the events of King in Black: Black Knight, Dane Whitman finally knows the truth about the Ebony Blade that he wields: the sword is cursed, yes, but he wields it not because he is pure and good, but because he isn't. The blade only responds to the darkness in his soul and Dane...well, Dane's feeling a little insecure these days because of it. He's even calling a computer-algorithm generated help line to talk about his problems and has invited a young Arthurian scholar to help him figure out the history of the Ebony Blade.
Of course, that was before he was summoned by the Avengers to help fight some regenerating monsters. And, in the wake of that battle, he was confronted by a mysterious villain wielding an Ebony Dagger...who cut off his head.
Whoops.
It turns out, though, that death for the Black Knight is rather trickier than expected.
Tropes in Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade:
- Abusive Parents: Implied with the line "Dad and his belt." It's one of Dane's bad memories.
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Ms. Jacks, the Arthurian scholar, doesn't actually believe Camelot existed. Keep in mind, she lives in New York where "they got more souped-up weirdos there than I've had hot dinners." She tells this to a talking white bird during a vision of Camelot.
- Artifact of Doom: It turns out that the Ebony Sword was just one of four items that Merlin and Sir Percy made out of the Starstone. The others were a shield, a chalice, and a staff, which Merlin consigned to the "tides of Hell" after Percy claimed the sword. However, the staff was stolen and reforged into a dagger. In present day, it turns out that Mordred is performing a ritual with the blood of Arthurian scholars to bring back the other items.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Dane calls the ghost of Sir Percy to tell him more about how the Ebony Blade brought him back to life. However, during the tale, Dane looks bored and begins just scrolling through his phone until he hears Percy start talking about a vampire and then he goes, "Wait, am I a vampi—?"
- Big Bad: The man who killed Sir Percy, the original Black Knight: Mordred.
- Blood Knight: Dane tries to pretend to be like this, saying that the monsters are "most enjoyable to rend," but it's all an act.
- Blood Magic: Employed by Mordred; he slew every other member of Arthur's bloodline to be the only one who could wield the Ebony items.
- Big Entrance: The first issue has the Avengers fighting some regenerating monsters when Dane arrives suddenly, cutting off one of the monster's heads and yelling, "The Black Knight rides to aid thee!" None of the Avengers are particularly impressed, though, with Thor going, "Ah $%#&— this guy."
- Break Them by Talking: The mysterious villain who cut off Dane's head first disables all of the Avengers by whispering the one thing that will break their heart. Or, as Dane says, their power is "being a triggering &#$@%&#." It doesn't work on Dane, though.
- Chekhov's Gun: The Ebony Sword, Dagger, Shield and Staff, later broken down and re-forged into the Ebony Crown. Later the Crown is reforged into an Ebony Siege (a throne of honor).
- Chekhov's Gunman: Merlin’s white raven, who is able to communicate with Jacks and inform her of the secret history of Camelot and the Black Knight.
- Continuity Nod: One of the memories Dane brings up is "Sersi's last kiss." Dane and Sersi of The Eternals used to date but had broken up a long time ago.
- Deconstructed Trope: A major one of Camelot and King Arthur. As the raven reveals to Jackie, the place was an ideal land, but much of it was a cleaned and glorified legend. Its focus on purity and perfection caused King Arthur to reject his only son Mordred, who couldn’t help his circumstances of being Arthur’s son by incest, and so drove him to villainy.
- Sir Percival is revealed to have carried out terrible deeds with the Ebony Blade’s curse on him. While he was truly a noble and valorous knight, the raven points out that by the end of his life he was living with so many lies and death that on his last he was willing to let go of the sword and die.
- Driven to Suicide: The second issue begins by showing how last issue's mysterious villain has been driving a number of Arthurian scholars to suicide and collecting their blood for a ritual.
- Dane Whitman does a form of this, rejecting the Ebony Blade's use. So did Sir Percy.
- Dynamic Entry: Elsa Bloodstone makes her entrance into Dane's home by riding her motorcycle through a stain glass window.
- Evil Weapon: The Ebony Blade is more powerful the more darkness that Dane dredges up. In order to destroy the regenerating monsters, Dane has to dredge us some bad memories:Dane: Okay. Mom's wake. Sersi's last kiss. Scars behind my knees. Ashima in the snow. Dad and his belt. ...the water. The wide and welcoming water.
- Flowery Elizabethan English: When Dane comes into battle, he starts talking like this. Thor thinks that he's making fun of him at first, but Dane tries to explain it away by being part of the whole "chivalry, days of yore" thing.
- Foreshadowing: Jackie has Merlin’s raven perch on her head. One of the Black Knight’s helmets was a raven perched on it as ornamentation; this also doubles as a Mythology Gag.
- Freudian Excuseis No Excuse: Dane is sorry for Mordred suffering rejection and darkness, but points out that he needn’t have let it drive him into villainy.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: None of the Avengers particularly like Dane, although they all try to be polite to him.Captain America: Try to be nice, Thor. Dane Whitman's proved himself countless times. He's just a little, uh...Thor: Annoying.Black Panther: Troubled.Captain Marvel: Kinda sad?Captain America: Eccentric.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: Mordred’s ultimate fate in the comic. When Dane resurrects through the Ebony Crown, he bursts out of Mordred’s body.
- I Die Free: Dane refuses to be corrupted by the Ebony Blade anymore and drops it. This gives Mordred an opportunity to mortally stab him, though it doesn’t last.
- Logical Weakness: Exploited on Mordred on twice, both unintentionally.
- Mordred went around slaying all the members of Arthur’s bloodline, including Dane. He never accounted for female heirs.
- The Ebony Blade, Dagger, Shield and Staff all resurrect its wielders. Mordred forged three items - dagger, shield and staff - into an Ebony Crown and hooked it up to a social app to reach as many people. Dane recorded his dying confession through this app, which Mordred picked up. This close connection to the Crown meant Dane could be resurrected with it.
- The Lost Lenore: Ashima Chopra to Dane Whitman.
- No-Sell: The villain's whisper that breaks their heart works on all the Avengers... but not Dane.Villain: Old magic, Dane. Just... not as infallible as I'd hoped.Dane: I've had plenty of practice torturing myself, buddy, you barely touched the sides.Villain: Ah, well. It was worth a try.
- Off with His Head!: The Ebony Dagger cuts Dane's head clean off. Thankfully, due to the Ebony Blade, it doesn't stay that way.
- Only the Pure of Heart: Subverted: Dane thought this was the case with the Ebony Blade, but was informed that he can wield it because he's impure. As he puts it to Thor, "Because it lightens only in shadow."
- Resurrective Immortality: It turns out that if someone is holding the Ebony Sword and is related by blood to Arthur, they can be killed and come back to life. Which doesn't deter Elsa Bloodstone:Percy: M-Madam, I should warn thee—thine adversary is immortal. This battle shall not avail either of you.Elsa Bloodstone: Not to worry, I daresay I can find some fleshy bits to shoot off without killing him.
- Talking Animal: When Ms. Jacks touches the Ebony Blade, she has a vision of Camelot, explained to her by a talking white bird. Of course, it helps that this is Merlin's bird. "A visitor without flesh. I see you, child..."
- Touché: Dane is talking to Jacks after being resurrected and starts yelling about how nobody is freaking out.Jacks: Pleasedon'teatmybrains! Pleasedon'teatmybrains!Dane: ...What? Brains? I'm not a zombie!Jacks: How do you know?!Dane: [beat] Fair point. I gotta speak to an expert.
- Two Roads Before You: Percy explains that he helped Merlin forge four items from the Starstone: a sword that could sunder any shield, a shield that could turn any blow, a chalice which could bring knowledge, and a staff to support one "weary with wisdom." Then Merlin offers Percy a choice:Merlin: You must choose one, Sir Percy, and I bid thee thank carefully upon the—Percy: The sword. I want the sword. The sword, please. Thank you. The sword.
- Wham Line: Dane Whitman’s dying confession, revealing that he had a child with Ashima and that child is Jacks.
