MORDRED the EVIL
MORDRED the EVIL
Real Name: Sir Mordred
Identity/Class: Human/spirit magic-user;
British
citizen
@
6th Century;
Mordred is believed to have been a fictional character
by people of the modern era
Occupation: Insurrectionist and would-be world
conqueror
former Knight of Camelot
Group Membership: Formerly the Evil Walkers, Knights of the Round Table (Galahad, Gawain, Kay, Lancelot, Percival, Tristan), Walkers
Affiliations:
Ancient One,
Balor,
Chandu the
Wizard, Dragon of the Moon, Dreadknight,
Fomor,
Forest Trolls, Gagol
and the Trolls of Otherworld, Sir Gilles, Sir Guy of Gascombe, Hawkes, Hellhorse,
Morgan Le Fay, Nether Gods (Mandrac,
Necromon, possibly Gog, Maegog, Nightshade, Wolfsbane),
Le Ponneau the Pirate, Prince John,
le Sabre,
Temax and the other earth spirit, Trolls of Rock,
unnamed Gypsies; formerly the
Queen's
Vengeance;
loose affiliation to a number of Asgard-related creatures
(see summary of Avengers III#1)
Enemies: Avengers, Victoria Bentley, Black Knight (Sir Percy), Black Knight of the Crusades (Eobar Garrington), Black Knight (Dane Whitman), Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), Defenders, Dr. Strange, Knights of the Round Table, King Mark of Cornwall, Lamorek, Merlin, Sarah Mumford, Sir Alisander le Orphelin, King Arthur Pendragon, Prester John, Proud Walkers, Valinor, Valkyrie, Vortigen
Known Relatives: Arthur Pendragon (father), Morgause (mother (and aunt), deceased)
Lot (adoptive father);
Melehen, (son, deceased), another son
(name unknown, deceased);
Uther Pendragon (paternal grandfather, deceased), Igraine
(both paternal & maternal grandmother, deceased), Gorlois (maternal
grandfather);
Morgan Le Fay (alleged wife, maternal and paternal aunt,; daughter of Igraine)
Elaine (maternal and paternal aunt; daughter of Igraine)
Ector (foster paternal grandfather (adoptive father to Arthur);
Constantine (paternal great-grandfather, deceased), Amlawdd
(maternal great-grandfather, deceased), Gwert (maternal great-grandmother,
deceased);
Aurelius Ambrosius, Constans, Maines, Pandragon (paternal great-uncles);
Nentres,
Uriens (maternal and paternal great-uncles (brothers of Igraine), deceased);
Kay (Arthur's foster brother),
Lot (husband of Arthur's sister, Anna) (paternal uncles, deceased), Anna
(paternal aunt, deceased);
Agravaine, Alteria, Clarissant, Gaheris, Galeshin,
Gareth, Gawain, Sir Percy of Scandia (Black Knight), Soredamors,
Ywaine (cousins, deceased);
Aeneas, Constantinus, Bran, Conaan, Urbien
(ancestors, deceased), Vortigern, Llyr (ancestors)
Dafydd ap Iowerth (alleged descendent);
Sir Dandel (father of Percy, deceased), Lady Evaine (mother
of Percy, deceased), Edward (son of Percy and Rosamund,
presumed deceased), Geoffrey (son of Percy and Rosamund, presumed deceased),
Sir Raston
(apparently deceased), Nathan Garrett (Black Knight, deceased), Dane Whitman
(Black Knight),
Black Knight
of the Crusades (Eobar Garrington) - distant relations, common ancestry;
Last Knight
(possible future relation)
The incest-factor makes the relationship exceedingly
difficult, and you can certainly find more relatives on the internet. See
comments for discussion on the legendary sons and daughters of Arthur.
Aliases: Black Druid, Demon Druid, Dark Druid, Lore-Master, Medraut, Modred, Mordred of the Northern Isles, Mordred the Magnificent, Mordret
Place of Birth: Somewhere in the Orkney Isles, Britain
Place of Physical Death: Castle Scandia (now Garrett Castle), 6th century A.D,
Base of Operations: Unnamed astral realm;
formerly the Netherworld of Otherworld;
formerly
Earth-Morgan Conquest;
formerly
Camelot,
@ 6th Century
Education: Royal court of Camelot;
presumably tutored in magic to some degree by Morgan le Fay
First Appearance:
(Historical): Believed to have been added to Arthurian Legend in the 12th
century
(Atlas Comics): Black Knight Comics#1 (May, 1955)
(Marvel Comics): Marvel Super-Heroes II#17 (November, 1968)
Powers/Abilities: In human form, Mordred was in
athletic condition, and he was an expert swordsman and horseman and proficient
jouster.
Mordred has at times demonstrated great
magical powers, perhaps derived from the Nethergods he worships.
At other times, Mordred's actual power has
been limited, and he served primarily as the familiar to Morgan, his masculine
spirit serving as the balance to Morgan's feminine energies.
Mordred has sometimes worn battle armor and
used a sword, dagger, and/or lance. His primary weapon was "the Ebony Dagger", carved from
the same meteor fragment as the Black Knight's Ebony Blade. This dagger had the
power to kill the one holding the Ebony Blade, who was otherwise immune to
conventional, mortal injury (perhaps this was just true of Percy).
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Deep blue
Hair: Black
Other distinguishing features: Moustache and beard
History:
(OHotMU I#8: Merlin (fb) / Arthurian Legend) - Mordred is the illegitimate son of Morgause and
King Arthur Pendragon.
Morgause was daughter of Igraine and her husband Gorlois;
Uther Pendragon (King of Britain) had slain (or just impersonated)
Gorlois and raped (or seduced) Igraine to produce an heir, Arthur.
Unaware that Morgause was his
half-sister, Arthur had seduced Morgause after the Battle of Bedegraine but
before his marriage to Guinevere. That same night, Arthur had a
dream of a serpent that sprang from his side, destroyed his land and people and
fought him for its mutual destruction. The nightmare was so vivid that Arthur
had it pictured in a painting at a Camelot cathedral.
Merlin translated the
vision by claiming that Arthur would have a son born on May Day who would rise
up to destroy both him and
Camelot. This
inspired Arthur to collect all the sons born on that day to nobleman, place
them on a leaky boat, and send them out to sea. Mordred was one of those
children, but after the sinking of the ship, Mordred washed up on a beach and
was nursed to full health by a pious man. He grew to the age of fourteen and
returned to his mother to be raised and educated. He was knighted at twenty and
hated any knight deemed pure of heart.
(Marvel Preview#22) - Mordred accompanied Arthur on a hunting expedition. When they came across a fallen knight, Beliar, Arthur sent Mordred to rush back to the castle with the news while the others brought the knight there.
(Arthurian Legend) - Mordred traveled for two years with Lancelot and
visited Carteloise Forest. Long believing himself the son of King Lot of
Lothian, husband of Morgause, Mordred encountered a priest praying at a
magnificent tomb during a tournament at Peningue Castle. The priest referred to
Lancelot and Mordred as two of the most unfortunate knights that ever lived. When pressed for
details, the priest revealed to Mordred that he was the son of Arthur and that
he was the serpent that Arthur had dreamed that would rise up and overthrow
him. Mordred killed the priest, but Lancelot did nothing because it kept the
priest from predicting his own dire future.
The incident was a turning point in Mordred’s
life and he gave in to his instincts. On returning to court, Lancelot told
Guinevere of the prophecy, but he omitted the fact that Mordred was Arthur’s
son. Mordred fell in league with Morgan le Fay and lent his shield to a court
jester to distract King Mark of Cornwall. He mocked Sir Alisander le Orphelin
for nothing more than mere sport and may have been responsible in the scheme for
the death of Morgause. Both Mordred and Morgause’s sons by Lot believed it was
adding insult to injury that Morgause would take Lamorek, the son of Pellinore, the
man who had had killed Lot in battle, as her lover and potential husband.
Lamorek sought sanctuary with Arthur, who mourned his sister’s death, but
Mordred killed Lamorek upon discovering him.
(Mystic Arcana: Black Knight#1 (fb)) - Aided by Morgan's magic, Mordred retrieved the Ebony Staff, forged from the Starstone by Sir Percy, before Merlin's magic caused it to fade from existence.
(Mystic Arcana: Black Knight#1 (fb) - BTS) - From the Ebony Staff was forged the Ebony Dagger, which had the power to slay the holder of the Ebony Blade.
(Black Knight Comics#1) - Mordred and Morgan watched as Sir
Percy of Scandia arrived in Camelot. When Percy revealed his relationship to
Mordred, Mordred denounced him as a weakling and a coward, despite their shared
blood. Percy, however, merely played the part of the fop, and was, in fact, an
accomplished warrior summoned by Merlin to protect King Arthur from Mordred's
plots to usurp the throne of Camelot. Merlin knew that Arthur would never
believe anything evil of any of his knights, so that merely telling him about
Mordred's intent was pointless. In addition, Mordred's followers would kill any
who tried to stop him, so Percy was to secretly act as the Black Knight.
A trio of Mordred's men learned of the existence and purpose
of the Knight (though not his identity), and they ambushed Merlin and the Black
Knight. The Knight quickly overcame them, but as Percy he continued to play the
part of the fool, quickly annoying other men of valor, such as Lancelot.
Later, on a hunt, Mordred's men led Arthur into a trap in
which they tried to slay him, but the Black Knight arrived to help Mordred fight
them off. After the villains had been defeated, Mordred arrived, claiming to
have heard the sound of battle. Mordred accused the Knight of having attacked
Arthur and assaulted him, but Arthur quickly broke up the fight. Mordred said,
"He is no true knight! Why dares he not lift his helmet?", to which the Knight
replied, "The day you see the face 'neath this helmet...that day you meet your
doom!"
(Black Knight Comics#1/4 (fb) - BTS) - Mordred had his agents kidnap King Arthur and imprison him within his own castle.
(Black Knight Comics#1/4) - After Arthur's absence was discovered, Mordred called a halt to the panic sweeping the castle, generously volunteering to occupy the throne--to protect it against usurpers--until Arthur could return. He called Morgan to sit at his side and, when Guinevere complained about the two of them occupying the thrones, Mordred had Gunievere escorted to her bedchambers. While the Knights of the Round Table split up to search the surrounding country, Mordred accused Arthur of deserting his people, and he struck Sir Percy when he called him a liar. Later, Merlin showed Percy that Arthur was imprisoned within a dungeon within that very castle. As the Black Knight searched for Arthur, Mordred spotted him and sent his men after him. Escaping, the Black Knight eventually forced one of Mordred's men to reveal Arthur's location, and he used his newly granted Ebony Blade to open Arthur's dungeon. Mordred's men arrived to kill them both, but Arthur and the Black Knight fought them off, and Arthur led them through secret tunnels to return to the throne room. Unable to conceive of the true culprit, Arthur was grateful to Mordred for guarding his throne for him.
(Black Knight Comics#2/2) - With Galahad and Lancelot away
from Camelot, Mordred won a series of jousts in a tournament, after which he
begged the honor of testing his skill at jousting with that of his king's. After
Arthur agreed, Mordred met with his agent Hawkes, who directed him to a
soothsayer who gave him a poison to coat his lance. He then sent Hawkes to tell
another agent (whom Mordred had placed as Arthur's squire) to cut the girth of
Arthur's saddle. However, Merlin learned of this treachery via his crystal ball
and informed Sir Percy, and the Black Knight arrived in time to stop the joust,
stating that Mordred could not proclaim himself champion until he had beaten all
other challengers, including the Black Knight. Happy for the chance to kill the
Knight, Mordred accepted, and the first charge shattered the Knight's lance.
However, the Knight then cut Mordred's lance in half with the Ebony Blade,
ending the struggle.
Though defeated, Mordred instructed Hawkes to tell his other
men to search every room in the castle while the others changed for a feast,
knowing that whichever room was empty would be the Knight's room. However,
Merlin led Percy through secret passages and he arrived back in his room just as
Mordred's men searched it.
(Black Knight Comics#2/5) - When Arthur led his knights out to
celebrate the time of shearing during the harvest season, Mordred had Hawkes
inform the armed camps of Sir Robert de Quincy and the Normans he had summoned,
telling them that they time was ripe to strike. Mordred explained to Morgan his
plot that after the Normans conquered Camelot, Arthur would be seized and
Mordred would be named as the new king; at some point Mordred intended to betray
de Quincy and take all of England for himself. In order to not appear to be
collaborating with the Normans, Mordred organized the troops as the enemy
approached, but then sent them out of the castle to face the Normans, who
quickly surrounded them. Suspecting treachery, the Black Knight rushed to the
rescue before Mordred could announce surrender. Rallied by his presence, the
soldiers of Camelot (including Sir Gillis) fought back. The Knight protected
their backs as the soldiers returned to the safety of the castle, but
unfortunately none then saw when Mordred struck the Knight from behind. Wounded,
the Knight hid underwater in the moat until it was safe to scale the castle
walls. Mordred intended to open the drawbridge to the Normans, but the Black
Knight struck him down instead, and shortly thereafter Arthur and his men
returned, attacking the Normans from the rear and driving them off.
Nonetheless, Arthur once again failed to recognize Mordred's
motives, and he thanked him for honorably defending the castle.
(Black Knight Comics#3 (fb) - BTS) <June> - Itinerant knights came from across England to enter a battle tournament for great wealth.
(Black Knight Comics#3) - Hawkes instructed Sir Guy of Gascombe to tell his men to concentrate on the Black Knight; with him downed, Guy's side would easily win the rich rewards. Mordred plot had him preparing to learn the Black Knight's identity while his wounds were being tended to. The giant Guy indeed managed to strike the Black Knight down, but the Knight was able to climb back atop his steed, Thunder, and flee. Mordred's men pursued him, but Merlin, who had witnessed the plotting via his crystal ball, created a mist to obscure their vision. Merlin treated the Knight, speeding his recovery, but Mordred still plotted to expose his identity by determining who suffered from a wounded shoulder. When Sir Percy showed signs of such an injury, Mordred and his men confronted him, claiming knowledge of his other identity. However, Merlin had donned the Black Knight armor to help protect his protégé's secret, and he suddenly appeared, dispelling Mordred's suspicions. Shortly thereafter, the true Black Knight confronted Mordred and his allies, defeating them all, and warning Mordred of what could happen if he continued to oppose Arthur. Later Mordred apologized to Percy for the misunderstanding, offering him the right to challenge for the insult, but Percy declined, instead commenting to Mordred on how his black sling matched his black eye.
(Black Knight Comics#3/2) - Mordred paid a member of a band
of traveling Gypsies to arrange a trap for Arthur during a great hunt for their
lions. Warned of this plot by Merlin, the Black Knight followed the Gypsies into
the woods. Mordred secretly struck down Arthur's horse with a crossbow,
unseating Arthur and leaving him at the mercy of a pair of lions. The Knight
came to the rescue, but as he and Arthur returned to Camelot, Mordred had his
men and the Gypsies ambush them. Nonetheless, the attackers were little match
for the combined force of the Knight's Ebony Blade and Arthur's Excalibur.
Later, Mordred claimed to have been thrown by his horse and
injured his head just as he had been about to come to Arthur's aid. Percy
taunted him with a song about the horse not dragging him far enough.
(Black Knight Comics#4/2) - Mordred was defeated by the Black Knight in a joust, but Mordred could later enjoy Lady Rosamund's company in the castle to soothe his anger.
(Black Knight Comics#4/5) - Mordred hired Le Ponneau's Sicilian pirates to kidnap King Arthur in a trip, also taking Lady Rosamund and Sir Percy. At Mordred's request, Le Ponneau lightly wounded Mordred to hide the latter's involvement and make it seem that Mordred was also attacked and managed to escape; Le Ponneau knocked Mordred down because he mistrusted the English conspirator. Mordred returned to Camelot, provisionally took the throne, ordered Lancelot and Galahad to sound the alarm, and then scattered the Knights purportedly to search for the King, but making sure nobody would look near the pirates' island base. Merlin's magicks, however, found the King's location, allowing him to send the Black Knight (who had managed to escape) to rescue the King. With the statu quo restored, Sir Percy composed a song to taunt Mordred.
(Black Knight Comics#5/1) - Mordred tried to convince Arthur to marry Rosamund to Mordred's ally, the corrupt nobleman Sir Gilles; but Sir Percy prevented him. Gilles initiated a plan to impress Arthur by capturing a dragon in exchange for Rosamund's hand. Gilles took a fake dragon to Camelot, but was discovered by the Black Knight. Mordred was later criticized because Sir Gilles had succeeded in deceiving him.
(Arthurian Legend) - Mordred and his half-brother, Agravaine, then schemed to reveal Lancelot’s affair with Queen Guinevere to Arthur, but Morgan le Fay had already revealed the affair. Arthur left Mordred as regent in Britain--unaware that he was his son by Morgause--and departed with Gawain to confront Lancelot in France. In Arthur’s absence, Mordred wrote counterfeit letters describing Arthur�s death in order to get himself named as the new King by parliament. Crowned at Canterbury, Mordred exiled the Archbishop of Canterbury for opposing him and then forced himself on Queen Guinevere who barricaded herself in the Tower of London for protection. His agents then informed him that Arthur was on the way back to Britain. Mordred tried to prevent Arthur’s landing, but was forced to retreat back to Canterbury.
(OHotMU I#8: Merlin (fb)) - After the revelation of the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere threw England into a civil war, Mordred openly gathered armies to lead against Arthur.
(Iron Man I#209 (fb), Iron Man I#150 (fb)/Namor I#62 (fb)/(OHotMU I#8: Merlin (fb) / Black Knight I#2(fb)) - In the final year of the reign of King Arthur, there was a tremendous battle in which the Black Knight led Arthur's forces to victory over the forces of Morgan and Mordred. Hoping to prevent Arthur from discovering his guilt, Mordred fled the field of battle. Merlin and the Black Knight led their army to Castle le Fay, on the Northern Irish Coast, hoping to force the she-witch to tell the King the truth. Forewarned of this, Morgan laid a trap to kill any who entered her castle. Merlin detected this and instead imprisoned Morgan in Castle Le Fey, holding her there with a powerful spell that would bring death to her form should she ever leave its walls.
(Defenders I#152 (fb)/OHotMU I#8: Merlin (fb)) - The cosmic creature known as the Dragon of the Moon came to Earth and allied itself with Mordred against Camelot. During the final battle between Arthur's forces and Mordred's, Arthur assisted the Eternal known only as the Interloper in defeating the Dragon, banishing it back into outer space. It is ASSumed that Merlin played a major role in this battle, though he may have been limited by his own imprisonment at the hands of Nimue/Vivienne.
(Marvel Super-Heroes II#17 (fb) / Black Knight I#1 (fb) / Arthurian Legend) - When Arthur repaired to Castle Scandia to plan strategy during a war against Mordred, Mordred's forces, backed by Saxon armies, sworn enemies to King Arthur, ambushed him before he could reach the castle. On the field, Mordred impaled his sire with his deadly lance, but Arthur pushed himself forward on the lance so that its bloodied point came out his back, allowing him to come within reach of Mordred and mortally wound his vile offspring.
(Black Knight I#1 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe#16: Black Knight I) - The bodies of both Arthur and Mordred were borne away by those few knights of both sides who survived the battle. The dying Mordred ordered his men to bring him to Castle Scandia where they could ambush his other great foe.
(Mystic Arcana: Black Knight#1) - Arthur clung to life and rallied against his foes. Mordred raised his dagger and prepared to strike Arthur, but one of his men slew Arthur instead.
(Marvel Super-Heroes II#17 (fb)) - The Black Knight, informed of the danger by Merlin, arrived too late
to save Arthur. After defeating the remaining warriors of Mordred, the Black
Knight lamented the death of Arthur, but Mordred then appeared from the shadows,
stabbing the Knight with his Ebony Dagger, slaying him.
(Mystic Arcana: Black Knight#1) - The Black Knight had sensed Mordred's approach
and was prepared to turn and slay Mordred, but Merlin showed the Black Knight a
vision of "Reality-97213" in which Camelot's reign continued but became corrupt.
The Black Knight allowed Mordred to kill him, as Camelot's time had ended.
(Mystic Arcana: Black Knight#1) - Merlin predicted, "In the hour Sir Percy dies, your own (Mordred's) death is also very near.
(Marvel Super-Heroes II#17 (fb)) - Mordred died soon after.
(Black Knight I#2 (fb)) - As Mordred died, Morgan drew his essence to her in the Netherworld.
(Defenders I#11 (fb) - BTS) - The spirit of Mordred arrived in the midst of the Crusades, affecting events so that King Richard was captured by the Muslims. Mordred also allied himself with Richard's brother, Prince John, who commanded a plan to desert the king. Mordred was aided by Chandu the Wizard, who was served by Temax and several other earth spirits.
(Defenders I#11 (fb) - BTS) - After the body of Dane Whitman, the Black Knight of the modern era, had been turned to stone (see Black Knight statue), a spell of Merlin's summoned Whitman's spirit through time to oppose Mordred's plot. Whitman's spirit possessed and took control of the body of the Black Knight of that era, Eobar Garrington, in Cyprus.
(Defenders I#11) - Dr. Strange, seeking a cure for Whitman's plight, was pulled back to the Crusades alongside the Defenders (Hawkeye, Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer, Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)) to assist the Black Knight. The Knight quickly explained the situation to the Defenders, who returned the Ebony Blade to him and helped him rescue King Richard, but he was overpowered along with several others by the powerful earth spirits. Namor defeated both Chandu and the earth spirits, and the time-traveling Prester John then arrived, preventing Mordred and Prince John from accessing the power of the Evil Eye. Prester John defeated them with the Eye and then offered to send the Black Knight and the Defenders back to their time period, but Whitman elected to remain in the 12th century.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#2 - Black Knight entry) - Whitman in the body of Eobar Garrington defeated Mordred and his allies Chandu and Prine John.
(Marvel Super-Heroes II#17) - In the modern era, Mordred's spirit sensed the evil within Paul Richarde, and Mordred appeared before him alongside the Nether Gods (led by Mandrac), granting him the the Ebony Dagger and the power of le Sabre to challenge the newest Black Knight, Dane Whitman. After le Sabre's defeat, the Nether Gods chastised Mordred, questioning whether they were wrong to have unleashed Mordred back on Earth. Mordred argued that they had not made a mistake and that the Black Knight would not survive his next plot.
(Captain
Britain Summer Special 1980/4 (fb) - BTS) <see comments, though a bit of
explanation is required here, too>
- Originally, there were twelve Walkers: Men of power who perceived the old
paths, or "ley lines," connecting the points of magic from long before the dawn
of time. The Walkers passed their knowledge onto those men wise enough to
understand, many of whom became the druids. The Walkers also created routes from
Earth to the realm known as Otherworld, usually by way of underground tunnels,
allowing the inhabitants of both worlds to mingle together.
However, six of the twelve Walkers were corrupted by the forces of darkness.
They created false paths which led men to madness and death, usually via black
magic. People became mistrustful of the old way, mainly because of these six
evil Walkers. Witches were burned, creatures of Otherworld like faeries, elves,
trolls, and dragons were shunned and scorned. The old paths were discarded, and
a rift appeared between the two worlds. The remaining six Walkers, the noble or
Proud Walkers, gradually withdrew from Earth, returning to Otherworld. The evil
Walkers came to dwell in the Netherworld bordering on Otherworld.
In the modern era, Necromon, the leader of Netherworld, sought to overrun
Otherworld. He realized that the forces of Camelot would rally against him, and
so he sought to eliminate some of their greatest warriors. He erased the memory
of Captain Britain, and sent Mordred, one of the evil Walkers, to eliminate the
current Black Knight.
(Hulk Comic#1/2) - One of Mordred's agents informed him that the Black Knight had been located. Mordred then unleashed a pair of giant Hellravens which assaulted the Knight, knocking both him and his winged steed, Valinor, to the ground.
(Hulk Comic#3/2) - Aided by the amnesiac Braddock, the Black Knight slew one of the Hellravens, while the other crashed into a Royal Air Force jet. Surviving, the Hellraven continued to transmit images to Mordred's agents computers, and Mordred realized that the Knight was now trapped.
(Hulk Comic#4/2) - Mordred summoned the giant stone Ancient One from beneath the Earth, sending it to attack the Black Knight and Captain Britain.
(Hulk Comic#5/2) - After defeating the Ancient One, the Knight rushed Mordred, who vanished before he could strike.
(Hulk Comic#7/2) - The Black Knight and the amnesiac Braddock met up with the witch Sarah Mumford and Vortigen the Walker, the latter of whom partially reawakened Braddock and announced his intentions to lead the heroes to Otherworld. Mordred then confronted Vortigen, summoning an army of Trolls to attack him.
(Hulk Comic#8/2) - Mordred and the Trolls attacked the heroes. They forced their way into Sarah Mumford's cottage, and when she hurled an axe at Mordred, he transformed her into a tree.
(Hulk Comic#9/2 - BTS) -
Gagol, leader of the Trolls, was slain in battle with the Black Knight, while
the tree that had been Sarah Mumford bore a single fruit. Valinor ate the fruit,
which healed his injuries and restored his full strength.
(Hulk Comic#10/2) - As Vortigen and Braddock journeyed towards the portal to Otherworld, they passed through the small village of Stanleigh. Mordred used his powers to turn the villagers against the two heroes, who fought off the initial wave and took refuge in a nearby barn, to which the villagers set fire.
(Hulk Comic#11/2) - The Black Knight arrived, striking down Mordred with the flat of his blade before freeing Vortigen and Braddock from the burning barn. As the three heroes continued their journey, they were joined by the Otherwordly Elf Moondog, after which they were confronted by the Iron Ogre, sent by another Walker, Cormac.
(Hulk Comic#12/2 - BTS) - Moondog slew the Iron Ogre, though not before it could shatter both the Ebony Blade and Vortigen's Rowan Staff, the focus of his power.
(Hulk Comic#13/2 - BTS) - While Mordred watched in secret, Croglin and his army of Otherworldly Goblins followed the trail of the heroes to an Encampment of Elves.
(Hulk Comic#14/2 - BTS) - The Goblins ambushed the Elven encampment.
(Hulk Comic#15/2 - BTS) - The Goblins battled the Elves and their guests, with Bogweed and another capturing Moondog.
(Hulk Comic#16/2 - BTS) - Cormac stopped Croglin from decapitating Moondog so that he could be used to lure in Vortigen. Meanwhile, Vortigen left the group to create a new Rowan staff, and the Black Knight stayed behind to hold off attackers, while Captain Britain joined the Elves in continuing the journey to Otherworld.
(Hulk Comic#26/2 - BTS) - After Captain Britain had been gravely wounded by Mandrac, Merlyn sought to retrieve Braddock's spirit from the entrance to the Netherworld of Otherworld. At the same time, Mordred sent a number of Forest Trolls to attack the Black Knight and the Elves Moondog and Buckthorn.
(Hulk Comic#27/2) - While the Black Knight was bound by one of the Forest Trolls, Mordred appeared and attempted to steal Excalibur, only to have it burn him due to his unworthy nature. Undaunted, Mordred picked up a flaming log from a campfire and tossed it on the form of Merlyn, who was still deep in a trance as his astral self rescued Captain Britain's spirit.
(Hulk Comic#28/2) - Merlyn marshaled his will to resist the pain of burning, allowing him to complete his rescue of Captain Britain. Returning his spirit to his body seconds later, Merlyn gathered the fire in his hand and hurled it at Mordred who had been assaulting the Black Knight. Casting off the fire with ease, Mordred fired a magical bolt at Merlyn, who blocked it with a shield. Merlyn then hurled Excalibur at Mordred, knowing he would dodge it and that the Blade would lodge in a tree within grasp of the Black Knight, who used it to free himself and confront Mordred.
(Hulk Comic#29/2) - Morded used his mystic defenses to block and then strike the Knight. Merlyn continued his efforts in cementing Captain Britain's spirit to his body, while Mordred sent Forest Trolls against the heroes. Completing his efforts, Merlyn attempted to move Captain Britain to a place of safety, only to be struck down from behind by Mordred. The Black Knight defeated the Forest Trolls, and the enraged Mordred summoned his full powers and struck out at the Knight, who hurled Excalibur into the oncoming blast. The magic of Excalibur turned the spell back on Mordred, striking him before he could form a defense.
(Hulk Comic#30/2) - Mordred was left a gibbering wreck by the blast which had destroyed his mind. Whitman raised Excalibur above his head to slay him, but the sword spoke to him, telling him not to slay a foe as helpless as this. His spells faded, Mordred wandered back into the woods, while the Elves were released from the vines which had held them.
(Hulk Comic#42/2) - Necromon's minions found the slightly less addled Mordred and took him before Necromon. Mordred told him he had ill-tidings, informing him there was resitance to their invasion. Angered at the news and Mordred's failure, Necromon told his minions to throw Mordred into the deepest, darkest dungeon, where the rats could gnaw at his bones. Mordred was carried away, his pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.
(Black Knight II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Needing a masculine mystic consort/familiar to complete her power, Morgan retrieved Mordred from the Outer Dark.
(Black Knight II#2 (fb) - BTS) - Morgan and Mordred plotted to return her Castle physically back to Earth, allowing them to return permanently to Earth as well.
(Black Knight II#1) - Morgan and Mordred sent a spell into Garrett Castle, amalgamating a number of suits of armor into a monstrous creature to attack the Black Knight (Dane Whitman's body temporarily possessed by Sir Percy's mind). Though the Knight destroyed the attacker, Morgan and Mordred's spirits appeared before him, warning him away from this plane of existence
(Black Knight II#2) - Within the Swiss Castle Frankenstein, Morgan and Mordred reawakened the comatose Dreadknight, sending him and his Hellhorse to attack the Black Knight. The Dreadknight confronted him at the Giant's Causeway, the former site of Morgan's castle. With the aid of Captain Britain, the Dreadknight was defeated. Morgan and Mordred revealed that the stones of Morgan's castle had long ago been disassembled and scattered, and that Morgan's Castle would reappear where its enchanted cornerstone now resided. They also revealed that the enchanted castle would radiate its black magic across the world, transforming it into a "dark Camelot."
(Black Knight I#3) - Somehow obtaining the
Evil Eye, Morgan le Fay used it to re-form Balor,
sending him to battle the Black Knight (Sir Percy possessing the body of Dane
Whitman) and Dr. Strange. When Balor struck down the heroes, Morgan bound them
in the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak and left them for Balor to finish off. Wishing
to begin the final spell to return Morgan's castle to Earth, Morgan and Mordred
left the heroes for Balor to finish off; thinking the Eye to be worthless as its
power had been drained into Balor, Morgan foolishly left it behind as well.
Freed from the Crimson Bands by the Valkyrie (Victoria Bentley possessed and
transformed by the body of Brunnhilde) wielding the Ebony Blade, the Black
Knight then used the Ebony Blade to shatter the Evil Eye, banishing Balor back
into non-existence.
Tracking Morgan and Mordred via a spell he had cast on them,
Strange led the Knight, Valkyrie, and new ally Sean Dolan to Lake Havashu,
Arizona. There they correctly recalled that London Bridge had been transported
there stone by numbered stone @ 1970, and also deduced that at least the corner
stone of Morgan Le Fay's castle had been built into London Bridge during its
19th century construction. Morgan then summoned an army of Fomor to Earth.
(Black Knight II#4) - Morgan and Mordred sent their group of
Fomor--bearing the names of Celtic Gods such as Taranis, Morrigan, Cernunnos,
Lug, and Belanos--to attack the heroes. As the heroes began to prove victorious,
Morgan unleashed another spell, binding the residents of the town into a magical
Wicker Man, a living prison formed from their own life forces. With its power,
the heroes were soon overcome, with Strange and the Valkyrie trapped within the
Wicker Man, and Morgan and Mordred then fully materialized on Earth. Threatening
the lives of everyone within the Wicker Man, Morgan forced the Black Knight to
swear loyalty to her forevermore. Mordred wished to decapitate the Knight and
end his threat once and for all, but Morgan refused, instead wishing to use his
allegiance to break the spirits of those who would oppose them. Tapping into
Mordred's masculine energies, Morgan initiated the spell to re-create the planet
in the image of medieval times.
However, while Sir Percy was honor bound to not stand against
Morgan and Mordred, Dane Whitman was not. Correctly recognizing this, Percy
relinquished his control on Whitman, allowing him to turn against them. Merging
his own spirit with the Ebony Blade, Percy increased its power, enabling it to
cause the Wicker Man to dissipate, its energies returning to its former
prisoners. The Black Knight then turned the Ebony Blade on the restored Castle
Le Fay, disrupting its energies and causing it to fade back out of existence,
and sending Morgan and Mordred with it. London Bridge was purged of the stones
originally taken from Castle Le Fay.
(Journey into Mystery I#513 - BTS) - Following the Asgardians'
exhausting struggle against the forces of Seth, the
Dark Gods struck at Asgard, shattering Bifrost and leveling Asgard.
In addition, the Rainbow Bridge fell in pieces across the other eight worlds of
the Asgardian cosmology, casting creatures from those worlds to Earth.
(Avengers III#1 (fb) - BTS) - Morgan and Mordred capitalized on the devastation of Asgard; Due to her connections to the Asgardians (being half-faerie, which are apparently the same race as the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim), Morgan found herself able to tap into the power of five Asgardian Norn Stones. Still, she found herself unable to access the vast power of its Twilight Sword. In order to do so, she sought to access the reality-warping power of the Scarlet Witch.
(Avengers III#1) - The Avengers--Beast, Binary, Black Knight, Black
Panther, Black Widow, Captain America, Crystal, Darkhawk, Demolition
Man, Eros, Falcon, Firebird, Giant-Man (Pym), Hawkeye, Hercules, Iron Man
(Stark), Living
Lightning, Machine
Man, Magdalene, Moondragon, Namor, Photon, Quasar, Quicksilver, Rage, Sandman, Scarlet
Witch, Sersi, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman (Carpenter), Stingray, Swordsman
(Jarvert), Thor, Tigra, USAgent, Vision, Wasp--as well as other heroes, such as
the New Warriors (Firestar, Justice, Rage), gathered to fight the Asgardians
creatures rampaging on Earth, including the the Bird-Beast, Carniverous Plants
of Skornheim, the Demon-Riders, Dwarves, the Flying Trolls of Thryheim, the Fomor,
Gullin the Boar-God, Ice Giants, the Midgard Serpent, Mutaurus, Rock Trolls, the
Silent Ones (Trolls), Ulfrin the Dragon, and the Vanna, as well Morgan's allies
in the Fomor and even reanimated conquistadors. Morgan controlled these
creatures via her Norn Stones.
Eventually the Avengers split up in an effort to retrieve the
Norn Stones, playing directly into Morgan's hands. The group containing the
Scarlet Witch followed the energy traces to Tintagel Head, off the coast of
Cornwall, where Mordred and Morgan struck their ship down. Morgan's power then
pulled the Scarlet Witch beneath the earth, while Mordred attempted to defeat
the Avengers by summoning a group of Celtic Rock Trolls (actually spirits
animating stone) against them. Quicksilver managed to literally knock Mordred
from his high perch, sending him hurtling into the rampaging Rock Trolls.
Quicksilver then stripped Morgan of his armor and beat him into submission, but
Morgan then appeared, revealing that Mordred had merely been a delaying tactic.
Using the power of the Scarlet Witch, she took hold of the Twilight Sword, using
it to re-structure reality.
(Avengers III#2) - In the altered reality of Earth-Morgan
Conquest, Morgan ruled leisurely from her castle, with the Avengers transformed
into the Queen's Vengeance, a loyal army of warriors. Mordred questioned the
wisdom of keeping the Avengers around, preferring instead to either imprison or,
better yet, kill them. Morgan mocked him for his worrying, calling him an old
woman. When Thor began to throw off Morgan's control, Mordred repeated his
concerns, and Morgan again assured him there was nothing to worry about. Not
long after, a progressively larger group of Avengers began to throw off her
control, fighting against the still-loyal Queen's Vengeance.
When Morgan allowed the rebellious Avengers to escape,
intending to hunt them down at a later time, Mordred questioned
whether Morgan had lost her senses. Morgan told him that as long as they held
both the Twilight Sword and the Scarlet Witch she could reshape the cosmos any
time she desired. However, the Scarlet Witch, having pushed her energies to the
limits for days on end, managed to summon the energies of Wonder Man to her
side.
(Avengers III#3) - After Wonder Man liberated the Scarlet
Witch, Morgan tortured the failed jailors. Mordred announced the arrival of Kro,
emissary of Lemuria, to discuss diplomatic matters. Morgan incinerated Kro and
chided Mordred for failing to see what was really important: the recapture of
the Scarlet Witch. Via the efforts of Moondragon /Mistress Selene, the Queen's
Vengeance located and attacked the rebel Avengers just as they attempted to
sneak into her castle. Morgan then appeared, taunting the heroes to try to take
the Twilight Sword from her. When Mordred accused her of madness for risking
everything in senseless battle, Morgan struck him down with an energy blast.
Ultimately the Scarlet Witch channeled the power of the
Avengers into the energy form of Wonder Man, who tore the Twilight Sword from
Morgan's grasp, depriving her of its energies and reverting reality to normal.
Morgan and Mordred were presumably banished back to some
astral realm.
Comments: Created by unknown parties.
adapted into Atlas by Stan "The Man" Lee and Joe Maneely.
adapted into Marvel by Roy Thomas and Howard Purcell.
The information on the Walkers is a little difficult to figure out, but it seems to fit in with the story of the Knights of Pendragon. I'd imagine that the Mordred seen in those Hulk stories was possibly possessed by the Pendragon of an Evil Walker, and/or granted additional magical power by Necromon.
The final confrontation between Mordred and Arthur was listed thusly in the Arthurian Legend compiled by Will, but I had to trim it from the history, as it conflicts slightly with the MU version:
On the plain of Salisbury, Mordred met Arthur for the last time in the Battle of Camlann. Wielding the true Excalibur, given him by Morgan le Fay, and backed by Saxon armies, sworn enemies to King Arthur, Mordred issued Arthur a mortal blow. Recognizing Excalibur, Arthur seized it, and rendered a much more fatal blow on Mordred, killing him in the process before dying himself.
Mordred’s relatives and history are supplied
from “The Arthurian Companion – Second Edition” by Phyllis Ann Karr and may
have to be taken with a grain of salt. The entry for the Dragon Circle in the
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update (Issue #2) reports that Dafdd
ap Iowerth “is not a reincarnation of (King) Arthur nor is he a direct ancestor
of Arthur, who had but one child, Mordred, who himself died childless.”
This
may be true in the Marvel Universe, but in Arthurian legend, Arthur did have
many sons and Mordred himself did have two sons, Melehan and one unnamed, most
likely out of wedlock. After their father’s death in the Battle of Camlann,
they tried to seize Britain, but Sir Bors, one of the Knights of the Round
Table, killed Melehan and the other was slain by Lancelot himself.
Other alleged children of Arthur from various sources include Borre,
Adeluf, Amr, Agravaine, Arthur the Little, Gwydre, Ilinot, Llacheu, Loholt,
Morgan the Black, Patrick the Red, Rowland (half-brothers, deceased); and Ellen, Gyneth, Melora
(half-sisters, deceased);
--Will
Arthur supposedly had a son
other than Mordred named Loholt, but it has also been speculated
Lancelot might have been the father.
--Greg O
The village of Stanleigh (Stan Lee)?--John Kaminski
Further mythological/historical info on Mordred
(Greg and Will):
Mordred (or Modred) (c. 445-465 AD)- nephew of King Arthur,
betrayer of the knights of the Round Table, and usurper of the throne of
Camelot. From the older Cornish name for the same character in Arthurian mythoi,
Medraut, Mordred first appears in the Annale Cambriae. He is said in the
Annales to have perished in the same battle as Arthur but his
relationship and disposition towards Arthur are unknown meaning he could just
have easily been an ally.
Largely unknown in the often sanitized TV and comic book
versions Mordred is not only Arthur's evil nephew, but
in the late medieval myths he is his son as
well, making him a product of royal incest and Arthur's only direct heir by
primogeniture. The issue of who was his mother is somewhat clouded, but
generally acknowledged to be either of two of Arthur's three sisters, Morganna
the Sorceress or Queen Morgause, wife of King Lot and mother of another knight
of the Round Table, Sir Gawain (making the boastful but pious knight and Mordred
brothers, and Mordred part of the feud between the Sons of King Lot and the Sons
of Sir Pellinore).
Mordred is equivalent to Loki of the Norse and
Germanic myths in that he represents how the gods/knights tolerated the growth
of evil in their midst. Mordred was constantly plotting against Arthur and his
court: he proclaimed himself king after Arthur foolishly left him as regent
while on a foreign war campaign and attempted to force Guinivere to marry him.
Another time he put Guinivere on trial according to Arthur's own laws for the
crime of adultery with Lancelot. Mordred died by Excalibur at Arthur's hands
during the Battle of Camlaun. According to some accounts Mordred was survived by
twin sons and in other accounts it was said Guinivere bore twins so I think the
obvious connection can be made.
A bastard son born of incest that screwed his father's
wife! THERE'S a villain for you!
Both of them killed each other at the Battle
of Camlann.
Throughout the Black Knight series, Mordred refers to Arthur
as his uncle and Morgan as his cousin (or even wife).
It really wouldn't surprise me in the
least if Mordred and Morgan truly had taken their relationship to a new level.
Similarly, he was consistently named Modred, but after the
appearance of Modred the Mystic, he was later re-defined as Mordred. I have
named in Mordred in each appearance, regardless of which spelling was used in
the story.
There are three excellent essays on Arthurian Legend at the end of Marvel Preview#22:
Black Knight Comics#1/1 is reprinted in
Fantasy Masterpieces I#11; #1/4 is reprinted in Marvel Super-Heroes II#12, the
series which Fantasy Masterpieces evolved into; #2/1 is reprinted in MSH#13;
#2/2 in MSH#14; #2/5 in MSH#15; #3/1 in MSH#16; #3/2 in MSH#19
Let me know if the rest of the Black Knight
Comics are reprinted in other issues of Marvel Super-Heroes or any other comic.
Thanks to Per Degaton for pointing out the adventure Garrington's
additional fight with Mordred and his allies. The info came from the
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#2 and the
Avengers Index#6.
Thanks to Skippy for correcting some references from the Black Knight Comic stories.
Mordred has an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition and Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic.
Profile by Snood (comics) and Will U (legends).
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
Modred the Mystic, Sixth Century mystic and foe of the Avengers, @ Marvel Chillers#1
It’s not known if Llyr, ancestor of Mordred
and Arthur, is supposed to be the Celtic god Leir, seen in Thor I #386.
images:
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Master Edition: Mordred (full body)
Black Knight Comics#2/2, p5, panel 5 (face)
Hulk Comic#1, p5, panel 12 (hooded face)
#5, p6, panel 6 (full body, hooded form)
#27, cover
Black Knight Comics#1 (May, 1955) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Joe Maneely (artist)
Black Knight Comics#2 (July, 1955) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Joe Maneely (artist)
Black Knight Comics#3 (September, 1955) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Joe Maneely (artist)
Black Knight Comics#4 (November, 1955) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Fred Kida (artist)
Black Knight Comics#5 (April, 1956) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Syd Shores (pencils), Christopher Rule (inks)
Marvel Preview#22 (Summer, 1980) - Doug Moench & John Buscema
(writers), John Buscema (pencils), Tom Palmer & John Tartaglione
(inks), Lynn Graeme & Ralph Macchio (editors)
Defenders I#11 (December, 1973) - Steve Englehart (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Frank Bolle (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Hulk Comic#2 (March 7, 1979)
Hulk Comic#3/2 (March 21, 1979)
Hulk Comic#4/2 (March 29, 1979)
Hulk Comic#5/2 (April 4, 1979)
Hulk Comic#7/2 (April 18, 1979)
Hulk Comic#8/2 (April 25, 1979)
Hulk Comic#9/2 (May 2, 1979)
Hulk Comic#10/2 (May 9, 1979)
Hulk Comic#11/2 (May 16, 1979)
Hulk Comic#12/2 (May 23, 1979)
Hulk Comic#13/2 (May 30, 1979)
Hulk Comic#14/2 (June 6, 1979)
Hulk Comic#15/2 (June 13, 1979)
Hulk Comic#16/2 (June 20, 1979)
Hulk Comic#26/2 (August 29, 1979)
Hulk Comic#27/2 (September 5, 1979)
Hulk Comic#28/2 (September 12, 1979)
Hulk Comic#29/2 (September 19, 1979)
Hulk Comic#30/2 (September 26, 1979)
Hulk Comic#42/2 (December, 1979)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#2 (January, 1986)
Defenders I#152 (February, 1986) - Peter Gillis (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Dell Barras (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Black Knight II#1-4 (June-September, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas
(writers), Tony DeZuniga (#1-2) & Rich Buckler (#3-4) (pencils),
Tony DeZuniga (#1-2, 4) & Diverse Hands (#3) (inks), Mark Gruenwald
(editor)
Journey into Mystery I#513 (October, 1997) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Sal
Buscema (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Joe Andreani (editor)
Avengers III#1-3 (February-April, 1998) - Kurt Busiek (writers), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Mystic Arcana: Black Knight#1 (September 2007) - Roy Thomas (writer), Tom
Grummet (penciler), Scott
Hanna (inker), Nathan Cosby (assistant
editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
First Posted: 10/24/2004
Last updated: 04/16/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
© 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you
like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
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