KID GAWAINE

Real Name: ?? Gawaine

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Priest;
formerly boxer

Group Membership: None;
formerly owned by Phoenix

Affiliations: Crusher (Juan Aponte), Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Pop Fenton

Enemies: Dr. Jakkelburr, Phoenix (Kragg, others), Slugger Sloan, Sparky

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New  York City, New York

First Appearance: Daredevil I#68 (September, 1970)

Powers/Abilities: Kid Gawaine was once a highly trained boxer.

History:

(Daredevil I#68 (fb) – BTS) – A young middleweight boxer named Kid Gawaine was trained by Pop Fenton, and eventually purchased by the mysterious sports syndicate, the Phoenix, which was owned by Kragg. 

(Daredevil I#68) – While Phoenix agents watched, Gawaine trained. Blind attorney Matt Murdock asked Gawaine to take him to Fenton, stating that his father, Battling Murdock, had trained with Fenton years before. Fenton and Murdock bonded, then Murdock asked questions about Phoenix. Fenton claimed they were bad news and suspected that they might set Gawaine up, shocking the young boxer. Suddenly, Kragg and his allies ran in with guns, punching Fenton aside and accosting Murdock. Gawaine started fighting Kragg's men, giving Murdock a chance to escape. Kragg threatened Gawaine, telling him to throw his next fight or face danger. Gawaine thought things over the next 24 hours and Phoenix agents attacked him to rough him up, but Daredevil arrived and helped Gawaine fight them off. Gawaine easily made his decision to not throw the fight at that point, and heard from Daredevil that Murdock had asked him to keep an eye out on Gawaine. Gawaine prepared for his fight with Slugger Sloan. Gawaine called and told Kragg no, then was knocked out with a nerve pinch from behind by Murdock, who posed as Gawaine and entered the ring. Gawaine woke up in time to help Daredevil take down Kragg. As he advanced, he was shot, and was rushed off for medical care with Fenton at his side.

(Daredevil I#119 (fb) – BTS) – Fenton got a neighborhood grant to reopen Fogwell's Gym as a local sports center. Gawaine, meanwhile, gave up his fighting career to become a priest, now known as Father Gawaine. Both Fenton and Gawaine started working with young Juan Aponte, a young bantamweight fighter known for being overzealous. Aponte became involved with Dr. Jakkelburr, who was seeking to turn Aponte into the deadly Crusher.

(Daredevil I#119) – Fenton stopped to see Murdock and took him back to Fogwell's Gym to show him the progress there, and Gawaine met them there. They asked for Murdock's legal help with Aponte, but all three men were accosted by Jakkelburr's men, including Sparky, who isolated Murdock in the locker room and tied up Gawaine and Fenton, all at Jakkelburr's instructions. Gawaine tried calming Aponte, but he turned into the Crusher and fell through the floor. As Crusher fought Daredevil, he batted Gawaine aside, but narrowly saved Gawaine and Fenton from being crushed. Daredevil apprehended Jakkelburr while Fenton saw Aponte slowly die.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, and Syd Shores.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Kid Gawaine has no known connections to

• Gawain, of the Knights of the Round Table @ Black Knight Comics#1
• Gawain, Knights of Pendragon member, robot from Questworld @ Knights of Pendragon II#1
• Gawain of the Knights of the Banner @ 2099 Unlimited#1
• or any other "Kid" or "Gawain" characters

Slugger Sloan

(Daredevil I#68 (fb) - BTS) – A middleweight boxer, Slugger Sloan was scheduled to fight against the up-and-coming Kid Gawaine. Sloan was told by Kragg, of the syndicate Phoenix, that the fight was rigged.