Knights of Pendragon
The Knights of Pendragon are a fictional team of heroes featuring in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters appeared in two series published by imprint Marvel UK between 1990 and 1993. The first incarnation was written by Dan Abnett and John Tomlinson, with art by Gary Erskine. The series featured a mixture of new and extant characters, and takes place in the shared Marvel Universe.
Creation and publication history
The Knights of Pendragon | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel UK |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Genre | Fantasy |
Publication date | July 1990 – December 1991 |
No. of issues | 18 |
Creative team | |
Written by | Dan Abnett John Tomlinson |
Penciller(s) | Gary Erskine |
Inker(s) | Andy Lanning |
Editor(s) | Steve White |
First series
The Knights of Pendragon was Marvel UK's third attempt at producing an American-format 'book length' comic series, following
The series featured extant British-based characters including former Captain Britain supporting character Dai Thomas and Union Jack, a costumed hero originally created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins for The Invaders, as well as new creations. It also featured appearances by Captain Britain himself and the Weird Happenings Organisation, both then featuring in the popular American Excalibur series. Promotional adverts featured art by Alan Davis and prominently featured Captain Britain, leading to some complaints when the character's role was more peripheral.[2] Davis himself would later criticise the portrayal of Captain Britain in the series.[3] Union Jack's costume was redesigned to play down similarities between his costume and apparel worn by right-wing groups such as the National Front.[4]
Davis was initially planned to do the series' covers, but after being misinformed about the front page graphic layout withdrew after completing the first five, feeling it was making his work look bad.[3] Instead, a variety of prominent British artists contributed – including Simon Bisley, Mark Farmer, John Bolton, Doug Braithwaite, Colin MacNeil, Dermot Power and Liam Sharp. Initial sales were reportedly strong,[1] leading to the initial planned six issue limited series being extended to an ongoing title.[2] In the title's letters page, "Pendragon to Paper", editor Steve White noted the title had received criticism it was attempting to "batter [the] readers into an ecological submission with saturation attacks each issue".[5] The series received limited distribution in America.
Later issues featured guest appearances by several prominent Marvel superhero characters including Iron Man, the Black Panther, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. As noted ruefully by the publication's own letters pages, these appearances were not reciprocated by Marvel UK's parent companies beyond a sideways reference in the pages of Excalibur.[6] The series lasted 18 issues – eight more than Dragon's Claws and Death's Head – before finally being cancelled in December 1991.[7][1]
Collected editions
Plans to collect the first six issues in a trade paperback while the series was still running ultimately failed to come to fruition. In 2009 Panini Comics, owner of Marvel UK since the company's mid-1990s collapse, issued the first nine issues in a trade in 2009.[8] The rest of the series would be uncollected until 2020, when Marvel issued an oversized omnibus collecting both series of the title.[9][10]
Knights of Pendragon | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel UK |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Genre | Superhero |
Publication date | July 1992 – September 1993 |
No. of issues | 15 |
Creative team | |
Written by | Dan Abnett John Tomlinson |
Penciller(s) | Phil Gascoine John Royle |
Inker(s) | Adolfo Buylla |
Second series
Partway through the first series Paul Neary took over from Ian Rimmer as Marvel UK editorial director (effectively the imprint's editor-in-chief). He planned an aggressive tilt at the lucrative American market, and rapidly commissioned a slew of American-format titles, material from which would be featured in anthology Overkill for the domestic market. John Freeman pitched a follow-up called Armageddon Knights in late 1993, but never received a response; the story, which featured Grace and Union Jack, would have wrapped up loose-ends from the preceding series.[11] Instead, Neary instigated a different revival of Knights of Pendragon, initially called (and occasionally referred to for clarity in later material as) Pendragon II. Neary liked the concept of the original series but felt it had lost focus as it progressed. He commissioned original writers Abnett and Tomlinson to make a sequel that made the theme reborn Arthurian heroes more explicit and consistent, while retaining the ecological themes.[12] The new series began in summer 1992.
Erskine was moved over to another new title,
The series ended abruptly in 1993 after 15 issues after the summer collapse of the comic market led to mass cancellations of Marvel UK titles.[14]
Later appearances
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2023) |
Fictional history
The team was formed to be agents of the Green Knight, an aspect of the Green Man; a mystical entity representing the natural cycle and spiritual growth. The Knight is in ageless conflict with the Bane, an unnatural destructive force of warfare and winter. The Green Knight invests power, in the form of a possessing spirit bestowing powers, to various groups throughout British history, to protect nature; one such group were the original Knights of the Round Table; the Knights of Pendragon are a modern-day incarnation.
Widowed
"A bargain between man and the great wild force that should stand forever, that neither should take more than he can give back...destroy more than he can replace...strike deep, and refuse to accept a blow in return."
Man had forgotten that pact, and so the Knight was lashing out in pain. Gawain sacrifices his Pendragon power to partially heal the Knight, and also to spark the creation of another Pendragon group.[15]
Thomas' next assignment is to find the identity of vicious, misogynistic serial killer The Jigsaw Man, who is butchering successful women in
Kate and Ben begin a relationship, much to the chagrin of the jealous Joe, while Grace and the Bane continue their attacks. The Omni Corporation targets
Grace's conversion and subsequent membership in the Knights of Pendragon attracts the attention of Omni's owners, Mys-Tech. While Grace, Adam and Peter explore the Green Chapel in Avalon, Union Jack comes under attack from malfunctioning robots at Questworld, a new Arthurian theme park in Darkmoor. The robot facsimile of Gawain at the park, meanwhile, becomes the vessel for the spirit of Gawain himself. As Questworld features robotics from Stark Industries, Union Jack calls in Iron Man to assist. Afterwards, Union Jack convenes with the other Pendragons, who have found powerful armour in the Green Chapel. The rampaging Gawain robot is tracked by the Black Knight, observed by Mys-Tech agent Magpie and journalist Jane Breeze. When they try to seize the robot the Pendragons and Iron Man intervene, and Gawain joins the team – while Jane explains she had been duped by Mys-Tech. The group convenes at the Green Chapel. Meanwhile, a man called Iain Guthrie is tricked into triggering a nuclear leak at Cape Wrath by the Bane; following Jane's visions the Pendragons arrive and Gawain is able to talk Guthrie into not triggering a full meltdown.[18]
Breeze joins the group.[19] The Pendragons respond to a call for help from the world of Arakne, being attacked by the Warheads. Envoy Arrakyl took the Pendragons to the Gossamer Tower where they found the world's Spider-God resembled Spider-Man, who was under attack from Malekyth. The group were ultimately able to persuade Liger, Misha and Stacy of the Warheads that their attack on Arakne was wrong, and Malekyth was driven off.[20] The Pendragons also battled Shadow Wing, one of the Bane, foiling his plans to complete a devastating spell known as the Seeds of Winter.[21]
Mys-Tech stepped up their campaign against the team by allying with Union Jack's old enemy Baron Blood. Grace feigned returning to the service of the Bane and pretended to lure Union Jack to the Omni Corporation tower as a human sacrifice. However, once he arrived the pair worked together to defeat the vampire.[22] Next Mys-Tech used the Un-Earth to poison the Green Knight, causing chaos in London via the monster Skire, who Adam was eventually able to defeat.[23] With the aid of Death's Head, Wolverine, Dark Angel, Doctor Strange and Professor X the Pendragons were able to prevent Un-Earth from activating.[24]
The Pendragons' work on Arakne had inadvertently damaged Earth-313, and the Lemurians of that world hired Death's Head to kill them in return. The biomechanoid attacked the Green Chapel, briefly allying with Magpie, but eventually realised he had been misled. Death's Head destroyed Magpie and the Pendragons were able to foil another attempt to manifest the Red Lord before aiding the people of Earth-313 in repairing the damage they had done.[25]
When the alien Skrulls invaded Avalon the Green Knight was decapitated by a Super-Skrull and the Pendragon Force was briefly controlled by the Skrulls and redistributed to empower the Skrull soldiers attacking London. With the failure of their invasion, the Green Knight was restored and the Skrulls lost control of the Pendragon Force.[volume & issue needed]
The Pendragons were part of the final battle against Mys-Tech. Years later, Dai, Kate, Union Jack, an elderly Albion, and new ally Pete Wisdom united to stop Omni-Corporation from digging up an old Mys-Tech base in the Lake District. The base contained perverted zombie clones of the original Round Table (complete with "Zombie Excalibur") who wanted to slaughter and return Britain to a distorted Dark Ages, and sent a defeated Albion to Psycho-Wraith Prime. Wisdom turned the tide by reawakening the Green Knight in a new form, representing the best of modern Britain.[26] Albion was used as part of a portal to bring Mephisto's Hell to Earth but the Knights helped stop it. Afterwards, the team disbanded again.[27]
Collected editions
Title | ISBN | Release date | Issues |
---|---|---|---|
Knights of Pendragon Volume 1 – Once and Future | 9781846534317 | October 2009 | Knights of Pendragon (Vol. 1) #1–9 |
Knights of Pendragon Omnibus | 9781302931834 | 13 September 2022 | Knights of Pendragon (Vol. 1) #1–18, (Vol. 2) #1-15, Mys-Tech Wars #1-4, Dark Guard #1-4 |
Reception
Alan Stewart's Arthurian comic guide Camelot in 4 Colors felt the first series was "one of the most intriguing and original Arthurian comics series that has yet appeared", but that the second was much less successful as it strove to be "a more conventional (and commercial) superhero team comic book".[28] In a retrospective review for Now Read This, Win Wiacek described the collection of the first nine issues as "a pivotal moment in British mainstream comics".[29]
Comic Book Resources listed the Pendragons as one of '10 Marvel Teams Built Around Magic'.[30]
References
- ^ a b c Lowrey, Nigel (August 2008). "The Saga of Captain Britain". Back Issue! (29). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 42.
- ^ a b c Steve White (w). "Pendragon 2 Paper" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 6 (December 1990). Marvel UK.
- ^ Fantagraphics Books.
- ^ Steve White (w). "Pendragon 2 Paper" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 10 (April 1991). Marvel UK.
- ^ Steve White (w). "Pendragon 2 Paper" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 7 (January 1991). Marvel UK.
- ^ Steve White (w). "Pendragon 2 Paper" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 11 (May 1991). Marvel UK.
- ^ Steve White (w). "Pendragon 2 Paper" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 17 (November 1991). Marvel UK.
- ^ Freeman, John (24 February 2009). "Knights of Pendragon Collection Planned". downthetubes.net.
- ^ Freeman, John (8 January 2023). "First Look: Knights of Pendragon Marvel Omnibus". downthetubes.net.
- ^ Comments, Rich Johnston (2 May 2021). "Six Marvel Omnibus Collections For January and February 2022". bleedingcool.com.
- ^ ""Genesis '92": Looking Back and What Might Have Been". Down the Tubes. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- Fantagraphics Books.
- ^ Woollcombe, Alan R. (March 1993). "True Brit". Wizard. No. 19. Wizard Entertainment.
- ^ Robot, Slow (24 October 2014). "STARLOGGED – GEEK MEDIA AGAIN: 1994: COMIC WORLD REPORTS THE MARVEL UK GENESIS MASSACRE".
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), Gary Erskine (p), Andy Lanning (i). Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 1-6 (July – December 1990). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), Gary Erskine (p), Andy Lanning, Bambos Georgiou (i). "The Wounded Land" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 7-12 (January – June 1991). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), Gary Erskine (p), Andy Lanning, Bambos Georgiou (i). "The Sleeping Lord" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 1, no. 13-18 (July – December 1991). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), Phil Gascoine (p), Adolfo Buylla (i). Knights of Pendragon, vol. 2, no. 1-4 (July – October 1992). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), John Royle (p), Adolfo Buylla (i). Knights of Pendragon, vol. 2, no. 5 (November 1992 –). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), John Royle (p), Martin Griffiths; Bambos Georgiou; Michael Eve (i). "Crawl-Space" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 2, no. 6-9 (December 1992 – March 1993). Marvel UK.
- ^ Skip Dietz (w), Hoang Nguyen (p), Don Hudson (i). "Knights of Pendragon" Marvel Comics Presents, vol. 1, no. 122 (January 1993). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), Terry Clark, John Royle (p), Martin Griffiths (i). "Crawl-Space" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 2, no. 6-9 (April – May 1993). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), John Royle (p), Jeff Anderson (i). "King Pain" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 2, no. 12 (June 1993). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett (w), Bryan Hitch (p), Jeff Anderson (i). Mys-Tech Wars, vol. 1, no. 1-4 (March 1993 – June 1993). Marvel UK.
- ^ Dan Abnett, John Tomlinson (w), John Charles, John Royle, John Ross (p), Martin Griffiths, Jeff Anderson (i). "Night of the Hunters" Knights of Pendragon, vol. 2, no. 6-9 (July – September 1993). Marvel UK.
- ^ Revolutionary War: Knights of Pendragon by Rob Williams and Will Sliney(2014)
- ^ Revolutionary War: Omega by Andy Lanning, Alan Cowsill and Rich Elson (2014)
- ^ "Camelot in Four Colors, Part 2". camelot4colors.com.
- ^ "Knights of Pendragon: Once and Future". 19 October 2010.
- ^ Grant, Timothy (22 November 2022). "10 Marvel Teams Built Around Magic". CBR.
External links
- Knights of Pendragon at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Knights of Pendragon (1990) at the Grand Comics Database
- Pendragon at the Grand Comics Database
- Knights of Pendragon (1992) at the Grand Comics Database