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1. CHAPTER 11
ONCE AND FUTURE KINGS: THE RETURN OF
KING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS
Michael A.Torregrossa
fhe idea of the return of KingArthur has been an irnportant element
I of the legend since the Middle Ages. and creative artists have repre-
sented Arthur as a Once and Future King in an unprecedented number of
works during the twentieth century, an era that Valerie M. Lagorio
described as "witnessing an Arthurian renascence even greater than that of
the Victorian Age."1 Over the past one hundred years, Arthur has adoptecl
various forms, Suises, and even genders to eIlect his return in modern
works, including fiction, poetry, drama, film, television, radio, and folklore.
In particular, the comics medium-both the comic book and the comic
strip-has employed the enduring motif ofArthurt return to create imo-
vative approaches to the legend. This essay will focus on one particular
aspect ofArthurt fictional restoration in the comics by exploring his return
through reenactment.
Compared to the Arthurian legend itself, the cornics are a very young
art form. Comics historians believe that the medium originated in the
nineteenth century but the comics as we know them today, a hybrid form
of text and irnage, did nor become fixed until the early decades of the
twentieth century.2 Like other lbrms of twentieth-century populai culture,
the four-color world of the comics readily embraced the legend, and the
"Arthurian comic" has flourished since the comic strips and comic books
of the 1930s, a decade during which Milton Canifffeatured an Arthurian
episode in Dickie Dare (Associared Press, 1933*34), the strip that preceded
lls Tbrry and the Pirates, and Ralph Fuller depicted the advenrures of a
medieval peasant in King Arthur's courr in his Oaky Doaks (Associated
Press, 1935-61). Not long afterwards, Harold "Hal" R. Foster (1892-1982),

2. In a recent essay, Carl LindalJ observed that the concept of a return of
King Arthur is an example of what foiklorists rerm a belief legend, and he
, proposed several categories to describe the use of this theme in popular
belief. One of those categories was "return-through-reenactment," which
Lindahl defined as occurring when "hero worshippers restore the vanished
hero by piaying his part."6While Lindahl definition is excellenr and offers
and storytelling, Fostert Prince Valiant has been reprinted worldwide, and, a good starting point for discussion of nrythic material, his classification
like other Arthurian texts, the strip has spawned its own progeny and been
adapted to comic books, rwo feature films, and an animated series designed
for family viewing.
tir requires some modification for consideration of fictional texti, especially
'W.hile
at present the legend makes only infrequent appearances in'
cornic strips (apart from PrinceValiant),Arthurian plots and characters con- ir (in which other characters assume Arthurian roles and reenact events from
tinue to feature prominently in the comic book, a format best defined as a the Arthurian legends, such as the Grail quest or the battle to save
periodical composed of a series of comic strips.3 The series Camelot 3000 ':
Camelot); works that depict reenactment in its more corunon form as
(DC Comics,1982-85), by writer Mike'W Barr and artist Brian Bolland,
and Mage:The Hero Discouered (Comico,1984-86), by writer and artist Matt
invocation (in which the iegend itself rather than the actual return of
'Wagner, represent the corpus of cornic book study for most Arthurian
enthusiasts, but there also exists an enormous amount of lesser known
r futhur brings hope);and texts that employ the analogous theme ofArthurt
return through substitution (in which non-Arthurian characters assume the
material produced since the 1930s and 1940s.The majoriry of these works, :
'1 role ofArthur himselfbut do not specifically reenact events from his legend).
, Over the years, Arthurk return has been reenacted in various ways and
244 MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
originally the iliustrator of the Tarzan Sunday strip, abandoned the jungle
for the halls of Camelot and began the long-running and critically
acclaimed Prince Valiant in the Days oJ King Arthur (King Features Syndicate,
1937-present), which is now under the direction ofJohn Cuilen Murphy
and his son Cullen Murphy. The strip premiered on Sunday, February 13,
1,937 , ar'd chronicles the adventures of its eponymous hero, Prince Valiant
ofThule (modern Nor-way).In the formative years of the strip, Foster con-
centrated on Valiant's attempts to become a Knight of the Round Table;
later, as Arthurt knight and emissary,Valiant sought adventure all over the
world, including pre*Columbian North America. Respected for its artistry
including such recent series as Excalibur (Marvel Comics, 1988-98 and
2001), Knigh* oJ Pendragon (Vol. 2 [Marvel Comics UK Ltd., 1992*93]),
and the anthology series Legends of Camelot (Caliber Comics, 1999),
are geared for readers of all ages. However, the Arthurian legend has also ,
featured in recent years in a number of works more graphic in content and
imagery that are designed for mature readers (but, as with most comics,
are often read by younger ones as well), such as Butcher Knight (Top ',;:
Cow-Image, 2000-01), Knights of Pendragon (Vol. 1 [Marvel Comics Ltd.,
1990*91]), Knewts oJ the Round ?Zble (PAN Entertainment,lggS),and Lady
Pendragon (Maximum Press, 1996; knage Comics, 1.998-99 and
1999-200q.4 In addition to these series, other comic books have also
looked to the legend by presenting stories in which familiar characters
Disneyt Goofl, and Donald Duck, the Three Stooges, Italian comic writer
Alfredo Castellik Martin MystEre, and the perennially young teens of
Archie Comics'Riverdale have also undertaken adventures with Arthurian
THE RETURN OF I{ING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 245
like comics in general, has received little scholarly attention.s Yet writers of
the comics have made interesting use of the return of King Arthur, and
their treatment of this aspect of the legend in the context of Arthurian
literature and popular culture deserves further study.
comics. Thus, for the purposes of this discussion, I have expanded on
Lindahlt definition and divided it into three subsections: works that pre-
sent a return of Arthur through the reenactment of traditional narratives
in diverse media, and,,as is consistent with literary and cinematic tradition,
a number of comic books have included stories in which characters reen-
act thc Arthurian legend for inspiration and hope in dark and troublirig
times. A good example is James Feldert "Last Light" (in issue No. 27
$v{ay 19971) of the Marvel Comics' seies What If. . .? (Yol.2), which
chronicles episodes from alternate universes and which gets its name from
r the question asked by Marvei's writers.This particular srory from the series
appears to be influenced by events from David Michelinie's "Knightmare"
in lron Man (Yol. 1, No. 150 [September 1981]) and builds upon writer
Roy Thomast various accounts of the fall of Camelot in the Marvel
I universe (a term used to refer to the shared world of all of the comics
published by Marvel Comics).7 Felder introduces a new B1ack I{night,
' Knight, who was introduced in 1955 by Stan Lee andJoe Maneely in The
I Black Knight [1955-56]), and who vows to mainrain Arthur's dream by
LL/JJ Jvl), drru vvrrv vuwJ LU ltldrltLdlll lItLltufJ uIEdlrr uy
, fighting offa threat to its preservation.B Felder's approach toArthurt return
is comparable to the story by Charles Vess and Elaine Lee in Prince Valiant
(1994-95), the most recent comics adaptation of Foster's classic strip. In this
interact with Arthurian figures. For example, over the years, superheroes .
rt,,'Eirik Garrettson, who assumes the identity after the death of his uncle,
like Batman, Superman,'Wonder'Woman, Swamp Thing, and lron Man Sir Percy of Scandia (a Knight of the Round Table and the original Black
have all paid visits to Camelot, while non-powered heroes such as Walt ,;
themes. Despite its prevalence and endurance, however, the Arthurian comic, ,

3. 246 MiCHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
four-issue series published under the Marvel Select imprint,Valiant and his ,
extended family struggle to preserve Arthur's dreams while attempting, ;lrr
to free the deceased king's heir, the infant daughter of Valiantt son and
Modred's daughter, from the clutches of her great-grandmother Morgause.e ,,,
An even more interesting variation on the reenactment theme occurs in l
Legionnaires Annual (No. 1 [1994]), in which writers Mark Waid and Ty '
Templeton offer an "Eiseworlds," an alternate version of the DC lJniverse
(the shared world of DC Comics). In this story, the Legion of Super-
Heroes, a team of teenaged heroes based in the thirtieth century and intro-
duced by Otto Binder in Adventure Com fus (No. 247 lAprll 1958]), is made
to fit into the frame of theArthurian legend.10 Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl,
and Lightning Lad-founding members of the Legion-assume the rcles
(and the love triangle), respectively, ofArthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, while
their base on Station Avalon serves as a rype of Camelot, with the remaining
Legionnaires standing in for the Knights of the RoundTable and also under-
taking a version of the Grail quest. Cosmic Boy even reenacts a variant of
the boy king's freeing the sword from the stone when he uses his magnetic
powers to extract an antigravify mineral from a mass of molten rock.
At the most basic level of reenactment, a number of comic books merely
invoke the Arthurian legend and the hope for the future that it inspires, as
writer Chris Claremont does in the context of the comics' most popular
group, Marvel's X-Men family of titles.11 Created by Marvel legends Stan
Lee and Jack lfirby, the X-Men first appeared in 1963, as a team of
teenaged, mutant heroes led by their teacher, the telepathic Professor
Charles Xavier, a visionary who dreams that one day mutant-kind and '
bascline humaniry will bc able to coexist peacefully. Until that time, Xavier,
affectionately known as Professor X, teaches his pupils how to survive, as
the now clich6d expression goes, "in a world that'hates and fears them" :
because of the accident of genetics that bestowed their unnatural abilities ,lr
upon them. Claremont, who began to work ot X-Men in the mid-1970s,
revitalized the series. By the 1980s the X-Men were a hot properry but the
book had no connection to the Arthurian legend until the end of the
decade, when Claremont began to prepare the way for his spin-o{f series,
Excalibur.l2 First in (Jncanny X-Men (No. 229 [May 198S]), Claremont has
Roma, then guardian of the omniverse and daughter of the Marvel
Comics'version of Merlin, offer the X-Men a new chance at liG by using ,
a mystic portal she cal1s the Siege Perilous.13 But one X-Man, Colossus,
counters her proposal with these words:
'What then of the ilrcam-our teacher, ProGssor Xaviert dream-that
brouglrt us together. ../...and now more than ever, gives our lives
meaning?You call us "heroes" and "legends."To me, Roma, those are labels,
THE RETURN OF KING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 247
with little meaning. Another persont description of me, not my own. I am
Piotr Nikolieuitch Rdspustin-I arrr Colossus-I am an X-Man That is
important, that is what matters. And while I breathe, I will fight with alt my
heart for Xaviert dream, and the better world it representslla
Inspired by their teammatet eloquence, the X-Men decide that their men-
tor's dream of a peaceful coexistence is worth living for and decline Roma's
--'___D --_
proposition. The final pages of Claremont's Excalibw Special Edition, 1987
u
(1988), in a story entitled "The Sword is Drawn," develop this exchange by
discussing the need for someone new to champion Xavier's dream now that
the X-Men are believed to be dead. (In Uncanny X-Men,the X-Men fought
against an ancient evil and appeared to perish in the final, televised battle.)
In Excalibur Special Edition, 1987, a presrige format book that launched
the ongoing serres Excalibar, Phoenix II (Rachel Summers) draws an
explicit para-llel to Xaviert dream and King Arrhur's dream of Right for
Might when she explains to a group of wounded X-Men and two other
heroes with connections to the team that the sword Excalibur became the
' symbol ofArthur's dream and "the means of keeping the legend aliue and uital
through the ages."15 The name Excalibur later serves as the title of the series
as well as the appellation for the new ream founded to pay homage to both
I Arthur and the fallen X-Men. A-1so entitled Excalibur. Maruel Press Poster
(No.46 [August 1988]), with artwork by series'artisrs Alan Davis and Paul
Neary, cormnemorates this union with a spectral image of King Arthur
extending the blade of his sword over che newly formed team of heroes in
apparent approval of their evocation of his legend. In an interview with
comics historian Peter Sanderson, Claremont explained that he christened
the new team afterArthurk sword because Excalibur has a "figurative" con-
nection to the Arthurian legend:
If the X-Men are the legend of fingArthJ, then this team is striving to be
the sword that embodies that legend.As Exca.libur the sword came to sym-
bolize the dream that bound England, the ideal that inspired Arthur, so this
team of people are striving to. exempliSz the legend the X-Men have
become, so the legend wiil not be twisted, tainted, perverted, or destroyed.l6
As Phoenix reminds her friends (and Claremont's readers),Arrhur's dream
did not die; rather, it transforrned inro a legend offering hope during
increasingly troubled times. Phoenix continues, sayrng,"Tlrc X-Men thought
enough of Professor Xauier's dream to ofu up their liues. Is it so much to ask that
wefght to preserue it?The sword Excalibur represented hope. It was light in the
i' darkness oJJear and hate." She then asks her friends,"Do we want- /
-have
we the right- /
-to
snufl- it out?" The nascenr team decides rhat they

4. 248 MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
"like this dream. Itt worth fighting for," and Claremonr concludes
this work of Arthurian invocation by deciaring that "the dream is
reconsecrated. . . /...and Excalibur.../...that most ancient and noble
blade. . . ./. . .once more redrawn."17
Even though he has continued to work with both comic books and the
Arthurian legend, Claremont himself has not expanded on the aformen-
tioned connections between Arthur's and Xavier's dreams.l8 However,
Iater writers at Marvel have made some intriguing contributions to the
Arthurian mythos in the Marvel universe. For example, as revealed in a
two-part story by Fabian Nicieza in X-Force (Nos. 24-25 [July*August
1993)), Professor Xaviert rival, Magneto, takes the concept of the
otherworldly Avalon, where Arthur is said to rest untii his return, and again
combines stories by creating a new Avalon, a physical refuge for mutants,
in an orbiting space station. Appearing over the span of several years, the
rnajoriry of tlre Avalon stories occurred in Uncanny X-Men and X-Men,but
the concept was also explored by writers of other books. For instance,
although moved to the Savage Land of the Antarctic, the name Avalon
serves a similar purpose in'Warren Ellist X-Callbre (1995), one series that
chronicles the alternate timeline of "The Age of Apocalypse" crossover,
where Xavier has died but (like the team of Excalibur in the mainstream
Marvel universe) Magneto and his X-Men take up Xaviert dreams.
More recently, writer Steve Seagle rnade light of Claremont's association
of Xavier with Arthur, when, in Uncanny X- Men (No. 364 fiate June 1999]),
a reluctant X-Man refers to the X-Ment devotion to Professor X: "Ughl
Itt enough to make nte puke the way you upworlders fall a1l over your-
selves like the Knights of the Round Table trying to prop up a stricken
King Arthur!"le Such negative reaction aside, Xavier, like Arthur, none-
theless continues to inspire his X-Men (and his,readers) to dream of a
better world. Recent issues of Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, and X-Tieme X-Men
(Claremont's new book) demonstrate that the lessons Xavier teaches at
his school for the "gifted" at 1.407 Graymalkin Lane in Saiem Cenrer,
.Westchester
Counry New York, help to shape a better future where
Xaviert (and by extension Arthur's) dream could come true.20
At about the same time he began working on X-Men but over a decade
before Excalibur, Claremont invoked the legends of King Arthur and his
Knights of the R.oundTable in another origin story, that of Marvel Comics
International's Captain Britain, a British hero who combined the stu-
dious side of Spider-Mant alter-ego Peter Parker with the nationalistic over-
tones of Captain America and who later became one of the founding
members ofExcaiibur.2l In Captain Britain Nol.1, No.2 [October 20,1976]),
young research assistant Brian Braddock reaches into the stone circie, which
Claremont refers to as the Siege Perilous; chooses an arrrulet (an emblem
of life) over a sword (a symboi of death);and is transformed by Merlin into
THE RETURN OF I{ING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 249
his superheroic alter-ego Captain Britain, as Roma (here in the guise of the
Goddess of the Northern Skies) tells him to"Be one with thy brothers of
the RounilTable-with Arthur and l-ancelot, Cawain and Galahail, with them
all.. . ." Then evoking T.H.'White (or his adapters Alan Jay Lerner and
Frederick Loewe), Claremont has Roma advise the new hero: "Be thou
what they were-a /rero! Strive forever to maintain the rule of Right-of
law andjastice-against those who rule by Might."zz While Claremonr did
not remain with Captain Britain long enough to develop the new hero's
connection to King Arthur, more recent cornics writers have allowed his
creation to achieve Arthur-iike status in two alternate versions of the
Marvel universe.
The first of these subsequent reinterpretations of Captain Britain occurs
in the coming attractions publication MaruelVision (No.25 [January 1998]),
in which writer Matt Snrith rewrites the hero's origin by having Brian
Braddock perceive the true nature of Merlin and Romat testing of him.
Understanding that the talismans represent an equiiibriurn, he chooses boflz
the "amulet of life" and the "sword of death" in order to be transformed
into the "perfect man," a change that causes lnany to "believe he is Arthur
come back to life-the once and future king."23 Offering an alternate
future of the Marvel universe, a flashback in Jim Kruegert (Jniuerse X
(No. 2 [November 2000]) reveals how King Britain (the transformed
Captain Britain) came to possess Excalibur. After years of struggling to rec-
oncile his dual status as a man "dipped in magic" but "clothed in science,"
' Captain Britain eventually realizes that the choice set before him by Merlin
and Roma was, in essence, a clue to uniting the rational and the super-
natural sides of his being. As in Smith's version, he tiren claims Excalibur,
the Sword of Might that he refused in-Captain Britain (Vo1.1, No. 2), and
heals the rift within himself. Braddockt newfound sense of completeness
al1ows hirn to assume command of England in the wake of events leading
into Kruegert earlier Earth Xseries (1g9g*2OOO),when the inhabitants of
the Earth suddenly find themselves transformed into mutants.The reinter-
' pretation of Captain Britain has not been limited to alternate timelines.
Braddock also takes up the Sword of Might aS the result of events in Ben
kaab's Excalibur (YoI.2 L20011),a series with even closer ries than Krueger's
work to the mainstream continuiry of the Marvel universe. However, as
in Uniuere X, the sword is revealed to be Excalibur, and in claiming it
Braddock becomes king of Otherworld and successor to Arthur in
that realm.
Comic book writers at companies other than Marvel Comics have
invoked the legend in similar ways. One of the more recent examples
appears in a story arc written by Dan Jurgens for DC Comics' Aquaman
(Vol.5).'o Created by MortWeisinger and Paul Norris,Aquaman (the alias
ofArthur Curry) made his first appearance in More Fun Comics (No.73

5. 250 MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
[November 1941]) and was originally just a superhero who patrolled the
oceans. Over the decades, Aquaman's origin was rewritten, and writers
reintroduced him as the offspring of a woman from the undersea city of
Atlantis. After aiding the ciry several times, he eventually ascends to the
throne upon the death of its king. Later reworkings of his origin make
Aquaman's claim to the throne hereditary, since his mother is now the t
daughter of the king ofAtlantis.2s Even though he was King Arthur Cwry :',
for several decades, the obvious association with the King Arthur of
Camelot was not exploited untilJurgens's introduction to Aquaman (Yol.S,
No. 63 [anuary 2000]), in which Atlantis is described as"an underwater
Camelot, its king a monarch, a hero, and more."26The conclusion of the arc in
Jurgens's Aquaman (Vol. 5, No. 68 [June 2000]) draws a further parallel
between the two King Arthurs:Atlantis, like Camelot, will endure, "thanks
to King Arthurt vision and leadership."27 More recently, after almost sixty
years of service to the DC universe,Aquaman apparently perished inJeph '
Loebt "A Day Which Will Live in Infamy" in JLA: Our Woids at War
(No. 1 [September 2001]), but, like his namesake,Arthur Curry is a Once"
and Future I{ing who returns in a story arc inJI-A (Nos.68-75 [September
2002-January 2003]) by writer Joe I{elly. A new Aquamaa series by Rick
Veitch prerniered in February, 2003, and offers the continuing adventures
of the Sea-King, who has been granted new powers by the Lady of the
Lake and charged to use those powers to heal the world.
In addition to reenactment and invocation, the motif of substitution is a
popular approach to portraying the textual return of the king. While nar-
ratives of Arthurt restoration through substitution are certainiy the most
interesting, he is not the only figure from. the legend to return in this way
in the comics. For example, several of his knights are reincarnated in
Camelot 3000, while his half-sister Morgan Le Fay frequently appears in
various Marvel comics to take possession of her modern-day descendants.
As described here, both Captain Britain and Aquaman have recently ,,
appeared as a rype of substitute for Arthur, but the original comic book .
example of a substitute Arthur occurs in the untitled sixth story of r
Periodical House's Captain Courageous Cozlcs (No. 6 [March DaZ]), in
which young Arthur Lake draws the sword from the stone and is trans-
formed into his superheroic alter-ego, the Sword. Before every adventure,
Lake must free the sword to change himself and his friends, Lance Larter
and Moe Lynn, into their secret identities as Lancer and Mer1in.28 Although
it does not present a return of Arthur directly, a more recent example of
substitution occurs in Mike Lackeyt three-issue adaptation for Marvel
Comics (1993-94) of the syndicated, animated series King Arthur and the
Knigh* of Justice (Bohbot Entertainrnent, 1,993-95), created by Jean i
THE RETURN OF I{ING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 251
futhur King) that is taken back in time by Merlin's magic to battle the evils
of Morgana and her warlords of stone in place of King Arthur and his
knights, whom she has imprisoned.2e
A variation on this motif, in which Arthur's surrogare is manipulated
into serving in his stead, occurs in Venetian comic book writer and artist
Hugo Pratt's "I--In Songe d'un matin d'hiver," originally published in the
French comics anthology Pif Gadget in 7972. In this episode of Prattt
Le Celtiche arc, the Faerie guardians of Britain maneuver adventurer Corto
, Maltese into assuming the role of Arthur, who cannot return because he
must sleep for another five centuries, to thwart a German invasion atternpt
during World 'War I.30 Similarly, in Marvel Comics IJK's Knights oJ
Pendragon (Vols. 1-2), by Dan Abnett and John Tomlinson, the Green
Knight. an elemental being with some ries to his namesake in the medieval
' poem Sir Cawain and the Creen Knight, organizes a band of heroes to con-
tinue his eternal struggle against the evils of the Bane and their dark mas-
ter, the Red Lord. Both series suggest that King Arthur has been
reincarnated as Adam Crown, a young man who serves as one of the Green
Knight's champions.3l Marvel Comics'Black Knight III also becomes a
substitute for the absent Arthur. First introduced by Roy Thomas in The
Auengers (Vol. 1, No. 48 flanuary 1968]), this modern-day Black Knight, the
alias of DaneMhitman, has always had aspects of a Once and Future King
' about him.'Whitn.ran, a descendant of Sir Percy of Scandia, the original
Black I{night, travels (on occasion) through various time periods to rhwart
Mordred wherever and whenever he appears.32'Whitmant Arthurian par-
i allels are refined inJohn Ostrander's HeroesJor Hire (No.2 [August 1997)),
where the Lady of the Lake informs him (despite other Marvel stories to
the contrary) that Arthur is truly dead and that he is rhe currenr Pendragon,
the champion ofAvalon, and thus the successor to Arthur in this age.To
fulfiil his new role, Whitman must prepare to face a threat to Avalon, an
impending doom that has yet to be explained or Gatured in print.
Despite their variery none of the aforementioned substitute Arthurs has
achieved the populariry of Matt'Wagner's Mage trilogy, which, although still
incomplete, remains the most widely known example of the motif of sub-
stitution in Arthurian comics. ln Mage:The Hero Discouered, the first book
of the trilogy, protagonist Kevin Matchsrick encounters rhe first of three
Mages, Mirth (short for Myrddin, the'W'elsh name for Merlin), and finds
himself charged with superhuman strength and speed. Mirth later explains
that Matchstick has been empowered to combat the forces of Darkness
I (the Umbra Sprite, in this series, and his son, rhe Pale Inchanter, in the
second), and'W'agner suggests that Matchstick wili reenact the role of a
Grail knight by seeking out the Fisher King, the ultimate champion of the
Chalopin, both of which feature a college football team (led by quarterback ,,
'- forces of Light.

6. 252 MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
In spite of the fact that he employed the Malorian epitaph ("Hic iatet
Arthurus, Rex quondam Rexque futuru.s") in advertisements for the series and
offers clues throughout the series,-wagner does not reveal the identities of ': ,i
his main characters urltrl Mage:The Hero Discoyered (No. 13 [June 1986]),
after the (Jmbra Sprite's agents have killed Matchstick's friend, Edsel, about ,
midway through the issue. At this pivotal point, Mirth reveals that Edsel's
"line has always carried the weapon for you- / -awaiting
you and this j
rnJamie Delanot "The Bloody Saint" from DC comics' Hellblazer Annuar
(No. 1 U989]) featuring his cousin and heir Kon-sten-ryn (Constantine).
More recent works focus on the women of camelot. It is Guinevere who
claims Excalibur after Arthur's death and becomes champion of a Marion
ztmmer Bradley-esque Avalon in the three volumes of Matt Hawkins's
moment." Gesturing to Edsel's baseball bat, embedded lengthwise in an
upright dumpster by an angry Matchstick, the Mage then proclaims, "you
are the Penilragon, who before was called Arthur. And you cannot twn,,
back from what now has been awakened-your other half. . . /. . .yoar
weapon: Excaliburt"33 In the nexr issue (No. 14 [August 1986]), entitled, hdy Pendragon series, while Anna, Arrhur's'sisrer (inrroduced by Ceoffrey
perhaps ominously,". . .Or NotTo tse," Mirth offers a longer explanation
of each character's exact role in the narrative. Edsel is the curreniincarna-
of Monmouth in his Hktoria Regum Britanniae), awakens in Kevin
Gunstonet warrior Nun Brigantia (2000), a three-issue spin-off series of
tion of the Lady of the Lake, since her "roots, too, are ancient and./e1. She Antarctic Press's popular warrior Nan series, to face their half*sister Fata-
used to like lakes instead of cars"; Matchstick is l{ing Arthur, though "not
king exactly.And notArthur exactly," although his "heart is the heart of the
Pendragon returned-confused as it may be."3a And, as expected, Mirth
reveals himseif to be Meriin when he announces,"you see Kevin, wehave
books designed for older readers, as in PaulJenkins's Hellblazer (Nos. 111-12
[March-April 1,997)), from DC Comics'Vertigo imprint, where occuitist
John Constantine discovers rhat his drunken friend, Rich the punk, is
Arthurt descendant, or in Barry Blai/s Pendragon (1991) for Aircel Comics,
. THE RETURN OF KING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 253
traditional superheroes and are thus even more appealing to younger readers,
as in Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Suprerne (Nos. 3-4 [March and
May 1989]), a two-part story by Peter B. Giliis introducing Daftd ap Iowerth,
, a character Giilis describes as Arthurk spiritual descendant and who aids a
,: number ofsuperheroes as they confront the evils ofthe Dragon ofthe Moon.
Sometimes Arthurt relatives assufle his role. An early exampre occurs
Morgana and to recover the head of Bran the Blessed frorn her Nazi allies
duringWorld'W'ar IL
Conclusion
collectively, these examples ofArthurt return through reenactment, invo-
cation, and substitution from the comics demonstrate that, as in contem-
' porary popular fiction, film, and other media, the theme of Arthurt
: restoration remains.one of the most vital components of the Arthurian
legend.This fact appears all the more reievant as we move further into the
I fwenfy-first century and discover that, even in the new millennium, crises
of unimaginable proportions create the need for familiar heroes.36
, Undoubtedly, one such hero will be Arthur, for, as the comics discussed
illustrate, he is the Once and Future King.
Highly malieable, the Arthurian legend transmures as willingiy today
always been student and teacher. King and wrzard. Hero and Mage."3s
To complete his return, Matchstick is granted possession of Excalibur, ,t
which he reclaims from the dumpster in a scene reminiscent of Arthurt
drawing the sword from the stone. Later, some time after his deGat of the
lJmbra Sprite, Matchsrick rakes up his quest to seek out the Fisher King; r;
he begins to wander North America and confronts various supernarural
entities. Although Matchstick has yet to find the Fishcr King, his greatest ,l
challenge to date occurs in the second part of Wagner's trllogy, Mage: ,
The Hero Defined (1997-99), in which his very identiry as tire Pendragon i
is questioned. (The series wiil conclude in the projected third part of the
trilogy, Mage:The Hero Denied.)
Continuing the theme of substitution, other comic books employ the l under the guidance of each new creative artist as it transformed in the
idea of Arthurt physical descendants, who (iike his other surrogate$ Iind Middle Ages, when the core of the legend firsr evolved. The representa-
tions of Arthur in the comics-from Prince valiant to the (Jncanny X-Men
and from The Black Knight to l-ady Pendragon-are part of the corpus of
Arthurian texts. Largely neglected or ignored by Arthurian scholars, these
works chronicling the advenrures of the four-color king and his regend
deserve to be better known, as exampies both of the evolution oi the
legend and of the assimilation of Arthur into popular cukure, particulariy
themselves called upon to take up his legacy and defend the world against
the enemies of the powers of good. Such stories.appear in several comic
a two-issue series in which Valerie Pender, Arthurt female descendant, i;, youth culture. Moreover, because they represent a medium that can be
il accessed by young readers, comics allow the legends to be shared and
clad in a bikini and wielding Excalibur, emerges to aid Merlin, her college
professor at New York lJniversiry in his fight against a magic-wielding pased on to a new generation, one that can create its own Arthurian nar-
ratives and provide future returns for its beloved Once and Future King.
Mordred. Other variants of the motif ofArthurt descendants feature more .1i

7. --_--_-_
MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
Notes
This essay is based on a paper presented * Camelot 2000. I am grateful to
ProGssors C. David Benson, Mary Alice Grellner, Kevin J. Harry Eugene K.
Kannenberg,Jr., Alan Lupack,MeradithT. McMunn,ThomasJ. Roberts,Elizabeth
S. Sklar, and Charlotte T. Wdf for their continued interest in my research; to ,
Anthony and Ann Marie Torregrossa for their encouragement and support; and to
the members of the Comics Scholars Discussion List and the Arthurian Conlc ii
Book Discussion List onYahool (especially Dan Nastali, Rodney Parrish, Cory ii
Rushton, AIan Stewart, and Jason Tondro) for their input and assistance
1. Valerie M. Lagorio, "Forewordi' Interpretations 15.2 (1984): v.
2. For the history of the comics and related topics, see rhe following: Robert
L. Beerbohm and Richard D. Olson's "The American Comic Book:
1,842-1932. In the Beginning: New Discoveries Beyond the Platinum
A9.," pp. 226-34, and "The American Comic Book: 1933-Present.
The Golden Age and Beyond: Origins of the Modern Comic Book,"
pp.242-49, both in The Ouerstreet Comic Book Price Guide, ed. Robert I{.
Overstreet, 30th edn. (New York: HarperCollins, 2000) ; M. Thornas Inget
"Comic Strips: A Bibliographic Esstyl' International Journal of Comic Art 3.1
(2001):217-50 and "Cornics Books: A Bibliographic Esstyl' International
Journal of Comic Art 3.2 (2001):295*328.
3. The comic book, moreover, usualiy represents a collaborative eIlort, which
combines the talents of writer, per-rciler, inker, colorist, letterer, and editor;
comic strips, by contrast, are often the work of a single individual. Given
the limited space provided here, I will be referring to the comics by writer's ,
name, series title, issue number, publisher, and date. A listing of a1l the r
Arthurian comics cited here appears (with more complete citation infor-
mation) in the "Select Bibliography ofArthurian Comics."
4. As these titles illustrate, cornics have evolved from a medium long thought
to be merely material for children to texts that can also be appreciated by
adult readers and critics. For details on the audience of the comics, see
the foilowing works: Amy Kiste Nyberg's Seal of Approval: The Hi*0ry oJ
the Comics Code (Jackson: Universiry of Mississippi Press, 1998); Salvarore
Mondellot "Spider-Man: Superhero in the Liberal Tradition," Journal oJ
Popular Culture 10.1 (1976):232-38; Greg S. McCue and Clive Bloom's I
Dark Knighx: The New Comics in Context (Boulder: Pluto Press, 1993);
Patrick Parsonst "Batman and his Audience: The Dialectic of Culture"
in Roberta E. Pearson and William Urrichio, eds., The Many Liues of the
Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Medla (New York:
Routledge, 1991), pp. 66-89; Matthew J. Pustzt "EC Fan-Addicts
and Marvel Zombies: Historical Comic Book-Reading Communities,"
pp. 36-65, and "From Speculators to Snobs: The Spectrum of Contem-
porary Cornic Book Readers," pp. 66-109, both in his Comic Book Culturc:
Fanboys andTiue Belieuers (Jackson: Universiry of Mississippi Pres, 1999);
and Bradford W Wrighti Comic Book Nation:The TiansJormation of Youth 1:
Culture in America (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Universiry Press, 2001).
ll
THE RETURN OF KING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 255
The consensus among comics historians now is that the majoriry of comics
were never marketed exclusiveiy to a preteen audience, but the public, at
least in America, often perceived them as such.
5. In 1984, Alan Stewart became the 6rst Arthurian enthusiasr to devote his
energies to the Arthurian comic, and he later observed (in "King Arthur in
the Comics," Aualon to Camelot 2.1 (1986): 12 112*14)):,,Over the cen-
turies, the legend of King Arthur has been recounted in virtually every
medium of expression known to humankind. Most of these are represented
in Arthurian studies, but the popular artform known as the comic strip has
been largely neglected, despite the fact that comics remain one of the most
widely disseminated and expelienced media of our rime." In comparison
to the heightened interesr in Arthurian film following Kevin J. Harry,s
pioneering work in the late 1980s, litt1e has changed in the status of the
Arthurian comic as a topic for research in the years following Stewart,s
initial lament, despite the fact that the comics (with the exception of works
of popular fiction that are often equally ephemeral) exceed most other
media of twentieth-century Arthurian popular cuiture in terms of the
sheer number of items produced.At present, scholarship on the Arthurian
comics is sti1l in its infancy, but the following studies offer useful overviews
of the subject: Sally K. Slocum and H. Alan Stewart, "F:leroes in Four
Colors," in King ArthurThrough the Ages, ed Valerie M. Lagorio and Mildred
Leake Day,Vo1. 2 (NewYork: Garland, 1990), pp. 291408;AJan Srewart,
"Camelot in Four Colors: The Arthurian Legend in Comic Books,
Amazing Heroes 55 (September 15, 1984): 80-97; Alan Stewart, Camelot
in Four Colors: A Swuey of the Arthurian l-egend in Comics, Jtne 2002
(http:,//www-camelot4colors.com); and Jason Tondro,,.Camelot in
Comics," in King Arthur in Popular Cuhure, ed. Elizabeth S. Sklar and
Donald L. Ho{knan (Jefferson, NC: McFarland,2002), pp. 169-81. See
also Michael Torregrossa, "Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated
Bibliography of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States
ca. 1980-1998," Arthuiana 9.1 (1999):67-1.09, a revised version of which
appears online as part of the Arthuriana/Camelot project Bibliographies,
May 2000 (http://www.lib.rochester.edu/ camelor./ acpbibs,/comicbib.
htm).
6. Carl Lindahl, "Three Ways of Coming Back: Folkloric perspectives on
Arthur's Return," in King Arthur Morlern Return, ed. Debra N. Mancoff
(NewYork: Gariand, 1998), pp. 19 [13-29].
7. Thomas's most recent account of the fall of Camelot occurs in Roy
Thomas and DannThomas's Black KrzrgDr (Nos. 1-2 [June-July 1990]).
B. For details on the original Black Knight, see peter Sanderson, ,.Black
Knight," MarueI Age (No. 88 [New York: Marvel Comics, May 1990]):
2617;Peter Sanderson, Maruel (Jniuerse (NewYork: Harry Abrams, 1996),
p.131.
9. In addition to the reenactment noted earlier, Vess and Lee also invoke
the section titles of T. H. White's novel The Once and Future King in the
individual titles of the four issues.

8. 252 MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
ln spite of the fact that he employed the Malorian epitaph ("Hiciacet
Arthurus, Rex quondam Rexquefuturu.s") in advertisefirents for the series and ,
offers clues throughout the series,'wagner does not reveal the idenrities of
i',
his main characters :until Mage:The Hero Discouered (No. 13 [une 1986]),
after the Umbra Sprite's agents have killed Matchstick's friend, Edsel, about
midway through the issue. At this pivotal point, Mirth reveals that Edselt ,
"line has always carried the weapon for you- /
-awaiting
you and this
mornent." Gesturing to Edsel's baseball bat, embedded lengthwise in an
upright dumpster by an angry Matchstick, the Mage then proclaims,,,you
are the Pendragon, who before was called Arthur. And you cannot turn I,
back from what nou has been awakened-your other half. . . /. . .your
weapon: Excaliburl"33 In rhe next issue (No. 14 [August 1986]), entitled, .
perhaps ominously, ". . .Or NotTo Be," Mirth offers a longer explanation
ofeach character's exact role in the narrative.Edsel is the current incarna-
tion ofthe Lady ofthe Lake, since her "roots, too, are ancient and;fr7. She i
used to iike lakes insread of cars"; Matchstick is King Arthur, though,,not r
king exactly. And not Arthur exactly," although iris "heart is the heart of the
Pendragon returned-confused as it may be."3a And, as expected, Mirth '
reveals himself to be Merlin when he announces,"you see Kevir.,wehave
always been student and teacher. King and wizard. Hero and Mage.,,35
To complete his return, Matchstick is granted possession of Excalibur,
which he reclaims from the dumpster in a scene reminiscent of Arthur,s l
drawing the sword from the stone. Later, some time after his defeat of the
lJrnbra Sprite, Matchsrick takes up his quesr ro seek our rhe Fisher King;
he begins to wander North America and confronts various snpernatural
entities. Although Matchstick has yet to find the Fisher King, his greatest
challenge to date occurs in the second part of Wagnert trllogy, Mage:
The Hero Defined (1997-99), in which his very idendry as the pendragon,,,
is questioned. (The series will conclude in the prqected third part of the r,
trilogy, Mage:The Hero Denied.) ' ,
Continuing the theme of substitution, orher comic books employ the i
idea of Arthurt physical descendanrs, who (like his other surrogates) find
themselves called upon to take up his legacy and defend the world against
the enemies of the powers of good. Such stories. appear in several .omic i
books designed for older readers, as in PaulJenkins's Hellblazer (Nos. II1-12 ';
[March-April 1,997)), from DC Comics'Vertigo imprint, where occultist
John Constantine discovers that his drunken friend, Rich the punk, is
Arthur's descendant, or in Barry Bl,'ir's Pendragon (1991) forAircel Comics,
a two-issue series in which Valerie Pender, Arthur's female descendant,
clad in a bikini and wielding Excalibur, emerges to aid Merlin, her college
professor at New York lJniversiry in his fighr against a magic-wielding
Mordred. Other variants of the motif of Arthur's descendants feature more
THE RETURN OF KING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 253
traditional superheroes and are thus even more appealing to younger readers,
as in Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (Nos. 3-4 [March and
May 1989]), a rvvo-part story by Peter B. Gillis introducing Dafyd ap Iowerth,
a character Gillis describes as Arthurh spiritual descendant and who aids a
number ofsuperheroes as they confront the evils ofthe Dragon of the Moon.
Sometimes Arthur's relatives assume his role. An early exampre occurs
inJamie Delano's "The Bloody Saint" from DC Comics, HellblazerAnnual
(No. 1 [1989]) featuring his cousin and heir I{on-sten-ryn (Constantine).
More recent works focus on the women of camelot. It is Guinevere who
claims Excaiibur afrer Arthurt death and becomes champion of a Marion
zimmer Bradley-esque Avalon in the three volumes of Matt Hawkinst
Lady Pendragon series, while Anna, Arthur's sister (introduced by Geoffrey
of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae), awakens in Kevin
Gunstone's warrior Nun Brigantia (2000), a three-issue spin-off series of
Antarctic Presst popular warrior Naz series, to face their half-sister Fata-
Morgana and to recover the head of Bra, the Blessed from her Nazi allies
during WoridWar II.
Conclusion
collectively, these examples ofArthurk return through reenactment, invo-
cation, and substitution from the comics demonstrate that, as in contem-
, porary popular fiction, film, and other media, the theme of Arthur,s
Iestoration remains .one of the most vital components of the Arthurian
legend.This fact appears a1l the more relevant as we move further into the
twcnty-first century and discover that, even in the new millennium, crises
of unimaginable proportions create the need for famiiiar heroes.36
Undoubtedly, one such hero will be Arthur, foq as the comics discussed
, illustrate, he is the Once and Future King
Highly malleable, the Arthurian legend transmutes as willingly today
under the guidance of each new creative artist as it transformed in the
Middle Ages, when the core of the legend first evorved. The represenra-
tions of Arthur in the comics-fi'om prince valiant to the (Jncanny x-Men
and from The Black Knight to l-ady pendragon-are part of the corpus of
Arthurian texts. Largely neglected or ignored by Arthurian scholars, these
works chronicling the advenrures of the four-color king and his legend
deserve to be better known, as examples both of the evolution oi the
legend and of the assimilation of Arthur into popurar culture, particularly
youth culture. Moreover, because they represent a medium that can be
accessed by young readers, comics allow the legends to be shared and
passed on to a new generation, one that can create its own Arthurian nar-
ratives and provide future returns for its beloved once and Future King.

9. 256
-----.---I
THE RETURN OF KING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 257
MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
For furtlrer details on the Legion, see Les Daniels, DC Comics: Sixtyyears oJ
the World Fauorite Comic Book -FIeroes (New york: Bullfinch press-Little,
Brown, and Co., 1995), pp. 122-23. t,,
In general, the comics are full of exampies invoking the Arthurian legend,
f - -- -_-__D
such as the presence ofround tables and enchanted weapons e,rbedded in .
stones (see Tondro, "Camelot in Comics," pp. 1,7 4-77),but actual references
to Arthur and his predestined return are much rarer, as I attempt to show
here.
12 For the X-Men, see Les Da,iels, Maruel: Five Fabulous Decades oJ theWorld l
Greatest Comics (7991; New York: Harry Abrams, 1gg3), pp. 111-13, ;
167-72, 185-87, 793-95: Sanderson, Maruel (Jniuerse, pp. 208-49; peter
Sanderson, (Jkimate X-Mer (New York: Dorling Kindersley publishing,
I
2000)
13. The Siege Perilous first appeared in Claremont,s untitled origin story lor
Captain Britain in Captain Britain (yol.1, No. 1 [October 13, 1976], where
it appears to be a ring of stones, so presumably it has evolved since then,
According to Marvel continuiry, Roma is the daughter of Merlin III of
Otherworld, the Merlin who most frequently appears in comics published
by Marveii British imprint. Both also make their first appearance in
Captain Britain S/o1.1, No. 1), but subsequent texts suggest rhat this Merlin
,
is also the Arthurian Merlin (clasified as Merlin I). See Torregrosa,
" Camelot 3000 and Beyond," for further detaiis on the distinctron beftveen
these versions o[ Mer]in.
Chris Claremont, "Down Under," [Jncanny X-Men (No.229 [Newyork:
Marvel Cornics, May 1988]), p. 30. Since this is my first quore, some com-
ments need to be made concerning format. punctuation in the comics
remains erratic, while most text is presented in all capital letters. I have
endeavored to present punctuation as is (including bold and italic effects),
but I have on occasion introduced a virgule to signi$r divisions made by
panel breaks or speech balloons. Howeveq I have amended and regularized
capitalization in al1 instances to reflect more standard usage.
Chris Claremont, "The Sword is Drawn," Excalibur Special Edition, 19g7
(NewYork: Marvel Comics, 19BB), p. 46. )
Peter Sanderson, "High Caliber: The Story Behind Excalibur,', Amazing
Heroes 734 (February 1,1988): 30 [22-30).
Claremont, "The Sword is Drawn.'' pp. 46. 47,48. phoenix herself has
become the vehicle for both preserving and continuing Xavieri dream,
when she travels into the distant future to become the MotherAskani and
[orms her own band of mutant freedom fighters, as revealed in Scott
Lobdell's Aduentures of Cyclops and phoenix (Nos. 1,-4 t1994])
lndAskanion(Nos.1_4[1996])anda1sointheprequeltotheseseries,
John Francis Moore's X-Men: Phoenix (Nos. 1-3 [1999-2000]). See also
Scott Lobdell, X-Men Books of the Askani (No. 1 [1995]).
claremontl most notable combination of the two a{ter Excalibur has been
tn his Souereign Seuen (1995-98) creator-owned series for DC Comics,
10
t1
Camelot, and at least one appearance each of Excalibur and a character
presumed to be Mordred. Given these elements, one might expect
Claremont to have produced a number of Arthurian story arcs, but the
series was canceled before claremont could further develop this aspect of
the book.
19. Steve Seagle, "The Hunt for Xavier! part Five: Escape from ATcatraz,,'
Uncanny X-Mer. (No. 364 late June 1999.1), p. 11. This negative feeling
toward an Arthurian connection to the X-Men is also present in the fan
base, as evidenced by the response given byJim Mclauchlin, a columnist for
Wizard: The Comics Magazine, to another fan's suggestion of an alternate
invocation of the legend than that proposed here. clearly unaware of the
cited examples, Mclauchlin replied to Jeremy Adams of Spenceq Ohio,
"C'mon. Comics are geeky enough without some Monty python,Holy
Grail'-types wedging their way into some convoluted ,Mutants
of the Round Thble' angle" ("Magic Word,,, Wizard:The Comia Magazine
120 [September 200L): 14 [8, 10,,12-14]).
20' Like the spread ofArthur! dream through the narratives ofvarious media,
Xavier's dream and the hope for the future it provides has also been repre-
sented in a nu*ber of recent reinterpretations of the X-Men, including
Bryan Singert film X-Men (20th Century Fox, 2000),Joe Casey's X-Mei:
children of theAtom (Nos. 1-6 [Marvel comics, 1999-2000]),Mark Millar,s
uhimate x-Men (Marvel comics, February 2001?esent), and in both the
aninrated series X-Men: Euolution on the WB Network (Film Roman,
2000-present) and its more recent comic book adaptation by Devon
Grayson (Marvel Comics, February 2002gesent).
21. Sanderson, "High Caliber l' p. 27 ;Sanderson, Maruel (Jniuerse, p. 236.
22. Chris Ciaremont, "From the Holocaust-A Hero!,,, Captain Bitain
po1. 1, No,2 [Manchestcg UI{: Marvel Comics International Ltd., October
20 1976)),pp.3-4.
23. Matr Smith, "Time Sliq: Captain Britain,,, in Maruel Vision (No.25, ed,.
Timothy Touhy [NewYork: Marvel Comics,January 199g]), p. 2g [2g_291.
24. volume numbers are ofien difficult to figure out with DC comics. The
Aquaman series from L994 tq 2001 was the 6fth series caned Aquaman,b..t
Steve Horton classifies this series asvol.3, iince he treats the two Aquaman
limited series of the 1980s separately ("Aquaman: Sixty years of water-
logged adventurcs)' Comic Buyer Cuideyol.31, No. 3g [whole No. 1453]
(Septenrber 21 , 2001): 23. .122141). The ouerstreet comic Book prke cuide,
30th edn., p.275,also lists it simply as the,,3rd Series.,,
25. Michael A. chaney, "The Dismantling Evorution of Heroes: Aquamarrt
Anrputation," Internationa'l Journal of Comic Art 1.2 (Fall 1999): 56_60
[55-65]; Laura Gjovaag, "Aquaman Biography,,, The rJnoficial Aquaman
Cuide, August 2002 (http:,/,/www.eskimo.com-tegan/aqta/bios/
aquaman.html); Steve F{orton, ,'Aquaman,,,
p p.22_24;LenWern and Marv
Wolfman, "Aquaman," in W4ro! Who: The Defnitiue Directory of the DC
Uniuerse No. 1 (NewYork: DC Comics, March 19g5), p. 19.
14
15.
t6.
17
18
which features a character named Toby Merlin, a military base cailed Camp

10. MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
26. Dan Jurgens, "King Arthur," Aquaman, (Vol. 5, No. 63 [New York: DC
Comics, January 2000]), p. 3. But see 'Iondrro, "Camelot in Comicsl'pp.
176J7, for suggestions that an earlier writer on the series, Peter David, wu
also using Aquaman to reenact the Arthurian legend. In addition to David's
run on the series, a story apparently outside ofregular continuity appears in
"Battle Royal" in Aduentures in the DC Uniuerse, No. 15 [June t99B], where
'
writer SteveVance presents the Lady of the Lake in need of a time-traveling
Aquaman to free Excalibur from an underwater stone before she can bestow
it upon his more famous namesake.
27. Dan Jurgens, "Blood Rea1m," Aquaman C/ol. 5, No. 68 [NewYork: DC
Comics,June 20001), p. 21.
28
29.
For details on the Sword, see Bill Nolan's "The Sword!," Pure Excitemenl
Comks (YoI. 1, No. 12 [August 1999]) <http://www.fortunecirycom/
victorian/hartford/ 103 / LZintrol.html>
The treatment of Arthur's return here might be inspired in part by
Babs H. Deal's The Crail:A Novel (1963),which features a reenactment 0f
Arthurian characters in a college footbail coach, his wife, and his star quar-
terback (Raymond H. Thompson, "Deal, Babs H[odges)," in The New"
Arthurian Encyclopedia,ed. Noriis Lacy [New York: Garland, 1996], p. 1121.
However, in the cartoon, Arthur King is the quarterback, his best friend
Lance has no Gelings toward Guinevere, and Merlin assumes the role of I
coach (as made explicit in an episode entitled "The High Ground").
30. With the exception of the radio dranl- The Sauiours: Seuen Plays on One',:l
Theme (1942) by Clemence Dane lWinifred Ashton] where Arthur returns
as the lJnknown Soldier,Arthur's reappearance during-WorldWar I is some-
thing of a rariry yet Pratt makes interesting use of the Arthurian legend here.
In addition to characters from Shakespeare'i play A Midsummer Night Dreant
invoked in the tide, Merlin and Morgana are among the islandt guardians,
while, borrowing episodes from Geoflrey of Monmouth, Rowena, a
German spy and the wife of an Englishman namedVortigern, and her two
brothers, Hengist and Horsa, engineer the plot against England.
31 . Originally, Abnet and Tomlinson claimed that the Pendragons were
only empowered by the various spirits of the Pendragon that once possessed
the Knights of the Round Table (e.g., Captain Britain is early on
possessed by the spirit of Lancelot and struggles against a friend possesed
by the Pendragon of Gawain, which forces him to reenact that knightt
search for the Green Chapel), but, in the second volume, they suggest that
all of the Pendragons, and not just Adam Crown, were reincarnations o[ I
Arthurian Itgures
32. For example, due to Merlint machinations,'Whitman spends time in the
twelfth century aiding Richard I at the Crusades because Mordred has
allied with Prince John, as revealed in Steven Englehart's "A Dark and I
Stormy Knight" in The DeJenders (Vol. 1, No. 11 [December 1973]). For ,
further details on Whitmani adventures as the Black Knight, see Stewart,
"Cameiot in Four Co1ors," pp. 84-86.
THE RETURN OF KING ARTHUR IN THE COMICS 259
Matt Wagner, "Mark Me," Mage:The Hero Discouered (No. 13 [Norristown,
PA: Comico, June 19861), pp. 20-21,.
Matt
-Wagner,
". . .Or Not to Be," Mage: The Hero Discouered (No. i4
[Norristown, PA: Comico,August 1986]), p. 9.
Wagner, ". . .Or Not to Be," p. 1 1.
Although no comic book has yet brought Arthur back to face the new
post-September 11,, 2001 threats,. the comics have exalted some of the
9/1 t heroes. See, e.g. Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynskit 9/ 1 1 tribute
in The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2, No. 36 [Marvel Comics, December
2001]), where Spider-Man states, "with our costumes and our powers we
are writ small by the true heroes. . .Ordinary men. Ordinary woilren.
Made extraordinary by acts of compassion. And courage. And terrible
sacrifice" (10-1 1).
Select Bibliography of Arthurian Comics
Although the comics are, in general, a collaborative medium, titles are listed
here by writer on1y. Series with Arthurian content are listed in one entry
for the entire run of the series, while single, Arthurian-themed issues are
listed separately.'Where relevant, reprint information is included.
References
Abnett, Dan and John Tomlinson. Knights of PendragonYol. 1, Nos. 1-18 (London
Marvel Comrcr' ttd., |"ly 1990-Decemb er L99 1).
-.
Knight of PendragonYol. 2, Nos. 1-15 (London: Marvel Comics UK Ltd.,July
1992-September 1993). [The first four issues were titled Pendragon.)
Barr, Mike W. Camelot -1000 Nos. 1-12 (New York: DC Comics, December
1982-Apr11 1985). Rpt. in a collected edition as Camelot -i000. NewYork: DC
Comics, 1988.
Biondolillo,Tom. "The Story of Sir Geraint & Lady Enid." ltgends of Camelot: Quest
for Honor (Plymouth, MI: Caliber Comics, 1999).
Blair, Barry. Pendragon Nos. 1-2 (Westlake Village, CA: Aircel Comics-Malibu
Graphics Publishing Group, November-December 1991).
Caniff, Milton. Dickie Dare. NewYork:Associated Press, 1933-34. Rpt. in a col-
lected edition as The Complete Dickie Dare. Agoora, CA: Fantagraphics Books,
April 1986.
Captain Courageous Comics No. 6/6 (NewYork: Periodical House/Ace Magazine,
March L942).
Claremont, Chris. Untitled. Captain BritainYol. 1, No. 1/1 ([Manchester, UK]:
Marvel Comics International Ltd., October 1.3, 1976): 1-7. Rpt. tn Captain
Britain Annual No. 1. Manchester, IJK: World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.,
1978.Pp.5-L1,.
33
34
35.
36.

11. r
260 MICHAEL A, TORREGROSSA
claremont, chris. "From the Holocaust-A Hero!" captain Britainyol.l, No.2/1
([Manchester, UK]: Marvel Comics Internarional Ltd., October 20, 1976):2_9.
Rpt. in captain Britain Amual No. 1. Manchester, LJK: world Distributors
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12. 262 MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA
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CHAPTER 12
CAMELOT ON CAMERA:THE ARTHURIAN
LEGENDS AND CHILDREN'S FILM
Barbara Tepa Lupack
rlrhe Arthurian legends have had a deep and pervasive influence on
I populr, culture, especially film. As Kevin J. Harry who has written
extensively and incisively about Arthurian cinema, observed, "since 1904
the major names in the film industry both before and behind the camera
have been associated with Arthurian film."l Parsifal (1904), for example, an
attempt to capitalize upon the successful NewYork production of Wagnert
opera at the Metropolitan Opera Flouse in NewYork in late December,
1903, was the earliest American Arthurian film and the most ambitious and
costly film Edwin S. Porter made whiie working for the Thomas A. Edison
Company. LJnusual for its length as well as for its elaborate sets and trick
photography (action shot from the audienceh point ofview and exagger-
ated acting to suggest that the actors are actually singing), Parslfal|radtobe
withdrawn from circulation because of copyright problems.2 Other
Arthurian silent films followed, including'I-,auncelot and Elaine (Vitagraph,
1909; dir. Charies Kent), based onTennysont poem from th; Idylls of the King
and hailed for its artistry in blending action with narration and for innova-
tive cinematic techniques that included shots inside a dark cave and ciose-ups
of the tournament in which Launcelot fights to win the queent favor,3 and
The l-ady of Shalott (Vitagraph, 1915; dir. C.Jay.William$, which also drew on
Tennyson's poetry for inspiration, although for more comedic purposes.a
Among these early Arthurian films was one of particular significance.
Knights oJ the SquareTable, orThe Crail (Edison, 7917; dir.Alan Crosland)
reflected the attempts by Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the scout-
ing movement, to modei the organization in part on the fellowship of the
Round Table.'With a screenplay written by the National Fieid Scout
(New York: DC Cornics, February
Nos. 1-4 (NewYork: Marvel Comics,

13. STUDIES IN ARTHURIAN AND
COURTLY CULTURES
The dynamic {ield ofArthurian Studies is the subject for this book series, Sludles in Arthutian
and courtly cultures, which explores the great variery of literary and cultural expression
inspired by the lore of KingArthur, the RoundTable, and the Grail. In forms that range from
medieval chronicles to popular films, from chivalric romances to contemporary comics, from
magic realism to feminist fantasy-and from the sixth through the twenfy-first centuries-
few literary subjects provide such fertile ground for cultural elaboration. Including works in
Iiterary criticism, cultural studies, and history, Stadles in Arthutian and Courtly Cukures high'
tighs the most significant new Arthurian Studies.
Bonnie Wheeler, Southern Methodkt Uniuersity
Series Editor
Editorial Board:
James Carley, York University
Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, Ameican University
Virginie Greene, Haruard Uniuersity
Siin Echard, (Jniuersity of Britkh Columbia
Slraron Kinoshite,University of Callfornia, Santa Cruz
Alan Lupack, Uniuersity of Rochester
Andrew Lynch, university of Western Atstralia
ADAPTING THE ARTHURIAN
LEGENDS FOR CHILDREN
ESSAYS ON ARTHURIAN
JUVENILIA
Edited by
Barbara Tbpa Lupack
paleF#g