The Crusader went out again, re-armed and re-armored.

[thanekos]

He was met on his way by everyone's favorite Black Knight.

That Dane Whitman met his work, first- was met by the police looking for someone who could've worked that.

He was taken into custody- one of the cops made a doubly-clever Silent Knight joke- and released when nothing definite could be proven against him.

Back at his castle, a woman called on him.





She told him the story of her husband, the Crusader.



(His ancestral legacy was probably enough to inspire setting him against the Knight here.)



The Crusader struck where Dane expected him to- at the visiting Emir of Ghulistan.



(Imagine if Greg Capullo was getting coloring and inking like this on Batman today.)



The Crusader hurled him onto the tarmac.

" Lo, unbelievers!

" ' I testify against you this day- '

" ' - that ye shall surely perish! ' "



The Crusader overpowered the Knight.

Recognizing his courage, he offered to spare him if he would take up his cause.

" I'll.. die first.. "

" So be it! You have pronounced sentence upon yourself! "

Then the maddened man's daughter ran out.



The Crusader cast aside his sword and shield.



Alas, this wasn't the last of him- he'd come to ride another banner again.

But who could blame him, when his fire was re-lit by a golden-skinned Goddess on an Infinity Crusade?

(Oh yes, pagecount- just under 7 of 22 from Avengers Spotlight #39.)

Comments

[beyondthefringe]

I've always liked the Black Knight, but again, he's a character Marvel has never known what to do with...and so much of it comes back to that bit about the Ebony Sword being cursed. He's had multiple flying horses--and a flying technosteed--, several magical swords and a shield, a lightsab-er, laser sword, he's been thrust back in time, turned into stone, and now he's over in Weirdworld watching his latest series get cancelled very very quickly.

He's always been a solid team player, as an Avenger, as part of Ultraforce (remember that?), as part of MI:13 and even leading the new Euroforce, and I think he needs to get back to being part of an appropriate team where his skills can come in handy.

[zylly]

I was always fond of the mechanical steed he'd gotten from Wundergore, and of the lightsaber he carried for a time.

But I think John Ostrander's slight retool was the best. Still got the mystical legacy, with none of the baggage of the Ebony Blade.

[silicondream]

I love the Crusader's take on church history. Not only does he think the that Crusades were awesome, he thinks that the Crusaders themselves were priests by profession. Like, he apparently went to seminary in order to learn how to stab pagans properly. This is what happens when you read manga instead of your social studies textbook.