Knight (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Knight is the name of two fictional comic book
superhero
es who are properties of DC Comics
.
Percival Sheldrake debuted as the Knight in Batman
#62 (December 1950), and was created by Bill Finger
and Dick Sprang
. Cyril Sheldrake debuted as the Knight in JLA
#26 (February 1999), and was created by Grant Morrison
and Howard Porter
.
#62 (Dec 1950/Jan 1951) in a story entitled "The Batman of England!" He is a British vigilante who models himself after the Knights of the Round Table, and also after Batman, including having a teenage sidekick, the Squire
. He is really Percy Sheldrake, Earl of Wordenshire, and the Squire is his son Cyril. Instead of a Bat-Signal he is summoned by ringing the Wordenshire church bell. Before the Crisis on Infinite Earths
the Knight is a member of the Batmen of All Nations
, also known as the Club of Heroes. In current continuity, this group has been replaced by the first incarnation of the Global Guardians
.
It is later revealed that Percy had begun his heroic career as Squire to the Shining Knight
during World War II
.
at the end of JLA
#26 (Feb 1999). The subsequent appearance of the Corps in JLA Classified establishes that he is Cyril Sheldrake, who inherited both the title of Earl and that of the Knight when his father was killed by his archenemy, Springheeled Jack. The second Knight rides a motorbike, and has a squadron of miniaturized Spitfire
s under his control. He is assisted by the third Squire, Beryl Hutchinson. He does not get on with fellow member Jack O'Lantern
. He appears, alongside the Club of Heroes, in Batman #667-669 and, with the Squire (Beryl), in Batman #679 (RIP
).
(the current Batman
, who as of the time was still Nightwing
, de facto leader of the Network) in quelling the chaos in Gotham which erupted with the rumors of Batman's death.
, Squire, and Batman, is the first one to see the corpse of Batman (Bruce Wayne) returned to life. However, they soon discover that the corpse was in fact a clone
of Batman, and not Batman himself. This copy has a defect, making him mad and impossible to control.
has written a six-issue Knight and Squire limited series
with artist Jimmy Broxton and cover artist Yanick Paquette
. The first issue was published in October 2010.
As shown in the limited series, the Knight is still based in Sheldrake Castle, Great Worden, Wordenshire, which has been equipped in a similar manner to the Batcave
. The Knight's current motorcycle is named Anastasia, after Dan Dare
's spaceship, and has a stylised horse's head. Anastasia has a chemical tracking system built into her "nose".
The Knight is portrayed as something of an elder statesman to other British superheroes, including Captain Cornwall (the heir to Merlin
's power) and Rush Hour I to III (an Asian British family of speedsters). He is also on good terms with some "villains" who duplicate the gimmickry of Batman villains without actually committing any crimes, such as Jarvis Poker, the British Joker
. The Knight and Squire have a longstanding enmity with agents of an alternate universe
in which Britain is a fascist
state.
In #4, it is revealed that, shortly after his father's death, Cyril sank into a drunken state, before being rescued by Beryl. During this period he was briefly a villain, paying off gambling debts to a criminal named Mad Hat Harry.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es who are properties of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
Percival Sheldrake debuted as the Knight in Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#62 (December 1950), and was created by Bill Finger
Bill Finger
William "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development...
and Dick Sprang
Dick Sprang
Richard W. "Dick" Sprang was an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on the superhero Batman during the period fans and historians call Golden Age of Comic Books. Sprang was responsible for the 1948 redesign of the Batmobile and the original design of the Riddler, who...
. Cyril Sheldrake debuted as the Knight in JLA
JLA (comic book)
JLA was a monthly comic book published by DC Comics from January 1997 to April 2006 featuring the Justice League.-Publication history:The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books by the mid-1990s prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team on a single title...
#26 (February 1999), and was created by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and Howard Porter
Howard Porter
Howard Porter is an American comic book artist from southern Connecticut.-Biography:Porter graduated from Paier College of Art in Connecticut where he majored in illustration. One of his teachers there was Frank McLaughlin...
.
Percival Sheldrake
The first Knight first appeared in BatmanBatman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#62 (Dec 1950/Jan 1951) in a story entitled "The Batman of England!" He is a British vigilante who models himself after the Knights of the Round Table, and also after Batman, including having a teenage sidekick, the Squire
Squire (comics)
Squire is the name of three fictional characters, they are comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Percival Sheldrake debuted as the Squire in Young All-Stars #21 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Michael Bair. Cyril Sheldrake debuted as the Squire in Batman #62 , and was created by Bill...
. He is really Percy Sheldrake, Earl of Wordenshire, and the Squire is his son Cyril. Instead of a Bat-Signal he is summoned by ringing the Wordenshire church bell. Before the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
the Knight is a member of the Batmen of All Nations
Batmen of All Nations
Batmen of All Nations were a group of superheroes who were inspired by Batman to fight crime in their countries. The group first appeared in Detective Comics #215. Later the Batmen of All Nations were renamed the International Club of Heroes, often known as just the Club of Heroes...
, also known as the Club of Heroes. In current continuity, this group has been replaced by the first incarnation of the Global Guardians
Global Guardians
The Global Guardians is a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes whose members hail from countries around the world. The concept originated in the Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon, in which several heroes were added to the Justice League to give it more ethnic diversity.-History:The...
.
It is later revealed that Percy had begun his heroic career as Squire to the Shining Knight
Shining Knight
Shining Knight is the name of three comic book superheroes that have appeared in books published by DC Comics. The original Shining Knight, Sir Justin, was created by Creig Flessel and first appeared in Adventure Comics #66 .-Sir Justin:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Cyril Sheldrake
The second Knight first appears in a group shot of the Ultramarine CorpsUltramarine Corps
The International Ultramarine Corps, formerly the Ultramarine Corps, is a fictional team of superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in DC One Million #2 , and were created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter....
at the end of JLA
JLA (comic book)
JLA was a monthly comic book published by DC Comics from January 1997 to April 2006 featuring the Justice League.-Publication history:The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books by the mid-1990s prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team on a single title...
#26 (Feb 1999). The subsequent appearance of the Corps in JLA Classified establishes that he is Cyril Sheldrake, who inherited both the title of Earl and that of the Knight when his father was killed by his archenemy, Springheeled Jack. The second Knight rides a motorbike, and has a squadron of miniaturized Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s under his control. He is assisted by the third Squire, Beryl Hutchinson. He does not get on with fellow member Jack O'Lantern
Jack O'Lantern (DC Comics)
Jack O'Lantern is the name of several fictional characters published by DC Comics.-Daniel Cormac:The first Jack O'Lantern is Daniel Cormac of Ireland, who was born to a poor farmer who was granted a magic lantern by an Irish fairy. Cormac is a member of the Global Guardians, the international group...
. He appears, alongside the Club of Heroes, in Batman #667-669 and, with the Squire (Beryl), in Batman #679 (RIP
Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
).
Batman: Battle for the Cowl
In Battle for the Cowl, The Knight, along with Squire, is a member of the Network, a group of heroes whom the Bat-Family trusted to assist them if the need arose. Knight is seen assisting Dick GraysonDick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
(the current Batman
Batman (set index)
Batman is the alias of a number of DC Comics characters, the original and best-known being Bruce Wayne but others have adopted the role when he has been indisposed.-Bruce Wayne:Bruce Wayne is the main character associated with the Batman alias....
, who as of the time was still Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
, de facto leader of the Network) in quelling the chaos in Gotham which erupted with the rumors of Batman's death.
Batman and Robin
Knight also appears in Batman and Robin #7-9, where Batman (Dick Grayson) asks for his help in locating the last Lazarus Pit in order to bring Bruce Wayne back to life. Knight placed Batman's corpse in the Lazarus Pit before Grayson and Squire's arrival, and he, along with BatwomanBatwoman
Batwoman is the name of several fictional characters, female counterparts to the superhero Batman. The original version was created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. Her alter ego is Kathy Kane. This character appears in publications produced by DC Comics and related media beginning in Detective...
, Squire, and Batman, is the first one to see the corpse of Batman (Bruce Wayne) returned to life. However, they soon discover that the corpse was in fact a clone
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
of Batman, and not Batman himself. This copy has a defect, making him mad and impossible to control.
Knight and Squire
Writer Paul CornellPaul Cornell
Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
has written a six-issue Knight and Squire limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
with artist Jimmy Broxton and cover artist Yanick Paquette
Yanick Paquette
Yanick Paquette is a Canadian penciller in North American comics. He has worked for Antarctic Press, Topps, Marvel and DC Comics and since 1994.-Career:...
. The first issue was published in October 2010.
As shown in the limited series, the Knight is still based in Sheldrake Castle, Great Worden, Wordenshire, which has been equipped in a similar manner to the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
. The Knight's current motorcycle is named Anastasia, after Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
's spaceship, and has a stylised horse's head. Anastasia has a chemical tracking system built into her "nose".
The Knight is portrayed as something of an elder statesman to other British superheroes, including Captain Cornwall (the heir to Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
's power) and Rush Hour I to III (an Asian British family of speedsters). He is also on good terms with some "villains" who duplicate the gimmickry of Batman villains without actually committing any crimes, such as Jarvis Poker, the British Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
. The Knight and Squire have a longstanding enmity with agents of an alternate universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
in which Britain is a fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
state.
In #4, it is revealed that, shortly after his father's death, Cyril sank into a drunken state, before being rescued by Beryl. During this period he was briefly a villain, paying off gambling debts to a criminal named Mad Hat Harry.
In other media
- The original Knight makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Powerless!" He is seen at a meeting of the Batmen of All Nations.