The concept of the Ebony Blade is intrinsically linked to the Black Knight mantle. The original Black Knight, Sir Percy of Scandia, and his enchanted blade first appeared in the Atlas Comics (Marvel's predecessor) title Black Knight #1, published in May 1955. This Silver Age creation by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely presented a classic sword-and-sorcery hero, with the blade simply being an enchanted weapon forged by Merlin. However, the modern, more complex version of the Ebony Blade was developed decades later. Writer Roy Thomas and artist John Verpoorten reintroduced the concept in The Avengers #47 (Dec. 1967), introducing Dane Whitman as the modern Black Knight. The blade's true mystical properties and, most importantly, its devastating curse were fleshed out over many years, primarily in the pages of The Avengers, The Defenders, and later, in Dane Whitman's own limited series. The idea of the blade being forged from a meteorite and its corrupting influence became central to the character's identity, transforming it from a simple “magic sword” into one of the Marvel Universe's most dangerous and compelling artifacts. Recent storylines, particularly King in Black: Black Knight (2021) by writer Simon Spurrier, have dramatically expanded its lore, revealing the curse is not a side effect but its core function.
The history of the Ebony Blade is a tale of great power and even greater tragedy, with significant differences between the prime comic universe and its nascent introduction in the MCU.
The Ebony Blade's story begins in the 6th century during the age of Camelot. The great sorcerer Merlin, seeking to create a champion for King Arthur, found a meteorite that had crashed to Earth. This celestial body, which he named the Starstone, possessed unique mystical properties. From the heart of the Starstone, Merlin forged two legendary swords, intended to be polar opposites. One was the noble and righteous Excalibur, a weapon of pure light destined for the one true king. The other was the Ebony Blade, a weapon of immense destructive power, a vessel of darkness intended for his champion, Sir Percy of Scandia, the first Black Knight. Merlin enchanted the Ebony Blade to be one of the most powerful weapons ever created. It could cut through nearly any substance, magical or mundane, deflect any enchantment, and protect its wielder from harm. He bestowed it upon Sir Percy, who used it to defend Camelot from threats like Mordred the Evil and Morgan le Fay. However, Sir Percy's great virtue could not prevent the blade's inherent nature from being revealed. In the heat of battle, Sir Percy shed a tremendous amount of blood with the blade. This act of violence awakened a latent property within the weapon: the Blood Curse. The curse dictates that the more blood the blade takes, the stronger it becomes, and the more it craves further bloodshed. This craving is psychically projected into its wielder, slowly eroding their sanity, amplifying their negative emotions, and driving them to acts of violence and cruelty. Sir Percy, though a hero, was ultimately slain by Mordred. Upon his death, his spirit was bound to the blade, destined to appear to his descendants who proved unworthy of wielding it. The cursed blade was passed down through Sir Percy's bloodline. Many of his descendants fell victim to the curse, becoming villains and tyrants. The most notable of these was Nathan Garrett, a modern-day descendant who became a supervillain and a foe of the avengers. On his deathbed, Garrett repented and bequeathed the blade to his nephew, Dane Whitman. Unaware of the full extent of the curse, Dane took up the blade and the mantle of the Black Knight, seeking to restore honor to his family's name. His entire heroic career has been defined by a constant, agonizing battle against the blade's corrupting influence, a struggle that has tested his will and sanity to their absolute limits.
The Ebony Blade's introduction into the MCU occurred in the post-credits scene of the film Eternals (2021). Its origin and full history in this continuity remain largely mysterious, but the scene provided several crucial clues that differentiate it from the comic version. In the scene, Dane Whitman (played by Kit Harington) opens an old chest bearing the Whitman family crest. Inside rests the Ebony Blade. Its appearance is markedly different from the comics' simple longsword. The MCU's blade is more ornate and seemingly alive; its surface ripples like dark liquid, and as Dane reaches for it, shadowy, tendril-like extensions of the blade's magic creep along its surface and reach out toward his hand. This suggests a more active, sentient, and overtly parasitic nature than the slow psychological corruption depicted in the comics. Etched onto the blade's case in Latin is the phrase “Mors Mihi Lucrum,” which translates to “Death is my reward.” This ominous inscription serves as a direct warning of the weapon's deadly purpose and the grim fate that awaits its wielder. As Dane hesitates, a disembodied voice asks, “Sure you're ready for that, Mr. Whitman?” This voice was later confirmed by director Chloé Zhao to be that of Mahershala Ali, the actor cast as Eric Brooks, also known as Blade. This immediately establishes a connection between the Ebony Blade and the supernatural, vampiric corner of the MCU. Blade's presence implies that he understands the nature of such cursed artifacts and recognizes the danger Dane is in. It suggests that the MCU's version of the blade is a well-known and feared object within the circles of those who hunt monsters and deal with dark magic. While Merlin and Camelot have not been explicitly linked to its MCU origin yet, its presentation heavily emphasizes its nature as a cursed and dangerous magical weapon from the very start.
The Ebony Blade is not merely a sharp piece of metal; it is a complex magical artifact whose properties are intrinsically linked to its creation and bloody history.
The blade is forged from a single, unique material: the Starstone. This meteorite is not related to Vibranium or Adamantium and possesses its own distinct set of mystical properties. The forging process by Merlin imbued the metal with powerful enchantments, making it fundamentally indestructible. It has withstood blows from Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, and blasts from Captain America's shield without sustaining any damage. Its composition is inherently magical, allowing it to interact with supernatural forces in ways that mundane materials cannot.
The Ebony Blade grants its wielder a formidable array of powers, though they come at a terrible cost.
The defining feature of the Ebony Blade is its powerful curse, which has several distinct aspects:
As the blade has only been shown briefly, its full capabilities are yet to be revealed. However, its on-screen appearance allows for significant analysis and inference.
The material of the MCU blade is unknown. Its fluid, rippling surface suggests it may not be solid metal in a conventional sense. It could be a form of solidified magic, a liquid-metal-like substance bound by enchantments, or something entirely alien. Its dark, organic texture visually communicates its corrupting nature far more directly than the comic version.
The MCU's curse appears to be more of a direct, symbiotic corruption. Where the comic's curse is a slow-burn psychological war, the film's version seems to be a more immediate and physical process. The creeping darkness suggests that wielding the blade may initiate a rapid physical and mental transformation. Blade's warning implies that the consequences of taking up the sword are both severe and immediate, framing it as a decision from which there may be no return.
The Ebony Blade is defined by those who have dared to wield it. Its long history is a tapestry of heroism, villainy, and the tragic space in between.
The Ebony Blade has been at the center of several pivotal storylines, each exploring a different facet of its power and curse.
Throughout Dane Whitman's long tenure with the Avengers, the Ebony Blade was a constant source of conflict and plot. In early stories, its curse often manifested at the worst possible moments, causing Dane to lose control in battle. The team, particularly Captain America and doctor_strange, frequently helped Dane research the blade's history and find ways to control its influence. This struggle humanized Dane, making him one of the team's most compelling members as he fought not only external threats but a constant war within himself. His relationship with the blade defined his role on the team as an expert in mysticism and ancient threats.
This four-issue limited series delved deeper into the blade's mythology. The story saw Dane Whitman travel to the mystical realm of Otherworld and confront the spirit of his ancestor, Sir Percy. He learns that the curse is far worse than he imagined and that a rival, Proctor (an evil alternate-universe version of himself), has fully succumbed to his own Ebony Blade. The series culminated in Dane's desperate attempt to purify the blade in the Brazier of Truth, a pivotal moment that temporarily freed him but also depowered the weapon, forcing him to question if he needed the curse to be a true hero.
This tie-in to the King in Black event drastically redefined the Ebony Blade's lore. It was revealed that the blade's corrupting influence is not a mere side effect but its primary function. It was designed by Merlin to be a “key” that feeds on negative emotions and spiritual turmoil. The more a wielder despairs, the more powerful the blade becomes, with the ultimate goal of unlocking a path for dark, eldritch powers. The story reframed the curse not as a flaw, but as the weapon's very soul, a revelation that re-contextualizes Dane's entire lifelong struggle as a battle against the weapon's fundamental purpose.