Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Black Knight, eternals

Dane Whitman & the Legacy of the Black Knight, Avengers #47 at Auction

Published Sat, 13 Nov 2021 19:02:08 -0600

The Black Knight has a long and complicated history in Marvel comic books, through three different versions of the character. The first version debuted in 1955 in his own series, likely inspired by the 1954 Alan Ladd movie of the same name. A different Black Might surfaced eight years later as an Iron Man villain beginning in Tales to Astonish #52, but it's the Dane Whitman character who made his first appearance in Avengers #47 in 1967 who has stood the test of time. Dane Whitman started in relative obscurity in 1967 to become the Black Knight and a frequent character in the Avengers and elsewhere. And now he has finally entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe in The Eternals movie. A Marvel comic book key that was overlooked for decades, there's an Avengers #47 (Marvel, 1967) CGC FN/VF 7.0 White pages up for auction this week at the 2021 November 14-15 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122146 at Heritage Auctions.

The Avengers #47 (Marvel, 1967) featuring Dane Whitman.

Dane Whitman himself explains much of his backstory in exposition in Avengers #47, by way of explain the purpose of his scientific experiments. "My late uncle, Professor Nathan Garrett, led a strange double life as a biologist and as the super-criminal called the Black Knight. Some months ago, he had his final encounter with the invincible Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #73)," Whitman described that battle in the sky reaching its end with both Iron Man and the Black Knight plummeting to Earth. "Using the last surge of his depleted transistor power, Iron Man pulled both winged horse and rider Earthward. Fortunately for the Golden Avenger, he evaded death by plummeting into a stream far below — and his lightweight armor enabled him to swim to shore. Later, he found my uncle's cloak, but the Black Knight was never heard from again — at least not by mankind at large. The rest of the world knows that Professor Garrett is dead, but not that he was the menace known as the Black Knight. I've sworn to make up for my uncle's deeds by doing something of value for the science which he used only for evil."

As these things often play out in comics, Dane Whitman's efforts would go horribly awry in Avengers #47, but the drama in this issue would quickly lead to him to assume the identity of the Black Knight in Avengers #48. But it all started for Dane Whitman in Avengers #47, an issue that has been something of an afterthought for decades but is now becoming a noteworthy key. There's an Avengers #47 (Marvel, 1967) CGC FN/VF 7.0 White pages up for auction this week at the 2021 November 14-15 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122146 at Heritage Auctions.

The Avengers #47 (Marvel, 1967) CGC FN/VF 7.0 White pages. First appearance of Dane Whitman, who becomes the new Black Knight (and will appear in the upcoming Eternals movie). Magneto and Toad appearances. Don Heck cover. John Buscema and George Tuska art. Overstreet 2021 FN 6.0 value = $54; VF 8.0 value = $124. CGC census 11/21: 104 in 7.0, 680 higher.

View the certification for CGC Certification ID 2106722005 and purchase grader's notes if available.