WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Savage Avengers #14 by Gerry Duggan, Patch Zircher, Java Tartaglia, and VC's Travis Lanham, on sale now.
Savage Avengers has found Doctor Strange making one last play to stop Kulan Gath from devouring Shuma-Gorath and all reality. The Sorcerer Supreme has created two unique teams with different purposes, with the "Shield" team going after Kulan's supernatural cocaine empire and the "Spear" squad hunting down the Asgardian dragon, Sadurang, to get the other Eye of Agamotto.
And in Savage Avengers #14, the latter squad, which includes Magik, Conan and Juggernaut, brings in a noble superhero who'll have a pivotal role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Eternals -- Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, as he undertakes one of his most worthy missions yet.
Created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, Whitman debuted in Avengers #47 in 1967 and would become a medieval hero trying to redeem his family's name. Armed with the Ebony Blade, he'd try his best to pay tribute to King Arthur's court, all while fending off supernatural threats such as Mordred. However, he had tumultuous last several years, going from a leader in the Avengers to a hero whose mental fragility from years of war and bad romances left him unstable.
Dane would be involved in many teams including the Defenders and MI:13 along with Captain Britain, proving he's one of Marvel's bravest heroes and someone even Captain America admires. But it's his relationship with Sersi of the Eternals that really broke him as he was also in love with the Inhuman, Crystal. His Sersi romance is something that the MCU film will most likely address with Dane being played by Game of Thrones' Kit Harington, but for now, he's still bouncing back after fighting Malekith's army in War of the Realms and also, against the Cotati in Empyre.
And here, Dane is as selfless as ever as he embeds himself in the Ku Klax Klan in a scene reminiscent of Bad Boys II and carrying on the mission of Superman Smashes the Klan. The issue opens up with Dane in a white robe, joking about how these xenophobes didn't get enough love from their families. When his hood's pulled off, the Klan members are shocked, leading to a brawl that's way too easy for him to handle. He beats them down, warning them that if he returns, these white sheets will be their burial shrouds. It addresses his wealthy upbringing as Dane's grown so much, believing entitlement and privilege cannot triumph over goodwill. Ironically, it's at this very time that Magik and the other heroes teleport in.
Conan throws Dane a bag filled with jewels to recruit him for a new mission, but the Avenger immediately returns it. The Black Knight and his winged steed, Galadriel, fight against tyranny and in the name of justice because they want to, not because it's a job. However, when Magik shows him their target and why they need to get the Eye, Dane goes all in. This goes to show how altruistic Black Knight really is , which is why when they begin fighting with Sadurang in Bruges, it's no surprise to see him valiantly attacking the beast. He even saves Conan from the dragon's flames, proving why it's always best to have a knight around when trying to slay a dragon.