Knight

Background

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Powers & Abilities

A trained fighter and investigator, Knight wears a sturdy suit of armour which could well have unrevealed abilities. For instance, it’s unclear whether the visor offers protection or any sensory abilities.

He often rides about on his motorcycle, Anastasia – which can track scents provided to it. He has access to other gadgets when necessary. At one point he used a microwave gun which made Grodd violently sick.

Knight also appears to have inherited a sword which may or may not possess mystic abilities. But it’s only pulled out in emergencies, and hasn’t been seen in action.

Soundtrack

Cor and luvaduck, let’s have a soundtrack for this profile, innit ?

Available for download on Amazon .

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History

Cyril is the son of the original Knight, Percy Sheldrake. When old enough, Cyril became his sidekick, Squire.

He was with his father when they joined the International Club of Heroes. It was mainly composed of those considered Batman imitators, even if they predated him.

The Club didn’t last long, with Batman not turning up after the first meeting. Then, Percy uncovered evidence that their backer, John Mayhew, had murdered one of his wives. The Club fell out, with a violent clash between Knight and the Legionary. Percy’s confidence was never the same thereafter.

They continued working together until Percy was killed by his archenemy, Springheeled Jack — the evil black sheep of the royal family — who put a bomb inside him.

A new Knight

Cyril succeeded his father as both Earl of Wordenshire, and as the Knight. However, he never felt he lived up to his father. His insecurities led to drink and gambling and he lost everything, including Sheldrake Castle, ending up in debt.

When Mad Hat Harry called in his debt, Cyril briefly became a super-villain. But couldn’t stand it for long, and turned on Harry.

When he reached rock bottom he was called on it by young Beryl Hutchinson, a resident of Great Worden. Beryl’s mother took him in, giving him a place to stay as he recovered. Cyril and Beryl developed a bond.

She eventually became his new Squire.

Ultramarines

(More detail of his time with the International Ultramarine Corps can be found in the team’s profile.)

Knight and Squire were recruited by the newly-formed International Ultramarine Corps. Cyril often worked closely with Jack O’Lantern, with whom he developed a rough friendship.

During the disastrous clash with Grodd and Neh-Buh-Loh, Cyril was among those taken over by the Sheeda. Howbeit, he did eventually break free of their control at Beryl’s urging. They left the team shortly thereafter.

The Black Glove

Reluctantly attending a reunion of the Club of Heroes, Knight and Squire found themselves stranded on John Mayhew’s abandoned island. The other heroes, including Batman and Robin, were with them. They found themselves in a deathtrap, with the Centurion the first to be murdered.

It had been set up by the mysterious Black Glove group, which none of them had heard of before. Knight was forced to swallow a bomb, which Man of Bats had to cut out of him. Squire was placed in a deathtrap with the other sidekicks by El Sombrero – revealed to be John Mayhew.

Wingman was revealed to be working with the Black Glove after he also killed Dark Ranger, but was killed in turn by Mayhew. As was Mayhew, when the remaining heroes escaped his deathtrap. They got clear of the island before it exploded.

The Black Glove’s campaign against Batman continued. When they made a major offensive against him and Gotham, Robin called Squire. She and Cyril called the rest of the Club and they gathered in Gotham to help battle the Black Glove’s forces, which were ultimately defeated.

The Lazarus Pit

Following the death of Batman (Wayne), Batman (Grayson) contacted Cyril for help accessing a British Lazarus Pit. It was in a coal mine that was contested by rival criminals Old King Coal and the Pearly Prince.

Knight went ahead with the body while Squire and Batman stopped Coal’s attempt to bomb London. They then caught up with Knight as he battled Coal’s men in the mine. The three were soon joined by Batwoman (Kane), who’d been following Coal’s connection to the Religion of Crime.

Batwoman opposed them using the Lazarus Pit, but Knight had already placed the body there hours earlier. It emerged enraged, and they realised it wasn’t the real Bruce Wayne, but a twisted clone created by Darkseid.

Before the battle could end conclusively, Coal detonated explosives in the mine, trapping them. Batwoman was critically injured in the collapse. She was probably going to die before they got her out, and potential be crippled if she did survive.

She convinced Batman to let her overdose on morphine, and they then revived her in the Pit, whole and healthy.

While Batman and Batwoman followed the clone back to America, Knight and Squire tracked down and apprehended Old King Coal.

Sheldrake Castle and the Time in a Bottle

The Sheldrake ancestral home was lost to Cyril when his gambling debts became serious, but he’s since moved back in due to government backing. It has a secret Knight-Cave, with tunnels connecting it to Beryl’s mother’s house. Cyril had an American butler, Hank.

The Time in a Bottle is a pub frequented by British supers of both stripes, with magical protection preventing violence within it. It collects and dispatches guests from different locations.

For Six, part 1

Knight and Squire were present at the Time in a Bottle when its protection was disabled by sabotage. They managed to curtail the worst of the damage, although there were fatalities.

Soon after they investigated when their Dark Dimensional folds sensors picked up trouble in Somerset. Investigating, they found the nefarious Morris Men had been taken over by Morris Major.

Revealed to be from a Hell dimension’s version of Britain they’d encountered before, he tried to revert Britain to an earlier time. The presence of a woman (namely Beryl) in the crowd stopped his magic, and he fled to his home dimension.

When the Council for Organised Research (C.O.R.) cloned Richard III  with his full memory they soon lost control of him and the technology. Richard, after using the PR circuit they sent him on to gain popularity, revived other dead monarchs and allied with criminal types to build an army with which to seize the throne.

Knight, Squire, and a number of other British heroes opposed them. Squire managed to record Richard’s secret monologue, losing him all his Twunter followers. Richard’s forces soon fell.

For Six, part 2

Cyril’s attempt to invest his armour with an A.I. based on his own mental imprint went awry. The armour was animated by his anxieties and guilt. The fight went through Sheldrake castle, but they eventually stopped it, though not without having to terminate the program.

When Jarvis Poker, the British Joker, learned he was dying, he set about a crime spree. Unfortunately he’d never been as vicious as his role model, and his crimes were generally laughed off. Beryl realised the truth of his condition. She and Knight publicly expressed concern over his actions to make him seem more serious.

The situation itself grew more serious when the real Joker appeared, upset at the cheap knock-off diluting his brand. He forced Poker to join him on his crime spree. The Joker began using masks to mind-control an army, having them murder British superheroes.

Beryl laid clues which let Poker trick the Joker into going after the magic at the Time in a Bottle. Sacrificing himself to sell it, Poker got the Joker there, where he found himself unable to use violence. They tied Joker up stark naked and teleported him back to Arkham.

Personality

Reserved and unflappable, Cyril does his best to imitate Batman, whom he idolises. Much of his stiff upper lip is used to hold his insecurities in check, as he doesn’t want to revert to what he was.

Beryl helps him in this regard, giving him someone to take care of. He has a big brotherly relationship with her, and can be protective. He knows she can take care of herself, but also that she’s still just a kid.

He was knighted by the Queen in a secret ceremony.

Quotes

“Ever fancy seeing a two-ton gorilla being sick ? I know it’s always been a dream of mine.”

[Fighting against his armour, which is guided by an erratic AI duplicate of his mind] “Phew, no stiff upper lip for you. Going on and on about twaddle like that. You could almost be American.”

By Gareth Lewis.

Source of Character: DC Comics.

Writeup completed on the 11^th of June, 2013.