Real Name: Lancelot du Lac (His birth name was Galahad.)

Occupation: Knight

Legal Status: Citizen of Fifth Century Britain

Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of Lancelot except as a semi-historical figure of legend.

Other Aliases: Lancelot of the Lake

Place of Birth: Benwick Castle in modern Burgundy, France

Place of Death: Canterbury Castle, Kent, England

Marital Status: Married (Common-law marriage)

Known Relatives: Ban (father, deceased), Elaine I (mother), Elaine II (sister), Ector (half-brother), Niamh (foster mother, alias Lady of the Lake), Blamone, Bleoberis (nephews), Elaine III (wife), Galahad (son), Lancelot I (grandfather, deceased), Bors I (uncle), Evaine (aunt), Lionel, Bors II (cousins), Pelles (father-in-law), Llud Llaw Ereints, Joseph of Arimathea (ancestors, deceased)

Group Membership: Knights of the Round Table

Base of Operations: La Joyous Garde (modern Alnwick Castle) at Berwick-At-Tweed in Northumbria, England

First Appearance: Black Knight Comics #1

History: Lancelot du Lac was born the son of King Ban of Berwick and the nephew of King Bors of Gaul, descendants of Britons who had conquered the region of Brittany in the First Century AD. A member of one of Europe's most illustrious families, Lancelot was christened Galahad at birth, but as an infant, his parents had to flee Benwick ahead of invading Germanic tribes invading their kingdom. According to legend, the sight of his castle from afar being destroyed by the invaders forced King Ban to suffer pangs of regret or perhaps a heart attack and his wife, Elaine, left the infant Lancelot alone for a moment to to tend to her husband, but in that moment, young Lancelot was abducted by the goddess Niamh, the Lady of the Lake of nearby Lake Benoye who re-named him Lancelot. Elaine never recovered him and instead found solace in the court of King Bors where she had created a Royal Ministry.

Lancelot was raised by Niamh unaware of his ancestry and taught to be a great warrior. At the age of eighteen, Lancelot was ready to become a knight and was granted his armor, his sword and a white horse and departed for Camelot to serve for King Arthur. He was introduced in Arthur's court by Niamh or by Merlin on her behalf. Arthur dubbed him a member of the court on St. John's Day. As a member of Arthur's court, Lancelot helped Arthur to unite the petty kings of England as allies against threats to England, such as the Roman armies of Emperor Lucius, and to endorse Christianity over the much older pagan arts. 

At some point, Lancelot won the title to La Dolorous Garde, a stronghold in Northern England surrounded by the graves of knights slain battle. The much older stronghold was supposed to be haunted with a chapel over a cave. Within the cave was a large slab of metal bedecked in gems whose inscription predicted in advance that Lancelot would be master of the castle. This divine object supposedly revealed to Lancelot his true identity as the son of King Ban. Lancelot renamed the castle La Joyous Garde, but spent little time there as he was often fighting at Arthur's side, even rising to become Arthur's greatest adviser and confidante second only to Merlin himself. 

Lancelot was eventually held captive a while by the Lady of Malohaut for revenge for Lancelot slaying the son of her seneschal (major domo) in battle, but she released him on parole to participate in a tournament and fell in love with him afterward. Lancelot also conquered the Duke of Galeholt into submitting to Arthur's court. Lancelot also became known as the most charismatic of Arthur's knights, taking several lovers from among his ardent female admirers. When Arthur took Guinevere as a bride, Lancelot fell in love with her as well with Galeholt and the Lady of Malohaut to relay their messages. Arthur remained oblivious to their relationship and even allowed Lancelot to carry his own arms into battle at the siege of Camille's fortress of La Roche.

At some point, Lancelot was required to protect the Lady Guinevere for Arthur, but their relationship was discovered by Guinevere's twin sister, Genievre, who impersonated Guinevere while she was away with Lancelot in Galeholt's kingdom of Surlese. Sometime after this, Lancelot and Galeshin set out to rescue Gawain taken by Carados of the Dolorous Tower. During their journey, Lancelot encountered Morgan Le Fay at her chapel of Val Sans Retour on the road between Escalon li Tenebreux and the Dolorous Tower. She had enchanted the valley so that no knight could get out, although all other travelers could come and go at will. Only a knight who was truly in love could free the other knights. Lancelot was able to resist the spells, but Morgan kept him hostage as her lover for a while. She allowed him free long enough to kill Carados and free Gawain but sent Lancelot's ring to Guinevere with a note claiming he had been slain in combat. This treachery drove Lancelot mad until his insanity was cured by Niamh who found him wandering in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the false report of Lancelot's death had caused the death of Galeholt and Guinevere's abduction by Meliagrant, a knight who considered himself Lancelot's equal. Lancelot pursued Meliagrant to Gorre and slew him in combat before Arthur.

At Galeholt's grave, Lancelot was prevented from taking his life by Seraide, one of Niamh's attendants, who advised him to rebury his mentor at Joyous Garde. During this time, Lancelot was missing from Camelot on several unidentified adventures. He also encountered his virgin love, Amabel, on his way to confront Sir Turquine and Sir Peris if but to be found by his cousin Lionel. Amabel might have been the daughter of the Duke of Rochedon who rescued him from being  recaptured a second time by Morgan Le Fay. While a guest of King Pellam of Carbonek, Lancelot shared a bed with his daughter, Elaine, and fathered the youth, Galahad. Afterward, he visited the Forest Perilous and repaid the kindness of the Duke of Rochedon's daughter by saving her from an unwanted marriage. Lancelot soon returned to Camelot for a tournament after several years and was reunited with Guinevere. Morgan soon took him captive again and Lancelot spent his time painting his history as well as relationship with Guinevere on the walls of his room before escaping. He also visited the site of his father's death and rescued Lionel again, this time from the stronghold of King Vagor.

Eventually, Lancelot began traveling with a young knight named Mordred, who unbeknown to anyone was the illegitimate son of Arthur by his half-sister, Morgause. Long believing himself the son of King Lot of Lothian, Morgause's husband, Mordred and Lancelot were visiting Carteloise Forest when they encountered a priest praying at a magnificent tomb during a tournament at Peningue Castle. The priest referred to Lancelot and Mordred as two of the most unfortunate knights that ever lived. When pressed for details, the priest revealed to Mordred that he was the son of Arthur and that he was the serpent that Arthur had dreamed that would rise up and overthrow him. Mordred killed the priest, but Lancelot did nothing because it kept the priest from predicting his own dire future.

After returning to Camelot, Lancelot joined Arthur in his war with Gaul to rescue Guinevere's cousin, Elyzabel, from King Claudus. On his return, Elaine of Carbonek tricked Lancelot to her bed again. This aroused Guinevere's jealousy and Lancelot went mad again, this time reportedly cured by the Grail itself or by Merlin's magic. He took Elaine to live with him at Joyous Garde as a bride expecting to never return to Camelot but eventually Ector de Maris and Percival convinced him to return. During the Grail Adventures, Lancelot suffered unaccustomed defeats and humiliations. By now, Galahad was a young knight traveling with him. Lancelot resolved to amend his life free of his adulterous love for Guinevere, but upon returning to Camelot, he fell back upon his old ways, but growing careless about their secrecy.

By now, Mordred noticed the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot, and he and his half-brother, Agravaine, tried to discredit both Arthur and Lancelot. When Mordred found out that Lancelot and Guinevere had gone off on a tryst together at Carlisle Castle, he called together some of his father's loyal knights and had them barge in on the lovers and have them both taken prisoner. Lancelot managed to escape, leaving Guinevere behind, but returning to rescue her. Arthur arrived on the scene from negotiating and fighting wars, having apparently already learned of the affair from Morgan le Fay. Lancelot rescued Guinevere and ran away with her to the Joyous Garde, where they lived as Arthur tried to sack the castle. At the Pope's intervention, Lancelot was forced to restore Guinevere to Arthur, but their friendship was over. Unfortunately, in his absence from Camelot, Arthur left Mordred as regent in Britain, still unaware of his long-term treachery or that he was his son by Morgause, and departed with Gawain to confront Lancelot in France. Arthur laid siege for months. Lancelot met Gawain on the battlefield, but refused to slay him. Dying at Dover, Gawain sent a message to Lancelot to return to Camelot and aide Arthur who died in the Battle of Camlann with Mordred. (According to legend, Arthur's body was ferried by the daughters of Arawn into Avalon. Lancelot returned to Camelot if but to quell the rebellion and slay Mordred's sons from claiming the throne and helping Arthur's cousin, Constantine, to gain the throne.

In the last days of his life, Lancelot retreated to the chapel of the Archbishop of Canterbury, having joined a priestly order as a monk to absolve himself of his sins as a hermit. After his death, he was buried at Joyous Garde alongside Duke Galeholt.

Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 245 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

Strength Level: Lancelot possessed the normal human strength level of a man of his size, height and build who engages in extensive regular exercises.

Known Superhuman Powers: None

Abilities: Lancelot was an expert swordsman, horseman, and warrior adept in all forms on medieval weaponry. His level of expertise was so great that he was more than a match for Sir Tristan, said to be the greatest of the knights in Arthur's court.

Weaponry/Paraphernalia: Lancelot carried a number of swords through his career as a knight. He was also equipped with an enchanted ring that protected him against further enchantments.

Comments: Lancelot has been a recurring character in Marvel Comics tales of the Black Knight.

Clarifications: Lancelot is not to be confused with:

Last updated: 10/29/09