Four Color Arthuriana
From Quondam et Futurus
[edit] Newspaper or other series
[edit] Comic Book Series
[edit] Comic book series with Arthurian issues or themes
Issues 7 through 9 ("The Rock", "Rock and Roll", and "Rock of Ages") of "Gargoyles: Clan-Building" (a short lived comic book revival of the Disney animated series "Gargoyles", published by Slave Labor Graphics) featured King Arthur in a story about the Stone of Destiny (or Stone of Scone) and its real-life return to Scotland in November 1996. The newly-awakened King Arthur joins forces with Macbeth (who had survived into modern times thanks to a deal with the Weird Sisters that Shakespeare didn't mention - though the Macbeth of "Gargoyles" is based on the Macbeth of history rather than of Shakespeare) and a group of English and Scottish gargoyles in protecting the Stone of Destiny during its return; the Illuminati, a mysterious secret society bent on controlling the world, want the Stone and have sent one of their lower-echelon members, wealthy industrialist David Xanatos (one of the leading antagonists of the television series) to obtain it for them. Arthur, Macbeth, and the gargoyles successfully fight off Xanatos's robotic operatives, but are unable to prevent Xanatos from secretly substituting a duplicate stone for the real Stone, and then presenting the Stone to his Illuminati superiors.
In the course of the story, a woman named Shari tells stories about the Stone of Destiny's past, from its discovery by Jacob in biblical times to its 1950 theft from Westminster Abbey and return to Scotland in 1996; all of these are based on the actual legends or history about the Stone of Destiny, with one exception. According to Shari, when Prince Fergus brought the Stone from Ireland to Dalriada around the year 500, he encountered Merlin and King Pelles at Carbonek along the way, who asked his permission to borrow the Stone. They took it to London, where it became the stone from the young Arthur's Sword in the Stone feat. After Arthur was crowned (by King Pelles), Merlin and Pelles returned the Stone to Fergus and his people.
Arthur tells Macbeth and the gargoyles that he had sought Merlin without success since his awakening, and is now consulting the books written about himself and his wizardly tutor during his long sleep on Avalon; one of these is shown to be Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur". He hints that the accounts of his reign contained in them are not entirely accurate.
Arthur also tells Macbeth that he was taken to Avalon after being mortally wounded in 542; the date is derived from Geoffrey of Monmouth's "History of the Kings of Britain".
At the end of "Rock of Ages", after Xanatos delivers the Stone to one of the leading Illuminati members (a youthful-looking blonde woman), she in turn takes it to Carbonek, to present it to the leader of the Illuminati Society, a young-looking man named Peredur fab Ragnall. Peredur is shocked to learn from the Stone that King Arthur has returned; the Illuminati had not expected him to awaken for another two hundred years. The Stone states that Arthur was once Peredur's master; this, combined with his name and residence in Carbonek, suggests that Peredur may be an adaptation of Sir Percival. Afterwards, the Stone exchanges greetings with a wooden bowl on a pedestal next to it, apparently the Holy Grail.
Issues #7 and #8 were published in late 2007 and early 2008; the comic book was cancelled before issue #9 could be published, but all three (along with issues #10 to #12) were reprinted in the trade paperback "Gargoyles: Clan-Building Volume Two", published by Slave Labor Graphics in August 2009.
