Dane Whitman (Earth-1610)

Dane Whitman was a Corporal in the Marine Corps. After saving the lives of his fellow soldiers from an explosive in Baghdad he received the Purple Heart badge, the Silver Star Medal and the Medal of Honor, but was left quadriplegic. Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. approached him, and offered him to join the S.H.I.E.L.D. super human unit known as the West Coast Ultimates, a secret version of the known super hero team, for which he underwent a process in which he was left almost a robot.^[1]

But due to his mental instability, he was never put in action, and left in a stasis tube along the rest of the team, after S.H.I.E.L.D. decided they were too dangerous.

Nick Fury planned to use the West Coast Ultimates against the Maker and the Children of Tomorrow, but didn't. During the civil war, California tried to become an independent country, but they were forced by president Captain America to keep being a part of the United States. The special adviser to California's governor, Spokesperson Ford discovered about the West Coast Ultimates, taking them from S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist Hugo Lopez's lab and decided to unleash them against the Ultimates. The first released Ultimate was Black Knight, who attacked and kidnapped Tony Stark.^[2]

Whitman's next mission was to distract Thor and the Invisible Woman in the Moon from stopping the hijacked J-RICE Orbital Energy Platform. After his robotic arm was broken by Thor's Mjolnir, the Invisible Woman remarked she wouldn't need to hold back anymore. Black Knight's following fate was unknown.^[1]

• Cybernetic Enhancements: Whitman's physiology rendered him a cyborg (though nearly a robot), his powers remain largely unknown.
  • Self-Sustenance: Whitman displayed the ability to survive and talk without discomfort on the surface of the Moon.^[3]
  • Energy Projection: As the Black Knight he can project powerful energy beams from his hands. ^[1]

An energy blade capable of cutting Iron Man's armor in half.^[2]