Camelot

Origins[]

In 6th century Britain, King Uther Pendragon's advisor, the sorcerer Merlyn, aware that the union between Uther and Igraine was destined to produce a great king, magically arranged for the two of them to sleep together. Igraine fell pregnant and later, after marrying Uther, birthed a son, Arthur. Merlyn entrusted the infant to the knight Sir Ector to be raised anonymously, and tutored him as he grew up as squire to Ector's son Kay.^[1]

When Uther died 15 years later, Merlyn summoned the kingdom's nobles to London, where he placed in a churchyard a magical sword plunged through a stone anvil and into a marble block. Inscribed on the anvil were golden letters: “Whosoever pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is nightwise King born of all Britons.” When Arthur was sent to fetch a sword for Sir Kay, he stumbled across the churchyard, and unaware of the significance, pulled the sword free and was crowned king as Merlyn had planned. With Merlyn as his advisor, Arthur established the kingdom of Camelot.^[1]

6th Century[]

At some point, Arthur met Morgause, and overcome with passion they slept together, each unaware they were half-siblings. That night Arthur had a vivid nightmare that a serpent sprang from his side, destroyed his kingdom and fought him to the death. Hearing this, Merlyn predicted Arthur would have a son born on May Day who would destroy both him and Camelot; hoping to prevent this, Arthur collected all the nobles' sons born that day, including the infant Mordred, the offspring of his union with Morgause, and sent them out to sea on a leaky boat. However, Mordred survived, his cradle washing ashore where a fisherman found it.^[1]

Meanwhile another of Arthur's half-sisters, Morgan Le Fay, became Merlyn's student, but Camelot's support for the new Christian faith over the old Celtic gods eventually turned her against both her mentor and the king.^[3] When peace was finally established following the Battle of Badon, Merlyn advised Arthur to take a wife; Arthur proposed to Guinevere, despite Merlyn prophesying that this choice would prove disastrous.^[4] Merlyn meanwhile, anticipating Mordred's future threat, mentored the Black Knight to oppose the evil influence of Arthur's illegitimate son.^[1][3]

The malevolent Nethergods sought to conquer Camelot, but the mystic Green Knight empowered Arthur and his knights with ancient spirits, dubbed Pendragons in the king's honor, strengthening them so they could drive the Nethergods back.^[5][1]

After learning his true heritage, Mordred turned against the king, and secretly allied with Morgan Le Fay. Aware Arthur would not believe ill of Mordred without absolute proof, Merlyn summoned Sir Percy of Scandia to court to defend the king incognito as the Black Knight and help him defeat a string of foes, most Mordred's allies, who tried to seize Camelot.^[1][6]

Fall of Camelot[]

Camelot began to decline, and Merlyn tried to restore the kingdom by suggesting to Arthur a quest to find the Holy Grail, but Galahad, Camelot's most innocent knight, vanished on the quest, and the Grail was never retrieved.^[1] When Morgan and Mordred exposed Lancelot and Guinevere's affair, a heartbroken Arthur, bound by his own laws, reluctantly sentenced the adulterers to death, but Lancelot rescued Guinevere, triggering a civil war. Such a betrayal contributed to the fall of Camelot and the dissolution of the Knights of the Round Table.^[7] Morgan and Mordred took the opportunity to move against the weakened kingdom time and time again.^[1]

When the time-traveling Iron Man and Dr. Doom arrived in Camelot, Doom allied himself with Morgan, who used a stolen fragment of Excalibur to reanimate the corpses of everyone the sword had slain; Doom led this undead army against Camelot, but Arthur and his knights battled them until Iron Man forced Morgan to end her spell.^[8]

Mordred attacked Camelot again, and at the Battle of Camlann he and Arthur inflicted mortal wounds on each other. The once great kingdom of Camelot fell.^[1]

Avalon[]

Arthur's remains were transported to Avalon in mystic Otherworld, to await resurrection in Britain's time of greatest need. Meanwhile, Merlyn rebuilt Camelot in Avalon beside the Great Rift, which bordered Otherworld and the Netherworld, to stand guard between both realms.^[9][2]

More than a thousand years later, as the Nethergods besieged Camelot in Avalon, Merlyn sent Captain Britain and the modern-day Black Knight to defend Otherworld and release Arthur; reborn, Arthur returned to Camelot, where he and the Knight slew the Nethergod leader, Necromon, though not before Camelot was destroyed. King Vortigen offered his own castle to become New Camelot.^[10]

In modern times, the Manchester Gods, who represented industrial revolution and urbanism, waged war against the rulers of Avalon. The Manchester Gods rallied their forces and marched towards Camelot. King Arthur attempted to defend Castle Camelot; however, the rival forces proved to be far too numerous, and the old lords were forced to sign an armistice and surrender.^[11]

Mostly recently, following a shift in power in Otherworld, King Arthur disappeared and, in his absence, Morgan Le Fay became Queen Regent of Avalon with Camelot, now located at the southwestern tip of Avalon,^[12] as her seat of power.^[13]

Shortly afterwards, Morgan Le Fay declared war on the Omniversal Majestrix Opal Luna Saturnyne, the rightful ruler of Otherworld, leading Camelot into a battle against the Starlight Citadel.^[14] With the aid of the mutant group Excalibur, Morgan Le Fay was dethroned, and in the aftermath, Jamie Braddock was crowned king of Avalon in Camelot.^[12]

• Castle Camelot^[5]
  • Avalon Gate^[15]
• Courtyards of Camelot^[8]
• Hildebrandt Wood^[8]