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| Professor Nathan Garrett was born in England and was the descendant of Sir Percy of Scandia, the heroic Black Knight of Arthurian. Garrett was a brilliant scientist and inventor whose particular specialty was genetic manipulation. He earned his doctorate at Oxford University and later taught there as a professor. It may have been at Oxford that Garrett fell in with colleagues who were political leftists: it is not known at what point in his life Garrett became a spy for the People's Republic of China. |
| At some point Garrett visited a castle he had inherited, Garrett Castle, where Sir Percy of Scandia was buried. The spirit of Sir Percy appeared to Garrett and presented him with the opportunity to become a modern day Black Knight crusading against evil Garrett saw the original Black Knights enchanted Ebony Blade in a scabbard near the tomb of Sir Percy, but, being unworthy to wield it was unsuccessful in drawing the sword, Hence Sir Percy did not make Garrett his successor as the Black Knight. |
| Garrett moved to the United States, where his sister had gone to live, and he became a naturalized American citizen. Garrett led a highly distinguished career as a research scientist, but he also acted as the head of an espionage ring. Finally, he was captured by Henry Pym, the original Giant-Man, and charged with treason for delivering American government scientific secrets to agents of Communist China. However, to prevent Garrett from betraying them at his trial, the Communist Chinese intelligence agency saw that Garrett's bail was paid. Garrett then fled the United States, using a counterfeit passport. |
| Garrett hid in an unidentified country in the Balkans in Europe. He was determined to make himself a match for Giant-Man. Inspired by his encounter with Sir Percy's ghost and by a statue of a winged horse that he saw in this European country, Garrett decided to devise for himself the costumed identity of a criminal Black Knight. |
