Shining Knight (Ystina)

Last updated
Shining Knight
Shiningknight3.jpg
Artwork for the cover of Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #2 (2005) by Simone Bianchi
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1 (August 2005)
Created by Grant Morrison (writer)
Simone Bianchi (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoYstin
Team affiliations Seven Soldiers of Victory
Knights of the Broken Table
Demon Knights
Council of Immortals
Justice League Queer
Justice League
AbilitiesUnusually strong and resilient to damage, swordsmanship, can fly on winged horse "Vanguard".

Shining Knight (Ystina) is a fictional character from DC Comics. He is the third character named Shining Knight and appears as a major character from Seven Soldiers . [1] In The New 52 reboot, the character is reimagined as transgender. [2]

Contents

Publication history

Ystin was originally created by Grant Morrison and Simone Bianchi as a modern female version of the original Sir Justin within the Seven Soldiers miniseries. [3]

When writing about The New 52 version of the character in Demon Knights , Paul Cornell admitted to Newsarama, that "he wants the reader to make up their own mind on Ystin" but also noting that "in the case of something as fundamental as identity, I think some level of clarity is essential, especially if it's a marginalized identity where the average reader might not know what conclusion they're jumping to, or any attendant misconceptions about sex and gender they may have". [4] Demon Knights writer Paul Cornell was deliberately ambiguous about the character's gender until the fourteenth issue, where Ystin says: "I'm both [genders]... I was born this way". Cornell later called Ystin transgender on social media and asked for more detail by Newsarama, Cornell said: "I think that's down to what each individual reader wants from that exchange, or most identifies with. Why shut down any of the possibilities?" [5] Ystin's torture in Hell was to be forced to display his gender publicly. [6]

Fictional character biographies

Seven Soldiers

In 2005, a new Shining Knight debuted in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers megaseries. This new DC Comics version is a creation of Grant Morrison and Simone Bianchi, based on original Shining Knight.

This new Shining Knight is also named Sir Justin (in the story, the knights of Camelot speak Welsh, so sometimes the Welsh equivalent "Ystin" is used) and has a winged horse, but it seems much more out of place in the modern age.

Ystin is clearly a Celtic mythology version of the original Shining Knight (who was based more on the quasi-medieval setting of Sir Thomas Malory). The story explains that Camelot is a recurring archetype. Ystin comes from about 8,000 BC, long before the 6th century Camelot of Sir Justin.

Ystin, a long-haired 'schoolboy' of Camelot, is knighted and dubbed the Shining Knight by Sir Galahad, just before the fall of Camelot. Unbeknownst to Galahad, Ystin is actually a girl who is in love with him. Ystin and her winged horse Vanguard confront Gloriana Tenebrae, the Sheeda-Queen, who takes them to Castle Revolving, the floating fortress of the Sheeda. Gloriana casually informs the young knight that she has stolen the sword Excalibur, one of the Seven Imperishable Treasures. Ystin breaks free, steals Excalibur, and escapes from the Castle - only to fall to earth in modern Los Angeles, some 10,000 years later. There, she is confronted by Guilt, a Sheeda Mood 7 Mind Destroyer, who 'kills with words'.

Guilt informs her that the Sheeda broke Camelot and created a nightmare kingdom in its place, ruled by the undead King Mordredd. Without the goodness of Camelot to inspire them, the kingdoms of Avalon (which took up all the world) committed suicide. Guilt taunts Ystin, saying that the war might have been won if Ystin had not run away. When Ystin saves a homeless man (implied to be Ali Ka-Zoom), from some thugs, Guilt evaporates. Ystin, newly enlightened, seeks out the police.

The police contact two women: Agent Helen Helligan, a metahuman specialist for the FBI, and Doctor Gloria Friday, an expert on pre-Atlantean civilization. With Friday's uncanny grasp of ancient Welsh, they learn of Ystin's predicament. Suddenly, as the clock strikes midnight, Friday reveals that she is really the Sheeda-Queen, and promptly incapacitates Ystin before poisoning Helligan.

Back at Castle Revolving, Gloriana reveals that Ystin is not the last of the Knights. In the final days of the Age of Camelot, the Sheeda kidnapped Galahad and broke his spirit, remaking him as a degenerate brute. For the Sheeda-Queen's twisted amusement, Ystin and Galahad are made to duel each other. Ystin attempts to reason with Galahad, but he is beyond her reach and mercilessly attacks her. Just then, the Queen gets a whiff of Ystin's menstrual blood and reveals that Ystin is really a girl. Gloriana then leaves Galahad to torture Ystin into joining the Sheeda side. Ystin pleads with Galahad one last time, before resolving that her mentor and the man she loves is truly gone. With one mighty strike, Ystin kills Galahad. With tears in her eyes, Ystin vows to come after Gloriana and exact revenge.

There is a subplot concerning Vincenzo the Undying Don, the leader of the Los Angeles underworld, who acquires Vanguard from the police. He also owns the second of the Seven Imperishable Treasures, the Cauldron of Rebirth and Plenty. Ne-Bu-Loh and Spyder, servants of the Sheeda-Queen, kills Vincenzo in the hopes that he will lead them to the Cauldron. He does, remarking when he emerges that 'these are the end times, when we make peace with what we are'. Vincenzo and his servitors all die, but Vanguard escapes to Gorias to get reinforcements for the final battle.

Seven Soldiers #1 reveals that Ystin's original name is Justina (or more accurately, Ystina). Following the defeat of the Sheeda, Justina abandons her facade of being a boy and enrolls in a 21st-century school. She laments being stranded in our era and failing her king and fellow knights. Ystina is informed by the magician Ali Ka-Zoom of sketchy records of a great queen called "Ystina the Good" who helped restore the Sheeda-ravaged world centuries ago. Whether she eventually returns to the past and assumes this role remains to be seen.

Ystina is also seen in the battle for Metropolis in Infinite Crisis #7 attacking The Riddler.

Ystina makes a brief appearance in week 50 of the maxi-series 52 , helping dozens of heroes battle the rage-maddened Black Adam. Fellow 'Soldier' Manhattan Guardian assists in the battle. This fight is also detailed in the fourth issue of the "World War III" tie-in series.

She later appeared in the "New Deal" arc of the Teen Titans . After losing various members due to events such as Battle for the Cowl and Terror Titans , Cassie Sandsmark tasks Kid Devil with recruiting new heroes for the team. He approaches Ystina with the intent of asking her to join, only to be chased off after she mistakes him for a demon.

New 52

In The New 52 (a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), Ystin is a transgender character who primarily identifies as male but appears to be biologically female (this started as a running gag in Demon Knights where everyone was sure the Shining Knight was not biologically male but humoured 'her', before gradually being shown as a gender identity plot). Ystin lived in a Celtic incarnation of Camelot as a squire, under Artus the Bear King. The Daemonites, ravagers of every attempt at Camelot, destroyed it and left Ystin for dead; Merlin fed him from the Grail and granted him immortality. With his horse Vanguard, the Shining Knight subconsciously searched Earth for the Grail so Merlin could resurrect Camelot. When immortality was too much, they took long slumbers under hillsides. [7] Ystin was unaware of the later Camelot that Madame Xanadu and Jason Blood lived in and used to believe they were lying. [8]

In Dark Ages Europe, Ystin joined the 'Demon Knights' at the town of Little Spring and joined them on a quest to Avalon (the series had an early running gag of his habit of insulting people in old Welsh so they cannot understand they're being insulted). [9] Ystin and his comrade Exoristos formed a relationship during their time together. During an early battle against the Questing Queen, Ystin had a vision of Merlin giving him the option to cease searching for the Grail, as the search would bring "great sorrow"; he decided to continue. [7] At Avalon, Ystin was knighted by King Arthur as part of the realm's agents on Earth: the original Stormwatch. He departed with Exoristos to continue searching for the Grail. [10]

Thirty years later, the Demon Knights are brought together again by an aged Al Jabr to fight the vampire Cain. [11] Sir Ystin had been aware from his visions that he would one day become a vampire and while the team defeated Cain, the Knight was bitten and turned. [12]

Other versions

Titans Tomorrow

An older version of Ystina appears in Teen Titans #52 as a member of the Titans Army from the Titans Tomorrow future. [13]

Reception

Charlotte Finn of ComicsAlliance felt that Ystin is not a particularly complex character, but has potential, clarifying that he "could be a sterling, if somewhat blood-soaked, representative of whatever expression Sir Ystin is", and that transgender characters deserve to be seen in the mirrors of "ourselves". [4]

The character was acknowledged by The Advocate as someone who would be great to see in a Justice League film as an example of a modern, positive outlook on intersex superheroes. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Idylls of the King</i> Cycle of twelve narrative poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Idylls of the King, published between 1859 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him, and the rise and fall of Arthur's kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancelot</span> Arthurian legend character

Lancelot du Lac, also written as Launcelot and other variants, is a character in some versions of Arthurian legend where he is typically depicted as King Arthur's close companion and one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table. In the French-inspired Arthurian chivalric romance tradition, Lancelot is an orphaned son of King Ban of the lost kingdom of Benoic, raised in a fairy realm by the Lady of the Lake. A hero of many battles, quests and tournaments, and famed as a nearly unrivalled swordsman and jouster, Lancelot becomes the lord of the castle Joyous Gard and personal champion of Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere, despite suffering from frequent and sometimes prolonged fits of madness. But when his adulterous affair with Guinevere is discovered, it causes a civil war that, once exploited by Mordred, brings an end to Arthur's kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galahad</span> Character in Arthurian legend

Galahad, sometimes referred to as Galeas or Galath, among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Sir Lancelot du Lac and Lady Elaine of Corbenic and is renowned for his gallantry and purity as the most perfect of all knights. Emerging quite late in the medieval Arthurian tradition, Sir Galahad first appears in the Lancelot–Grail cycle, and his story is taken up in later works, such as the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. In Arthurian literature, he replaced Percival as the hero in the quest for the Holy Grail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etrigan the Demon</span> Fictional character

Etrigan the Demon is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly because of the alliance between the heroic characters of the DC Universe and Jason Blood, a human to whom Etrigan is bound. Etrigan is commonly depicted as a muscular humanoid creature with orange or yellow skin, horns, red eyes, and pointed, webbed ears, who frequently speaks in rhymes. The character was originally based in Gotham City, leading to numerous team-ups with Batman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bors</span> Legendary Arthurian knight

Bors is the name of two knights in Arthurian legend, an elder and a younger. The two first appear in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romance prose cycle. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes (Gannes/Gaunes/Ganis) during the early period of King Arthur's reign, and is the brother of King Ban of Benoic and the father of Bors the Younger and Lionel. His son Bors the Younger later becomes one of the best Knights of the Round Table and participates in the achievement of the Holy Grail.

<i>The Ill-Made Knight</i> Novel by T. H. White

The Ill-Made Knight is a fantasy novel by British writer T. H. White, the third book in the series The Once and Future King. It was first published in 1940, but is usually found today only in collected editions of all four books of the novel.

"Alias the Spider" is a superhero feature from the Golden Age of Comic Books that appeared in Quality Comics' Crack Comics for nearly three years, starting with issue #1 in 1940. He was created by writer-artist Paul Gustavson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Diablo (character)</span> Comic character

El Diablo is a name shared by several characters appearing in media published by DC Comics: Lazarus Lane, Rafael Sandoval, and Chato Santana. The Chato Santana version of El Diablo appeared in the 2016 Suicide Squad film, set in the DC Extended Universe.

The Sheeda is a fictional race created in comics published by DC Comics. They first appear in Seven Soldiers #0, and were created by Grant Morrison and J.H. Williams III. Their first DC Universe appearance was in Morrison's introductory run on the JLA: Classified series in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squire (character)</span> Three fictional characters in DC Comics

Squire is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in media published by DC Comics. Percival Sheldrake debuted as the Squire in Young All-Stars #21, and was created by Roy Thomas and Michael Bair. Cyril Sheldrake debuted as the Squire in Batman #62, and was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang. Beryl Hutchinson debuted as the Squire in JLA #26, and was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulleteer</span> Comics character

Bulleteer is a fictional character and DC Comics superheroine, a member of the Seven Soldiers. She debuted in Seven Soldiers: The Bulleteer #1, and was created by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette. The character is based in part on the Fawcett Comics character Bulletgirl.

<i>Seven Soldiers</i>

Seven Soldiers is a 2005–2006 comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues. The series features a new version of the Seven Soldiers of Victory fighting to save Earth from the Sheeda. The series has been interpreted as "an extended metafictional treatise on the writing and reading of comic books in general and the superhero genre in particular".

Titans East is the name of several DC Comics superhero teams. The teams appear in the Teen Titans comic books and animated series. The comic book incarnation of Titans East first appeared in Teen Titans #18 (2005) during the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline, which is set in the future. A present-day incarnation appeared in Teen Titans #43 (2007), as a group of villains led by Deathstroke. Cyborg later assembled a new version of the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebula Man</span> Comics character

Nebula Man is a fictional character in DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #100–101 (1972).

<i>Camelot 3000</i> Limited series

Camelot 3000 is an American twelve-issue comic book limited series written by Mike W. Barr and penciled by Brian Bolland. It was published by DC Comics from 1982 to 1985 as one of its first direct market projects, and as its first maxi-series. It was also the first comic book series to be printed on Baxter paper instead of newsprint.

<i>Demon Knights</i> DC Comics series

Demon Knights is a DC Comics title launched in 2011 as part of that company's line-wide title relaunch, The New 52. It is a team title featuring Etrigan, Madame Xanadu, Shining Knight and others. Its main difference to other team titles, such as the Justice League, is that this team is based in the Medieval period of the DC Universe history. Its initial writer is Paul Cornell, with art by Diogenes Neves.

<i>Unholy Grail</i> (comic) Comic book series

Unholy Grail is a horror comic book series written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Mirko Colak, published by American company AfterShock Comics. The colorist is Maria Santaolalla, and the letterer is Simon Bowland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Arthur in comics</span> The fictional British monarch in printed narrative art

King Arthur(Arthur Pendragon) is a legendary figure used commonly in comic books.

Merlin is a legendary character who has appeared multiple times throughout comic books especially in DC Comics and Marvel Comics.

Shining Knight is the name of multiple fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by Creig Flessel and first appeared in Adventure Comics #66.

References

  1. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 303. ISBN   978-1-4654-8578-6.
  2. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 269. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
  3. Lovett, Jamie. "King Arthur's Legend In Comics". Marvel. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 Finn, Charlotte (25 October 2016). "'Demon Knights', Shining Knight, And the Power of Clarity". ComicsAlliance . Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  5. Newsarama: "SHINING KNIGHT 'OUTED' As DC's First Intersex Hero/ine?" (15 November 2012)
  6. Demon Knights #13
  7. 1 2 Demon Knights #4
  8. Demon Knights #1 and #8
  9. Demon Knights #1 to #3 (September 2011)
  10. Demon Knights #15
  11. Demon Knights #16 (Dec. 2012)
  12. Demon Knights #19 (Mar. 2013)
  13. Teen Titans #52
  14. Anderson, Brian (12 June 2014). "5 LGBT Characters We'd Love to See in a Justice League Movie". www.advocate.com. Retrieved 25 August 2020.

Further reading