Sheldrake and Hutchinson as Knight and Squire
Born into privilege as son to the Earl of Wordenshire, Percy Sheldrake, in Sheldrake Castle located in Great Worden, Wordenshire, England, Cyril Sheldrake lost his life valiantly defending the citizens of Gotham City against the forces of an evil known as Leviathan. A member of the Bruce Wayne-funded international organization identified as Batman Incorporated, Sheldrake was more commonly known as Knight, a hero to his native England. In death, he will be remembered as a hero not only to Great Britain, but to the world.
Just as Batman always has a Robin, the Knight always has a Squire. As a younger man, Cyril served as Squire to his father’s Knight. But when Percy Sheldrake was killed, he himself Squire to a hero known as Shining Knight during World War II, Cyril fell into a spiral of depression, gambling, and drug use. But one young woman, Beryl Hutchinson – the same young woman he would die protecting and that would be by his side as he passed on – brought him back from the brink of self-destruction and urged him to answer the call of duty and follow in his father’s footsteps as Knight. She would become his new Squire, and together they would hold membership in the Ultramarine Corps, a United States government-sanctioned group of superheroes, and later, the illustrious and equally mysterious Batman Incorporated.
Though he had his demons, Cyril is fondly remembered for his sense of humor, affection for Beryl, and his sense of understanding. In a somewhat unique notion for superhero vigilantes, Cyril was on friendly terms with many of his “rogues,” who more often than not simply wanted to engage in the theatricality of villain-dom rather than actually commit any crimes. Quite often, Cyril could be found at The Time in a Bottle Pub in London, sharing pints with Jarvis Poker, the fun-loving British incarnation of America’s psychotic Joker. In fact, some would argue that it was after Poker’s untimely death a couple of years back that Cyril more aggressively threw himself into his work as Knight, devoting even more time to Batman Incorporated.
In Leviathan’s bid to overtake Gotham and the Batman, Cyril Sheldrake gave his life defending the principles and allies that he held dear. He will be missed.
Sheldrake will live on in our hearts and minds as an action figure.
Should you seek more information on Cyril Sheldrake’s life accomplishments, we would refer you to the following:
- JLA #26 (First Appearance)
- Batman [1940] #667-669
- Batman and Robin [2009] #7-9
- Knight and Squire #1-6
- Batman Incorporated [2012] #6
Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He is depressed by this news.
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