Other Appearances: None
Excalibur is the name of the mystical sword wielded by King Arthur Pendragon. Its precise origins are unknown, but it may have been created on Avalon. Until the time of Arthurian legend, the sword was owned by the Lady of the Lake. She passed it to another some time before Arthur's birth. (In most versions of the legend, it was given to Merlin, who in turn gave it to Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, to demonstrate the latter's right to rule. This was never shown in the series, however, so it may be different there.) It was placed into the Stone of Destiny (by Merlin, after Uther's actions proved him unworthy- again never in the actual series), and remained there until it was removed by Arthur, the rightful king of Britain.
With Excalibur to back him up, Arthur Pendragon was able to unite all of Britain into one country, and created the kingdom of Camelot. However, as many good things do, Camelot was shattered. Arthur had one of his knights return the sword to the Lady of the Lake, before he was taken to Avalon to sleep within the Hollow Hill. The lady kept it for hundreds of years, eventually moving herself to a lake in Central Park in Manhattan, and the sword to within a stone dragon lying at the center of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Clues to Excalibur's location remained in England as a rookery poem of the London clan-
Isle of towers, glass and stone
The lady waits for him alone
Ebon glass in emerald frame
Pure white lilies speak her name
Blood red bane in dragon stone
Excalibur waits for him alone
When Arthur was awakened in 1995, and began searching for his sword,
Avalon sent him to London, and he entered Westminster Abbey, finding that
the Stone of Destiny was located there. He also met Griff,
who believed Arthur to be a thief of some sort, as he had to break into
the Abbey. The gargoyle told Arthur of the rookery poem, and when Arthur
recited the first line, the Stone sent him and Griff to the "isle of towers,
glass and stone"- namely, Manhattan. "Ebon glass in emerald frame, pure
white lilies speak her name" referred to the lily-covered lake in Central
Park where the Lady of the Lake now resided. At this point, the Trio and
Hudson
began accompanying them, and MacBeth, seeking
Excalibur for himself, pursued them.
After a test of Arthur's leadership skills, the Lady showed them the
stone dragon, and Lexington recognized the location
as the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. They travelled there, and MacBeth's
mercenaries, Banquo and Fleance, battled the Manhattan gargoyles, while
Griff and Arthur raced to the statue. However, MacBeth got there first,
and drew what appeared to be the sword. This activated the dragon, which
turned out to be a magical construct designed to attack those that took
the sword, which Arthur quickly learned was false. He and Griff battled
the dragon in the air, and the Once and Future King remembered the fifth
line of the poem- "Blood red bane in dragon stone"- and realized
that the sword was within the dragon's red heart. Arthur shattered the
heart, and withdrew Excalibur, destroying the dragon.
Arthur, when last seen, had set off to locate Merlin, with Griff by his side. He still wields Excalibur, and will use its power in his quest and to protect those in need.
Excalibur is a magical sword of incredible durability and strength. It may have other, more mystical properties, but those have yet to be explored.