Merlin in comics

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

The first adaptation of Merlin appeared in New Comics #3 (February 1936), by Rafael Astarita.^[1]

The modern version of Merlin is the half-brother of Etrigan the Demon and bound him to the human Jason Blood.^[2] In The New 52 continuity reboot, Merlin is the founder of Stormwatch under the alias Adam One.^[3]

• An alternate version of Merlin appears in Camelot 3000, where characters from Arthurian myth have no contact with DC superheroes in present day. This Merlin is an immortal who calls King Arthur from Glastonbury Tor in the year 3000 to battle Morgaine le Fay's invasion.
• In the Elseworlds story Batman: Dark Knight of the Round Table, Merlin counsels a Round Table consisting of analogs of the Justice League of America.
• An alternate timeline variant of Merlin appears in Future State. This version is a conqueror who seeks to claim the world's magic. To this end, he separates Jason Blood from Etrigan and manipulates the former into serving him.^[4]

• Merlin appears in The Adventures of Superboy episode "The Black Knight".^{[citation needed]}
• Merlin appears in The Freedom Force, voiced by Michael Bell.^{[citation needed]} This version is a member of the titular team.
• Merlin appears in a flashback in the Justice League episode "A Knight of Shadows", voiced by W. Morgan Sheppard.^[5] This version bound Jason Blood and Etrigan as punishment for the former betraying Camelot to his secret lover Morgaine le Fey.
• Merlin appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by David McCallum.^[5] This version was previously Etrigan's master and worked with him to seal Astaroth in the underworld.
• Merlin appears in Justice League Action, voiced by Dan Donohue in "Speed Demon" and by Patrick Seitz in "Hat Trick".^[5]
• Merlin appears in Legends of Tomorrow as a disguise used by a time-travelling Courtney Whitmore (portrayed by Sarah Grey).^[6]
• Merlin appears in Justice League Dark, voiced by JB Blanc.^[5]

Merlin is the name of multiple fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

The first Merlin of the Marvel Universe is apparently the figure of Arthurian legend, hailing from 6th century A.D. Britain. He was born in Carmarthen, Wales. He was a powerful sorcerer who acted as teacher, advisor, and defender of King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot. Merlin warned King Arthur that his son, Mordred, would be responsible for the end of Camelot, but before Arthur could put the baby to death, he was rescued and raised in anonymity. Merlin was responsible for teaching magic to Morgan le Fay, though she turned against him and became one of King Arthur's greatest foes.

Knowing that Britain would need a champion to face the likes of Morgan and Mordred, he sought a boy to become the first Black Knight. He had this boy, Percy, trained in all known forms of combat, and when he grew up, Percy was presented with the Ebony Blade.^[7] When Percy died, Merlin cast a spell that ensured he would have successors in future centuries.^[8]

Merlyn appears in Excalibur, now calling himself the Great Hierophant as the ruler of the Holy Republic of Fae, part of the Foul Courts of Otherworld.^[9] He is later revealed to be an ally of Morgan le Fey and Clan Akkaba and shares their hatred of mutants.^[10]

Other beings have also claimed the name Merlin, besides the Merlin of Arthurian legend:

This being was apparently 10,000 years old, and apparently was a savage that came to possess some portion of the same Bloodgem that Ulysses Bloodstone would later possess, which gave him immortality and eternal youth. The false Merlin was revived in modern times after his coffin was found.^[11] Merlin claims to be a mutant and had the ability to control the minds of others, create illusions, project force bolts, levitate objects, teleport himself, create force fields, and alter his own appearance.^[12]

Another being posing as Merlin was sent by Immortus to fight the Avengers. This being was revealed to be a Dire Wraith with no connection to the real Merlin.^{[volume & issue needed]}

The being Merlyn also claims to be the real Merlin and appears to be a gestalt of the various other Merlins within the Marvel Comics multiverse.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Peter Hunter, the British costumed champion known as Albion, a member of the Knights of Pendragon, is alleged to be the current reincarnation of Merlin.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Merlin also appeared in the Marvel UK Doctor Who comic appearing first in "The Neutron Knights" story and later in the longer "The Tides of Time".^[13][14] This Merlin was one of the High Evolutionaries of the Cosmos, a group that also includes Rassilon, the founder of the Time Lords.

• An alternate reality variant of Merlin appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "The Spider-Verse", voiced by Tom Kenny.^[15]
• Merlin appears in the Marvel Future Avengers episode "Out of Time", voiced by Shozo Sasaki in the Japanese version and by Mick Wingert in the English dub.^[15]
• Merlin appears as an unlockable playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.^[16]

• Merlin is a major character in Matt Wagner's Mage series, which features a reincarnated King Arthur as the character Kevin Matchstick. He is presented as the World Mage and is a paraplegic in the first series Mage: The Hero Discovered. He is depicted as an old man named Wally Ut, who Kevin thinks of as a crackpot until he reveals himself in Mage: The Hero Defined.
• Merlin is the title-character in Merlin, a comic book by Robin Wood and Enrique Alcatena.
• Merlin is a member of the titular knights in The Seven Deadly Sins, representing the sin of Gluttony.

• King Arthur in comics