Comic history Comic strips

Prince Valiant and Flamberge Reunited

After nearly a year Prince Valiant has once again gained possession of Flamberge, The Singing Sword!

Or is it the other way around and Flamberge is once more in possession of Prince Valiant?

It is not the first time the pair has been separated, but it is the longest.

The fateful pairing of sword and warrior began early in Prince Valiant’s life when he was challenging another man for the hand of fair Ilene. Val and Arn of Ord must call an uneasy truce and join forces when Ilene is kidnapped by a Viking raiding party. In order to save Ilene one must stay behind and thwart an attacking Viking troupe while the other attempts to save the girl they both love. Here Prince Valiant first handles The Singing Sword.

above: June 12, 1938

Arn’s leaving of Flamberge in Prince Valiant’s care leads to Hal Foster’s most famous panel:

above: panel from June 19, 1938

Alas, it is all for naught.

As Prince Valiant of Thule and Prince Arn of Ord part ways, now friends and allies, Val is gifted Flamberge.

above: September 25, 1938

It may be that Arn has the better of it.

Soon Prince Valiant learns that Flamberge may come with a curse and control the man who wields it.

above: November 13, 1938

Val doesn’t heed Horrit’s warning and a lifelong symbiotic relationship is formed between weapon and warrior.

More than once Val has been disgusted by The Singing Sword’s blood thirst and wishes to be gone with it.

above: August 17, 1958

Ridding himself of the sword is not easy, Valiant and Flamberge have been bound together by The Fates.

above: August 24, 1958

As in the past so it is now as Prince Valiant once more wields The Singing Sword.

But Prince Valiant, after all, is mortal. What of Flamberge once its current reciprocal relationship ends?

above: March 19, 1950



Comments 2

  1. Jeff

    Oh, those strips are beautiful.
    Thank you for finding them.

  2. Brian Fies

    I LOVED this post! Thanks for pulling it all together and writing it.

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