The Once and Future Duck
Encyclopedia
The Once and Future Duck is a 1996 Donald Duck
story by Don Rosa
.
's new time machine
. The machine is so unpredictable that Huey, Dewey and Louie
warn Donald that he might end up at any time in the past, and thus advise him to do the testing at the Stonehenge
, which has remained unaltered for millennia
.
Donald, Gyro, and the boys travel to the United Kingdom
to test the time machine at Stonehenge. The machine sends them centuries
to the past, to time of sub-Roman Britain
. There, the ducks meet "King Arthur
"—Artorius Riothamus
, the last descendant of Lucius Artorius Castus
, and find out that he is nowhere near the glorious benevolent ruler history has made him to be; instead, he's a common warlord
without much morals to speak of. Fearing the ducks are Saxon
invaders, Arthur kidnaps Donald and his nephews, and is about to execute them, but at the last moment, Gyro sounds a car horn, which scares the Britons off.
Arthur goes after Donald, intending to finish him off, but a combination of Gyro's technology and the mystical power of the Stonehenge gives Donald awesome powers. An epic duel ensues between Arthur and Donald. In the end, Arthur strikes his famous sword
into a stone, but is unable to get it out. Gyro's Little Helper, imbued with the mystical power, pulls it out and drives the Britons off, giving Gyro time to transport the ducks back to the present.
This comic is based on the Pertwillaby Papers adventure Knighttime, and makes the Pertwillaby Papers adventure seem incomplete.
The story's name is a parody of T.H. White's Aurthurian novel, The Once and Future King
.
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
story by Don Rosa
Don Rosa
Keno Don Hugo Rosa, known simply as Don Rosa, is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other characters created by Carl Barks for Disney comics, such as The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.-Early life:Don Rosa's grandfather,...
.
Plot
Donald Duck is testing Gyro GearlooseGyro Gearloose
Gyro Gearloose is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic chicken created by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. He is part of the Scrooge McDuck universe, appearing in comic book stories as a friend of Donald Duck, Scrooge and anyone who is associated with them. He was also a frequent star...
's new time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
. The machine is so unpredictable that Huey, Dewey and Louie
Huey, Dewey and Louie
Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck are a trio of fictional, anthropomorphic ducks who appear in animated cartoons and comic books published by the Walt Disney Company. Identical triplets, the three are Donald Duck's nephews. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were created by Ted Osborne and Al Taliaferro, and first...
warn Donald that he might end up at any time in the past, and thus advise him to do the testing at the Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
, which has remained unaltered for millennia
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
.
Donald, Gyro, and the boys travel to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to test the time machine at Stonehenge. The machine sends them centuries
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
to the past, to time of sub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeological label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity: the term "Sub-Roman" was invented to describe the potsherds in sites of the 5th century and the 6th century, initially with an implication of decay of locally-made wares from a...
. There, the ducks meet "King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
"—Artorius Riothamus
Riothamus
Riothamus was a Romano-British military leader, who was active circa AD 470. He fought against the Goths in alliance with the declining Roman Empire. He is called "King of the Britons" by the 6th-Century historian Jordanes, but the extent of his realm is unclear...
, the last descendant of Lucius Artorius Castus
Lucius Artorius Castus
Lucius Artorius Castus was a Roman military commander. A member of the gens Artoria , he has been suggested as a potential historical basis for King Arthur....
, and find out that he is nowhere near the glorious benevolent ruler history has made him to be; instead, he's a common warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
without much morals to speak of. Fearing the ducks are Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
invaders, Arthur kidnaps Donald and his nephews, and is about to execute them, but at the last moment, Gyro sounds a car horn, which scares the Britons off.
Arthur goes after Donald, intending to finish him off, but a combination of Gyro's technology and the mystical power of the Stonehenge gives Donald awesome powers. An epic duel ensues between Arthur and Donald. In the end, Arthur strikes his famous sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
into a stone, but is unable to get it out. Gyro's Little Helper, imbued with the mystical power, pulls it out and drives the Britons off, giving Gyro time to transport the ducks back to the present.
This comic is based on the Pertwillaby Papers adventure Knighttime, and makes the Pertwillaby Papers adventure seem incomplete.
The story's name is a parody of T.H. White's Aurthurian novel, The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T. H. White. It was first published in 1958 and is mostly a composite of earlier works written in a period between 1938 and 1941....
.