Canute
Canute was a Viking who ruled England in the early 11th century.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Transformers '84
Canute was in Stansham Castle when it was besieged in 1017 by the forces of Godwin – other Vikings from northern France intent on seizing the English throne from him. One night, during a lull in the siege when the attackers had been forced into retreat, soldiers on the ramparts witnessed the fiery atmospheric entry of an Autobot shuttle which then crashed nearby. The next day, Canute ordered scouts to investigate this "celestial omen". The scouts found the ship but were immediately ambushed by some of Godwin's men. Fastlane and Cloudraker, taking pity on Canute's men, intervened on their behalf. Canute's men nevertheless believed the Autobots to be devils, and they gave chase to Godwin's men rather than stick around. Meanwhile, the two clones fended off a Decepticon attack and then tried to escape in their ship, but it was shot down – crashing this time right into Stansham Castle. Transformers '84 issue 0 It's unclear what became of Canute or how he reacted to these events.
Marvel The Transformers comics
Galvatron howled defiance at the onrushing time rift in a manner reminiscent of Canute. Time Wars Presumably this means that Canute met a similar fate, being violently reduced to constituent particles by a temporal vortex.
Notes
- Okay actually the real-world legend says Canute planted himself on the seashore and commanded the tide to stop. Impertinently, the sea wettened his feet anyway.
- In the original storyline featuring Stansham Castle in 1017, Canute wasn't mentioned; his presence was a retcon 35 years later. It's historically accurate inasmuch as Canute was king at the time, and in fact he was overthrown at one point by forces including other Vikings. Immediately after Canute was crowned in 1014, a deposed English king who had been in exile in northern France invaded with the help of another Viking king, driving Canute back to his homeland across the sea. This is the best match for the events of the comic, though the year is off. By 1017, Canute had returned with a vengeance, retaken the throne definitively, and ushered in a peaceful period of stable rule.[1]
