Assassin's Creed: Templars 1
Assassin's Creed: Templars 1 is the first issue of the Titan comic book series Assassin's Creed: Templars. The comic, written by Fred Van Lente with art by Dennis Calero was released on 23 March 2016.
Publisher's summary[edit | edit source]
All-new adventures from the world of Assassin’s Creed. In 1927 Darius Gift arrived in Shanghai on his first assignment for the Templar Order. A minor misstep means he soon finds himself mixed up in the shadowy underworld of the International Settlement, and mixed up with the mysterious, enigmatic, Black Cross...[1]
Plot summary[edit | edit source]
1927: London, England. At a musical performance, Thaddeus Gift is extorting a man indebted to him. Whilst using his influence as a Templar, it turns out that he has been actively stealing from the Order.
He is passed a card denoting a black Templar Cross. In a panic, he flees the theater and tries to escape via his personal carriage. A chain dart pierces the roof, and Thaddeus is pulled toward a masked individual. He goes by the title of Black Cross, and reads aloud the crimes that Thaddeus has made against the Order before killing him for his indiscretions.
At Thaddeus's funeral, his son Darius, now finds himself penniless. At the behest of Ferris, another Templar, Darius is promised a formal education in exchange for a task. Darius accepts, and is instructed to take a package to China to try and reinforce the Rite present there.
Upon arriving in China, Darius takes to a bar where he strikes up a conversation with a female dancer called Roo. After he briefly turns away, she escapes with his unattended package. Running out into the street, he is set upon by a small group of men who believe him to be the Black Cross. At this point, the actual Black Cross appears and Darius is seemingly saved.[2]
Supplementary material[edit | edit source]
- The Order that would save humankind...
The Order of the Knights Templar is a secret organization that has operated globally for millennia. While the story of the Order's origin has been lost to the sands of time, it is believed to have taken an active role in the shaping of humanity since it freed itself from enslavement to the mysterious progenitor race known as The Ones Who Came Before.
The Templars have worked tirelessly towards a better future for humanity, and have been instrumental in bringing about significant change and progress in the world. However, it is this very desire for a better world, and the methods by which the Templars believe it will be attained, that puts them in direct opposition to the Assassin Brotherhood.
The Templars believe that it is though control and guidance that humankind will achieve perfection—in essence, freedom through control—whereas the Assassins believe It Is though individual self-expression and open access to all knowledge that humankind will reach its full potential. These two ideologies have a similar goal; it is the method by which they intend to reach it that differs, and has caused centuries of bloodshed.
The Templars [sic] ideology has attracted some of the greatest minds of all ages to their cause, the most remarkable and successful of which have often been men and women of science, and they have suffered greatly for their beliefs. As visionaries, the ideas they championed were usually significantly before their time, which left them vulnerable to attack and censorship. Never was this more true than during the Dark Ages in Europe, where countless brilliant minds were silenced and made to suffer for their foresight.
In the 12th century, the leading Templars were able to align themselves with the Church, and so were able to pursue their agendas free from persecution. However, their main goal, the betterment of humanity though scientific and technical knowledge, was never made public, and remained a closely guarded secret. For almost two hundred years, the Templars were able to steer a course for humankind that would bring about great advances In medicine, the military, even in basic living conditions. They were influencers, advising kings and emperors on how best to rule.
They were also under attack. Their numbers were being systematically depleted by the Assassin Brotherhood. The issue came to a head in the 13th century when the Templars were denounced as heretics, and forced to disband. This decision was taken by the last publicly recognized Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay. Making the ultimate sacrifice, he was burned at the stake, letting everyone think that the Templar Order would die with him. Unbeknownst to them, however, de Molay had selected nine trusted members of the Order to go forth into the world and spread the Templars [sic] philosophy, armed with their knowledge of The Ones Who Came Before. In doing this, de Molay ensured that the Order would live on, and could continue to work towards their ultimate goal.
The Order entered what they now consider to be a dark age. Despondency and corruption were rife, with leadership coming from those who had little respect for the original altruistic philosophy. Despite this, the Templars were still at the vanguard of scientific development during this time, and loyal members worked tirelessly toward their ultimate goal. The European colonization of the New World gave the Templars the opportunity to recover and rebuild, and the chance to retaliate and turn the tables on their foe, wiping out much of the Brotherhood leadership, and destroying any Assassin influence in the region.
The Templar Order's goals have evolved over time, with the dawning of the 20th century marking a turning point for the organization.
Following decades of innovation and invention, culminating in the astounding technological and scientific advancements seen during the Industrial Revolution, the Templars recognized that continued progress at that rate could lead them to their goal faster and more successfully than they had ever dreamed. Capitalism would be the tool that would allow the leaps in development that the Templars knew were within their reach.
In the uncertain days before the Second World War, Abstergo Industries was formed. For the second time In Its history, the Templars had a public face, although the true aims of the Order, and the very existence of the Order itself, remained a secret. Only a few employed by Abstergo were Templars. Through the work of its many divisions, Abstergo would provide the means by which the Templars notion of a perfectly functioning capitalist society could be brought about. As a multinational corporation with concerns spanning all areas of modern life, Abstergo was the perfect front for the Templar Order to pursue their agenda.
While their methods and goals have evolved, at its root the Templar Order believes in the betterment of humanity through technological and scientific advancement. For centuries uncounted, the search for relics left by The Ones Who Came Before, called Pieces of Eden, has occupied the Order. Significant resources have been devoted to acquiring as many of these unique artifacts as possible, in order that the technology they possess is harnessed and can be used for the greater good of humanity.
Cover gallery[edit | edit source]
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Variant cover by Paul Pope -
Variant cover by Dennis Calero -
Variant cover by Dennis Calero -
Variant cover by Mariano Laclaustra -
Blank variant cover
