News from the King in Black! Knull takes big defeats from Marvel’s greatest heroes in February’s most memorable Marvel comic book moments.
Marvel had a big month of comic book moments in January. We found out that there was a possible reality where Reed Richards does something so appalling that Ben Grimm kills him, Storm alluded to the fact that she could be leaving Krakoa and the X-Men (meaning she’d be out of the Quiet Council as well), The Phoenix Force wants T’Challa, Wolverine wants to kill a god, and Daredevil becomes a servant of Knull.
In another short month, we were in for even more shocks. Yes, once again, there have been plenty of intriguing moments that will undoubtedly affect the future of the Marvel universe in February.
With that in mind, let’s get into it. And let’s start with what happened to Daredevil.
11. Marvel’s Daredevil resists Knull
Comic book: Daredevil No. 27
Knull’s grip on beings seemed to be unstoppable. That was until he came across Daredevil. The Man without Fear was possessed by a Knull-controlled symbiote and resisted it. Knull was impressed as no one had ever done this before. Not only was he resisting him, he fought Knull’s forces while being in a symbiote. In the end, Daredevil was willing to sit in an electric chair and get shocked to get the symbiote to release him.
Why is this important?
Daredevil could have used this opportunity to escape. Instead, he did the right thing. He showed one of the inmates that he was more than willing to do his time. This may also go towards him getting released earlier than expected. With everything that happened, the court system may reduce Daredevil’s sentence. It’s doubtful that Daredevil will accept it though. However, he may if Elektra can convince him to leave to help stop the Hand.
10. Henry Gyrich and mutants
Comic book: S.W.O.R.D. No. 3
Eden was on a journey around the galaxy. He was taking some time to himself in between helping S.W.O.R.D., the X-Men and the Earth with the Knull situation. Along the way, he comes across Henry Gyrich – a man who’s notoriously known for being horrible and is currently working on capturing the Hulk (check out Immortal Hulk for more on that). Eden finds out that Gyrich is working with Orchis – a group dedicated to destroying mutants. Eden gets this information to Abigail Brand, but misses an important part: Gyrich has a mole in S.W.O.R.D.
Why is this important?
There are a lot of people on the S.W.O.R.D. base that could be Gyrich’s informant. Fabian Cortez strikes this writer as the jealous type – someone who wants the approval of Magento, but never got it. His rejection could cause him to provide Gyrich with information. Abigail Brand is an option as well. She’s stated that her job isn’t working for Krakoa so passing on info could be what she’s determined as being the right thing to do for the universe.
There’s also the possibility that it’s someone who doesn’t even know they’re a mole. Or maybe it’s a Skrull. We’ll have to wait and see.
9. Eddie Brock becomes Captain Universe
Comic book: King in Black No. 4
It’s rare that you’ll find an evil being that actually manages to take over the world. There have been beings like Thanos, the Skrulls, and Galactus that have been worldwide threats, yes, but Knull has done something different. He encased Earth in a symbiote cocoon and used his symbiotest to take over. His dragons were causing damage while his symbiotes were controlling people. Even heroes like Cyclops, Captain America, and Storm were under his control.
Reed was looking for a way to stop Knull by figuring him out. His answer comes when he discovers that there was an opposite of him – a being that latched onto people much like Knull’s symbiotes. The opposite of Knull’s darkness is Captain Universe’s light – a light that attached itself to Eddie Brock.
Why is this important?
Eddie Brock died, but we knew that wouldn’t last forever. He was destined to destroy Knull. When there’s a symbiote threat, he’s usually the one in the middle or the one that helps save the day. Plus, it’s appropriate. Donny Cates started this Venom run with Eddie and continued it with Absolute Carnage. Now we’re at the end in King in Black. It’s only right that Eddie finishes it off.
Eddie Brock is also the best and most recognized Venom. If anyone but him or his son stopped Knull, it would have been disappointing.
8. Kid Omega grows up
Comic book: X-Force No. 17
Quentin Quire (Kid Omega) may hold the record for most mutant deaths since the resurrection protocols were put in place. Considering Wolverine is around, that’s shocking – that guy dies more than anyone.
We later find out from Phoebe (one of the Stepford Cuckoos) that part of him getting himself killed was a subconscious thing. His parents messed him up bad. Phoebe pointed out that he wanted to die to truly be reborn. After Quentin and Phoebe had a heart-to-heart, the former decides to make a change. He changes his costume and his way of life – something that’s been a long time coming.
Why is this important?
Quentin has been acting like a spoiled child for years. It wasn’t until Jason Aaron’s run of Wolverine and the X-Men that he started to become a well-rounded character. He started to have emotions that ranged from more than his typical stretch of narcissism. Now, we’ll get to see more evolution from him in the future.
Of course, Quentin should still be sure of himself and annoyingly so. That shouldn’t change. The thing that should change, however, is how he approaches situations. Hopefully he’ll stop running into things blindly and getting himself killed. He’s too powerful to keep dying the way he has. Plus, the notion of him constantly getting killed is getting old.
7. Mastermind is working with Arcade
Comic book: Hellions No. 9
If Apocalypse and the Fenris twins can keep it together on Krakoa, then everyone should be able to. After all, Gorgon and Wolverine shared a beer and they had a blood feud. However, no matter how good things get, there’s always one person that messes it up for everyone – even if you’re in paradise. In this case, it’s Jason Wyngarde a.k.a. Mastermind.
First he poisoned Mr. Sinister. Granted, he deserved some kind of comeuppance. This then led to Sage sending the Hellions on a mission to find him. Well, after they laughed because Sage calls Sinister “one of their own.” Sage informed them to meet their New York contact who happens to be Jason Wyndgarde. He immediately uses his powers of illusion to get the Hellions in Arcade’s clutches.
Why is this important?
Krakoa has no tolerance for things like this. Mastermind possibly getting mutants killed will get him exiled to the pit next to Sabretooth. This wasn’t shocking. It was only a matter of time before someone did something like this. Mastermind said this new age feels like shackles. It’s certain that there are other mutants on Krakoa who feel this way as well. He’s only the first of many who will undoubtedly start doing evil things against their own people.
6. The Marauders, Symbiotes, and Hank McCoy
Comic book: Marauders: King in Black
The mission was straightforward, but it was far from simple. The Marauders were sent to retrieve Cyclops and Storm from the clutches of the Knull’s symbiotes. Along the way, however, they come across a ship being attacked by Knull’s dragons. Of course, Kitty wouldn’t leave without helping. After defeating the dragons, they find something nefarious – the ship was trafficking people. The Marauders saved the day and the innocent people were given asylum on a Krakoan island.
Afterwards, we find out that Beast is still being secretive as he gave Bishop orders that the rest of the Marauders didn’t know about. He had told Bishop that if they couldn’t free Storm and Cyclops one way, free them in another, subtextually suggesting that he should kill them if it came to that.
Why is this important?
First, Krakoa is going to get some amazing press. There are plenty of stories out there painting mutants in a bad light but this won’t be one of them. Magneto asked one of the refugees to make sure that the world knew of Krakoa’s mercy and now they undoubtedly will. And you can rest assured that writer Gerry Duggan will undoubtedly bring this plot thread up again in a future issue.
Now, we have Hank McCoy. His order to Bishop to kill Storm and Cyclops if he had to wasn’t shocking. Beast’s morals and actions have been questionable for years. When Kitty finds out what he asked Bishop, however, she will bring it to the Quiet Council. Even with the resurrection protocols, Kitty won’t condone the murder of her friends.
5. Black Widow’s direction
Comic book: Black Widow No. 5
Natasha Romanoff was just put through Hell. She was given a life of love and peace only to find out that it was all a lie. Despite finding out the truth, she couldn’t shake the memories. She’ll always remember the family she had. To top it off, they were killed. Or so we thought.
Winter Soldier and Black Widow faked their deaths to get her family to safety. After Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Yelena Belova dealt with the villains, Natasha had a thought. Instead of revenge, she wants to try a new way of doing things.
Why is this important?
Natasha Romanoff has always been a spy, even when she was with the Avengers. She may not have been spying on them, but she was still in the game in some way – especially since she never stopped working for S.H.I.E.L.D. or Nick Fury. She’s also been someone who’s wanted payback for things done to her or the people she cares about. Her saying that she didn’t want revenge was honestly shocking. Shocking, but cool.
It’s great when writers take characters in new directions. And since Kelly Thompson is a writer you can trust, we know this isn’t just a whim for the character. Black Widow’s new direction will be a good one.
4. The war has begun
Comic book: Black Panther No. 23
Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates started his Black Panther run back in 2016 with A Nation Under Our Feet. A series that redefined Black Panther and the nation of Wakanda, it showed the darker side of the Golden City – parts where even Wakanda looked unfavorable. Two years later, he started the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda – a series that exposed more of Wakanda. In both situations, T’Challa worked on making Wakanda better. And he didn’t just talk about it, he fought for it as well. Now, it’s T’Challa, Wakanda, and a plethora of black heroes to protect Wakanda from forces from both Wakanda and the stars.
Why is this important?
It’s been a year since Black Panther 15 came out. Thankfully, it was worth the wait. The issue started off giving us an insight into everyone involved in the war. Killmonger and his alien symbiote are still fighting and can’t find common ground – this is a relationship will not end well. The deity Bast and Zenzi are working together in secret. What they have planned has yet to be seen. We also have Romanda amassing gods to assist Wakanda as well.
Black Panther No. 23 ends with the fight coming to Wakanda and the heroes attacking. This is only the first step in what will definitely be an epic ending.
3. Carol Danvers hurts her past and future
Comic book: Captain Marvel No. 26
Captain Marvel spent some time in the future after a mysterious event kills most of the people on Earth. While there, Carol Danvers finds out that the son of Namor and Enchantress, Ove, is responsible for capturing heroes and forcing them to do whatever he wants. His final goal is to use Captain Marvel’s energy to go to the past. Before Carol could stop him, Enchantress sacrifices her life to send her son to the past. Where and when, we don’t know. What we do know is that he’s planning something that’s going to be destructive.
Why is this important?
Ove has Namor’s strength with some of his mother’s magic. That’s a deadly combination. With his knowledge of how to take out certain heroes, Ove will be a force-to-be-reckoned-with. The question is what he has planned. Obviously, world domination is the goal, but how will he accomplish it? It makes you wonder if he caused the sickness and chaos described in Captain Marvel No. 23.
Ove made a huge mistake. He didn’t kill Captain Marvel. She’s aware that he’s in her present and will be preparing for him. Carol’s aware of how dangerous Ove is and will let the Avengers know what she saw. Hopefully they’ll be ready for what he’s going to do. Also, how is Namor going to react to seeing his son?
2. T’Challa defeats Knull with one Claw
Comic book: King In Black: Black Panther No. 1
Knull attacked everywhere in the world. No one was safe from the King in Black’s assault on Earth. Not even Wakanda. However, Knull wasn’t aware of something the Skrulls found out too late – you never attempt to conquer Wakanda. You’ll end up dead and become a cautionary tale for future generations.
Knull’s forces definitely fared better than the Skrulls, slaying dozens if not hundreds of innocent Wakandan citizens and soldiers in their attempt to conquer. It was so bad that T’Challa had to put his sister in harm’s way to make his plan work. Thankfully, she wasn’t killed in his sacrifice.
Knull’s attempt to take Wakanda ended with Wakanda being the first place on Earth to see the sun since the villain appeared on the planet. The first positive moment since the war started.
Why is this important?
Wakanda continuing to be an incredible force in Marvel Comics is a very important talking point. They’re supposed to be more advanced than everyone in the world. More than some intergalactic civilizations as well.
Writer Geoffery Thorne mentioned the Skrulls’ attempted invasion for a reason: To show that Knull’s army wasn’t the first set of aliens to try to take over Wakanda. They’re a country that has never been trounced – Dr. Doom and many others found that out the hard way. And now, they have become just another failure in the long-line of those who tried to overthrow the kingdom of Wakanda.
1. Maverick and Wolverine
Comic book: Wolverine No. 10
Wolverine saved his “friend” Maverick from being sold at an auction. They were easily outnumbered ten to one, but managed to cut and shoot their way out of the area. While they were escaping, a woman named Agent Ramirez grabbed Wolverine’s severed hand. It was probably Old Man Logan’s. He had it severed in Old Man Logan No. 32. Regardless of how it was there, it’s in the hands of someone who’s going to use it for evil.
Things get worse at the end of the issue. Wolverine takes Maverick to Krakoa to show him everything that he could have. All Maverick had to do to obtain it was to quit his old life. Unfortunately, Maverick declined (albeit in a colorful, but funny way).
When he leaves, Maverick meets the same woman who took Logan’s hand. When she asks if he’s with her, Maverick smiles and says that he’s made up his mind.
Why is this important?
The thing about Maverick is he’s devious. He could be working for one person while taking money from their rival. In Wolverine Weapon X: Adamantium Men, Maverick was helping Wolverine from a problem he created. Is Maverick working for Agent Ramirez, secretly helping Wolverine, or playing both sides? More than likely the latter.
One thing is certain though: This isn’t the end of the Maverick and Wolverine saga.
Did you have a favorite Marvel comic book moment of the month? Was something left off this list in an egregious oversight? Let us know in the comments below!