Black Order (comics)

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Black Order
Black Order.jpg
Thanos and the original five Black Order members on the cover of Thanos: A God Up There Listening #3 (December 2014).
Art by Dustin Nguyen.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Cameo appearance: The New Avengers #8 (September 2013)
Full appearance: Infinity #1 (October 2013)
Created by Jonathan Hickman
Mike Deodato
In-story information
Base(s) Knowhere
Member(s) Thanos
Black Dwarf
Corvus Glaive
Ebony Maw
Proxima Midnight
Supergiant
Black Swan

The Black Order is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are a group of alien warriors with various supernatural abilities who serve Thanos. The original iteration, introduced in the 2013 Infinity storyline following a cameo appearance in The New Avengers #8 (September 2013), consists of Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Black Dwarf, and Supergiant, with Black Swan later joining the group as well.

Contents

The Black Order have been adapted from the comics into several other forms of media, such as animated television series and video games. The group (renamed the " Children of Thanos ") made their live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Alternate versions of the Children of Thanos later appeared in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the animated Disney+ series What If...? (2021).

Fictional team biography

Thanos' version

The Black Order is a group of ruthless aliens who serve Thanos. They help Thanos raze worlds from which they demand tribute. When Corvus Glaive sent one of their Outriders to find a new world to raze, the Outrider targeted Earth. [1]

The Black Order arrive on Earth in search of the Infinity Gems, which are under the control of the Illuminati. [2] Each member of the Order targets a member of the Illuminati with varying degrees of success. During their search for the gems, Ebony Maw finds Thanos' son, Thane, whom Thanos wishes to kill. [3]

During a battle with the Avengers, Black Dwarf and Supergiant are killed, while Ebony Maw betrays Thanos and frees Thane. Thane traps Thanos, Corvus Glaive, and Proxima Midnight in an amber construct which leaves them in a state of "living death." [4]

While Thanos was imprisoned in the Triskelion, a mysterious cloaked figure offers to help him obtain the Mjolnir of Earth-1610. [5] Thanos accepted the deal. To ensure success, Thanos forms a second incarnation of the Black Order with Proxima Midnight and Black Swan of Earth-1365. He dispatched them to the Collector's ship to obtain the Mjolnir of Earth-1610. [6] There, the trio battled Thor and Beta Ray Bill and failed in retrieving the hammer. [7] Upon returning to Thanos, the cloaked figure revealed herself to be Hela who killed Black Swan and Midnight to demonstrate her power. She told Thanos that she needed his help to reclaim her rulership of Hel and offered to grant him the death he has long been seeking in exchange. They then kiss in a passionate embrace. [8]

After Gamora killed Thanos, [9] Hela and the Black Order, using Knowhere as their ship, stole Thanos' body from Starfox for Hela to resurrect him. [10] After getting the head from Annihilus, the Black Order went to Eros, who is revealed to be housing Thanos' consciousness. [11]

Corvus Glaive's version

After the restructuring of the multiverse, when Thanos was missing, Corvus Glaive created a new incarnation of the Black Order as part of his plan to create his own empire. Using a moon called the Black Quadrant that belonged to Thanos, Glaive and the Black Order began to conquer different planets. When Thanos returned, Glaive committed suicide rather than be killed by him. [12]

Challenger's version

During the "No Surrender" arc, the Black Order was reorganized with Ebony Maw and Black Swan with Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, and Black Dwarf being resurrected while Supergiant is alive as a psychic projection. Earth was stolen from where it used to be the battleground for the Black Order's fight with an alien version of the Lethal Legion that was formed by Grandmaster. [13] It was revealed that this Black Order was formed by the Challenger who is an old rival of Grandmaster. [14] After the Avengers put an end to the contest, the Black Order regroups on the planet Angargal. They are approached by Grandmaster who had an offer for them. [15]

Members

Thanos' first version

Corvus Glaive's version

Thanos' second version

Challenger's version

In other media

Television

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Black Order, barring Supergiant and alternatively referred to as the "Children of Thanos", appear in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Ebony Maw voiced and motion-captured by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor; Black Dwarf (renamed Cull Obsidian) voiced and motion-captured by Terry Notary; Proxima Midnight voiced and facial-captured by Carrie Coon, with motion capture primarily provided by Monique Ganderton; [23] and Corvus Glaive voiced and motion-captured by Michael James Shaw. [24]

Video games

Collected editions

TitleMaterial collectedPublished dateISBN
Black Order: The Warmasters of ThanosBlack Order #1-5April 2019 978-1302915858

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