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Black Order (comics)

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Black Order
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
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceCameo appearance: The New Avengers #8 (September 2013)
Full appearance: Infinity #1 (October 2013)
Created byJonathan 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. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman, 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.

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

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Thanos' version

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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

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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

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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

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Thanos' first version

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  • Black Dwarf - A member of the Black Order who has super-strength, enhanced density, and impenetrable skin. He is the brother of Corvus Glaive. He is killed by Ronan the Accuser[16] but later resurrected by Challenger.
  • Corvus Glaive - Thanos' most favored general[17] and husband of Proxima Midnight, who has enhanced strength, speed, durability, and endurance and uses a bladed pike which can cut through anything and renders him immortal.[12]
  • Ebony Maw - A member of the Black Order who has genius-level intellect, and specializes in persuasion. He utilizes a teleportation device and force field generator.
  • Proxima Midnight - A member of the Black Order. She is a master hand-to-hand combatant, has super-strength, and is highly impervious to injury. Her lance transforms into unavoidable toxic light beams. She is killed by Hela.[8]
  • Supergiant - A member of the Black Order with telepathic abilities. She is apparently killed by Lockjaw[18],[volume & issue needed] but later returns as a psychic energy being.

Corvus Glaive's version

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  • Corvus Glaive - Leader. Committed suicide.
  • Coven - A trio of three unnamed witches. Following Corvus Glaive's death, the Coven remained allied with Thanos.

Thanos' second version

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Challenger's version

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  • Black Dwarf
  • Black Swan
  • Corvus Glaive
  • Ebony Maw
  • Proxima Midnight
  • Supergiant

In other media

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Television

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Marvel Cinematic Universe

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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;[24] and Corvus Glaive voiced and motion-captured by Michael James Shaw.[25]

  • In the live-action film Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Glaive, Midnight, Maw, and Obsidian, with Thanos, attack the refugee ship carrying Thor and other Asgardians and are instructed to retrieve the remaining Infinity Stones. Maw and Obsidian are sent to New York City to take the Time Stone, coming into conflict with Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, and Wong, and later Peter Parker. Maw captures Strange and takes him aboard his spaceship, while Parker and Stark board it and create a hole which sucks Maw into space. Wong sends Obsidian through a portal to Antarctica. To receive the Mind Stone, Midnight and Glaive go to Scotland and ambush Vision and Wanda Maximoff before Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Sam Wilson fight them off. Subsequently, Glaive infiltrates the Wakandan medical center and attacks Shuri before being killed by Vision. Maximoff kills Midnight by telekinetically pulling her into a Thresher. Bruce Banner, in Hulkbuster armor, fights Obsidian and kills him by ejecting him into the Wakandan forcefield.
  • An alternate timeline variant of the Black Order appear in the live-action film Avengers: Endgame (2019). While battling the Avengers, Obsidian is killed by Scott Lang and Glaive by Okoye while Stark kills Maw and Midnight using the Infinity Stones.
  • Alternate universe variants of the Children of Thanos who work for Taneleer Tivan appear in the What If...? episode "What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?", with Coon and Vaughan-Taylor reprising their roles as Midnight and Maw while Glaive is voiced by Fred Tatasciore and Obsidian has no dialogue. Maw and Obsidian also appear in "What If... Zombies!?", their appearance is similar to how they appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, but they are quickly ambushed by zombified versions of Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Wong who attack and infect them, turning them into zombies as well, who then attack Bruce Banner only to be devoured by a swarm of wasps sent by Wasp.[26][19][20][21] [27]

Video games

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Collected editions

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Title Material collected Published date ISBN
Black Order: The Warmasters of Thanos Black Order #1-5 April 2019 978-1302915858

References

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  1. ^ Free Comic Book Day 2013 Infinity. Marvel Comics.
  2. ^ The New Avengers vol. 3 #8. Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ The New Avengers vol. 3 #11. Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ Infinity #6. Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ The Unworthy Thor #2. Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ The Unworthy Thor #3. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ The Unworthy Thor #4
  8. ^ a b The Unworthy Thor #5. Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ Infinity Wars Prime #1. Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 5 #1. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 5 #4-5. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ a b Thanos vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ The Avengers #676-677. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ The Avengers #678. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ The Avengers #690. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Avengers vol. 5 #23. Marvel Comics
  17. ^ Sunu, Steve (May 6, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: Introducing the Generals of Marvel's "Infinity"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  18. ^ Infinity #6. Marvel Comics. 2014.
  19. ^ a b c d "Proxima Midnight Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  20. ^ a b c d "Corvus Glaive Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  21. ^ a b c d "Ebony Maw Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  22. ^ a b c "Black Dwarf / Cull Obsidian Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  23. ^ a b "Supergiant Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  24. ^ Fullerton, Huwav (April 16, 2018). "Fargo's Carrie Coon to play crucial Avengers: Infinity War villain". Radio Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  25. ^ Esienberg, Eric (April 22, 2018). "We Know Who Is Playing Corvus Glaive In Avengers: Infinity War". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  26. ^ Gallagher, Simon (August 18, 2021). "What If…? Episode 2 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning MCU Character". ScreenRant. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Lethbridge, Tommy (September 8, 2021). "What If…? Episode 5 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning MCU Character". ScreenRant. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  28. ^ Staff (March 21, 2016). "MARVEL FUTURE FIGHT THANOS' BLACK ORDER TRAILER". Cosmic Book News. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  29. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (December 7, 2018). "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 announced". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  30. ^ "New Season: Black Order". February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
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