Black Order (comics) explained

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 (2018). Alternate versions of the Children of Thanos later appeared in the film (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

• 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, but later returns as a psychic energy being.

Corvus Glaive's version

• 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

• Thanos
• Proxima Midnight
• Black Swan of Earth-1365

Challenger's version

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

In other media

Television

• The Black Order appears in Avengers Assemble, with Proxima Midnight voiced by Kari Wahlgren, Corvus Glaive by David Kaye, Ebony Maw by René Auberjonois, Supergiant by Hynden Walch, and Black Dwarf having no dialogue.^{[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]}
• The Black Order appears in Guardians of the Galaxy, with Wahlgren, Kaye, and Walch reprising their roles as Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, and Supergiant respectively while Ebony Maw is voiced by James Urbaniak and Black Dwarf by Jesse Burch. In the episodes "Lyin' Eyes" and "Free Bird", Maw, Midnight, and Dwarf leave the group to join the Universal Believers.

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]

• In the live-action film (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 Steange 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 (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.^[25]

Video games

• The Black Order appears in Marvel Avengers Alliance.
• The Black Order appears in Marvel Contest of Champions.
• The Black Order appears in Marvel Strike Force.
• The Black Order appears in .^[26]
• The Black Order appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 as part of the Avengers: Infinity War DLC.
• The Black Order appears in ,^[27] with Proxima Midnight voiced by Kari Wahlgren, Corvus Glaive by David Kaye, Black Dwarf by Jesse Burch, Supergiant by Hynden Walch, and Ebony Maw by Todd Haberkorn.
• The Black Order appears in Marvel Snap.^[28]

Collected editions

!Title!Material collected!Published date!ISBN

Black Order: The Warmasters of Thanos

Black Order #1-5

April 2019

External links

• Black Order (Thanos' version) at Marvel Wiki
• Black Order (Corvus Glaive's version) at Marvel Wiki
• Black Order at Comic Vine

Notes and References

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. 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. 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. Web site: Steve . Sunu . EXCLUSIVE: Introducing the Generals of Marvel's "Infinity" . . May 6, 2013 . September 11, 2015 .
18. Web site: Proxima Midnight Voices (Marvel Universe) . August 11, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. 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 opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
19. Web site: Corvus Glaive Voices (Marvel Universe) . August 11, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. 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 opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
20. Web site: Ebony Maw Voices (Marvel Universe) . August 11, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. 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 opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
21. Web site: Black Dwarf / Cull Obsidian Voices (Marvel Universe) . August 11, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. 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 opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
22. Web site: Supergiant Voices (Marvel Universe) . August 11, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. 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 opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
23. Web site: Fargo's Carrie Coon to play crucial Avengers: Infinity War villain. Fullerton. Huwav. Radio Times. April 16, 2018. April 16, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180417022813/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/film/2018-04-16/avengers-infinity-war-cast-proxima-midnight-carrie-coon/. 2018-04-17. live.
24. Web site: We Know Who Is Playing Corvus Glaive In Avengers: Infinity War. Esienberg. Eric. Cinema Blend. April 22, 2018. April 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180423170016/https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2407131/we-know-who-is-playing-corvus-glaive-in-avengers-infinity-war. 2018-04-23. live.
25. Web site: Gallagher . Simon . 2021-08-18 . What If…? Episode 2 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning MCU Character . 2024-08-11 . ScreenRant . en.
26. Web site: MARVEL FUTURE FIGHT THANOS' BLACK ORDER TRAILER. Staff. Cosmic Book News. March 21, 2016. August 27, 2017.
27. Web site: Yin-Poole . Wesley . December 7, 2018 . Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 announced . August 11, 2024 . Eurogamer . en.
28. Web site: New Season: Black Order. February 7, 2024. February 7, 2024.