Black Order (comics)
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The Black Order is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. They are a group of alien warriors with various supernatural abilities who serve
Thanos Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
. The original iteration, introduced in the 2013 '' Infinity'' storyline following a cameo appearance in '' The New Avengers'' #8 (September 2013), consists of
Ebony Maw Ebony Maw is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. The character has made several appearances in media, such as a ...
,
Corvus Glaive Corvus Glaive is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. The character has made several appearances in media, s ...
,
Proxima Midnight Proxima Midnight is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman, she first appeared ...
,
Black Dwarf A black dwarf is a theoretical stellar remnant, specifically a white dwarf that has cooled sufficiently to no longer emit significant heat or light. Because the time required for a white dwarf to reach this state is calculated to be longer th ...
, and
Supergiant Supergiants are among the most massive and most luminous stars. Supergiant stars occupy the top region of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram with absolute visual magnitudes between about −3 and −8. The temperature range of supergiant stars spa ...
, 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 The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
film '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018). Alternate versions of the Children of Thanos later appeared in the film '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019) and the animated
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
series '' What If...?'' (2021).


Fictional team biography


Thanos' version

The Black Order is a group of ruthless aliens that serve
Thanos Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
. 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. The Black Order arrive on Earth in search of the
Infinity Gems The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems (Mind, Pow ...
, which are under the control of the
Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...
. 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 Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven taluk ...
, whom Thanos wishes to kill. During a battle with the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, 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." While Thanos was imprisoned in the
Triskelion A triskelion or triskeles is an ancient motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human legs. It is found in artefacts o ...
, a mysterious cloaked figure offered to help him obtain the Mjolnir of Earth-1610. Thanos accepted the deal. To ensure success, Thanos formed a second incarnation of the Black Order with Proxima Midnight and Black Swan of Earth-1365. He dispatched them to the Collector's ship in order to obtain the Mjolnir of Earth-1610. There, the trio battled
Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
and
Beta Ray Bill Beta Ray Bill is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the character was initially intended to be a surprise; an apparent monster who unexpectedly turns ou ...
and failed in retrieving the hammer. Upon returning to Thanos, the cloaked figure revealed herself to be the Asgardian Death Goddess
Hela HeLa (; also Hela or hela) is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, named after Henrietta ...
who then brutally killed both Black Swan and Proxima 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.''The Unworthy Thor'' #5. Marvel Comics. After
Gamora Gamora is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #180 (June 1975). Gamora is the adopted daughter of Thanos, and ...
killed Thanos, Hela and the Black Order, using
Knowhere Knowhere (pronounced "no where") is a fictional location appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, and related media. It is depicted as the enormous severed head of an ancient celestial being, which serves as an interdimension ...
as their ship, stole Thanos' body from Starfox, for Hela to resurrect him. After getting the head from
Annihilus Annihilus () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily as an adversary to the Fantastic Four. The character debuted in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four Annual'' #6, which was published i ...
, the Black Order went to Eros, revealed as the consciousness of Thanos in the body of his brother, planning to return to his own body.


Corvus Glaive's version

After the restructuring of the multiverse, when Thanos was missing, Corvus Glaive gathered the worst criminals in the universe in a second version 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, Corvus Glaive and the Black Order began to conquer different planets. When Thanos returned, he broke the blade off of Corvus Glaive's pike. Rather than die at the hands of Thanos, Corvus Glaive took the broken blade and killed himself. Afterwards, Thanos reclaimed the Black Quadrant.''Thanos'' vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.


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 back from the dead 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 The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The first version of the Lethal Legion appeared in '' The Avengers'' #78 (Jul. 1970). The secon ...
that was formed by Grandmaster. It was revealed that this Black Order was formed by the Challenger who is an old rival of Grandmaster. 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.


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 Ronan the Accuser is a fictional character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ronan was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby and he first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantasti ...
but later resurrected by Challenger. *
Corvus Glaive Corvus Glaive is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. The character has made several appearances in media, s ...
- Thanos' most favored general and husband of Proxima Midnight, who has enhanced strength, speed, durability, and endurance and uses a bladed pike which can cut through anything. When Corvus Glaive has the bladed pike in his hand, it makes him immortal. He commits suicide to avoid being killed by Thanos. *
Ebony Maw Ebony Maw is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. The character has made several appearances in media, such as a ...
- 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 Proxima Midnight is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman, she first appeared ...
- 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 HeLa (; also Hela or hela) is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, named after Henrietta ...
. *
Supergiant Supergiants are among the most massive and most luminous stars. Supergiant stars occupy the top region of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram with absolute visual magnitudes between about −3 and −8. The temperature range of supergiant stars spa ...
- A member of the Black Order with telepathic abilities. She is apparently killed by Lockjaw, but later returns as a being of psychic energy.


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 the '' Avengers Assemble'' animated series, with Proxima Midnight voiced by
Kari Wahlgren Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American actress who has provided English-language voices for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as Haruko Haruhara in '' FLCL'', and would later land ma ...
, Corvus Glaive voiced by David Kaye, Ebony Maw voiced by
René Auberjonois René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony A ...
, Supergiant voiced by
Hynden Walch Hynden Walch is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Starfire in the ''Teen Titans'' franchise and Princess Bubblegum in ''Adventure Time''. She also voiced Penny Sanchez in ''ChalkZone'', Amore and Lockette in the Nickelodeon ver ...
, and Black Dwarf having no dialogue. * The Black Order appears in the ''
Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
'' animated series, with Kari Wahlgren, David Kaye, and Hynden Walch reprising their roles as Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, and Supergiant respectively while Ebony Maw is voiced by
James Urbaniak James Christian Urbaniak (born September 17, 1963) is an American character actor. He is best known for his roles as Simon Grim in three Hal Hartley films: '' Henry Fool'' (1997), '' Fay Grim'' (2006) and '' Ned Rifle'' (2014), Robert Crumb in ...
and Black Dwarf is voiced by
Jesse Burch Jesse Burch (born Jesse E. Johnson; September 2, 1970) is an American actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern m ...
. In the episode "Undercover Angle", Supergiant had been previously apprehended by the
Nova Corps The Nova Corps is a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman, the Corps first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #205 (April 1979). They have since app ...
while the other members seek to obtain
Ronan the Accuser Ronan the Accuser is a fictional character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ronan was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby and he first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantasti ...
's Universal Weapon. When they and the Guardians of the Galaxy find it,
Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
attacks both parties, forcing them into a temporary truce to keep Titus from getting it. Titus defeats most of the Black Order and they are arrested by the Nova Corps. In the episodes "Lyin' Eyes" and "Freed Bird", Maw leaves the Black Order after
Mantis Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...
convinces him to join the Universal Believers and eventually convinces Midnight and Dwarf to do the same.


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 The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
, with Ebony Maw voiced and motion-captured by
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (born 4 November 1977) is an Irish actor. He is best known in Ireland for his roles as Nigel 'Nidge' Delaney in the RTÉ One series '' Love/Hate'' (2010–2014), and is known internationally for his role as Ebony Maw in '' Av ...
; Black Dwarf (renamed Cull Obsidian) voiced and motion-captured by
Terry Notary Terry Notary (born August 14, 1968) is an American actor, stunt co-ordinator/double and movement coach. Notary mainly portrays creatures and animals for the film and television industry, and is known for his motion capture performances in films ...
; Proxima Midnight voiced and facial-captured by
Carrie Coon Carrie Alexandra Coon (born January 24, 1981) is an American actress. In television, she is known for her starring roles as grieving mother Nora Durst in the HBO drama series '' The Leftovers'' (2014–2017) and as Gloria Burgle in the third s ...
, with motion capture primarily provided by stuntwoman Monique Ganderton; and Corvus Glaive voiced and motion-captured by
Michael James Shaw Michael James Shaw (born September 16, 1986) is an American actor and writer from New York City. He is best known for his recurring role as FBI Agent Daryl/"Mike" in the TV series '' Limitless''. Shaw has also had a recurring role in ''Constantin ...
. Directors
Joe and Anthony Russo Anthony Russo (born February 3, 1970) and Joseph Russo (born July 18, 1971), collectively known as the Russo brothers (), are American directors, producers, and screenwriters. They direct most of their work together. They are best known for dir ...
took several creative liberties with the group's depiction, altering their abilities and most notably excluding Supergiant for "consolidation". * In the live-action film '' Avengers: Infinity War'', the Children of Thanos assist
Thanos Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
in finding the
Infinity Stones The Infinity Stones are fictional items in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). They play a significant role in the first three phases (also called the " Infinity Saga") of the MCU, including being the MacGuffins of the films '' Avengers: Infin ...
and are sent to Earth to retrieve the Time and Mind Stones. Maw and Obsidian attempt to take the Time Stone from Stephen Strange's
Eye of Agamotto The Eye of Agamotto () is a fictional, mystical item appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and other media, particularly in their Marvel Cinematic Universe films, with its first appearance in ''Doctor Strange''. The item ap ...
while Glaive and Midnight attempt to steal the Mind Stone from
Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...
, but they are each killed by members of the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
: Maw by
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
, Obsidian by
Bruce Banner The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
, Midnight by
Wanda Maximoff Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in '' The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
, and Glaive by Vision. * An alternate timeline version of the Children of Thanos appear in the live-action film '' Avengers: Endgame'', with Ganderton fully taking over the role of Midnight. They time-travel to 2023 to help Thanos stop the Avengers from foiling his plans. During the ensuing battle however, Obsidian is crushed to death by Scott Lang / Giant-Man, Glaive is killed by
Okoye Okoye is a family name (surname) originating in Nigeria. It is an Anambra State, Anambra dialect derived from the central Igbo name Okorie (meaning someone born on orie market day, or Oye market day as known in Anambra State). Notable people wi ...
, and Midnight and Maw are disintegrated when Stark uses the Infinity Stones. * Several alternate timeline versions of the Children of Thanos appear in the
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
animated series '' What If...?'', with Coon and Vaughan-Lawlor reprising their roles while Glaive is voiced by
Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy in various DC ...
and Obsidian has no dialogue. ** The first version, known by their original name of the Black Order and with Obsidian under his original name of Black Dwarf, appear in the episode " What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?", set in an alternate timeline where T'Challa / Star-Lord convinced Thanos to abandon his genocidal ways. Because they were never found and adopted by Thanos, the Black Order instead became security operatives for the Collector, who assumed the role of the "most ruthless kingpin in the intergalactic underworld" when Thanos reformed and vacated the position. The Black Order battle Thanos and the Ravagers, during which Glaive is shot by Nebula, Maw is shot by the Collector's slave Carina, Dwarf is killed by Nebula via the Embers of Genesis, and Midnight is caught up in the resultant terraforming of
Knowhere Knowhere (pronounced "no where") is a fictional location appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, and related media. It is depicted as the enormous severed head of an ancient celestial being, which serves as an interdimension ...
. ** Maw and Obsidian appear in the episode " What If... Zombies?!", set in an alternate timeline where a quantum virus transformed Earth's population into
zombie A zombie ( Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in w ...
s. After being sent to Earth to retrieve the Time Stone for Thanos, Maw and Obsidian are attacked by a zombified Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, and
Wong Wong may refer to: Name * Wong (surname), a Chinese surname Places * Wong Chuk Hang, an area to the east of Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island * Wong Chuk Hang Estate, a public housing estate in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong * Wong Chuk Hang Road, a ...
, and also become infected. The zombified Maw and Obsidian are subsequently killed by
Hope van Dyne Hope van Dyne (née Pym) is a fictional character portrayed by Evangeline Lilly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Hope Pym. Portrayed as the daughter of Hank Pym and Janet van ...
and an army of ants.


Video games

*The Black Order has been featured in a number of Marvel games: **'' Marvel: Avengers Alliance'' **''
Marvel Strike Force ''Marvel Strike Force'' is a turn-based role-playing mobile game by FoxNext (later acquired by Scopely) for Android, iOS, and iPadOS platforms. The game was launched worldwide on March 28, 2018, and is primarily set in the Marvel Universe. Pre ...
'' **'' Marvel: Future Fight'' **''
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 14 November ...
'' (as part of the ''Avengers: Infinity War'' DLC Pack) **'' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'' *Cull Obsidian, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive also appeared in ''
Marvel Contest of Champions ''Marvel Contest of Champions'' is a 2014 fighting video game developed and published by Kabam. It was released on December 10, 2014, for iOS and Android. The fighting game is primarily set in the Marvel Universe. The game is strongly based o ...
'' and '' Marvel vs Capcom'', but were not identified as the Black Order.


Collected editions


References


External links


Black Order (Thanos' version)
at Marvel Wiki
Black Order (Corvus Glaive's version)
at Marvel Wiki
Black Order
at Comic Vine {{Marvel Cosmic Marvel Comics extraterrestrial supervillains Marvel Comics supervillain teams