Warning! Spoilers for King in Black: Black Knight #1 below!
The King in Black is no stranger to taking on terrifying forms courtesy of his full-control of his symbiote army, but in a brand new adventure starring the Black Knight, Knull upped his evil game. This time, the God of Symbiotes transformed into an evil God of War, Chiyou, and used hundreds of symbiote dragons to become the massive beast.
Dane Whitman, Marvel’s Black Knight, is one of the oldest members of the Avengers and wielder of the all-powerful Ebony Blade. The sword has proven to be an effective tool against Knull and his symbiotes, but it comes with blood lust and pushes the user towards evil. Naturally, the King in Black wants to take the sword, forged in the Starstone by Merlin, and get it out of the hands of the heroes. However, in order to do that, he’ll have to stop the Black Knight, who’s hellbent on taking down the symbiote monster.
King in Black: Black Knight #1 from Simon Spurrier, Jesus Saiz, and VC’s Cory Petit, sees the Black Knight take on Knull’s forces head-on. He spars with a symbiote dragon, and manages to slay it, but is left falling through the sky. Thankfully, Aero, the Chinese hero with Aerokensis catches him before he hits the ground. Knowing Black Knight as the hero “fired from the Avengers because your sword makes you all murdery,” Aero, Sword Master, and Whitman fight symbiote monsters on the streets. Before Black Knight fills him in about Knull, Sword Master believes the dragons are from the Chinese God of War, Chiyou. Knull must overhear him because he takes that exact avatar to fight the trio.
The symbiote monster may have taken the form of Chiyou, but make no mistake, it’s Knull’s army in disguise forming one of their scariest and biggest creations yet. Unfortunately, when Black Knight’s blade returns to him (much like Mjolnir does to Thor), Dane is overcome by the message Knull left him – that the sword chooses someone who is weak, and a killer, not someone who is pure of heart. The King in Black tells him two imperfect halves united to make the Berserker in Black.
Areo and Swordmaster attack the monster, but the Black Knight struggles with Knull’s revelations and doesn’t join the battle. Aero paraphrases Tony Stark and tells Dane “It’s about accepting your flaws. Then doing the right thing anyway.” Black Knight accepts the truth and embraces the darkness, flying at the monster and using the Ebony Blade to destroy the avatar of Knull with an epic blast of light. The King in Black isn’t defeated just yet, but with the Black Knight embracing the revelation and joining the fight, he’s going to be vital in taking down Knull for good. Thankfully, he’s got support as he deals with the new information, as Aero, Sword Master, and Dane head to New York to get ready for the King in Black himself.
