Loyal to Thanos and willing to kill anything that stands in his way, the Black Order has been a thorn in many a superhero’s sides ever since their first appearance in New Avengers #8. The team of aliens hasn’t been around for long; however, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Black Dwarf, Ebony Maw, Super Giant, and Black Swan have used their unique set of powers to manipulate and destroy many that have stood in their way.
Let's look at the most savage things the Black Order have done in their quest to serve their master, the Mad Titan called Thanos.
Updated on August 18th, 2020 by Josh Davison: The Black Order has carved a bloody scar across the Marvel Universe, and death itself has proven unable to stop this crew of killers and conquerors. This means that they have had a lot of time to commit unspeakable atrocities that would give even the likes of Earth-based rogues such as Bullseye and Sabretooth pause. With this in mind, we've expanded on this list with an additional five entries cataloging the blood spilled and terror spread by Thanos' deadly Black Order.
15 The Scourging Of Countless Earths
One of the most heinous of the Black Order's crimes came about when Thanos, Black Swan, Proxima Midnight, and Corvus Glaive joined up with Namor's Cabal during the Time Runs Out build-up to Jonathan Hickman's Secret Wars (2015). The Illuminati proved themselves unwilling to kill countless Earths to save the 616-Marvel Universe after killing one world, but Namor was more than happy to continue the practice with a group of killers. Terrax the Tamer and Maximus the Mad also joined in on this crusade.
Namor and his Cabal slaughtered countless Earths before Namor lost the stomach for it, ultimately betraying the team to the Avengers. However, even this proved to be Namor's undoing thanks to his blood-feud with Black Panther.
14 "Killing" Shuri
Namor decided to pay a visit to Wakanda during his time with the Cabal. His hatred of T'Challa ultimately left both Atlantis and Wakanda devastated, and Black Panther abdicated the throne, leaving Shuri to lead what was left of his people. When the Cabal found Shuri, they found a way to imprison her in a state of living death--similar to what Thanos, Proxima, and Corvus experienced at the end of their invasion of Earth during Infinity.
This hasn't been particularly well explained, as creating a living death stasis is supposedly a power exclusive to Thanos' son, Thane. Regardless, this was another cruel and savage act attributable to the Black Order. That said, Shuri's soul found refuge in the realm of her ancestors, a plane called Djalia, and, with some help from T'Challa, she found her way back to life.
13 The Final Gauntlet
Thanos is actually truly dead right now, slain by Gamora during her crusade to reclaim her soul in the most recent Infinity Wars comic tale. However, Thanos has countless followers willing to break the rules of life and death to bring back their terrible master.
Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death, and the Black Order collaborated to undo the demise of Thanos by uploading a copy of Thanos' mind to a cloned body. The copy of Thanos' mind was actually a part of Thanos' "Final Gauntlet," starting a panic by letting the wider universe know that someone has been infected with his personality but not revealing who. Many believed it to be Gamora, with a "Dark Guardians" team uniting to capture and kill her. In the end, it was revealed to be Thanos' brother, Eros aka Starfox, and the true Guardians of the Galaxy managed to save Gamora and destroy the cloned body of Thanos. Starfox was also killed during the battle.
12 Trying To Kill Young Gamora
In a recent Thanos miniseries crafted by Tini Howard and Ariel Olivetti, we learn how Thanos came to adopt Gamora and their earliest days together. Thanos became fascinated with the girl, as she seemed to be able to see and hear Lady Death too.
The predecessor to the Black Order, then called Butcher Squad, whose notable members were Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, and the Blood Brothers, were unhappy with this development and suspected that Thanos was losing his grip on reality. They saw the girl as the source of the problem and worked to capture and kill Gamora, or at least use her against Thanos if he continued to unravel.
11 Betraying Even Thanos Himself
Ultimately, this scheme didn't go as intended, and Butcher Squad found themselves on the opposite side of a struggle against Thanos. They tried to escape Thanos' original worldship, which was called Zero Sanctuary.
Ultimately, of course, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, and even the Blood Brothers work their way back into Thanos' good graces, and the Maw and Proxima become part of the Black Order.
10 Thane’s Unravelling
In Thanos: A God Up There Listening, we see the aftermath of the Infinity event, where Thane is left trying to discover who he is and whether he should follow in his father’s footsteps. The evil manipulator Ebony Maw leads Thane to see aspects of his father’s past, and throughout the series, Thane becomes even more troubled by what he witnesses from his father’s living biography.
Maw is as devious as ever, and his motives almost break the mind of Thane, who struggles to resist being a chip off the old block. Highlighting the Black Order's despicable nature, especially when they attempt to destroy the planet known as Ego.
9 The Challenger Brings In The Immortal Hulk
The battle for the Pyramoids continues in Avengers #684, and whilst the Challenger may not officially be a member of the Black Order, he who resurrects them to fight in the Grandmaster’s contest. When all hope seems lost for the Black Order, and most of the team have exited the battle against the Lethal Legion and the Avengers, the Challenger unveils his ace in the hole – the Immortal Hulk.
After defeating Nova and withstanding attacks from both Cannonball and Lightening, the Hulk goes on a rampage. In the next two issues of Avengers, he manages to destroy Red Hulk, Wonder Man, Hercules, and Thor, before ultimately being thwarted by Rogue.
8 Defeating The X-Men
The Black Order’s first big storyline saw them track down members of the supergroup of heroes known as the Illuminati in search of an Infinity Gem. The Infinity event saw the Avengers leave Earth to track down an alien race known as the Builders. Whilst they were off-world, Thanos and the Black Order saw an opportunity to strike.
Corvus Glaive and Supergiant head to the home of the X-Men, and whilst they fail to find the Infinity Gem, they manage to cause plenty of damage to the mutants. Glaive plunges his staff deep into Wolverine’s stomach, and Supergiant seizes control of Iceman which leads to the first victory in the battle for the Cull Obsidian.
7 Atlantis Bows Before Proxima Midnight
As part of the Black Order’s plan to recover the Infinity Gem, the members split off to invade potential locations for the stone. While Black Dwarf was fought off by the Wakandan forces, the Children of Thanos found more success at Jean Grey’s School of Higher Learning. In another invasion, Proxima Midnight headed to the ruins of Atlantis to confront Namor.
In a chilling scene, the people of Atlantis kneel before her, as Namor informs the wife of Glaive that the Infinity Gem is in Wakanda. After the Atlanteans fell to the Wakandans in a previous battle, Namor and his people had enough of conflict, so they allowed the Black Order to recover the information they needed without a fight.
6 Ebony Maw Uses Mind Control On Doctor Strange
Whilst searching for the Infinity Gem, the “thin razor of a man” heads to the Sanctum Santorum to confront Doctor Strange. This part of New Avengers #9 is seen as a huge influence on their encounter in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War when Ebony Maw tries to steal the Time Stone from Strange on the streets of New York.
After manipulating Strange’s mind to reveal the secrets it may hold, Strange takes Maw to the Eternal Chasm in Greenland and unveils that Thanos’ son, Thane is located there. Rarely is Strange so easily defeated, and this moment shows just how powerful Maw’s mind control can be.
5 Corvus Glaive: A New Despot
As part of the Marvel Now! rebranding, Jeff Lemire’s Thanos series starts with a different version of the Black Order. On a moon known as the Black Quadrant, it is revealed that Corvus Glaive leads the Black Order with a “firm but fair hand,” having done so for the better part of a solar year.
This reformed Black Order had proven to be very successful under Glaive’s command, with word of his generosity spreading across the cosmos, and of the rewards for his people inspiring them to become a dominant force of destruction. However, it isn’t long before Thanos returns, and upon his arrival defeats Glaive to retake what he believes is rightfully his.
4 Thanos' Imprisonment
In Infinity #6, the war between Thanos and the Avengers reaches its conclusion. With Black Dwarf, Supergiant, Proxima Midnight, and Corvus Glaive defeated; Ebony Maw manages to manipulate the mind of Thane to show him the power that is in his possession, unlocking the potential that he has been repressing for so long.
In a state of rage and insecurity, Thane strikes out and imprisons Thanos in a block of amber – a “living death” for the Mad Titan – leaving Thane with many unanswered questions that lead into the comic series Thanos: A God Up There Listening.
3 The Black Order’s Assault On Wakanda
The Black Dwarf might not have been successful in his first visit to Wakanda, but when the Black Order return to find the Infinity Gem, they do much better. In New Avengers #11, Proxima Midnight’s lust for battle overpowers the forces of Wakanda, and it doesn’t take long before the Black Order seizes control of the Black Panther’s homeland.
It’s a stark reminder of the kind of power they harness, especially as it doesn’t take long at all before Midnight defeats the guards by herself and leads the charge to Necropolis where they find the Illuminati’s antimatter bombs.
2 Supergiant Controls Black Bolt's Mind
When the Avengers reach Necropolis in Infinity #6, Supergiant reveals she’s enslaved Black Bolt’s mind to do her bidding. Using Black Bolt as a weapon, Supergiant manages to do serious damage to the likes of Doctor Strange and the Black Panther, whilst at the same time revealing that all she wants is for Thane to die so that the promise Thanos made to her would be fulfilled – for her to be a tribute to the Mad Titan.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite go to plan, and she dies at the hands – or paws – of Bolt’s pet pooch. It’s a rather tragic moment that both highlights her vulnerability as well as he warped sense of entitlement.
1 The Destruction Of The Avengers Mansion
In the No Surrender storyline, the Grandmaster and the Challenger embark on a game of epic proportions, as both the newly resurrected Black Order and the Lethal Legion fight across Earth to locate the Pyramoids as part of a galactic contest.
Aware the Avengers are going to be a threat to the success of the Grandmaster’s game, the Black Order head to the Avengers Mansion where many of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are staying. Using their almighty power, the Black Order blow up the mansion, but thanks to the Voyager, they are transported at the last minute to avoid any casualties.