Image Comics' latest hero hails from the Supermassive crossover event by Kyle Higgins and Ryan Parrot this past February. Rogue Sun made his debut during the event and now has his own solo series. Rogue Sun # 1 by Ryan Parrot, Abel, Chris O' Halloran, and Becca Carey was released March 2, 2022, and is projected to be one of Image's new fan-favorite heroes. Cross-dimensional fans of comics have noticed that there are quite a few similarities between Rogue Sun and a Marvel favorite, Black Knight. So, does Image have its own version of Black Knight with the introduction of Rogue Sun?
In the Supermassive crossover, Radiant Black acted as the primary protagonist as Rogue Sun and Inferno Girl Red were introduced. Inferno Girl Red blasted onto Earth from another dimension and Rogue Sun immediately saw her as a threat. It was up to Radiant Black to act as a peacemaker between the two before all of their powers are drained from them due to the arrival of an interdimensional monster. The day was saved, but readers also got somewhat of a backstory for Rogue Sun in the event, which was a pleasant surprise for an introduction during a crossover.
Readers get a feel for who Rogue Sun really is in his series debut, Rogue Sun #1. So, who is he? Rogue Sun is a teenager named Dylan Siegel who hails from New Orleans, or at least the one readers are introduced to is. His father, whom he was estranged from, was the original Rogue Sun introduced in Supermassive. However, Image only used him as a device for Dylan's origin story as the titular hero. Upon his father's death, Dylan inherited his powers by way of an artifact called the Sun Stone. He now has to take on the supernatural and interdimensional beings, as well as try to solve the mystery of his father's death.
If his origin story sounds familiar, the Black Knight's origin from Marvel Comics may be why. In the Marvel Universe, the Black Knight (Dane Whitman) was summoned by his uncle after being killed by Iron Man. Dane inherited the Ebony Blade and Black Knight armor which he uses to save the world primarily from the supernatural and, well, aliens-essentially. That said, Dylan is quite a bit younger than Dane was when he inherited the Black Knight armor. Dane was already an established scientist when he inherited his powers. The Black Knight also draws his powers from the Ebony Sword and not a Sun Stone, but they're both inherited materials from deceased men in both heroes' respective families. Their aesthetics are similar as far as the art style and utilization of black armor in lieu of traditional superhero suits. However, there is a certain elemental aspect to their attire that does beg some similarity. Where the Black Knight is associated with lightning, Rogue Sun has flames that embody his suit.
The Black Knight also genuinely wants to be a source of good, but he's also more mature. Dylan wants to be a good hero for New Orleans, but he still has a lot of growing to do, especially because he's angsty, rebellious, and can come off as quite mean. Despite his hardened exterior though, Dylan seems to be a sweet guy who is just trying to figure himself and his new powers out. There's no doubt that Rogue Sun will be the latest and greatest from Image and it's exciting to see how this Black Knight-Esque character will evolve as his series progresses.