WARNING: The following contains spoilers for King In Black: Thunderbolts #1 by Matthew Rosenberg, Juan Ferreyra and VC’s Joe Sabino, on sale now.

The Thunderbolts are like Marvel’s Suicide Squad: a crew of B-list villains sent on some of the universe’s strangest missions. But in King in Black, the newest Thunderbolts may just save the world by saving one of Marvel's most experienced symbiote fighters, Norman Osborn.

After being assembled by Wilson Fisk, these Thunderbolts must save Norman Osborn from Ravencroft Institute and help him defeat Knull. Osborn has a long history with the Thunderbolts, but his most recent team-up with Fisk and the dragon-slaying powers of freshman Thunderbolt Star may shake up the Kingpin’s plans.

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Osborn King in Black

The first issue begins with a flash-forward that veils the Thunderbolts’ mission with secrecy. Fisk gives a speech that indicates that the entire team died on their mission, but that the public saw their actions and the results are still ongoing. When we cut back to the mission brief, Fisk offers little more explanation of the team’s goals – other than killing Knull.

Fisk suggests that Star is the key to his plan since she has incredible powers over light. Indeed, she slays a dragon with one blast but faints after the attack. He hides his intention to rescue Norman Osborn. It isn’t until the end of the issue that another element of Fisk’s plan reveals itself in Ravencroft, but by the time the team arrives, they seem to know they were looking for Osborn all along -- not just trying to kill Knull.

At Ravencroft, the half-surprised Thunderbolts treat Osborn as though he were a madman, not to be trusted with their lives. By the end of the issue, it’s clear that Star killing Knull was never the plan and Osborn has the power to do that because the dragon slayer herself calls him “the guy who’s gonna save the world.”

Osborn has a history with the Thunderbolts and Fisk that may complicate his new role in the team. He ran the league of villains from the end of Civil War to “Dark Reign.” Early in his tenure as team leader, he readopted the Green Goblin moniker. He had some violent escapades within the team, but took charge again during Secret Invasion.

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In “Secret Invasion,” Norman Osborn took an active role in the conflict with the Thunderbolts at his beck and call. At the end of the arc, he killed Queen Veranke of the Skrull himself. The rest of the world knew he killed the alien queen and gained some repute. Osborn’s Thunderbolts became H.A.M.M.E.R., S.H.I.E.L.D.’s replacement. At this point, Osborn was perhaps at the peak of his powers.

Recent issues of Amazing Spider-Man have pulled Norman Osborn back into an alliance with Wilson Fisk. The two villains teamed up to defeat Kindred and Spider-Man in one fell swoop. But, the Sin-Eater cleansed Osborn of his sins, so the former Goblin double-crossed Fisk to capture Kindred himself and atone for his misdeeds.

Osborn’s role in Amazing Spider-Man may change what we see in King in Black. Ferreyra renders Norman as banal and sane on the last page of the issue – appropriate given his cleansing – but the Thunderbolts comment on his insanity. So, this either takes place separate from Amazing Spider-Man or Osborn’s reputation as a madman is so great that it precedes him even in his post-Sin-Eater days. Fisk also didn’t let Osborn leave Ravencroft, so he either wants to keep him under control or there’s something in Ravencroft to fight Knull. Either way, the Thunderbolts seem to know more about Fisk’s plan than Rosenberg reveals to the audience. With Fisk’s plan tied up in mysterious ways, readers will likely have to wait to see the implications of Kindred’s actions in King in Black.

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