WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Black Bolt #9 by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward, in stores now.
Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward's Black Bolt is a fantastic comic. Not only does it provide an interesting deep dive into the psyche of one of the Marvel Universe's most stoic characters, it also tackles a number of unexpected topics. The series has taken on the prison system, PTSD, and guilt in an interesting way, especially when you consider that its lead character literally can't speak and comes from a royal bloodline. During his time in the prison, Black Bolt has found his typically deadly voice de-powered, allowing him to speak for the first time in, well, forever. Perhaps even more intriguingly, he wound up finding a friend in the most unlikeliest of characters: Carl "Crusher" Creel, the Absorbing Man.
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Creel, originally appearing in 1965, has always typically been a villain of Thor, both the Odinson and Jane Foster varieties. Over time, he eventually had a magical hammer of his own thanks to Fear Itself for a time, along with being a hero briefly thanks to the inversion during AXIS. He and Black Bolt had never shared a comic together, so to hear from Ahmed that they'd be in an alien prison together was certainly...interesting to say the least. But, surprisingly, there's a lot more going on Creel than just being comic relief during the first arc of the book.
He gets the laughs in too, to be sure, but his main purpose in the plot is taking the edge of Black Bolt's typically hardened nature and treating him just like he would treat pretty much anyone else. Creel even does what none of the other prisoners do to Black Bolt, and that's give him an affectionately mocking nickname of "Wishbone." He had been in the prison for some time earlier than Black Bolt, and though the two of them first fought upon meeting, they eventually bond after Creel reveals his violent upbringing to the Midnight King. In the midst of their second escape from the prison, Black Bolt regains his powerful voice and uses it on Creel so he can absorb the soundwaves, killing both himself and the Jailer running the prison.
After dropping off other inmates to their respective planets, Black Bolt and fellow inmate turned adoptive daughter Blinky have arrived on Earth. Thanks to Secret Empire, none of the Atillan Inhumans are particularly happy to see him, but their wrath is nothing compared to when he and Blinky go off to see Creel's wife, Titania. Naturally, the initial meeting descends almost immediately into a brawl before Blinky uses her psychic powers to show her Creel's final words and how he used to endlessly talk about her in the prison. He absolutely loved her, and the way that he talks about her and how powerful she is is something that you don't typically see in Big Two comics. As a result, her learning about his death goes from standard comic trope to genuinely heartbreaking storytelling.
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Now, superhero comics are no strangers to death and revivals. There are few characters in Marvel or DC that haven't been killed and later brought back to life. Creel himself was evidently killed by the Sentry during Civil War, only to turn up again with zero explanation. What makes his death work here is that it comes from quite literally fighting the system that's been putting him in jail since he was a kid. The Jailer's ability to kill prisoners endlessly and revive them on a whim has put him in a new mental prison. There, he was forced to confront his life and things he truly regrets, such as punching an old lady and breaking her nose. Both Creel and Bolt find common ground in being overwhelmed with different burdens, with Creel describing his old enforcer days as "drivin' on ice and your brakes lock up."
The rest of Black Bolt #9 focuses on Black Bolt and Blinky doing what they can with Titania to honor Creel's memory. This involves drinking at his favorite bar--except for Blinky, who's a minor and instead has ice cream--and putting his trademark ball and chain in his empty coffin at his funeral. In the middle of the service, two surprising visitors show up to pay their respects. Captain America, still seeking redemption after the events of Secret Empire, and the Odinson himself, both of them moved to hear that the villain died saving a child. As Titania reveals to Cap, her late husband secretly admired the supersoldier and would be honored to have a hero of his pedigree speak at her funeral. As for Odinson, well, he admits that he's had his dark moments like Crusher, and that his old foe's end was truly noble.
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Of all the deaths to happen around Black Bolt, this is sure to be the most impactful. He contributed to Creel's death at the criminal's behest, sure, but this is also likely the first and only friend that Black Bolt has made who wasn't already in the Inhumans inner circle. In his own, vulgar way, Creel was more of a brother to Black Bolt than Maxiums has been, and the former King is sure to take his friends' words about forgiveness to heart when he sees Medusa again. Black Bolt may be without his powers and in the worst mental state of his life, but his time with a former criminal may ultimately give him strength he needs to move forward.