Posted in: Avengers, Comic Spoilers, Comics, Doctor Strange, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man, Spoilers, Venom | Tagged: bill mantlo, Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, god of light, king in black, knull, marvel, spoilers, steve ditko

The King In Black – The God Of Light Revealed (Spoilers)

Published Wed, 17 Feb 2021 08:15:17 -0600

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Wed, 14 Apr 2021 19:25:15 -0500

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In Web of Venom: The Wraith we learned of The God Of Light, an opposite of Knull, and one who may defeat him in The King In Black. There have been many fun theories, including Franklin Richards, The Sentry, the Silver Surfer and even Star-Lord made a pitch.

And Doctor Strange make a last minute bid…

In The King In Black #3, the Silver Surfer came to Earth as a herald of the God Of Light, so much was expected. And it brought to light one of the King In Black tie-in series, Symbiote Spider-Man which has rewritten an old forgotten Captain Universe story from the eighties, with the character of Mister E, who fought the portable with a number of black shadowy creatures, now rewritten as an early Knull symbiote.

Marvel Spotlight Vol 2 #9 from 1980 by Bill Mantlo and Steve Ditko featured the portable superhero identity of Captain Universe, which could jump from one person to another, to fight evil, and was titled "The Mystery of Mister E!"

The Uni-Power attempts to possess former Captain Universe host Ray Coffin again but causes a heart attack due to his age. Instead, the power goes to his son, Steve Coffin who has to become a super anti-vaxxer to win the day.

As Captain Universe, Steve fights against Mister E of the Shadow Dimension and stops him from using a hijacked shuttle to turn the sun into a black star with a bombardment of negatron particles.

But both Mister E and his shadow slaves look a little familiar these days, given the history of Spider-Man's black costume, the symbiote Venom, all the many other symbiotes and their great god Knull.

And in King In Black: Symbiote Spider-Man #1 from Peter David and Greg Land, telling a previously unknown symbiote-related story from a time when Spider-Man thought his black costume was just that.

Again, the sun is under threat from Mister E, this time going a little further than last time.

Again, everyone in the hospital is covered in shadows and looking like little Venoms. Slightly more than last time.

Again we have Mister E, looking rather familiar, with a little more of a symbiotic tendril look around the edges.

But this time Mister E is, basically, Venom. Or a brother of Venom. Another symbiote, part of the hive… and Marvel Spotlight #9 is drafted into the King in Black. And today, well it all kicks off.

While Planet Of The Symbiotes #3 brings back the sonics-kill-symbiotes thing I thought had been done away with – maybe I missed a meeting…

And Savage Avengers sees a deal go down…

The King In Black #4 sees The God Of Light finally come to town. And we learn their fight has taken place over a very long time indeed.

And it also has a history of bonding with other beings. And the revelation arrives…

It's been there all along. No wonder a copy of Marvel Spotlight #9 sold for $30 yesterday. And Micronauts #8 sold for $55.

The God Of Light is Captain Universe. Who first appeared in Micronauts #8 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden, and was the starring feature of Marvel Spotlight #9-11. The character appeared sporadically in the eighties and nineties before the noughties brought them greater prominence in a series of one-shots and the anthology Amazing Fantasy, Annihilation Conquest and Spider-Man.

Captain Universe is the embodiment of an extra-dimension force, The Uni-Power from the Enigma Force, the origins of which were unknown. The first human Captain Universe was an astronaut named Captain Ray Coffin. Years later, the Uni-Power would possess his son Steve Coffin to battle Mister E and his shadow slaves, before moving on to other people and superheroes. And now we know a lot more.

Issue #4 of King In Black: Symbiote Spider-Man is out next week. Might that reveal a little more about what's going on before the big King In Black finale with The King In Black #5?

KING IN BLACK #4 (OF 5)
MARVEL COMICS
DEC200495
(W) Donny Cates (A/CA) Ryan Stegman
WHAT'S A GOD TO A KING? Rated T+In Shops: Feb 17, 2021 SRP: $4.99

KING IN BLACK PLANET OF SYMBIOTES #2 (OF 3)
MARVEL COMICS
DEC200512
(W) Marc Bernardin, Geoffrey Thorne (A) Kyle Hotz, Jan Bazaldua (CA) Tony Moore
IN THIS CORNER: A DRAGON MADE OF PARASITIC SLIME, SENT FROM OUTER SPACE TO CONSUME ANY AND ALL LIFE ON EARTH WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!
IN THAT CORNER: A BOMBASTIC BEHEMOTH PACKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND TONS OF ALL-AMERICAN MUSCLE – YOU KNOW HIM, YOU LOVE HIM… AMERICAN KAIJU! YUUU! EESSS! AAAAAYY! Rated T+In Shops: Feb 17, 2021 SRP: $3.99

SAVAGE AVENGERS #18 KIB
MARVEL COMICS
DEC200524
(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Kev Walker (CA) Valerio Giangiordano
THROUGH HELLFIRE AND… DEADPOOL?!
Conan, Deadpool and the Night Flyer escape Riker's in the endless night during the reign of the King in Black. What crazy heist will ruin Deadpool's 30th anniversary? Here's a hint: It involves the Hellfire Club! Parental Advisory In Shops: Feb 17, 2021 SRP: $3.99