Knull Writer Tom Waltz Teases Unique Defenders Team in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark (And We Have a First Look) [Exclusive]

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I’m so excited for the upcoming Marvel Comics event, Queen in Black! It sounds absolutely epic – basically, Hela and Knull are finally going head-to-head, and Earth is what they’re fighting over! It’s going to take a massive team effort to save us, and that’s where a brand new group of Defenders comes in. This Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark series, a three-part story, will feature two teams working together – one representing light, and one representing darkness – as Earth’s first line of defense. Honestly, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!

The first issue of Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark, written by Knull’s Tom Waltz and illustrated by Ze Carlos, arrives in comic book stores on July 8th. ComicBook has an exclusive preview, and we spoke with Waltz about this surprising team of heroes. The story will be relatively short, spanning just a few issues, and promises a challenging adventure for two beloved characters.

Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark Has a Unique Hero Lineup (And It Won’t Be Easy on Cloak and Dagger)

I have to say, seeing this new Defenders team in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark really threw me for a loop! It’s such an unexpected group of heroes, and I was honestly surprised by who ended up teaming up. I think the most interesting thing is just how different this lineup is from any Defenders team we’ve seen before – it’s a really cool and unexpected mix!

I had a lot of fun putting this lineup together! Marvel (and especially Al Ewing, who masterminded the whole Queen in Black event) gave me a lot of freedom to choose the characters – with a few already decided. Iron Man, Beta Ray Bill, and Cloak and Dagger were already set to appear, which I was thrilled about. Otherwise, I was simply asked to create two teams – one using Darkforce, and one using Lightforce – to fight Knull and Hela. So, I started thinking about characters who would be a good fit, but also ones I was excited to write and had wanted to work with for a while.

I’ve always loved Sunfire, and his nuclear abilities seemed like a great addition to Team Light—I couldn’t pass up the chance to write him. I’ve also been fascinated by Photon; despite her immense cosmic power, she’s always relatable and has a really fun personality, so I was eager to include her on the team. Darkstar is another classic international hero I’ve always enjoyed, and she recently came to mind during the Blood Hunt event, plus her recent turn in X-Factor. I thought her strength, grace, and potential for redemption made her a perfect fit for Team Dark and this important mission. As a former Marine, I also wanted to include experienced soldiers like Cable and Agent Anti-Venom on Team Dark—I even gave Cable some awesome Darkforce-powered weapons thanks to Rick Remender making me a fan of Flash Thompson!

It ended up being a rather unlikely team brought together for a critical task, and I was worried about how my first story idea would be received by Al and the editors. Luckily, everyone loved it, and we quickly got started!


You recently worked on the Knull limited series, which leads into this new Queen in Black event. What’s it been like continuing that story and the excitement around it with this next chapter?

Ending the Knull series with so much unresolved conflict set the stage perfectly for the immediate, intense chaos in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark. Knull and Hela are both heading for Earth, each determined to conquer it, leaving our heroes unprepared for a double threat. I see the Defenders’ role as a kind of unconventional, hit-and-run strategy within the larger effort to save Earth from these powerful enemies. The core of that strategy is creating confusion and disruption – and the Defenders are certainly delivering that, and more, in this series.

What part of ‘Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark’ are you most eager for readers to enjoy, and what do you believe will be the biggest surprise for them?

Three things immediately jump to mind.

The artwork by Ze Carlos for this series is incredible! I’m excited for readers to experience what he and colorist Fer Sifuentes have created. Each page and panel is packed with detail and feels full of motion. We had a lot of story to tell in just three issues, and Ze is maximizing every bit of space to bring it to life.

Although we’re focusing on just three main problems in this story, we’ve made sure each character has a chance to shine. This should allow for some meaningful development that will carry over into their future appearances in the Marvel universe.

This storyline is particularly important for Cloak and Dagger – two characters I really love. When I started writing, they were already planned to be involved, which I was thrilled about. I was given fantastic direction for their story and a lot of creative freedom to make it happen. Ty and Tandy truly stand out in Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark, but they’ll face a very difficult path ahead.

Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #1 goes on sale July 8th.

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2026-06-05 20:13