Marvel Just Reimagined One of Their Most Hated Characters

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For decades, Marvel Comics has created countless characters. To stay exciting, they constantly need fresh faces to challenge existing heroes and drive new storylines. While characters like Storm and the Hobgoblin have become iconic, many others haven’t resonated with fans – for every success, there are several failures. Today, we’re looking at one such example: Knull, a character who hasn’t been well-received.

Knull is a powerful god connected to all symbiotes, known as the King in Black. He existed before the universe began and created the All-Black weapon from his symbiote offspring and the remains of a Celestial being he killed. He then attempted to destroy everything, but was ultimately defeated and imprisoned by his own symbiotes. While his introduction was a major event in Venom’s history, many fans didn’t connect with the original version of Knull, finding him overly dramatic and immature. However, Marvel has recently revamped his character, addressing most of the previous criticisms and creating a much more compelling villain.

The God of Nothing, Reborn

During his final battle with Venom, Knull was defeated and lost his position as the King in Black. But when Eddie Brock (Venom’s host) died, someone needed to take his place, so Knull was brought back to life to rule again. Before he could regain his full power, the Asgardian goddess Hella captured him. As revealed in Knull #1, Knull’s history wasn’t a lie, but it was told only from his point of view. The truth is, Knull was the God of the Void, but he was actually chosen for this role by the Celestials, who created him to serve a vital purpose in the universe.

I was absolutely floored watching Knull’s escape! Hela thought she was being clever, trying to completely drain him of his power so she could become the Queen in Black, but she messed up big time. She left him alone, and it actually reminded him how powerful he was. Then, get this – he just vanished! A guard went to check on him, and Knull literally reappeared right in front of him and… well, let’s just say the guard didn’t stand a chance. Being the God of Nothing meant his cage was empty, and he could use that to fade away and reappear anywhere – like, just poof gone and then back again! He tore through Hela’s base, taking back the symbiotes his soldiers were using and absolutely demolishing everyone in his path. It was the most incredible display of his abilities we’ve ever seen – he’s on a mission to get his power back, and it was amazing to witness!

From Nothing Special to the Embodiment of Nothing

Previously, Knull suffered from two main issues: he was overly powerful and brooding, making it hard to connect with him, and he lacked a compelling personality beyond simply being strong and destructive – he felt like a one-dimensional character. Al Ewing’s recent take on Knull is brilliant because it cleverly uses both his strengths and weaknesses, actually making his flaws more impactful. Knull previously felt like an artificial addition to the Marvel Universe, like he didn’t quite fit in, but this comic has completely changed that.

Giving Knull a sad past or complex reasons for his actions wouldn’t have fit his role as the embodiment of pure evil. Instead of trying to deepen his character, writer Don Ewing leaned into Knull’s emptiness, making it central to who he is. By revealing Knull was a tool of the Celestials, Ewing diminished his image as a being outside of established Marvel history. The story embraces the idea that Knull is emptiness – a void – and therefore, should feel shallow. He represents nothingness, so it makes sense that he is nothing.

Knull’s latest powers are impressively creative. Previously, even though he was essentially the original darkness, he mostly just controlled symbiotes and shadows – which, while neat, wasn’t groundbreaking. Now, he’s using the very ideas he embodies to his advantage. I always find that powers based on clever concepts make Marvel’s cosmic beings more compelling, as it elevates them beyond typical villains. Knull isn’t just a one-dimensional bad guy; he is nothingness, and seeing him embrace that emptiness is genuinely awesome.

This new take on Knull focuses on amplifying his already impressive qualities while also giving him a fresh, unique angle that feels right at home within the Marvel Universe. I’m genuinely excited to see where this new direction takes the character, and that’s something I haven’t felt in a long time.

Knull #1 is on sale now!

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2026-01-18 21:14