Ever since Thanos made his first debut appearance in 2012’s “The Avengers”, he has remained a constant but vague presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But all that is about to change soon.
In “Avengers: Infinity War” the Mad Titan will finally have the spotlight all to himself. He has his eyes on Earth and is determined on fully assembling the Infinity Gauntlet. However, he’ll be aided by a group of super-powered cronies.
@Bosslogic got anything in the works for this? pic.twitter.com/skrKGrfKRz
— C. (@camjoestar) July 16, 2017
– WAR! – collab piece with my boy @TheKingsletter hope you guys enjoy it #infinitywar pic.twitter.com/rvLjRzQN9h
— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) July 14, 2017
During the recent D23 expo, it was confirmed that the Children of Thanos – a group fiercely loyal and devoted to the Mad Titan also known as The Black Order – will be aiding their evil master in gathering the Infinity Stones (or Infinity Gems).
You’re probably wondering, aren’t Nebula and Gamora from “Guardians Of The Galaxy” his only adopted “children”? Just like their comic counterpart, the Children of Thanos refers to the villain’s formidable generals. They will play a key role in Thanos’ multi-pronged attack on Earth’s defences.
The Black Order consists of Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, The Ebony Maw, and Black Dwarf (possibly renamed Cull Obsidian). Created by Jonathan Hickman, Jerome Opeña, and Jim Cheung, The Black Order didn’t come to play in the Marvel comics until 2013.
For fans who have been following the comics, you might remember when The Black Order – specially Black Dwarf – invaded Black Panther‘s country Wakanda in search of one of the Infinity Stones on Earth. We may actually see this play out in next year’s “Black Panther” and subsequently “Infinity War”.
Let’s get to know the Children of Thanos in detail here:
1. Corvus Glaive
As the first member of the Black Order and Thanos’ right-hand man, Corvus Glaive betrayed his own people and sold his soul to the Mad Titan in pursuit of power. Known for his mind for manipulation and shrewd battle tactics, Thanos’ loyal top general uses his skills to command armies to overthrow and destroy worlds.
He wields an otherworldly double-bladed spear that is able to slice through literally anything (think of it as an upgraded version of a lightsaber). More importantly, his weapon also holds his essence – which makes him immortal. As long as the spear is in his possession, Corvus can regenerate himself.
2. Proxima Midnight
Besides being married to Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight is also arguably the most formidable of the Black Order troops. Known for her fighting skills, leadership, intelligence, agility, and endurance rivalling, Proxima is a master at hand-to-hand combat. And we haven’t even gotten to her unique weapon.
Proxima possesses a super powered lance that holds within it all the power of a star. When thrown, it can transform into a deadly light tracers that never misses its targets. The light beams are also powerful enough to hold someone as strong as the Incredible Hulk.
3. Black Dwarf (Cull Obsidian)
Just looking at his sheer size alone, Black Dwarf is clearly the group’s tank. When it comes to war, Thanos will need a warrior that is strong, fearless, and brutal to be his heavy hitter. Who better than Black Dwarf right? Commonly compared to Hulk on a physical level, Black Dwarf has an impenetrable skin. He is also the brother of Corvus Glaive.
Terry Notary, who is best known for his CGI creation for “Kong: Skull Island”, “Planet of the Apes”, and “The Hobbit” trilogy, is reportedly bringing Black Dwarf to live on the big screen.
4. Ebony Maw
While the first 3 members of the Black Order look physically intimidating with their brute force and sharp weaponry, Ebony Maw is more comfortable behind the scenes. But don’t be fooled by his looks, this villain with a deceitful, twisted posture is a master at mind tricks and manipulation.
Blessed with a genius level intellect with persuasive powers, Ebony is able to talk anyone into biding his wishes. He can also corrupt and control the minds of others, even one as powerful as Doctor Strange. This makes him the most unpredictable and perhaps the most dangerous member of the bunch. You never know if he’s truly serving Thanos or working to better position himself.
5. Supergiant
Too bad for Marvel fans, Supergiant wasn’t included in Marvel’s statues reveal during the D23 expo. This means that she’s probably been excluded from “Avengers: Infinity War”. Still, here’s a brief summary of Thanos’ other “child”.
Did you ever questioned why does Thanos seem to know everything? That’s because he has the psychotic Supergiant by his side. As a telepathic parasite, Supergiant feeds on intellectual’s intelligence, thoughts, and memories like a vampire. She then shares the information with the Mad Titan via a mental link. Similar to Ebony, she can also manipulate people’s minds. Perhaps that is the reason they decided to axed her.
Major reveal alert! The children of Thanos, with Thanos himself, Josh Brolin! 😵 #InfinityWar #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/39kxKUcAj9
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 15, 2017
We’ve added more photos of Thanos and the Black Order from Avengers: Infinity War #Avengers #D23Expo https://t.co/zllONoptpS pic.twitter.com/ol5kVJzGrK
— ComingSoon.net (@comingsoonnet) July 16, 2017
Josh Brolin has also assured fans that his character Thanos will be an emotional and 3-dimensional villain. It’s interesting to note that “Avengers: Infinity War” will mark the first time in MCU where the big bad will receive as much screen time as the superheroes. Considering his motivation for gathering the Infinity Stones, Thanos has the potential to be one of the most exciting villains we’ve seen from the comic book genre.
To find out more about the plot details of “Avengers: Infinity War”, go here.
Sources: IGN, Screen Rant (1)(2), Nerd Core Movement, Uproxx.
