Warning: Spoilers for King in Black #3 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman!
epic battle of the gods is presented as a fleeting moment of redemption for the Son of Odin's greatest misstep in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, as if his MCU failure brought a curse upon himself that spans multiple mediums, Thor's latest attempt at victory against a universal threat once again ends with his defeat.
Despite Avengers: Endgame's offering of atonement for the Avengers of the MCU, fans will never forget watching their heroes fail in the final moments of Avengers: Infinity War. Some put the blame on Star-Lord and his short temper during the Battle of Titan, but there's no denying Thor's arrogance played a significant roll as well. After sinking his axe into Thanos's chest, the God of Thunder takes a moment to gloat just before the Mad Titan points out, "You should have gone for the head," and snaps his fingers, effectively killing off half of all life in the universe. Thor's failure to stop Thanos results in some serious PTSD for the Asgardian, and King in Black #3 does well to remind readers of that.
Thor makes his grand entrance on the battlefield just in time to defend Dylan Brock from Knull's pursuits. The God of the Abyss isn't having it, so he meets Thor face to face. At this point, the stakes are in alignment with Infinity War; Knull has the entire universe under siege, and while most of the heroes are on their backs, Thor's immense power has a solid shot at ending this shadow of terror once and for all. As the two powerhouses trade blows, Thor takes a moment to point out just how many god-like harbingers of darkness he's defeated in the past, "I have killed hundreds like you!!! All of them claimed to be the one true death! The living void! The end!"
This momentary show of arrogance echoes a scene earlier on in Infinity War, when Thor tells Rocket Raccoon of the countless enemies he's defeated, with Thanos only being, "The latest in a long line of bastards." However, the key difference in King in Black is that Thor doesn't follow up this line by wasting his one big shot on Knull. Instead, he goes straight for the villain's head this time, violently ripping Knull's jaw off with the concussive blow of his lighting-clad hammer. It's a victorious moment that not only shines some much-needed light on Knull's dark reign, but also acts as an explicit win for Thor given his unforgettable mistake in the MCU. Unfortunately, this triumph is short-lived and Knull is far from defeated. Much like Thanos's snap, Knull's response to Thor's blow is as devastating as it gets; the black deity vengefully summons his symbiote-possessed celestials to lay waste on earth before stabbing Thor in the chest with All-Black, the Necrosword.
Despite the consequences that follow, a full-on splash page of Thor furiously striking the head of Marvel's latest big bad should be an enormously satisfying unveiling for MCU fans. Unfortunately, The God of Thunder's fate after Knull's seemingly lethal retaliation remains up in the air, but hope persists as the final moments of King in Black reveals that the Silver Surfer has now become herald to an unknown being of light capable of overwhelming Knull's all-consuming darkness. Let's just hope this mysterious harbinger of life can lend a little healing to Thor before it's too late.
