Marvel Unveils the King in Black's Ultimate Form, "The King In All"

Published Sep 16, 2026, 11:12 AM EDT

Ambrose Tardive is an editor on ScreenRant's Comics team. Over the past two years, he has developed into the internet's foremost authority on The Far Side. Outside of his work for ScreenRant, Ambrose works as an Adjunct English Instructor.

One of Marvel’s most powerful villains just got a massive cosmic upgrade. Knull, better known as the King in Black, completely turned the tables on his enemies at a point when it seemed like he was done for, and now he is poised to reclaim his title as the #1 Big Bad of the entire Marvel Universe.

Knull was already one of the most powerful characters in Marvel canon going into his current storyline. But having his powers as the King in Black usurped by another villain, the Asgardian Hela, has turned out to be the best thing possible for him, because it has led him to level up astronomically.

The Queen in Black crossover event has been a battle for supremacy between Knull and Hela, with Marvel’s heroes caught in the middle, and a showdown in the tie-in series Defenders of Light and Dark seemingly just ended their rivalry for good, with Knull conquering Hela and merging their powers to become the undisputed “King in All.”

Is Hela really defeated? How long will Knull reign as the “King in All,” and what does that mean for the endgame of Queen in Black? How many more surprises is the crossover going to throw at readers before it wraps up? Those are the big questions coming out of Knull’s apparent checkmate move in Defenders of Light and Dark #3.

Knull Merges His King In Black And God Of Light Powers To Become Marvel's "King In All"

Queen In Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #3 By Al Ewing, Tom Waltz, & Zé Carlos

“Underestimating me was your fatal mistake,” Knull says at the start of his villain monologue in Defenders of Light and Dark #3. He goes on to reveal that he has been playing the long game throughout the events of Queen in Black, staging his apparent defeat, all as part of a larger scheme to become the Marvel Universe’s God of Light, which he did earlier this year, and then regain his King in Black powers.

“Becoming,” as Knull puts it, “a union of opposites. All the glorious light and endless darkness in one being.” With this, and a wicked victory smile on his face, Knull proclaims himself “the King in All.” This sets him up as the true villain of Queen in Black, which has some fans scratching their heads, or anticipating more twists in the crossover’s final issue, which drops in two weeks.

In any case, “King in All” is a major evolution for Knull, which is why it will be an anti-climax if he is defeated in just a single issue. Yet that seems likely, unless Marvel is going to leave the event on a major cliffhanger and pick up the fight against this new version of Knull in a subsequent series.

Is Knull's "King In All" Transformation A Teaser Or A Permanent Upgrade?

Knull is one of Marvel’s hardest characters to write. Most major Marvel heroes and villains are subject to increasing power enhancement over time, to the point where they become overpowered. Knull started out overpowered as the King in Black, and subsequently Marvel has tried depowering and upgrading him at different times, before reverting him back to his status quo.

Knull’s return from his alleged death was a major story in 2025, but 2026 has been a bit of a bumpy road for the character. Now, he has evolved into the “King in All,” but whether Marvel sticks with it, or leaves this version of Knull as little more than a teaser, is still up in the air.

Defenders of Light and Dark #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.

Readers, what do you think of Knull's character arc over the last few years?