Sony has been known for dropping enticing hooks in its Marvel movie trailers, from Vulture in Morbius to the spiders in the Kraven the Hunter trailer, and even Spider-Man swinging through the jungle in Madam Web. They never miss a chance to captivate audiences, especially with the name Spider-Man attached. After doing this heavily on Venom in the past few films, they’ve decided to introduce an even greater threat: Knull, the God of Symbiotes.
Who is Knull?
Knull is a pivotal character in the Marvel Universe, and to fully appreciate his significance, we need to learn his backstory first. Knull’s tale is intertwined with Gorr the God Butcher, a villain from Thor. Gorr was an alien living on a planet plagued by starvation. Despite their prayers to the gods, his people received no help. When his entire family perished, Gorr was ready to die as well. At that moment, two gods—one in shining gold armor and another in black—fell from the sky in front of him. Gorr took up the sword of the black god and was infused with tremendous power, transforming into the God Butcher. He then embarked on a rampage, slaughtering gods in horrific ways.
While this story was adapted in Thor: Love and Thunder, Marvel Comics later retconned it, revealing that the sword Gorr wielded—the All-Black Necrosword—is one of the most potent weapons in the Marvel Universe. Its creator, Knull, is a primordial entity whose origins stretch back billions of years, before the creation of the current Marvel Universe.
Knull’s Origins
Understanding Knull requires grasping the concept of cycles of creation and destruction in Marvel Comics. Universes are born from a Big Bang, flourish, and eventually are destroyed, giving rise to a new universe. The current Marvel Universe is the seventh iteration, having been destroyed six times before. Between the end of the sixth universe and the birth of the seventh, Knull existed in the void of darkness. He thrived in this emptiness until the arrival of light, which brought with it the Celestials. For Knull, who relished the darkness, this light was an intrusion. When the Celestials attempted to suppress him, Knull beheaded one of them in defiance, demonstrating his overwhelming power. The severed head of this Celestial is known today as Knowhere in the MCU.
Knull went on to establish a forge within the decapitated Celestial’s head, crafting the All-Black Necrosword. He also created countless symbiotes, entities that would play a significant role in the Marvel Universe. However, when Knull tried to use his symbiotes against the Celestials, they rebelled. Connected by a hive mind, the symbiotes turned against Knull, imprisoning him within a planet they formed around him called Klyntar. Knull remained trapped there for billions of years.
Knull’s Escape and Arrival on Earth
Eventually, Knull broke free from his prison and set his sights on Earth. He was in pursuit of Eddie Brock’s son, Dylan Brock, who carried Knull’s essence and possessed the unique ability to control symbiotes, making him a formidable threat for Knull. Eddie Brock, still bonded with Venom, sensed Knull’s approach through their shared hive mind. As Knull neared Earth, the Avengers were alerted to the impending danger. Tony Stark took proactive measures, rigging old, dilapidated Kree and Skrull ships in Earth’s orbit with explosives. When the symbiotes began descending, these ships detonated, destroying many symbiotes. However, Eddie Brock warned Stark that their efforts were futile—killing a hundred symbiotes wouldn’t make a difference, as Knull could create thousands more.
When Knull finally landed on Earth with his symbiote army, he unleashed chaos. Symbiotes rained down, covering New York and other cities, engulfing buildings, streets, and rivers in a dark, sticky substance. Marvel’s superheroes, including Captain America, Iron Man, the Avengers, the X-Men like Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, the Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man, united to confront this new threat. Eddie Brock, alongside Venom, sought to influence the hive mind by connecting to an ancient throne once used by Carnage during the Absolute Carnage storyline. But things quickly worsened—symbiote-infected Celestials, now under Knull’s control, began to descend upon Earth.
The Battle Against Knull
Faced with the symbiote-empowered Celestials, Marvel’s heroes struggled to keep up. Captain America devised a daring plan involving Sentry, a hero with dual personalities: the virtuous Sentry and the malevolent Void. The Void represented Sentry’s inner darkness, and was a force not to be trifled with—he had previously torn Carnage and Ares, the God of War, to pieces. Captain America called on Sentry, who arrived and immediately tore a Celestial in half before attempting to carry Knull into space. However, Knull stopped him, recalling the past when Sentry had torn Carnage apart. In a brutal reversal, Knull ripped Sentry in half, declaring that the dark side within Sentry—the Void—was, in essence, a part of him.
After eliminating Sentry, Knull decided to cover the entire planet with symbiotes, blotting out the sun and moon, plunging Earth into complete darkness. Desperate, Eddie Brock and Venom approached Knull, offering themselves in a bid to save the world. Knull swiftly rejected their plea, tearing Venom away from Eddie and binding the symbiote to his arm, before tossing Eddie from a skyscraper. Eddie barely survived, ending up on life support, his survival hanging by a thread.
Knull then began infecting other superheroes, turning them into versions of himself. Cyclops, The Thing, and even the Hulk fell under his control, transformed into symbiotic versions. With most of their allies compromised, the remaining heroes had no choice but to seek help from villains. Kingpin rallied his forces, aiming to profit from the chaos, while Namor ventured to the bottom of the Mariana Trench to strike a deal with a dangerous, exiled species known as the Black Tide. Blade, in his desperation, made an alliance with Dracula. This uneasy coalition of heroes and villains fought Knull, but even their combined efforts proved insufficient.
Tony Stark, ever the genius, hatched another plan. Knull’s forces included massive dragon-like creatures called Grendel. Stark managed to infect one of these dragons with the Extremis virus, manipulating its DNA and seizing control of the creature. But Stark’s ambitions didn’t end there—he used this Grendel to infect a Celestial with Extremis, bringing the Celestial under his command. Despite these extraordinary efforts, even this was not enough to stop Knull. Knull, undeterred, remained atop his throne, refusing to engage directly as he considered everyone beneath him.
Enter Thor and Silver Surfer
Just when hope seemed lost, the God of Thunder, Thor, entered the fray. This wasn’t just any Thor; he wielded the Odin Force, now called the Thor Force, and his Mjolnir was infused with the Mother Storm, putting him at the peak of his power. Thor was the only one capable of standing toe-to-toe with Knull. During their battle, Thor managed to rip off Knull’s jaw with Mjolnir, but Knull healed instantly. Seizing the moment when Thor was momentarily distracted, Knull struck back with his Necrosword, stabbing Thor.
At this critical juncture, Silver Surfer arrived on the scene. Silver Surfer and Knull had a history; they had fought before, and Silver Surfer had been defeated. However, this time, Silver Surfer had brought with him a light symbiote—the antithesis of Venom. Unlike the dark symbiotes that Knull created, this light-based symbiote was designed to counter Knull’s creations. The light entered Eddie Brock, who was on the brink of death, and began to revive him. This light was none other than the Enigma Force, known throughout the Marvel Universe as the force that grants powers to Captain Universe.
With the Enigma Force within him, Eddie Brock became a formidable opponent for Knull. Empowered by this force, Eddie pulled Thor’s Mjolnir away from him—not just lifting it but yanking it from Thor’s grip. He then combined Mjolnir with Silver Surfer’s board, transforming them into a cosmic axe. Eddie used this axe to sever Knull’s connection to the Necrosword, weakening him significantly. Finally, Eddie hurled Knull into the sun, annihilating him completely, as sunlight is Knull’s ultimate weakness.
Knull’s Future in the MCU
Knull’s introduction to Sony’s Marvel Universe raises intriguing questions. With no Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, or even Spider-Man in sight, who could possibly stand against a threat as monumental as Knull? Characters like Morbius or Madam Web and her companions seem ill-equipped to tackle such a powerful adversary.
Marvel had an opportunity to introduce Knull in the MCU as a villain who could surpass even Thanos in scale and threat. However, this chance now lies with Sony. How Knull will be handled in future films remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Knull is one of the most dangerous characters in the Marvel Universe. His presence challenges even the most powerful heroes and forces them to seek help from their greatest enemies. For now, Knull remains a towering figure, a testament to the ever-escalating stakes in the Marvel multiverse.T