10 Best Knull Comic Stories, Ranked

Created by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman, Knull made his first full appearance in Venom #3 2018 (by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and VC Clayton Cowles), but has been working his influence on the Marvel Universe since its creation. Since awakening during the first firmament, Knull’s sole purpose has been to extinguish the light of the Universe and return it to the darkness of the void.

Being a primordial force of the Universe, Knull’s powers are nearly limitless, helping him spread his darkness into every corner of the Marvel Universe. By creating the alien race of symbiotes and his weapon, All-Black the Necrosword, Knull has continued his conquest of the galaxy even while imprisoned by his once loyal children. Some of the best Marvel stories featuring Knull inspired the character’s live-action debut in Venom: The Last Dance, which has inspired fans to check out even more of his best comic stories.

10 Peter Parker Fights Knull’s First Creation

Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black (2020) by Peter David, Gred Land, Jay Leisten, Frank D’Armata, and VC Joe Sabino

During the King in Black event, Peter Parker finds himself fighting in the war when Knull begins his invasion of the Earth. To secure his victory, Knull sends one of his earliest creations, Mr. E, to obtain the Ebony Blade in the past, one of the only weapons capable of hurting him.

The Symbiote Spider-Man tie-in illuminates the progression of the symbiotes and how Knull has perfected the process, leading to the symbiotes readers know today. Even as a prototype, Mr. E can hold his own against powerful characters such as Kang and The Black Knight, showing how strong the symbiotes are under Knull’s control. While only five issues, the prelude series offers readers essential context in understanding how powerful Knull’s army is, setting up for his eventual arrival.

9 The Guardians Face The Klyntar

Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) by Brian Michael Bendis and Valerio Schiti

During Brian Michael Bendis’s 2015 Guardians of the Galaxy, Agent Venom briefly joins the team, and things quickly fall apart. Flash loses control of Venom, and the symbiote attacks the Guardians until they can contain it. Venom escapes by bonding with Drax and brings the Guardians to Klyntar, the symbiotes’ home planet. While this run happened years before Knull was created, it paved the way for Donny Cates to expand on, leading to King in Black.

The Guardian’s time on Klyntar gives readers their first exposure to the history of the symbiote species and further deepens the extent of Knull’s influence on the Marvel Universe. The Klyntar is Knull’s prison, and this could have been the first time Venom unknowingly encountered his God. The issue also re-connected Venom to the symbiote hive, which is how Knull would eventually be able to control him in the first arc of Donny Cate’s Venom series.

8 Scream Uncovers The Symbiotes Lost History

Scream: Curse of Carnage (2019) by Clay Chapman, and Christopher Mooneyham

After the events of Absolute Carnage and Knull’s awakening, Andi Benton and her symbiote, Scream, are tormented by a remnant of Carnage, which leads them to discover an ancient symbiote named Big Mother. Through the six-issue run, Scream learns that Big Mother is the mother of the Grendel symbiote, one of Knull’s first creations that he sent to Earth. Big Mother was sent to Earth along with the Grendel but was defeated by Thor, creating the legend of Beowulf.

While Knull only appears briefly, the run further showcases how the King in Black has been able to influence events on Earth long before his imprisonment. Thor’s early battle with the symbiote dragons was one of the only battles that weakened Knull and separated the symbiotes from the hive. Knull tells this story briefly in his first appearance, but the Scream tie-in series shows readers the extent of that early battle and gives more insight into Knull’s motivations for revenge.

7 Knull Attempts to Take Valhalla

King in Black: Return of the Valkyries by Jason Aaron, Torunn Gronbekk, Nina Vakueva, Tamra Bonvillain, and VC Joe Sabino

During the King in Black event, the realm of Valhalla is threatened by the overwhelming number of souls being rushed in by Knull’s attack. When Knull kills the Sentry, Jane Foster attempts to bring his soul to Valhalla but comes across the severed head of the Celestial used to forge Knull’s Necrosword in the world between worlds. Jane Foster discovers the Valkyrie Runa trapped in the Celestial head, and she, along with Hildegarde, sets out to destroy the head and weaken Knull.

The series is filled with incredible action and further expands on the legend of the Necrosword, making it one of the more essential King in Black tie-ins. The Necrosword is a very powerful weapon in the Marvel Universe, and this series explores how the Celestial’s link to the weapon is essential to its power, as was shown briefly in the pages of Venom #4 (by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and VC Clayton Cowles).

6 The King In Black Attacks The Kree/Skrull Empire

Web of Venom: Empyre’s End (2020) by Clay Chapman, Guiu Vilanova, Frank D’armata, VC Clayton Cowles

Kicking off the King in Black event, Knull travels through the cosmos on his way to Earth, killing everything in his path. On his way, he encounters a Kree ship and lets his horde loose to stalk and kill the ship’s crew. One Skrull soldier survives, but when rescued, he leads Knull to the remaining fleet of soldiers and continues his carnage.

The one-shot issue showcased the true horror of Knull and his symbiote army as they infiltrated the Kree’s ship and took over its passengers. The entire issue is filled with dread and a feeling of hopelessness that makes Knull much more terrifying, setting the tone for the violence he would later inflict on the heroes of Earth.

5 Knull Creates Thor’s Greatest Villain

Thor: God of Thunder (2013) by Jason Aaron, Esad Rubić, Tom Palmer, Ive Svorcina, and Joe Sabino

In the first arc of Jason Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder, readers are introduced to the new villain, Gorr the God Butcher. Gorr quickly became one of Thor’s most ruthless villains after discovering All-Black, the Necrosword, which granted him the power to exact his revenge on the gods. At the time, no one would have assumed that Gorr was actually wielding the powers of the King in Black.

While Knull doesn’t even appear in this run, Gorr’s thirst for violence and the results of his killing spree are a direct result of Knull’s influence. The Necrosword is an extension of Knull himself and can further twist Gorr’s mind with Knull’s darkness. This revelation reshaped the entire context of Knull’s involvement in the events throughout the Marvel Universe. It provided a deeper context for one of the greatest Marvel villains of the past decade.

4 Carnage Awakens God

Absolute Carnage (2019) by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and VC Clayton Cowles

In the 2018 Absolute Carnage event, a cult devoted to Knull resurrected the Carnage symbiote to awaken their imprisoned God. Carnage discovers that everyone who has worn a symbiote contains a codex that keeps them connected to the symbiote hive and sets out to collect all the codices to awaken Knull. Carnage kills many previous hosts and their symbiotes to collect the codices and successfully awakens Knull, setting him on his path towards Earth.

While another series that Knull only appears in reputation, Absolute Carnage is one of Marvel’s best events and sets up essential pieces for Knull’s arrival and defeat in King in Black. This event reveals Dylan’s connection to the symbiote hive, which is crucial in helping take down Knull and is the first step to him becoming Venom’s new host in the followingseries. The Absolute Carnage event was the perfect role out for the God of symbiotes and set the bar for what was to come.

3 The Silver Surfer Travels A Billion Years To Face Knull

Silver Surfer: Black (2019) by Donny Cates, Tradd Moore, Dave Stewart, and VC Clayton Cowles

While fighting with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Silver Surfer falls into a black hole and is thrown through the time stream a billion years into the past. The sentinel of the spaceways encounters Knull during the early days of his conquest, spreading darkness across the cosmos. The Surfer battles with Knull across the galaxy, only able to escape with the help of Ego, the Living Planet, and Galactus.

The five-issue run is stunning, with Tradd Moore’s trippy and fluid line work accentuated by Dave Stewart’s bright, bold colors that leap off the page. Written by Knull’s creator, Donny Cates, Silver Surfer Black is an essential piece of Knull’s history and helps us understand the end of King in Black. In addition to the epic fight between him and Knull, the series shows how the Silver Surfer gains access to the Enigma Force that would later be used to resurrect Eddie Brock, allowing him to defeat Knull.

2 The God Of Symbiotes Makes His Debut

Venom (2019) by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and VC Clayton Cowles

While readers had unknowingly been seeing the effects of Knull for years, the character finally made his official debut in Venom #3 (by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and VC Clayton Cowles). Not yet broken out of his Klyntar prison, Knull first appeared as a mere extension of himself that he could manifest from the newly resurrected Grendel dragon. Knull attempts to reclaim the Venom symbiote back into the Hive, but Eddie Brock and Spider-Man are able to stop him.

This first introduction of Knull is brutal, with him being able to easily rip Venom from his host and nearly kill Miles Morales. Cates presents Knull in this issue as a benevolent force of nature, exuding a godly presence as he gathers his lost children. At no point in the issue does it feel like Venom or Miles could stand a chance against him, immediately establishing him as a significant player, and his presence demands the reader’s attention.

1 The King in Black Takes New York

King in Black (2020) by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and VC Clayton Cowles

Throughout his eons in containment, Knull finally escaped and came to Earth to put his full power on display. Armed with a legion of symbiote dragons and Celestials, the symbiote God easily took over New York and encased the Earth in a symbiote dome. After taking out most of Earth’s heroes, Venom eventually destroys Knull by using the Enigma Force and flying him into the sun.

The King in Black event shows Knull at his best, culminating decades of symbiote stories in an epic event that stands as one of Marvel’s best. Knull’s power and sheer brutality are something to behold as he kills some of the most powerful heroes and turns others into his symbiote army. Massive action sequences, insanely high stakes, and the ability to tie together so many different story threads in a satisfying conclusion took Knull from another scary bad guy into the pantheon of great Marvel villains.