‘Avengers: Infinity War’: Everything You Need to Know About Thanos’ Black Order

Adam Salandra
Movies Comics
Movies Comics

When the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe join forces in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, they’ll be facing off against Thanos — the most ferocious foe they’ve come across yet. But even a bad guy as dangerous and powerful as Thanos could use a little help destroying the universe, and that’s where The Black Order comes in.

This group of deadly aliens is a relatively new addition to the world of Marvel, first appearing in New Avengers Vol 3 #8. In the comics, the members consist of Black Dwarf, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Black Swan, Supergiant, and Corvus Glaive. Each alien possesses a unique version of super strength, speed, or endurance, and have teamed up with Thanos in order to gain new powers or show off the ones they already have.

Comic Book History

The Black Order was first sent to Earth by Corvus Glaive in an attempt to face off against the Illuminati for possession of the Infinity Gems — which movie fans know better as the Infinity Stones. While there, Black Dwarf took an unsuccessful trip to Wakanda with his army, who were no match for the technologically advanced nation.

In Atlantis, Proxima Midnight forced Namor to disclose where the Gems were located, and when it was revealed that they were in Wakanda, The Black Order returned in full force, this time managing to seize the nation.

Thanos and The Black Order
Thanos and The Black Order

With Wakandans being held by The Order, Ebony Maw set out to find Thanos’ son, Thane. The other members of The Black Order eventually join Maw in Greenland to watch Thanos murder Thane, but the execution was interrupted by The Avengers.

The heroes then kill Black Dwarf while their ally, Lockjaw, blew up Supergiant with a cache of anti-matter bombs from Necropolis, the Wakandan city of the dead. Corvus Glaive was also killed by Hyperion at this time.

The Avengers then traveled to Greenland to fight Thanos, but Ebony Maw had already released Thane in order to have him confront his father one-on-one. It was here that Thane was able to trap the bodies of Thanos, Corvus Glaive, and Proxima Midnight in an “amber construct,” which left them in a state of “living death” and stopped their mission to capture the Infinity Gems.

Despite their defeat on Earth, The Black Order popped up several times in the following years with different members from different versions of reality. At one point, all the original members of The Order actually rose from the dead to compete in The Challenger’s Contest, which had them facing off against another alien group known as the Lethal Legion.

The Black Order in Infinity War

Thanos and The Black Order
Thanos and The Black Order

When it comes to which iteration of The Order that we’re going to see in Avengers: Infinity War, Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw, and Proxima Midnight will all be making an appearance. Black Swan and Black Dwarf will not be in the film, but a new member known as Cull Obsidian will be introduced.

While we’ll have to wait until the film opens worldwide on April 27 to find out exactly what the movie version of The Order can do, it’s safe to say that the alien group and their adoptive father, Thanos, pose a serious threat to The Avengers.

Adam Salandra
Adam Salandra is an Entertainment Editor for FANDOM. When he's not covering the latest in pop culture, you can find him playing with his French Bulldog pup or hovering over the table of food at any social gathering.