The Black Order have become an interesting part of the Marvel Comics canon in recent years, and their new standalone series has added an interesting twist to some of the group’s dynamics.
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Spoilers for this month’s Black Order #3 below!
The issue sees the Black Order attempting to vanquish Emperor Attican, who utilized the cosmic Bow of Gabriel to drain planets of their livelihood. In between that fight, readers got to get perspective from an unexpected member of the team, as the issue was peppered with the internal monologue of Cull Obsidian.
Obsidian lamented about being seen as the most brutish member of the Black Order, and how his thoughts and feelings were only occasionally taken into account. One page of the issue showcased this in a surprising way, as he revealed that Corvus Glaive came to him for guidance when he realized he was in love with Proxima Midnight. This provided a bit of a complication for Obsidian, as he was also in love with Midnight, but he did not want to stop the pair from getting together.
As the issue goes on, Obsidian debates whether or not he’s more than just the muscle of the team, and hints that he might have a romantic interest in fellow team member Black Swan, something that’s met with a negative response from Ebony Maw. But in a brief moment after the team finishes fighting, a somewhat-flirty exchange between Obsidian and Swan seems to hint that she sees him differently than everyone else does.
This whole love triangle (or maybe square?) certainly adds a twist to the dynamics of the Black Order members, even though Proxima and Corvus have been married in the comics for quite some time. Their romantic dynamic has been showcased through stories in some interesting ways, including some very subtle hints in last year’s Avengers: Infinity War.
“There were earlier drafts of the script with the Black Order, in a more stylized draft where we did backstories for each of them.” co-director Joe Russo explained last year. “Ultimately the movie was getting too crowded, too hard to follow. In the books, there’s a backstory between Proxima and Corvus, that they’re married. Only hinted at in the slightest way here by the fact that they are paired up to retrieve a stone and the way that she responds when Corvus gets stabbed by Natasha.”
While the notion that Obsidian had an interest in Proxima might not have a huge bearing on the remainder of the miniseries, readers will just have to wait and see what happens between him and Swan, especially as she seems to be the focus of the next issue.
Black Order #3 is available in comic shops now. The series’ fourth issue will be in stores on February 20th.
