The Avengers’ Newest Enemies
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The Avengers are about to face their biggest challenge yet. Avengers: Infinity War will pit the Avengers against Thanos, a cosmic being obsessed with gathering the six Infinity Stones so that he can wipe out half the universe. That alone is a major problem, but to make matters worse for our heroes, Thanos isn’t alone in his quest. The Mad Titan is assisted by the Black Order – also called the Children of Thanos in the film – a powerful team featuring intimidating names like Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian and Corvus Glaive. Having debuted in 2013, these four baddies are relatively new to the Marvel Universe. They may not be as instantly recognizable as characters like Loki, or even Thanos, for that matter. Want to know who the Black Order are before Infinity War ? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the Avengers’ newest adversaries. Proxima Midnight First appearance: ‘New Avengers’ Vol. 3 #8 (2013) Abilities: Superhuman strength, enhanced speed, enhanced durability and fighting expertise. Proxima Midnight is perhaps the most dangerous member of the Black Order. She carries a spear forged from a sun. The weapon has a variety of special features due to its other-worldly origins: it can change its density (like Vision) and is imbued with a poison capable of destroying any kind of life. In comics, Proxima has invaded New York City, gone to Wakanda, and killed off a major character there. (Not Black Panther, but we won’t say who in case it ends up being a spoiler for Infinity War – though we doubt that will happen.) Little is known about Proxima’s life before her alliance with Thanos, but she’s married to her fellow Black Order member, Corvus Glaive. The great Carrie Coon plays Proxima in Infinity War . Ebony Maw First appearance: ‘New Avengers’ Vol. 3 #8 (2013) Abilities: Genius-level intellect, mind-control, teleportation and fighting expertise. Ebony Maw is similar to Loki in many ways. Like the Asgardian, he’s cunning, smart, and, thanks to his remarkable persuasive abilities, he always knows what to say to get what he wants. Unlike the rest of the Black Order, Maw isn’t utterly loyal to Thanos – at least in the comics. That leads us to wonder if the Avengers may be able to use Maw as a weak spot in Thanos’s otherwise impenetrable attack. Irish actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor plays Ebony Maw in Infinity War . Corvus Glaive First appearance: ‘Infinity: Free Comic Book Day’ (2013) Abilities: Super strength, enhanced durability, genius-level intellect and enhanced speed. The Black Order isn’t just a bunch of mercenaries; as previously mentioned, Corvus Glaive is married to Proxima Midnight. He’s also the brother of Cull Obsidian. Glaive is Thanos’ right-hand soldier, and one of the most formidable members of the Black Order. Unlike his teammates, Corvus can’t die. As long as his staff remains intact, the villain has the ability to regenerate from any kind of attack, including complete disintegration. The actor playing Corvus Glaive in Infinity War has not been revealed. Cull Obsidian First appearance: ‘New Avengers’ Vol. 3 #8 (2013) Abilities: Super strength, enhanced durability and unbreakable skin. Much like the rest of his teammates, little is known about Cull Obsidian, the muscle of the Black Order, prior to working for Thanos. In comics, Obsidian is tasked with taking over Wakanda, and fails, facing defeat at the hands of T’Challa and Shuri. Since we don’t know how closely the film follows comic book events, that may or may not be a factor in the movie. Cull Obsidian is played by Terry Notary, a long-time stunt performer who is a veteran of Avatar , The Adventures of Tintin , the new Planet of the Apes films, and The Hobbit trilogy. Supergiant First appearance: ‘Infinity’ #1 (2013) Abilities: Intangibility, telepathy and extreme damage resistance. There’s one more member of the Black Order in comics, who appears to be MIA on film. We’ll cover her for the sake of completion – and if she makes a surprise appearance, you’ll know exactly what’s up. Supergiant possesses powerful mental abilities. As a telepath, Supergiant is able to control multiple people at once; she can also take over people’s minds across long distances. She also has the ability to become intangible and can even withstand great amounts of damage without feeling any pain. Avengers: Infinity War will be released on April 27, 2018. Get Tickets More Stories