Warning: contains spoilers for King in Black: Symbiote Spider-Man #5 and King in Black #5!

When Uatu the Watcher returned to life recently, he warned that a "reckoning" was coming, and the conclusion of King in Black just proved that whatever it is, it's even more deadly than Knull and his symbiote army.

Uatu is a Watcher, one of the oldest species in the Marvel Universe. Taking a vow of non-interference after some early mistakes, this mysterious race have dedicated their lives to chronicling key people and events throughout the universe. Uatu is assigned to Earth and has come into contact with practically every Marvel hero at some point. In fact, Uatu’s presence has become a signal that something major is about to go down. Uatu was killed at the beginning of the Original Sin crossover event, but he recently returned to life, warning Nick Fury, who had replaced Uatu as punishment for slaying him, that a reckoning was coming. Nothing else has been revealed beyond this, but the clues are pointing to something huge, and terrible, on the horizon.

Related: Marvel Admits: Uatu the Watcher Might Be a Horse

Set in the past, back when Spider-Man still had his symbiote costume, King in Black: Symbiote Spider-Man (written by Peter David with art by Greg Land) has seen Uatu bring together an odd assortment of heroes, including Spider-Man, Rocket Racoon, the Black Knight, and Monica Rambeau, at this point operating under the name Captain Marvel. Under Uatu’s guidance, they have been searching for the Ebony Blade, one of the few weapons known to be able to hurt the King in Black. With the sword now retrieved and his mission accomplished, Uatu then signals to his future self he is heading his way to help in the great battle depicted in King in Black #5, which he learned about from Kang the Conqueror. However, nothing happens, and Uatu tells Captain Marvel that the other Watchers are enforcing their non-interference rule, even in this dark hour.

Watcher King in Black

Of course, this raises the question of why Uatu didn't step in once time had passed and Knull's invasion became a reality. Knowing about the King in Black in advance, and having tracked down the perfect weapon and hero to hurt him, Uatu was a total non-presence during the event itself. In fact, Uatu is off on his own mission. In Fantastic Four: Empyre Fallout #1, Uatu informed Nick Fury that Watcher technology was being misused and declared, "There shall be... a reckoning" as a caption ominously added, "the Beginning of the End." Clearly, this "reckoning" was enough to occupy the Watcher's attention even during an invasion he was originally prepared to travel through time to fight.

Fans of the Watchers will remember that writer Dan Slott actually teased a huge "Reckoning War" way back in his 2004 She-Hulk run, with She-Hulk visiting a potential future in which Uatu's race are devastated by a threat that grew in secret thanks to the one area of space on which they weren't permitted to share information. Is this what Uatu was referring to after his return? The Watchers’ technology grants them almost god-like powers and abilities, and that same technology being abused in the wrong hands is a terrifying notion, and one that may be even scarier than the King in Black.

She-hulk Reckoning War

The King in Black’s attack on Earth was horrifying, with many heroes coming under the evil god’s influence and even their greatest warriors unable to actually defeat him without outside help. Venom's bond with the Enigma Force was able to turn the tide, but the idea that something worse is coming, particularly something based around the near omnipotent Watchers, should give everyone pause. King in Black nearly destroyed the Marvel Universe, and whatever reckoning is coming promises to finish the job.

Next: Can Marvel's Watchers Actually See the Future?