Warning! Spoilers for Defenders #5 by Marvel Comics

The King in Black's cosmic origin and true form has been revealed by Marvel Comics, as readers discover how the universe came to be in a fight between Lifebringer One and the Anti-All. In Defenders #5, the First Sentry and the Primal Void fight in a battle for existence and nothingness, showcasing the being that represents darkness and would eventually lead to the creation of Knull, the God of Symbiotes.

The King in Black is one of the deadliest villains in the Marvel Universe, as the symbiote-creating god nearly conquered Earth in his self-titled event. Knull ruled the void between the Sixth and Seventh Cosmos until the God of Light, his one true equal, almost killed him. After recovering, the King in Black made it his mission to envelop the Earth in darkness while infecting Earth's Mightiest Heroes with his symbiote army. Knull nearly won out, but when the God of Light returned via the Engima Force, the vile cosmic entity died dramatically, with Eddie Brock burning him alive with the Uni-Power.

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In Defenders #5 by Al Ewing, Javier Rodriguez, and VC's Joe Caramagna, the superteam ends up in the Third Cosmos, the battle of creation, in their search for Carlo Zota. The heroes witness the rise of the first cycle of the Multiverse, as existence and nothingness fight for the creation of the Marvel Universe in a time before magic and science. The battle of creation and negation is between Lifebringer One (the First Sentry) and the Anti-All (the Primal Void). The Defenders and Zota end up combining their powers from the different Cosmos to power up the First Sentry, who defeats the Primal Void - giving creation the ultimate victory.

Lifebringer One vs. Primal Void

The Primal Void represents what would become of the King in Black. Doctor Strange even notes when they're fighting their own great nothing ins of their own times, they could be fighting the remnants of the Anti-All. The Anti-All fought for negation and nothingness and embodied and represented what would become Knull. Marvel readers would see the Primal Void and Lifebringer One lay the groundwork for many iterations of battles between good and evil in the Multiverse, including the God of Light vs. the King in Black and the Sentry vs. the Void.

The King in Black, like the rest of the Marvel Universe, wouldn't exist without Lifebringer One and the Anti-All's battle for creation. Defenders #5 shows that Knull represents the continued conflict between light and darkness with the God of Light being the later cosmic representation of the First Sentry. The Primal Void would serve as the model for darkness to come in the Marvel Universe, most notably, playing a role in the creation of the being known as King in Black. It's the perfect cosmic origin for the symbiote supervillain.

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