Before the Queen in Black officially ascends her throne, the Marvel landscape is shifting in ways that feel both inevitable and shocking. Hela is set to dominate the summer in this massive crossover event spinning out of Al Ewing’s work on Venom (2025) and the Knull (2026) limited series. It is a bold direction for the God of the Abyss and the symbiote lineage, especially with Carlos Gómez and Juanan Ramírez providing the visual backbone for this transition.
How Does Mary Jane Watson Fit Into the Queen in Black Event?
Mary Jane Watson is no longer just a supporting character in the background of Peter Parker’s life; she is becoming a central pillar of the symbiote mythos. Following the intense events of Death Spiral, Venom #259 will showcase a completely new bond between Mary Jane and her symbiote. I think this redesign is a necessary step to keep the character fresh after their confrontation in Venom #258. Watching her fully embrace this strength alongside Spider-Man creates a dynamic we haven’t seen explored with this much weight before.
Why Does Knull Have Light Powers Now?
The most jarring change is easily the status of the original antagonist. The former God of the Abyss is trading his darkness for a power source derived from light. Working with writers Tom Waltz and Al Ewing, the Knull (2026) series seems to be flipping the script on everything we knew about the character. It is a risky creative choice to give a god of shadow a “glow-up” in the most literal sense, but it sets the stage for a conflict with Hela that should be visually spectacular.
“MJ’s new look represents a ‘levelling up’ of sorts,” Ewing explained. “After her most serious challenge as Venom so far, it represents a reassessment of her relationship with the symbiote—just in time for an even bigger threat looming on the horizon.”
VENOM #259
Written by AL EWING
Art and Cover by CARLOS GÓMEZ
On Sale 6/17
LET THERE BE LIGHT! In KNULL #5, the final issue of the series, Knull has conquered the Lightforce Dimension and left his dastardly eternal mark in SUPERNOVA fashion! But wait! An enemy he thought he’d eliminated with extreme prejudice is back for more…and he comes upgraded for battle this time! Meanwhile, the newly crowned Queen in Black, Hela of Asgard, is beginning to question her strategy against Knull – is it time to activate Plan B? This is it! The bombastic grand finale! Who will fall? Who will rise? Who will CLAIM THE LIGHT?!
KNULL #5
Written by AL EWING & TOM WALTZ
Art by JUANAN RAMÍREZ
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
On Sale 5/13
Check out Ryan Stegman’s KNULL #5 cover along with his original design sheet for Knull’s new armor and Carlos Gómez’s VENOM #258-259 covers along with R.B. Silva’s design sheet for Mary Jane’s new symbiote suit.
