For more than 3 years now Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman have been building towards Marvel's event "King in Black" and the arrival of the Symbiot God Knull. Now if you are a little bit like me you might find yourself looking for the dots to connect the lines between the past stories to this one. First of all, let me tell you that this is not really a must-do since Marvel is pretty good at creating events that require little to no knowledge of the past. But again, if you're a bit like me then you feel like you need to know every little detail. I mean it's the God of all Symbiots!
The interesting part of an event like this is that sometimes it comes unplanned. In this case, one of the amazing inspirations for the King in Black came from "Thor: God of Thunder #6 - The God Butcher" during the story of Gorr the God Butcher back in 2013 where Donny Cates came up with the idea of Krull.
But enough with the chit-chat. The first list you need to go through is the
GODBOMB Part One Somewhere at the end of time, all the gods of the universe are enslaved, working to build a machine that will forever change the face of creation. What is...the Godbomb? And what can Thor, the last free god in all the cosmos, do to stop it?
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Spinning out of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1, almost the entire galaxy’s defenders have been blown through a black hole, including the Silver Surfer! But the story doesn’t end there… In order to fight back the oblivion, Surfer will have to fight to save his own soul and not lose himself to the void. Follow the Sentinel of the Spaceways on a journey that will change him forever! From superstars Donny Cates (VENOM, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) and Tradd Moore (ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER, VENOM)!
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SPINNING OUT OF THE PAGES OF VENOM! As the United States of America struggled through the Vietnam War, Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. needed a secret weapon – and when an ancient creature was discovered at an archaeological dig site, he was sure he’d found it. In reality, the discovery was an ancestor of the Klyntar symbiotes…and would become a waking nightmare for a platoon of American soldiers!
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After turning Venom’s world upside down a year ago, DONNY CATES and RYAN STEGMAN are about to put the Sinister Symbiote through hell again, only this time CARNAGE has come calling, and everyone who’s ever worn a symbiote is dead in his sights! He’s skirted the periphery of the Marvel Universe for months, but Cletus Kasady at last stands poised to make his grand return to New York in a blistering triple-sized story…and he wants to paint the town red!
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OUT OF THE ASHES OF ABSOLUTE CARNAGE! ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES! Patricia Robertson, Andi Benton, Donna Diego… it’s all been leading to this as one of the original – and possibly strongest – offspring of the Venom symbiote at last stars in her own, self-titled ongoing series set in the Marvel Universe! But after the events of ABSOLUTE CARNAGE, what remains of the Scream symbiote as it was before? Does it even have a host? What are their intentions? And what will a pair of web-slinging wallcrawlers have to say about it’s presence in New York?
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All of the above is great even without wanting to read the "King in Black". In most of them, you will not only understand what lead to the event but also get an extremely good look at Eddie Brock and his relationship with various characters across the Marvel Universe. Of course, as with most events, there are Preludes and tie-ins. Tie-ins are a great way of observing an event from multiple points of view (another comic series, another character, etc), and even though not necessarily reads, a massive bonus for experiencing the event to its full extent.
Knull, the KING IN BLACK, has set his sights on Earth – but as avid Marvelites already know, his hand has been at work at the edge of the Marvel Universe for years! IN THIS SERIES, witness one of Knull’s earliest attempts at birthing life from the darkness of non-creation! From superstar creators PETER DAVID and GREG LAND comes a titanic tie-in tale to this year’s winter epic KING IN BLACK!
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Spinning out of the KING IN BLACK epic comes a dark, chilling story of the birth of Atlantis’s greatest villains. The players: Namor, Lady Dorma of Atlantis, the outsider Attuma — all still in their teen years — and The Swift Riders, the Atlantean Empire’s greatest heroes. It begins with alliances and possibility, as Attuma’s people may join the Empire…but what lies ahead is tragedy, betrayal, and the unleashing of dangerous, deadly magics. A deep dive into Marvel history…and the birth of a threat that will only grow in menace across time.
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SPINNING OUT OF EMPYRE, KNULL’S DOMAIN BEGINS! FOR WEEKS, chaos engulfed Earth and space alike. First, the corpse of serial killer Cletus Kasady was bonded to a remnant of a mysteriously powerful alien symbiote, resurrecting his psychotic alter ego, Carnage. THEN, the generations-long Kree/Skrull conflict reached a brutal head on Earth, with shocking and unforeseen consequences. MEANWHILE one ancient entity at the edge of the universe has awoken. Born of hate and darkness, it’s the entity that feeds on chaos and brutality—and one group of unlucky fighters is about to face it head-on…
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This is the last list, I promise. I mean if you managed to go through all of the above then you are in for a real treat! This is the reading order for the "King in Black" and trust me it's a pretty big one but it's worth every read.
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DARKNESS REIGNS! After a campaign across the galaxy, Knull’s death march arrives to Earth and, worse yet, he hasn’t come alone! With an army of hundreds of thousands of symbiote dragons at his command, the King in Black is a force unlike any Earth’s heroes have ever faced. EDDIE BROCK, A.K.A. VENOM has seen firsthand the chaos that even one of Knull’s symbiotic monsters can wreak – will he survive an encounter with the God of the Abyss himself? From Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin and VC’s Clayton Cowles comes the definitive chapter in their two-year-long VENOM saga that changed everything you thought you knew about symbiotes!
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The grand unveiling of The Union! A team of super heroes gathered from all over the United Kingdom, featuring Union Jack, Snakes, Kelpie, Choir, and their fearless leader, Brittania! But when disaster strikes on their first public debut, in the form of the invasion of Empyre, the fledgling team is immediately pushed to their limits! Don’t miss out on an exciting new chapter of Marvel from legendary creators, Paul Grist (JUDGE DREDD, JACK STAFF) and Andrea Di Vito!
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KING IN BLACK ARRIVES! What happens to Eddie Brock when he finally comes face to face with the lord of the abyss, the KING IN BLACK: KNULL?
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A PRESENT FOR THE HULK! The Hulk is in a bad place. Half of his alters are dead or missing — including Bruce Banner — and the Leader’s got the rest of him on the ropes. But never let it be said that Joe Fixit doesn’t know how to have a good time — and he’s out to make sure this is the best holiday the Hulk’s ever had. He just has to fight his way through a planet of symbiotes first.
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THE CAT IN BLACK IS BACK! Feeling lucky? Knull’s attack on Earth interrupts the Black Cat’s latest heist, and if you know Felicia, you know that’s a problem. So the Cat and her crew aim to steal something of greatest value to both Knull and Earth’s hope of survival. You’ll have to pick up this issue to find out what! This issue guest-stars the X-Men! Captain America! And Doctor Strange! DO NOT MISS IT!!!
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Abandoned by her friends, there’s only one person who comes to Jess’ aid…Octavia Vermis! She’s got a cure for Jessica, and the prescription is: Crime! Under the cover of the Knull invasion, Spider-Woman is stealing elements of a cure to her condition…OR IS SHE?
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Iron Man has risked everything to save Eddie Brock, but now he’s left with nothing but guilt. As longtime ‘frenemy’ Doctor Doom shows up with both counseling words and ulterior motives, they’lll be forced to battle an all-too-familiar specter of the holiday season—albeit one now twisted and controlled by the recent invasion of Earth by the symbiote homeworld. As Iron Man and Doom fight as temporary allies, their unexpected encounter both with each other and a horrifying inversion of yuletide joy may ultimately reveal to them the true meaning of Knull-mas.
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THE GUARDIANS CLEANSED?! KNULL and his dragons are cleansing entire worlds of life. SPARTAX is their next target – and the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY can’t save it alone. It’s a good day for the return of the legendary STAR-LORD... Meanwhile, as the team battle cosmic horror, something worse is waiting – as the clock ticks down to the Last Stand in... THREE...
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JANE FOSTER RETURNS! Once there was an entire army of Valkyries, but now Jane Foster is the only one. When the King in Black comes to Midgard, Jane must rebuild the Valkyries to help stop him -- starting with Hildegarde, a warrior from Asgard's own hallowed halls, and X-Man Dani Moonstar, a former Valkyrie herself. But what Jane doesn't know is that she never was the only Valkyrie after all. Who is the fourth warrior? Jason Aaron and Torunn Grønbekk team up with artist Nina Vakueva for a story that will rock the foundations of the Marvel Universe!
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SPIDER-WOMAN BREAKS BAD! As the cure comes in sight, SPIDER-WOMAN puts it all on the line…then she crosses it. With friends like OCTAVIA VERMIS, who needs enemies? Not Jessica Drew, but it looks like she’s getting them anyways. Even if Spider-Woman can find the cure, what will there be left to save?
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WHAT IS PROTOCOL V? The S.W.O.R.D. station is thrown in at the deep end of a planetary crisis as Krakoa battles the KING IN BLACK! While a cross-division team take on latex dragons from outer space, Abigail Brand prepares a deniable operation all her own. What is PROTOCOL V - and can the Earth survive it?
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GWEN STACY ENTERS THE FRAY AGAINST THE KING IN BLACK! Bonded to a synthetic symbiote from another reality, GHOST-SPIDER, aka Gwen Stacy of Earth-65, is unique among the webslingers of the multiverse! But when KNULL descends on her adopted home, his gravity well of dark psychic energy will reap unforeseen consequences not only on Gwen, but on her symbiotic suit as well!
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KINGPIN’S KILLERS VERSUS AN ARMY OF UNKILLABLE DRAGONS! An army of evil space dragons have come to attack Earth and are starting with New York. MAYOR FISK has a plan for that. Assembling a group of killers, mercenaries, and just generally pretty horrible people like TASKMASTER, RHINO, STAR, MR. FEAR, and BATROC THE LEAPER, Mayor Fisk tasks them with saving the city or die trying…or die right then and there. The fate of the entire world may rest in the hands of the absolute worst people in the Marvel Universe. What could go wrong?
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The Union must battle for their lives (and each other) as the Empyre Invasion crescendos! Thrust unto the global stage, will they be able to prove themselves as a team or will they crumble as the world watches? Plus, a devastating blow to the fledgling team rocks them to their very core!
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After last issue’s shocking finale, the heroes of the Marvel Universe are reeling. Outgunned and outmanned, but never outdone, they unite and face KNULL, God of the Abyss, as he ensnares the planet in the darkness of his reign! Superstars DONNY CATES and RYAN STEGMAN continue to raise the game — and the stakes for the Marvel Universe in this Earth-shattering epic!
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THE BLACK KNIGHT DUELS THE KING IN BLACK! KNULL’s ferocious assault upon earth has begun and Dane Whitman – Avenger, hero, and wielder of the mighty Ebony Blade as the BLACK KNIGHT – takes up sword and shield to defend against the unstoppable onslaught. Though the blade grants Dane incredible power so too does it consume him with a lust for violence and destruction. As the endless horde of symbiote dragons darken the skies of Shanghai, will the Black Knight overcome the growing evil within himself and join AERO and SWORD MASTER in saving the city?! And what secrets will the battle against Knull reveal about Dane’s past?
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A CLASSIC GAME OF CAT AND…SYMBIOTE? Black Cat has to steal from Knull himself! If you know Felicia Hardy, she never shows up inappropriately dressed - THIS ISSUE, Felicia gets her own ANTI-VENOM COSTUME!
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KING OF THE MONSTERS VERSUS KING OF THE DRAGONS! An evil, ancient cult wants to kill DEADPOOL. An evil, ancient space god wants to kill Deadpool. Why does everyone want to kill Deadpool??? (I mean, we know why…)
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A DEVIL CONSUMED! Matt faces a darkness unlike any before. Meanwhile, ELEKTRA may be in over her head for the first time in her life. DAREDEVIL must find the strength to continue the fight as all hell breaks loose.
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SAVE THE SENTRY – SAVE THE VALKYRIES – SAVE THE EARTH! Knull and his symbiote horrors have come to Earth, and now all Jane Foster sees when she looks at that big blue globe…is a vision of death. Most of Earth’s heroes are locked in battle on the ground, and it’s up to Jane and the Sentry to protect the rest! But Knull’s power has spread over the galaxy and infected creatures even older than the gods…and it may not matter how many Valkyries Jane can bring to their aid.
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“BLACK SKIES” PART 1! CONAN rings in the New Year on Ryker’s Island — which he promptly breaks out of with the help of...DEADPOOL. The two warriors fight together against the symbiotes of KNULL, and Conan makes a surprising discovery that may help him overcome KULAN GATH.
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As the King in Black spreads his suffocating darkness across the Marvel Universe, Eddie Brock looks for a light, any light, that can pierce it — and comes up empty-handed…
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Captain America is in a brutal battle to win the streets of Manhattan back from Knull’s forces, aided by the Winter Soldier and the Falcon…but there’s a darkness inside Steve that he’s struggling to shake. Can his closest friends help him through, or will he succumb to the shadows? Danny Lore (IRONHEART 2020) and Mirko Colak (DEADPOOL, PUNISHER) join forces for a twisted and terrifying story at the heart of the war against Knull!
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THE QUEEN IN RED SAILS! Red Queen Kate Pryde and her crew of Marauders set sail against the forces of Knull! Captain Kate has pledged to fight for the needy, and a global disaster like this one gives plenty of folks in need.
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GWEN STACY VS. MARY JANE WATSON! They’ve been at each other’s throats over the band for years, but not like this. THIS battle of the bands really shreds…
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SYMBIOTES INVADE THE UNCONQUERABLE COUNTRY OF WAKANDA! T’Challa’s most treasured allies are lost in a storm of Knull’s making in this wild one-shot! Critically acclaimed writer, actor and producer Geoffrey Thorne explores a Wakanda gone dark — invaded by Knull’s massive symbiote army. Wakanda needs its king. It needs the Black Panther. But once again, the hero must choose between his role as an Avenger, his role as a king…and the yearnings of his heart.
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THE THUNDERBOLTS GET COMMITTED! The secret to saving the world lies within the Ravencroft Institute, but can the Thunderbolts get it out? Not if a mob of Knullified inmates have anything to say about it! The Thunderbolts’ plan to save the world is revealed, and it must be seen to be believed!
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TAKE A TRIP WITH THE EVERYWHERE MAN! The Void-God has overtaken the Earth. Top-level mutants have been assimilated. Protocol V is in effect. But space is a big place... and a lot of things happen there at once. Walk a mile in the Manifold’s shoes, as S.W.O.R.D.’s Quintician takes a multi-artist journey across the universe and back... and comes face to face with S.W.O.R.D.’s deadliest enemy.
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ENSNARED IN THE WEB! As New York begins to crack under the weight of Knull’s symbiotic assault, Matt Murdock has a crisis of faith in the most electrifying issue of Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s groundbreaking DAREDEVIL run yet. BUT THIS TIME, they’re joined by none other than MIKE HAWTHORNE, spearheading a brutal story that pits Daredevil against the god-king of the symbiotes himself — KNULL!
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“BONDING TIME.” In the middle of the chaos that is KING IN BLACK...a symbiote bonds with a member of Marvel’s First Family! Also in this issue, the Unseen is putting together a squadron for a secret mission in deep space.
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There are symbiote dragons in Brooklyn, but that’s not the worst thing Miles has to face today… Knull has taken one of his best friends and is using them to go after the Spider-Man he met back in ABSOLUTE CARNAGE! Will Miles sacrifice his friend to save himself?
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IN THIS CORNER: A DRAGON MADE OF PARASITIC SLIME, SENT FROM OUTER SPACE TO CONSUME ANY AND ALL LIFE ON EARTH WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE! IN THAT CORNER: A BOMBASTIC BEHEMOTH PACKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND TONS OF ALL-AMERICAN MUSCLE — YOU KNOW HIM, YOU LOVE HIM… AMERICAN KAIJU! YUUU! EESSS! AAAAAYY!
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THE NEW VALKYRIE FINDS HER WEAPON — WILL IT BE ENOUGH? Plus, a spotlight on Dani Moonstar as the X-Man fights to save both human and mutantkind! Jane Foster is going to need all the friends and power she can muster, but Knull and his symbiote army are slaughtering at a rate that even a hundred Valkyries couldn’t match…and now Knull has some of the world’s greatest heroes on his side. Can four warriors hope to stem the tide?
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THROUGH HELLFIRE AND…DEADPOOL? Conan, Deadpool and the Night Flyer escape Riker’s in the endless night during the reign of the King in Black. What crazy heist will ruin Deadpool’s 30th anniversary? Here’s a hint: It involves the Hellfire Club!
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Stealing from a space god has made Felicia Hardy pull out a whole new bag of tricks... And some of these tricks? Their effects may last far beyond the invasion of the King in Black.
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NO TIME TO CELEBRATE! Wiccan and Hulkling are freshly off the marriage altar and overdue for a proper celebration. So when the Shi’ar invite them for an all-expenses paid vacation at their glitziest beach resort, you know Wiccan’s already got their bags packed. But they’ll have to hold the champagne — because Knull and his symbiote army are expanding across the galaxy! Tini Howard and Luciano Vecchio give everyone’s favorite Young Avengers a honeymoon to die for!
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AMP VS. AMP, SYMBIOTE VS. SYMBIOTE, FRIEND VS. FRIEND! Unwittingly pulled into her bandmate Gwen Stacy’s interdimensional adventures and the Marvel Universe, MARY JANE WATSON of Earth-65 has bonded to a symbiote and become a new and deadly iteration of CARNAGE! As dragons rain from the sky and New York finds itself on the precipice of the abyss, it’s up to Gwen Stacy to rid MJ of the symbiotic spiders that have infected her and get them both home — while saving any civilians MJ endangers along the way!
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THE EXPLOSIVE FINALE! What are the Thunderbolts doing with the Sentry’s body? Oh…Oh, no. Really? That’s the plan??? Well, as long as everything comes out all right in the end. Wait, THAT’S how it ends??? YIKES.
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KRAKOA, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! The mutants are dying. Their island is dying. Earth itself is dying. All hope for humanity as a species lies in Protocol V. Protocol V isn’t going to work.
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Conan’s heist of the Hellfire Club goes awry when the mutants hire his sword to help free Storm and Cyclops from Knull. Join us for some March Madness starring Conan, Deadpool and the Marauders.
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SCREAM RETURNS! Andi Benton has faced other symbiotes before, but never has she faced the power and might of KNULL himself! Does SCREAM have what it takes to put a dent in Knull’s symbiotic armor? Or is this the end for SCREAM?
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THE WAR FOR HELL’S THRONE MEETS THE KING IN BLACK! All Ghost Rider wants is to destroy Mephisto, round up an army of escaped demons, and secure his seat on the throne of hell. Is that so much to ask? But now a dark god from space has shown up to throw the world into chaos, and some of Johnny’s old friends have come to ask for his help. It may take everything they’ve got to stop this madness. Maybe even…the devil himself?
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THE LAST RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES! Brunnhilde. Jane Foster. Dani Moonstar. Hildegarde. And the mysterious stranger who’s worn the title longer than any of them. The Valkyries are united, and at last they have a plan – but so does the King in Black. Every soul in existence is at stake – including the Valkyries’ own!
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A DARK SHADOW LOOMS OVER CLOAK AND DAGGER! PLUS: THE RETURN OF TOXIN!
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“The Two-In-One Terrors!” Marvel’s First Family are divided and at each other’s throats! As the Earth-ending threat of the KING IN BLACK rages on, half of the Fantastic Four are Knullified and out to destroy their remaining friends and family! If that weren’t enough...an ancient force has reemerged in the Multiverse. Who—or what—is THE RECKONING?!
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All of the above is a definite list of the Marvel event "King in Black" and if you went through all of them you should consider yourself a hero. It definitely was a huge undertaking. Yet here you are. At the end of this reading list.
Keep up the great work Believer!