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Avengers: Infinity War — Who are the Children of Thanos?

Here’s what we know about Thanos’ personal strike force

Thanos and the Children of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
Thanos and the Black Order — or the Children of Thanos, as they’re known in Avengers: Infinity War.
Marvel Studios/Disney

Thanos is one of the biggest badasses of the Marvel universe. Yet he even he knows that one does not simply walk into Mordor invade the Earth. Earth is lousy with superpowered people, many with the power to practically (and some, literally) rewrite existence (looking at you, Scarlet Witch). What’s a mad Titan to do?

Enter the Black Order. Thanos’ anti-Avengers squad was introduced in Marvel Comics’ 2013 Infinity event (written by Jonathan Hickman), in which Thanos launched a full-scale invasion of Earth while most of the Avengers were off-planet dealing with a different intergalactic threat. Infinity’s plot is much more about Thanos attacking our planet because of his long-lost Inhuman son than collecting the Infinity Stones, so it doesn’t look like much of its story will be used in Avengers: Infinity War. Instead, the film will be introducing movie audiences to the Black Order on the big screen.

In the comics, the Black Order subscribes to Thanos’ almost religious obsession with Death herself, who, in the Marvelverse, is personified as a powerful interdimensional being. The five members of his Black Order refer to one another as siblings and spouses, and serve as Thanos’ vanguards, generals and agents during Infinity. They all also sport suitably ominous, spacey names: Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Supergiant and Black Dwarf.

From Infinity #1, Marvel Comics (2013)
Top: Corvus Glaive. Bottom (left to right): Proxima Midnight, Black Dwarf, Ebony Maw and Supergiant.
Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung/Marvel Comics

For Avengers: Infinity War, the roster has been reduced to four, and one member has gotten a name change: Black Dwarf now goes by Cull Obsidian, while Supergiant has been cut completely. Supergiant’s role in Infinity was mainly to attack the X-Men, and her powers of mind control overlap with Ebony Maw’s. It’s an easy cut — even though her eventual defeat at the hands of Lockjaw, the teleporting Inhuman dog, remains one of the best highlights of the comic.

There’s been one more big change in the move to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Marvel has introduced the Black Order under the name “Children of Thanos,” potentially linking them to two members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Both Gamora and Nebula were raised, and genetically enhanced, by Thanos himself. And judging by a few clips in the trailers, we’ll be seeing more of Thanos in flashbacks to Gamora’s backstory, necessary exposition for a character who has thus far done little more than sit on a chair and dramatically put on a gauntlet.

Let’s take a look at the four members of the Black Order, the Avengers’ primary foes in Infinity War — aside from the big man himself.

Corvus Glaive in trailers for Avengers: Infinity War
Corvus Glaive in Avengers: Infinity War.
Marvel Studios/Disney

Corvus Glaive

Draped in black robes, with pale skin and sharp teeth, Corvus Glaive looks like he wandered off a Lord of the Rings set. While ultimately answering to Thanos himself, Corvus could be considered the leader of the Black Order.

He’s a capable melee fighter with a unique glaive — that’s a pole arm with a blade on the end of it — that slices through atoms and grants him immortality, as long as the glaive remains whole. But Corvus’ defining feature is a deliciously evil flair for the dramatic. He’s cruel and arrogant, and delights in the suffering of others. Every good villain team needs a classic sadist.

In the Infinity comic, Corvus travels to various worlds as Thanos’ most loyal emissary and herald, but in an interview with JOE.ie, Infinity War co-director Joe Russo suggested that honor may have been given to Ebony Maw.

While Maw may be used as the religious mouthpiece for welcoming our new alien overlords, Corvus will probably still be the one to lead Thanos’ genetically engineered army of Outriders and throw down with the Avengers while trading some nasty barbs.

Proxima Midnight in Avengers: Infinity War
Proxima Midnight throwing her spear in Avengers: Infinity War.
Marvel Studios/Disney

Proxima Midnight

With Supergiant gone, Proxima Midnight is the sole female member of the Black Order. Other than her blue skin, she could easily pass as human, wearing a goofy pronged helmet that would make Galactus proud.

In Infinity, she is initially described as the cruelest member of the Black Order, but she’s actually the most measured and diplomatic of the team, accepting Namor’s surrender when she attacks a war-weary Atlantis. She also holds her own against an entire team of Avengers thanks to her spear.

Like Corvus’ glaive, her weapon of choice is a powerful artifact forged by Thanos, and contains the energy of an exploding star. During the final battle in Infinity, she’s even able to transform the Hulk back into a surprised Bruce Banner. She and her husband Corvus form a powerful team in combat, though their weapons can be turned against one another.

Infinity #6, Marvel Comics (2013)
Black Dwarf in Marvel’s Infinity.
Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung, Dustin Weaver/Marvel Comics

Cull Obsidian

Cull Obsidian was known as Black Dwarf in the comics, but, as previously mentioned, Infinity War has prompted a name change — presumably because Disney understandably didn’t want a character named Black Dwarf, despite the space etymology. In the comics, “Cull Obsidian” was also another name for the Black Order itself.

Obsidian is the Hulk of the team. He looks like a slightly alien version of the Thing from the Fantastic Four, with a thick, rocky exterior. And his skin is just as dense and impenetrable as that of the Thing. He’s definitely going to make Tony Stark dust off the old Hulkbuster armor.

Personality-wise, he’s not necessarily the dumb brute that he resembles. He’s calm and focused, with a warrior’s code of honor and a berserker’s rage in battle. During Infinity he’s given the tricky task of invading Wakanda, which most historians would agree is always a bad idea. When faced with the humility of defeat, he accepts the full blame and prostrates himself in front of Thanos’ judgment.

Ebony Maw in trailers for Avengers: Infinity War
Ebony Maw in Avengers: Infinity War.
Marvel Studios/Disney

Ebony Maw

Ebony Maw physically resembles Corvus Glaive, if Corvus were an emaciated, wrinkly vampire. Maw is the most mysterious, and ultimately the most successful, member of the Black Order — his past and even his capabilities remain shrouded in mystery.

Maw is the telepath of the Black Order. Judging by how Scarlet Witch nearly single-handedly defeated the Avengers in Age of Ultron with a few quick mind-pokes, that’s a dangerous force to wield. While Wanda Maximoff’s powers are, at best, ill-defined magic, Ebony Maw’s powers are portrayed as shadowy whispers and subtle coercion. He doesn’t dominate his victim’s minds; he convinces them that it’s what they wanted to do all along.

During Infinity, the Black Order is sent to Earth on various missions, and Maw goes off the grid almost immediately. Instead of seeking the Infinity Stones, he attacks Doctor Strange in search of Thanos’ long-lost son.

Avengers: Infinity War will shift the plot back to the Infinity Stones, but Maw’s telepathic battle with Doctor Strange remains, judging by trailers. It will be interesting if Maw’s eventual betrayal and escape in the comic will add another layer to his creepy character on the big screen.

While previous Avengers films have starred a single major villain (Loki, Ultron) with an army, Infinity War has to up the stakes in many ways. The heavy-hitting strike force of the Black Order should provide a welcome challenge to our densely packed roster of heroes.


Eric Watson is a freelance writer who enjoys video games, movies, books and Dallas-based sports teams. Every week he watches a random film from his collection of several hundred DVDs and Blu-rays and livetweets about it at @RogueWatson. You can watch him livestream D&D on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.

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