Spoilers for Avengers #45 ahead!
The Avengers #45, out this week in print and digital.
Knull, AKA the King in Black, was the god of the symbiotes, an entity older than creation itself, who embarked on a crusade of revenge against the universe for disturbing his slumber, a quest that would bring him all the way to Earth in search of Eddie Brock and his son Dylan. When the King in Black arrived, he took control of a number of heroes, turning them into twisted versions of themselves. Some of them included Captain America, Ms. Marvel, and Storm, who Knull then used as soldiers. Venom, harnessing the Enigma Force, was able to defeat the King in Black, and liberate the heroes under Knull’s grasp. Even after Knull's defeat, the world needs rebuilding and healing, and in Avengers #45, readers see Black Panther ensuring that the next mind-controlling villain won't be able to cause as much damage.
As the issue opens, readers see the Avengers engaged in various activities around their headquarters; Captain America is exercising, Captain Marvel is testing her strength, Iron Man is tinkering with his armor and Black Panther is reviewing the team’s schedule for the day. As he shuffles events and meetings around, he orders a “mental self-defense” refresher course in resisting mind control and makes it mandatory for all Avengers—even Iron Man.
Heroes being mentally controlled by supervillains is a common trope, and it gets called out in this issue. such as Doc Samson? While the possibility of seeing the course itself is slim, it is fascinating that the Avengers have recognized this as a serious weakness and are taking steps to correct it.
The King in Black’s attack on Earth left the heroes reeling, exposing a serious flaw that the Black Panther and the rest of Avengers are making sure will not be exploited again. Avengers #45 is written by Jason Aaron with art by Luca Maresca and colors by David Curiel.
