Knull ’s sovereignty as theKing in Blackwas relatively myopic in term of Marvel Comics publishing , despite the fact that he hold that title for eons , though even within that short period of time , the King in Black proved to be an even better cosmic baddie thanGalactus .

Galactus is the Devourer of Worlds , a being older than the current Marvel Universe who must persuade out a cosmic task of death , destruction , and balance . Galactus is a force of nature , neither good nor bad , and has even proved himself to be a authentically good somebody when given the chance to do so . Knull , on the other handwriting , is a vile and roughshod scoundrel who actively seeks cosmopolitan control through his Klyntar hivemind , and despises all forms of light and life with every fiber of his being . While the broad - strokes about their part may paint a descriptive enough moving picture to see how the King in Black is superior , there are far more example scattered throughout Marvel traditional knowledge to better prove the point . Here are the Top 10 reasons why the King in Black is a better cosmic scoundrel than Galactus .

10Symbiote Army

As show in the first yield of Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’sKing In Black , Knull has an army of symbiotes that can be used for a numeral of different intent . Some symbiotes manifest as flying lizard , and can fly through space independent of a host . Others are meant to only possess the most knock-down host in the world , like Celestials . Then , there are the symbiotes that are simply melded together to cover an total planet , the manner these did to Earth during the crossover . Galactus has Heralds that do his bid and chance him planets to consume , but they oftentimes fall down poor , with most being pretty forgettable . Knull ’s army , on the other mitt , is a perfect cosmic strike force that no one is forget anytime soon .

9Driven By Hatred

Galactus is forced to consume worlds to observe a cosmic balance . He yield certain planets a shift whenever he can , but he mostly just does his task without allow himself to finger empathy for those he destroys . Knull , however , absolutely hat the universe ’s abundance of sprightliness , and his lone mission is to eliminate them all and return the cosmos to the perpetual pitch blackness that was there before the beginning . This was made clear uponKnull ’s rootage storyinVenom#3 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman , and was something the King in Black very nearly follow in doing during theKing In Blackcrossover .

8Scarier Design

Galactus is iconic , to be sure , and has been since his first appearance inFantastic Four#48 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby . That being pronounce , his look is much more retro - nerveless than it is intimidate . Meanwhile , the King in Black is something born of incubus , a being who exist in the esthetic preternatural vale between man and monster . Galactus is a Graeco-Roman Sci - Fi space being , while Knull is something more kin to a fiend , making his design much scarier and , in turn , much more daunting .

7Grew Naturally InVenomLore

Unlike Galactus , who seemingly appeared out of nowhere , the King in Black was a villain who grew by nature within Venom lore . He was introduce through the clay of a long - dead symbiote dragon , appear as little more than a retentivity and a hope of his malevolent comeback inVenom#3 - 4 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman . Then , fans gotAbsolute Carnage , which showed how detrimental Knull could be even on the other side of the universe . Only then , after years of build - up , is the King in Black disclose in all his frightful glory .

6A True ‘Final Boss’

The King in Black answers to no one , and there ’s no one above him . certainly , there are being that can touch Knull , but as the God of the Abyss , he ’s the high on his finical cosmic run . Galactus , on the other hand , is little more than a less adaptation of the Black Winter ( as revealed inThor#4 by Donny Cates and Nic Klein ) . The Black Winter consumes entire universes while Galactus resides in a individual universe and only consumes planets , which is a classic ‘ bigger Pisces ’ state of affairs that the King in Black can not associate to in the slightest .

5Older Than Galactus

Galactus begin his aliveness as a mortal man named Galan , and was the lone survivor of the 6th incarnation of the universe . The Marvel Universe as fans sleep together it is the seventh - and subsequently eighth , after the case of 2015’sSecret war . The King in Black , however , is of the third instalment of the universe , making him three whole universal oscillation old than Galan , and four older than Galactus . At least , in the meta - physical common sense . The King in Black is what became of the Anti - All , whose slap-up defeat by the hand of Lifebringer One during the third universal bicycle led to the world of a God of the Abyss ( all of which is explain inDefenders#5 by Al Ewing and Javier Rodriguez ) . Therefore , who the King in Black is and what his moniker represent is far older than Galactus , and much more significant .

4Fewer Losses

Galactus can eat up integral planets and wields the Power Cosmic , think it ’s no interrogation that he ’s herculean , but he does certainly seem to lose a lot . He was bested by the Fantastic Four during his earliest Marvel Comics stories , he was kill by Thor when the God of Thunder became King of Asgard , and he even recede to Thanos during the AUThanos Winsstoryline . While , yes , the King in Black was also beaten , it was due to the intervention of his cosmic opposite ( more on that below ) in a fight that arguably could have locomote either way inKing In Black#5 . Basically , one of the few entity thatcouldbeat Knulldid , whereas Galactus has lost to a number of dissimilar people in a number of unlike ways on multiple occasion . This permit Knull to retain a signified of power and dear - impregnability that Galactus lose age ago .

3Has A Cosmic Opposite

The aforementioned ‘ cosmic opposite ’ of Knull is the Enigma Force , which was literally only create to combat the darkness Knull ’s existence take to the macrocosm . Where there is dark , so too is there light , and these two are in a cosmic saltation of balance that has been work on for eons . When Knull overstepped in theKing In Blackcrossover event , the Enigma Force possessed Eddie Brock ’s Venom and plight Knull in epic combat , resulting in Knull ’s death and Eddie Brock ’s inheritance of the King in shameful deed of conveyance . This sense of a hero / baddie symmetry contribute Knull a universal meaning that Galactus - as a mostly apathetic force of nature - painfully deficiency .

2More Varied Storytelling Potential (for the King in Black Title)

Even though Knull is dead , the storytelling electric potential for the King in Black is interminable , something that ’s quite literally proven unfeigned with the latest volume ofVenomcomics from Al Ewing , Ram V , and Bryan Hitch . After Eddie Brock killed Knull with the help of the Enigma Force , he fill that cosmic nullity and became the King in Black . Like what was depict inDefenders#5 with the Anti - All fundamentally becoming the King in Black , this proved that the title can move from one entity to another . Therefore , when Eddie Brock ’s time is done , there will be a raw King in Black whose stories can be tell , and on and on in sempiternity . Galactus is one entity who is presuppose to be eternal , but who also can clearly be vote out and mystify . Plus , his role in the existence is relatively slow , with no real foundation for solo - tale - at least , not compare to the King in Black .

1Limitless Storytelling Potential (for Knull)

Not only does the King in Black title hold well-nigh unbounded storytelling potential , but so , too , does Knull himself . Much of Knull ’s personal backstory is still a closed book , with recent issues of Venom suggesting he used to be a normal person before he took on the role of the King in Black - and was even appal by the aspect of becoming something so dark . This leaves a heap of way for succeeding account , even after his defeat during the King In ignominious crossover voter issue . Sure , there is also potential for stories involving Galan , but those would n’t really be ‘ Galactus ’ stories the same elbow room the other life of Knull would be ‘ King in Black ’ stories , give up for much more interesting adventures in Knull ’s case .

The King in Black is scarey looking , is truly vicious with no way for via media , and has way more storytelling potency than Galactus , both in terms of the title King in Black and Knull ’s King in Black . Overall it ’s no competition , Galactusmight be more recognizable to the broad fanbase given how long he ’s been featured in Marvel Comics , but theKing in Blackis easily a honorable cosmic scoundrel , and these Top 10 reasons prove it .

A composite image of the Peanuts gang hoisting Charlie Brown and Snoopy in the air in front of black and white panels from the Peanuts comic strips

far side phobias

Peanuts and golden sky

King In Black vs Galactus.

King in Black’s symbiote army.

The King In Black.

King in Black scary design.

King In Black’s origin.

King In Black and the Avengers.

Deep origin of the King in Black.

Venom killing the King in Black.

Venom possessed by the Enigma Force.

Venom as the King in Black, seated upon a throne wielding a giant red sword

Knull, the King in Black, with black inky eyes in a Marvel Comic.

King in Black