The X-Men and the Black Knight enter The Death of Doctor Strange event

[Mercury]

Marvel's The Death of Doctor Strange continues in December and continues to expand that same month with the event's latest tie-in one-shot, Death of Doctor Strange: X-Men/Black Knight #1.



The unusual hero pairing is written by Si Spurrier with art by his Way of X partner Bob Quinn, and a cover by Cory Smith.

Spurrier of course was the writer of the recent Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade limited series that redefined the character and established a new status quo that looks like it'll play a role in this one-shot.

With the world under siege by "vile" extradimensional forces due to the collapse of the magical safeguards Doctor Strange put around the Earth with his death, London is on fire. Dane Whitman sees the carnage via his new Ebony Siege, a throne made of the same material his Ebony Blade is made from that serves as sort of a Marvel Comics version of DC's Mobius Chair, which allows the person sitting in it to see through time and space.

The problem is Dane sees a transformed X-Men attacking London, and he, his new-found daughter Jacks (who he now shares the Ebony Blade curse with), and a character familiar to X-Men readers Faiza Hussain (who is the wielder of King Arthur's Excalibur in the Marvel U) team to try to save the X-Men and in turn London before an "even deadlier threat" destroys everything.

"I've always dreamed of writing Doctor Strange," says the writer. "Typical Spurrier luck that some dirty rat murdered him before I got my shot. All the same: the world's gone to hell - multiple hells, actually - since the Sorcerer Supreme got supremely snuffed, and in our story, we take a look at the unique nightmare which turns its demonic appetite upon London... and the X-Men.

"Dare you enter the Hungry Lands...? One valiant Knight does. But she (yeah, she) is biting off more than she can chew."

Spurrier is seemingly referring to Jacks, the new edition to Marvel's Black Knight mythology, which may or may not be getting some new attention due to Dane Whitman's MCU debut (played by Kit Harrington) in November's Eternals film.


Spurrier says over the last year he's had the "pleasure and privilege of sculpting the future of the Black Knight" ... or to be more accurate, the Black Knights.

Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #4

connecting covers from the Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade limited series (Image credit: Marvel Comics)
"Because now, for the first time, we have a single superheroic identity being shared between two individuals," he explains, "Dane Whitman and his daughter Jackie Chopra: two broken people, one hero. Pooling their strength and sanity against the corrupting influence of their signature weapon: the cursed Ebony Blade."

But Spurrier isn't overlooking the X-Men side of the equation, because as noted he was also the writer of Way of X in the mutant corner of the MU and reports it's also been his "pleasure and privilege" to be a part of the X-writers during what he calls the "most exciting and fertile period for those characters in recent years."

He calls his work on that series and "the huge new project it'll lead into after this month's Onslaught Revelation" a career highlight.

That's right. Even when Marvel is making news it's teasing new news...

"So imagine my joy when the opportunity arose to combine the two things in one creepy, cosmic place," Spurrier says, circling back to December's Death of Doctor Strange: X-Men/Black Knight #1. "And to be reunited with my Way of X brother Bob Quinn on art? Perfection. We're bringing you snark, horror, secrets, and lies from myths you thought you knew, and a positively devilish new look for your favorite merry mutants..."

https://www.gamesradar.com/au/marvel...-black-knight/

[Mercury]

I'm here for the "positively devilish new look" for the new team and wonder if it will result in permanent costume changes...

[JB]

This sounds pretty good and I love that cover. Our mutants look great!

I'm very curious about the "huge new project" Way of X leads into after this month's Onslaught Revelation.

[Mercury]

This sounds pretty good and I love that cover. Our mutants look great!

I'm very curious about the "huge new project" Way of X leads into after this month's Onslaught Revelation.

I'm psyched.

[Digifiend]

I'm here for the "positively devilish new look" for the new team and wonder if it will result in permanent costume changes...

Rogue and Jean are the only ones that makes sense for, as both are using retro costumes currently. Sunfire, Synch, Polaris and Wolverine already recently got new costumes when the current X-Men series began. Cyclops got his when Hickman's run started.

[Purplevit]

Probably all X-Men will just get a Knights look for a mission.

[Mercury]

I need this in my body. Our favorite mutants are going to do feats.

[Pav]

This should prove to be a hell of a fun romp.

-Pav, who loves Spurrier's work...

[ARkadelphia]

I am in for this!

[mrjinjin]

As a Black Knight fan, I am interested to see how he interacts with the X-Men as he appears mostly with Captain Britain (MI-13) or the Avengers.

[Thundershot]

I wanna see Dane meet up with Exodus again.

[Gray Lensman]

Reading the blurb I have mostly apprehension about this. Which X-Men will be possessed by this event's villain, and will the writers have enough originality to not fall upon the same ones as usual?

[Covetous_One]

Reading the blurb I have mostly apprehension about this. Which X-Men will be possessed by this event's villain, and will the writers have enough originality to not fall upon the same ones as usual?

I mean the premise of this event is to show the heroes fighting unknown threats that Strange kept at bay without their knowledge so I could honestly see possession go this route and it not feel bland.

[Mercury]

Reading the blurb I have mostly apprehension about this. Which X-Men will be possessed by this event's villain, and will the writers have enough originality to not fall upon the same ones as usual?

It reads like they all might be...

[K7P5V]

As a Black Knight fan, I am interested to see how he interacts with the X-Men as he appears mostly with Captain Britain (MI-13) or the Avengers.

I know, right?! I can only remember two times Dane has had any sort of interactions with the X-Men (616):


1. During the '80s,

the X-Men vs. the Avengers









2. During the '90s,

X-Men/Avengers: Bloodties