Queen in Black #1 Preview: Hela Claims Knull's Throne in Marvel's Next Cosmic Event

Writer Al Ewing reveals details about Queen in Black, Marvel's next major comic event where Hela steals Knull's symbiote power and wages war on Earth. The series launches July 1 with art by Iban Coello, featuring Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Wolverine, and more caught in the crossfire.

Hela, the Norse Goddess of Death, has seized Knull's throne and crowned herself the Queen in Black. Now writer Al Ewing and artist Iban Coello are unleashing her cosmic war on the Marvel Universe in what promises to be one of the publisher's biggest events of the year.

Two Evil Gods, One Cosmic War

The premise is devastatingly simple: the only threat greater than one evil god is two. In Queen in Black, Hela wages an all-consuming war against her predecessor, the once King in Black, with Earth caught squarely in the crossfire. Backed by an army of Marvel's deadliest alien races -- all bonded to symbiotes -- Hela is going all-in on her plan to claim Midgard for herself.

As Ewing explains, the event is a collision of two mythologies he's been building in parallel. The ongoing Thor (2025) storyline, where Thor is dead and Midgard has forgotten the Norse Gods ever walked the Earth, gave Hela the perfect opportunity. She seized Knull's power, which "obviously careens right into Venom (2025)."

Queen in Black #1 interior preview page by Al Ewing and Iban Coello showing Hela with symbiote powers — A preview page from Queen in Black #1 by Al Ewing and Iban Coello.

Queen in Black #1 preview page featuring cosmic battle between Hela and Marvel heroes — The cosmic war between Hela and the heroes of the Marvel Universe erupts in Queen in Black #1.

The Tie-In Specials Expand the War

Ewing is also writing several tie-in specials that flesh out the event from multiple angles:

Queen in Black: Hela -- Karnilla of the Norns tells the tale of how Hela started this war and which forgotten Thor tried to prevent it
Queen in Black: Thor -- Follows Beta Ray Bill and the Mortal Thor, Sigurd Jarlson, as they react to Hela's conquest
Venom -- The war from Dylan, Mary Jane, and the Venom symbiote's perspective
Defenders of Light and Dark -- Big beats for Cloak and Dagger fans

Queen in Black #1 preview page showing Iron Man and Scarlet Witch preparing for battle — Earth's mightiest heroes are drawn into the conflict between two cosmic powers.

"I'm always a big fan of writing Spider-Man, but so far, there are also some really fun beats for Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wolverine, and various other on-and-off Avengers." -- Al Ewing

Queen in Black #1 preview page with detailed cosmic symbiote artwork by Iban Coello — Iban Coello's detailed artwork brings the symbiote-infused cosmic war to life.

Key Details

Title: Queen in Black #1
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Iban Coello
Cover: Ryan Stegman
On Sale: July 1, 2026
Prelude: Amazing Spider-Man #1000/Queen in Black #1 CGD 2026 -- Available May 2 at participating stores

Comics Giveaway Day Prelude on May 2

Marvel fans can get their first taste of the event early. Amazing Spider-Man #1000/Queen in Black #1 CGD 2026 arrives on May 2 at participating comic book stores as part of Comics Giveaway Day. Written by Joe Kelly, Al Ewing, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by John Romita Jr., Iban Coello, and Nic Klein, the issue includes a Queen in Black prelude story that sets the stage for Hela's cosmic conquest.

What This Means for Marvel Fans

Queen in Black is shaping up to be a massive crossover event that merges two of Marvel's richest mythologies -- Norse and Symbiote -- under one of the publisher's most ambitious writers. With Hela wielding Knull's power and an army of symbiote-bonded alien races at her command, the stakes are cosmic in scale. Between the main series, the tie-in specials, and the May 2 prelude, there are plenty of entry points for readers looking to dive into what could be the defining Marvel event of summer 2026.