Venomworld Emerges as ‘Queen in Black’ Races to Its September Finale

Marvel’s symbiote crossover event ‘Queen in Black’ — spinning out of Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez’s Venom run — launches July 22 and reaches its climax this September. Newly revealed covers and tie-in issues spotlight the emergence of Venomworld, Mary Jane Watson’s fateful choice, and Eddie Brock’s bid to reclaim the throne as Hela and Knull wage war over Earth.

Marvel’s next great symbiote saga is about to consume the galaxy. Queen in Black, the crossover event spinning directly out of Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez’s Venom (2025) run, launches July 22 — and Marvel has now revealed the final chapters and tie-in issues that bring the saga to its climax this September, including the long-teased emergence of Venomworld.

The War for Earth: Hela vs. Knull

The setup is pure cosmic opera. Hela has seized Knull’s throne and now commands a legion of deadly symbiotes as the Queen in Black. Meanwhile, Knull has conquered the Lightforce Dimension and claimed terrifying new power as the God of Light. Two of the most dangerous evils in the galaxy are at war — and Earth is the final prize. The five-issue core series follows Marvel’s heroes as they fight to keep the planet from becoming a battlefield in that conflict.

Venomworld Emerges

The newly revealed issues center on the long-awaited arrival of Venomworld in Queen in Black #4–5, a development Ewing has teased since the early days of his run. As Earth is consumed by symbiotes, current Venom host Mary Jane Watson is forced into a desperate choice that will shape both the fate of the Marvel Universe and her own future as a symbiote hero.

Queen in Black #4 (On Sale 9/16) escalates the personal stakes: as the war between Hela and Knull turns personal, Tyr unleashes a final weapon on the beleaguered Avengers, while in the Baxter Building, Reed Richards investigates Codex’s half-symbiote power — with cataclysmic consequences.

Queen in Black #5 (On Sale 9/30) is the last stand. With the war between Light and Dark decided, the only thing standing between the victor and all life on Earth is the Venomworld itself — and for Mary Jane Watson, everything comes down to this final battle.

The Tie-In Issues Closing the Saga

Several limited series and ongoing titles converge to close out the event, each adding a different facet to the conflict.

In Black Cat #14 (On Sale 9/9), Marvel’s master thief joins the battle to pull off the galaxy’s greatest heist — because the only hope to stop the war between Knull and the Queen in Black is for Felicia Hardy to steal something. She’d better know how to fly a spaceship.

Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #3 (On Sale 9/16) brings both new Defenders squads together for the climactic finale. Battered on two fronts, Team Light and Team Dark turn to a desperate Plan B as Light and Dark forces collide — and unite.

Queen in Black: Venom Unchained #3 (On Sale 9/30) puts the spotlight on Eddie Brock. He was the King in Black — right up until he wasn’t, and his vacating the throne is what led to Knull’s return and Hela’s rise. Now he faces a pivotal decision about whether he can take back the crown as god of symbiotes.

And in Venom #262 (On Sale 9/30), Venomworld lives: Mary Jane Watson is Venom — and so is everybody else. With the war between Knull and Hela just ended, even eight billion Venoms might not be enough to beat the winner in the strangest adventure yet for the World’s Strangest Roommates.

What This Means for Marvel Fans

Queen in Black is the payoff to a slow-burn thread Al Ewing has been weaving through his Venom run, and the September slate makes clear this is a line-wide event rather than a contained miniseries — pulling in the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Defenders, Black Cat, and both Eddie Brock and Mary Jane Watson. Fans can catch up by grabbing Queen in Black #1 at their local comic shop on July 22, or read digitally on Marvel Unlimited.