Marvel’sKing in Blackis a dark god of near unlimited power, withKnull, the first symbiote king, being a Big Bad who took on the entire Marvel Universe and almost won, solidifying him as one of the greatest villains to have ever done it. Now, in new hyper-realistic concept art featuring the character,Knull’s King in Blackbecomes a potential MCU threat that the heroes of Earth-616 aren’t ready for.

A piece of concept art posted on Instagram by@spdrmnkyxxiii,this digital artist consistently uploads images that reimagine popular comic characters as if they lived in the real world, even using spot-on celebrity likenesses to sell the idea of their impeccable live-action art.

Knull with All-Black and Symbiotes in Marvel Comics

Recently sharing artwork of Josh Brolin as a half Green Lantern, half Thanos mash-up character, The Thing wearing a custom Fantastic Four costume, Miles Morales’ Spider-Man and Miguel O’Hara’s Spider-Man 2099 putting their differences aside, and more, @spdrmnkyxxiii doesn’t miss creatively, with this utterly terrifying Knull art being no exception to that rule.

Marvel’s Knull Is Horrifically Evil in Concept Art That Proves His Live-Action Worth

Concept Art Design by @spdrmnkyxxiii

A relatively new addition to the Marvel Universe,Knull aka the King in Black, was most notably the main antagonist in 2020’sKing in Blackevent. The originator of the symbiote race, Knull is one of the most powerful and ancient evils in Marvel lore, with his demonic visage turning him into the thing of nightmares. Defeating Knull and claiming the symbiote throne for himself, Eddie Brock’s version of the King in Black has made him a nearly unstoppable hero, with the current Venom War event revealing a possible future where Eddie goes mad with his kingly symbiote power.

Framing Knull from the waist up, @spdrmnkyxxiii places this “Lord of Darkness” against a murky void-like background, making it seem like Knull has manifested himself directly from the shadows. Staring at the viewer with piercing crimson eyes,Knull’s wide, sharp, and toothy snarl, along with his mess of silver hair, gives off a kind of terror that seeps into your bones and stays there. Wearing his signature armor adorned by a red dragon/spider-like emblem, @spdrmnkyxxiii finishes this piece off by adding writhing tendrils of symbiote matter on Knull’s shoulders, a nod to hisinfluence over the Klyntar race.

Split image of Knull with All-Black and Venom in Venom 3

King in Black Art Is the Comic-Accurate Highly Detailed Design the MCU Needs To Use

Knull will make his tangential Marvel Cinematic Universe “debut” in the alternate reality-set Venomverse film,Venom: The Last Dance, with his rumored role in the next Tom Holland Spider-Man sequel also being a possibility, turning this live-action-esque concept art into the perfect inspiration for the character should Knull ever officially make the jump to the MCU’s Earth-616. Marvel’sKing in Blackis a downright horrifying villain with nigh-omnipotent power boosted by his ruthless symbiote army, and now thanks to the talent of the fanart community,Knull’s terrifying nature is fully realized.

King in Black

King in Black is a Marvel Comics event that ran between December 2020 and April 2021. In the follow-up to 2019’s Absolute Carnage, Knull and his symbiote army invade Earth which forces Venom to team with the Avengers and X-Men to protect the planet. The series was written by Donny Cates, with Ryan Stegman providing the artwork.

King in Black Comic Cover