When writer Jed MacKay launched The Death of Doctor Strange event he wanted to show a dark, cold world without a magical deterrent to ward off mystical and multiversal threats. However, this world is full of selfless superheroes who work together and thwart the most dangerous foes. One of the most fascinating things about this Marvel event is the crossover one-shots that run parallel to the main title. These Death of Doctor Strange one-shots have given depth to the supernatural characters across the Marvel Comics universe.
The Death of Doctor Strange: X-Men / Black Knight #1 continues this trend and successfully brings the curtain down on a colorful series. Written by Si Spurrier with artwork from Bob Quinn and Israel Silva, the story follows Jackie “Jacks” Chopra, who wields the infamous Ebony Blade and shares the title of Black Knight with her father Dane Whitman. While the X-Men were fighting bad guys in London, Whitman telepathically receives the shocking news of Doctor Strange’s death. Then, everything goes out of control, and the whole of London goes dark. Guided by her father, Jacks makes her way into the city to find the X-Men transformed into monstrous beings, enslaved by the ancient shadow of a Dark God, Necromon.
Last year, writer Simon Spurrier introduced audiences to Jackie Chopra in Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1. Since then, her character has grown by leaps and bounds, developing a fiery personality. In The Death of Doctor Strange: X-Men / Black Knight #1, Spurrier introduces the father-daughter duo as protagonists. Giving the X-Men a sinister spin sets the story in an intriguingly dark direction. Jacks play the archetype role of a conflicted lead, much like a knight of the middle ages, while her father forms the voice of reasoning and experience. The story is split into two narratives — the past and the present — that intertwine to not only provide exposition and carry the plot forward. From its opening panels, the comic stresses the importance of working in unison and plants critical plot devices that pay off handsomely by the end of the story.
Artist Bob Quinn has a great grasp on the look and quirkiness of each of the X-Men characters. In The Death of Doctor Strange: X-Men / Black Knight #1, Quinn turns the mutant superheroes into twisted, darker avatars of themselves and models them after the seven deadly sins. While Quinn outlines the characters in clean contour lines, the soft hatchings in the background create a dreamy, foggy aesthetic. The hauntingly beautiful splash pages and explosive actions fill the book with a sense of dreadful horror. Nothing gives off a more post-apocalyptic vibe than shattered blue-toned ground against the backdrop of a lightning-infested scarlet tinted sky, and colorist Israel Silva uses this deftly to his advantage.
The Death of Doctor Strange: X-Men / Black Knight #1 provides a much-needed learning curve for Jacks. She learns heroism is not about fighting alone to prove a point but working together to save everyone. At times, Spurrier’s merging narratives and timelines feel heavy-handed, preventing readers from focusing on the present story. However, this issue spotlights the first appearance of the Dark God Necromon in over four decades, who is a terrifying antagonist. Overall, The Death of Doctor Strange: X-Men / Black Knight #1 is an exciting tale that combines myth, magic, and mettle and carves a new path forward for the Marvel Universe.
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