Marvel’s Midnight Sons Are Ready For a Comeback: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

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In the 1990s, Marvel
introduced the Midnight Sons, a collection of its most supernatural heroes to face the Mother of Demons and the Darkhold. Despite having prevailed, in the shadows of Marvel’s current line of paranormal stories, Chthon is now free, a living Darkhold runs loose, and a cult of Darkholders has ushered the return of one of Hell’s greatest threats. To face these evils, the Midnight Sons must reform.

While the colorful, spandex-clad heroes like Captain America or Spider-Man capture the most attention, a dark plot has been woven throughout Marvel’s supernatural comics. The ripples of this conspiracy have affected every major supernatural comic line, and in
the wake of the Blood Hunt
, evil is getting bolder.

The Blood Hunt has already forced a small version of the Midnight Sons to rally, but the evil that gathered the first iteration of the team has returned. In Werewolf by Night #6 – by Jason Loo and Ton Lima – Lilith has returned as Marvel sets the stage for the Midnight Sons’ return.

The Midnight Sons’ Origins

Ghost Rider #28 (1992) – Written by Howard Mackie; Art by Andy Kubert and Joe Kubert; Color by Greg Wright; Lettering by Janice Chiang

During the era of the first Midnight Sons, Lilith began a meticulous assault against Marvel’s supernatural protectors as a means to weaken the mystical barriers that held evils like her back. Secretly gathered together by Doctor Strange, the Midnight Sons stood against Lilith and her Lilin. Despite defeating her, she returned shortly later, pregnant and with her lover, the demon Zarathos. Following another harrowing victory, the team’s strongest warriors received the brand of the true Order of the Midnight Sons, founded thousands of years earlier
to oppose Chthon
and the first Darkholders.

Fractions of the Midnight Sons and smaller groups resembling the team have reassembled now and again, but the Sons next fully reformed during the Doctor Strange: Damnation story line. After Mephisto seized Las Vegas,
possessed the Avengers
, and captured Doctor Strange, Wong summoned a new version of the Midnight Sons to destroy the Hellish threat. Once again, the heroes prevailed before disbanding. A smaller sect of the team later arose during the Endless Darkness caused by Varnae, the first vampire and original member of the Darkholders. Hidden inside the Blood Hunt was a hint of something bigger on the horizon.

The Return of Chthon Ushers In a New Darkhold Era

Darkhold: Omega – Written by Steve Orlando; Art by Cian Tormey; Inking by Roberto Poggi, Marc Deering, & Walden Wong: Color by Jesus Aburtov; Lettering by VC’s Clayton Cowles

Until the Blood Hunt, Marvel’s paranormal heroes have lived in relative peace from their greatest threat. In Steve Orlando’s Darkhold series,
the Scarlet Witch
finally bested the Demon Lord Chthon, absorbing his soul and the Darkhold into herself. There, the Earth’s first evil remained under control. However, in a selfish quest to create a new Darkhold, Agatha Harkness infiltrated Wanda’s soul and stole Chthon’s heart. Her efforts inevitably backfired, leading to the creation of a living manifestation of the Darkhold.

While Wanda Maximov’s spiritual prison still held Chthon firmly, her recent death at the hands of the Griever at the End of All Things caused enough of a crack to
release the Elder God
. Now, Chthon is unchained but has yet to reappear, slumbering in the shadows to regain his strength. For the first time in modern history, Chthon is completely unbound, free to rampage the Earth and usher in a new era for his dominion. All that is left for his inevitable ascension is the return of a Darkhold at his side.

The Mother of Demons Returns to Claim her Thrown

Werewolf by Night #6 – Written by Jason Loo; Art by Ton Lima; Color by Alex Sinclair; Lettering by VC’s Joe Sabino; Cover Art by E.M. Gist

While the living Darkhold has recently been accepted into
the Strange Academy
, a new sect of the Darkholders has gathered together with hopes of creating a new proper Darkhold. Spurred by Varnae’s global takeover and his brief time as Zarathos’s host, The Hood and his Darkholders have embraced their maddened desires with full force. Believing that the Werewolf by Night, whose very lycanthropic existence is deeply rooted in the Darkhold, is the key to recreating the book, the Darkholders have been hunting down the hero to use as ritualistic fuel for their cause.

Despite Jack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone’s best efforts, the Darkholders have
captured the Werewolf by Night
. However, in their profane quest, the cult unleashed an even greater sin that only the Midnight Sons were strong enough to stop – Lilith has returned. With the arrival of the Queen of Evil, Marvel is setting the stage for another apocalypse at the hands of the most ancient evils. Now, Chthon and Lilith are free, the Darkhold is one step closer to being reforged, and the world is in desperate need of the Midnight Sons to stop the threat.

The Midnight Sons Are More Powerful Than Ever

When United, No Evil Can Stop Them

Fortunately, Marvel is not without heroes equipped to handle the probable calamity. As the threats of the Darkhold have grown stronger, so have the Midnight Sons. After the Blood Hunt, a being called the Spirit of Violence escaped its confines, rallying together the Ghost Riders of the first Midnight Sons, Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, and Vengeance. To atone for his sins, Blade has reforged himself into a lethal weapon, hardened by his resolve.
Moon Knight has returned
to the living and has already stepped in once to help push back the Darkholders.

While neither carries the
title of Sorcerer Supreme
at the moment, Stephen and Clea Strange have evolved into a combined force of unmatched magical mastery. Not to mention, the Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness have a mess to clean up. Alongside other Marvel supernatural staples like Doctor Voodoo, Nico Minoru, Magik, and Man-Thing, the darker side of Marvel Comics has been setting the stage for the most powerful incarnation of the Midnight Sons to date.

Marvel’s Back-to-Back Events May Delay the Sons’ Return

Future Stories Could Hold Keys to the Future

While Jack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone are currently out of the fight, there is still time for intervention. Realistically, if Marvel were to bring back the Midnight Sons, it may not be soon. With
Doctor Doom
as the world-conquering Sorcerer Supreme, Marvel’s heroes have a different mystical threat to worry about. Plus, with the looming threat of future Tribulation Events, the “Death Moon” and the “Cannibal Culture,” Marvel may be hiding clues to the Midnight Sons’ return in future events.

The effects of the Blood Hunt continue to ripple throughout the Marvel Universe and with Doom’s inevitable takeover, the
duties of the Sorcerer Supreme
may be left behind. Varnae created an opportunity that has unearthed many foul evils. Chthon walks freely and Lilith’s Darkholders are growing ever closer to their goal. The powers of the Darkhold are growing fast in a way that can’t be ignored much longer. Piece by piece, Marvel is leading toward an unholy catastrophe while preparing the only heroes who can prevail. Soon there will be no choice but to resurrect Marvel’s Midnight Sons.

“}]] Lilith, the Mother of Demons has returned.  Read More