Arishem The Judge's History
Standing on the roof of a highrise overlooking the nighttime cityscape of Manhattan, Eddie Brock senses that Knull has finally arrived. Contacting the Avengers, Eddie alerts them to implement the plans they developed and leaps off the roof, transforming into Venom. Arriving at the penthouse where he's been staying, Eddie gazes down at his sleeping son, Dylan, and laments having passed down a legacy of darkness and death to him. Rousing him, Eddie starts to explain what's going on but Dylan says he can sense Knull's presence.
At the Avengers Mountain, Captain America barks orders as he, Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain Marvel watch a set of screens monitoring Earth's orbit for any sign of Knull's horde. Iron Man remarks that based on the intel Venom gave them, Knull and the symbiotes don't emit heat signatures to track, but that either way they'll run into the derelict Kree and Skrull warships left behind by the war against the Cotati - which he's turned into a makeshift minefield. Smirking, Captain America remarks that Tony just likes turning things into bombs, Tony asking if he's heard any intel from their secret weapon. Captain Marvel interrupts, saying that they've got incoming as thousands of Symbiote Dragons emerge from the depths of space and soar into the minefield. Grinning wickedly, Iron Man detonates the ships... but his triumphant boast trails off as he sees the massive explosions only managed to destroy a few hundred of the hundred-thousands of symbiote dragons. Descending a flight of stairs followed by Dylan, Eddie staggers as he feels the dragons' pain and rage through the Venom symbiote, who urges him to hurry. Bolting from the control room, Captain America orders all teams to move out immediately - the Avengers and Fantastic Four arriving in Manhattan to see symbiote dragons falling from the sky like rain in a torrential downpour.
As Eddie leads Dylan to the bunker Ezekiel Sims had built - on loan courtesy of Spider-Man - Dylan protests that he can help fight and try to use his powers to turn Knull's horde against him, but Eddie refuses to put his son in harm's way. As the bunker's door closes, Dylan tearfully asks Eddie to come home safely, Eddie responding that he loves his son. Captain America contacts Eddie over a comm unit and tells him it's time for Plan B, Eddie mentally noting that means all hell's broken loose.
Symbiote dragons soar through the skies over Manhattan as living abyss encases the skyscrapers and highrises of the city. On the ground, the Avengers work with Doctor Strange and street level heroes - particularly those with electricity-based powers, like Lightning - to evacuate civilians as symbiotes rain from the sky and flood the streets with living abyss. Eddie notes that Knull's only known weaknesses are electricity, cosmic powers, and maybe magic; leaving them short-staffed. Captain America radios Iron Man and asks if he's heard any word from Thor, informing him that many of the dragons are exploding into a deluge of symbiotes that sooner or later will seek out hosts. Remarking that he hasn't, Iron Man notifies them that their other heavy-hitter is en route, but Captain America snaps that they need backup immediately. Professor X telepathically cuts in on the conversation and offers the aid of the X-Men, deploying Storm, Cable, Marvel Girl, Wolverine, and Magneto in Washington Square Park. As Xavier lauds Storm - apotheosized into a goddess of the sky - as a suitable substitute for Thor, Ororo snaps at him that she needs to concentrate as she blasts symbiote dragons with lightning.
Noting that Thor and Storm were supposed to be the second phase of Plan B, Venom makes his way through the sewers to the ruins of the Spire - Dark Carnage's lair - to initiate the third phase. As Venom locates Kasady's throne of living abyss and connects to it, Eddie mentally notes that the second phase of Plan B was to use heavy hitters like Thor and Storm to sever Knull's connection to as many of the symbiote dragons as possible, with the third phase being Venom seizing control of them himself using the throne - though Eddie notes it's equally possible that Knull will sense them right away and seize control of the Venom symbiote again.
In the streets above, Doctor Strange verbally, mentally, and mystically calls out for backup as the symbiote dragons chew through his defensive spells as quickly as he can cast them, Storm likewise calling out for assistance as she is overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Eddie protests that he's almost through to the core of the Hive Mind, Iron Man urging him to hurry as Doctor Strange is swallowed whole by one of the dragons. Breaking through, Eddie reacts in horror and tells everyone they need to flee immediately and that the symbiote dragons are the least of their worries: en route to Earth, Knull settled his eons-old grudge against the Celestials and took them over. A trio of symbiote-possessed Celestials - among them Arishem the Judge and Tefral the Surveyor - appear in the sky over Manhattan and touch down. Tefral's chest opens and Knull himself emerges, brandishing his Necrosword and calmly declaring his intent to destroy Earth, adding that in the meantime he is looking for a human named Brock and is willing to make their deaths quick and painless if they surrender. As Captain America orders his team to fall back, Knull manifests draconic wings from his symbiote-armor and swoops towards them, mockingly calling them a welcoming party for his coronation and asking who they all are. As Iron Man informs him that their secret weapon is ready and waiting for orders, Captain America retorts that normally they're the last thing supervillains like Knull ever see, but that today they're going to sit back and watch.
On Captain America's command, the Sentry - restored to his original golden form - dives out of the sky and punches through Tefral's head. Enraged, Knull wheels around to face the interloper, but the Sentry grabs him and ascends to the edge of space, calmly introducing himself as he attempts to rip Knull in half like he once did to Carnage. Easily overpowering the Sentry and reversing their positions, Knull sneers that he already knows who he is - remarking that the Hive has memories of him once killing Carnage. As Knull grabs his face, the Sentry eyes turn black with glowing red irises as the Void attempts to take over him. The Sentry snaps at Knull to stop lest the dark entity inside him be unleashed, but Knull rips the Sentry in half - in the same way the Sentry had once killed Ares - and the Void bursts from his corpse. Declaring that he is the Lord of the Abyss and that the darkness inside the Sentry bows to him, Knull grins wickedly and absorbs the Void into himself.
