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The Black Swans were one of the many factions involved in the incursions. They were a religious all-female order who served Rabum Alal, the great destroyer. As the result of propaganda, other factions believed that Rabum Alal was trying to destroy the Multiverse, but the truth was the opposite. The Swans' real purpose was to help Rabum Alal save the Multiverse from its true destroyers, the Beyonders.[2][3][4]

The Swans were originally based at the Library of Worlds,[2] but they were evicted after the incursion crisis' conclusion. With no more "Rabum Alal," they now search for a new purpose on Earth.[5]

History

Rabum Alal[]

Victor von Doom (Earth-616) and Black Swans (Multiverse) from New Avengers Vol 3 33 001

Rabum Alal recruiting a Swan

Black Swans (Multiverse) from New Avengers Vol 3 33 001

Various Swans

The Black Swans were the disciples of Doctor Doom, who had formed a religion around his identity as Rabum Alal. The Swans were used as his pawns to fulfill his mission of destruction of every Molecule Man across the Multiverse to oppose the plans of the Beyonders. They operated out of the Library of Worlds, a secret library created by the Beyonders themselves which allowed the Swans and Rabum Alal to hide and traverse the Multiverse.[3]

Eventually, Doom realized that killing Molecule Men was not going to avert the Multiverse's destruction. He changed tactics without informing the Swans, secretly collecting Molecule Men instead of killing them.[4] Meanwhile, a group of Black Swans, including Yabbat Ummon Turru, rebelled against Doom's original path after learning his face. Searching a different path,[3] they destroyed other Earths during incursions as an offering to Rabum Alal and to buy more time for other universes (for every Earth destroyed, two universes and the other Earth in the incursion were saved).[6][1]

Victor von Doom (Earth-616), Stephen Strange (Earth-616), and Owen Reece (Earth-616) from New Avengers Vol 3 31 001

Doctor Doom and Owen Reece, the founders of the Swans, preparing for the Beyonders

When the Black Priests, led by Doctor Strange, attacked the Library of Worlds, the Black Swans destroyed all the invaders aside from Strange. Doom revealed himself as Rabum Alal to Strange, clarifying to the latter that he was trying to save the Multiverse from the Beyonders. Doom, Strange, and the Molecule Man left the Library of Worlds with the Molecule Men they had collected to confront the Beyonders; they stole the Beyonders' power and used it to create Battleworld.[2][3][4]


G.O.D.S.[]

Following the restoration of the Multiverse into the Eighth Cosmos,[7] the Library of Worlds became public[8] and the Swans were removed from it as punishment for their acts during the incursion crisis. With the threat of the Beyonders and the incursions neutralized, the Swans were also abandoned by their master Doom, as they had served their purpose.[5]

Black Swans (Multiverse) from G.O.D.S

Black Swans in disguises

Searching for a new purpose, the Swans disguised themselves as human women and ran an all-female clinic while raising the next generation of Swans. Now misandrists, they lured men into the clinic to have them write down what they saw in a special egg. They sacrificed these men and collected the letters, but they were unable to read them. When Dimitri Krakov entered the clinic, hoping to place his device in it, they captured him. Since Wyn, the Avatar of The-Powers-That-Be, was a male magic user, he was not allowed inside, so he sent Mia DiMaria to get him back. The Swans agreed to trade Dimitri for having Mia read the letters; she informed them that the message was not complete and they were missing 62 letters. Wyn left the Swans with a warning.[5]

Religion[]

Black Swans (Multiverse) and Stephen Strange (Earth-616) from New Avengers Vol 3 31 001

Two Black Swans who had gouged their eyes to serve Rabum Alal

The Black Swans worshipped Rabum Alal, who was secretly Doctor Doom. While Doom's real goal was to save the Multiverse,[4] the Black Swans thought he was the "Great Destroyer" who was born when the early death of everything began.[1] (In reality, Doom founded the Swans to help him kill the Molecule Men, and the act of killing the Molecule Men caused the incursions.[3]) No Swan was allowed to see him, and any Swan who wished to serve him directly had to remove their own eyes.[2]

Black Swans (Multiverse) from New Avengers Vol 3 5 002

Offering Earths to Rabum Alal to stop incursions and receive his mercy

In an incursion, two Earths collide, and if they do, both realities are destroyed. If one of the Earths is destroyed, the incursion stops.[9] The Swans saw the destruction of Earths as "offerings" to Rabum Alal. Stopping an incursion was his "mercy" and the antimatter injectors used to destroy Earths was his "gift."[10] To the Swans, this was "The Wheel," for Earths must continuously destroy other Earths until their own inevitable demise.[11] Yabbat Ummon Turru and her group went to Earths to help them destroy other Earths so "that the many may live a season longer."[1][11]

The Swans practiced human sacrifice.[11]

Powers[]

Black Swans (Multiverse) and Black Priests (Multiverse) from New Avengers Vol 3 15 001

A Shi'ar Black Swan slaying a Black Priest

Yabbat Ummon Turru possesses powers such as energy blasts,[6] super strength,[1] and telepathy.[12] She was born on Earth and seems to be human.[9][1] Other Black Swans have displayed similar abilities, regardless of their species. They are powerful enough to contend with the Black Priests.[11][2]

On Earth, the non-humanoid Black Swans are able to disguise themselves as humans.[5]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

The Black Swans had incursion detectors in their eyes.[1]

Transportation

The Swans are skilled at navigating the Library of Worlds, which enables multiversal travel.[1]

Notes

  • As Yabbat Ummon Turru is the often the only Black Swan present in the story, she is commonly called "Black Swan."

Trivia

Black Swans (Multiverse) and Black Priests (Multiverse) from New Avengers Vol 3 31 001

Black Swans vs. Black Priests

  • The Black Swans' relation to other major factions in the Game of Worlds:
    • Black Priests: Whether they knew it or not, the Black Priests and the Black Swans were actually on the same side, as Rabum Alal's true intention was to save the Multiverse.[2][3][4] However, because of confusion from both sides, the Black Priests repeatedly attacked the Swans to invade the Library of Worlds.[11][2] While the Swans accepted the Earths destroyed by the Priests as "offerings" to Rabum Aal,[1] they saw the Priests as animated things that feigned life and abominations that cheated the Great Wheel.[11]
    • Mapmakers: To the Swans, the Mapmakers did not use incursions as intended. Red incursions meant order; blue incursions meant infection, an abomination. Yabbat Ummon Turru showed fear when a blue incursion occured, as she considered those to be much worse. The Mapmakers and their Sidera Maris turned living Earths into dead worlds, robbing them of the chance to be tested by the Wheel. Then, they used their blue incursions to travel and invade other Earths.[12] As the name suggests, the Mapmakers made maps and they tracked the Swans' movements. Unlike the Black Priests, however, the Mapmakers were genuinely against Rabum Alal's will, as they were created by the Beyonders, Rabum Alal's real enemy and the entities who actually wished to destroy the Multiverse.[3]
    • Builders: The Swans did not consider the Builders to be a big threat, and they were aware that the Superflow's collapse had hindered the Builders' ability to move.[13]

See Also

Links and References

References

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