The “Queen in Black” crossover storyline seemed to deliver its first fatal blow in the first issue of Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark, when Cloak and Dagger fell. However, Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #2 by Al Ewing, Tom Waltz, and Ze Carlos revealed that nothing was as it seemed. In the previous issue, Cloak rushed in at full speed to fight Knull, who is the new God of Light. He was supposed to wait and become the main weapon later in the fight, but the young hero decided to ignore the tactical planning, and Knull pierced his body with light, which started to kill Cloak. Dagger, who was fighting Hela, the Queen in Black, began to fall as well, as she remained connected with Cloak.
In the second issue, much of the story took place in the realm where Cloak and Dagger went to die, but they proved to be too strong for this. They even convinced an abstract Marvel entity that they were more powerful than anyone had come to believe.
In the previous issue, Knull stabbed Cloak, and the young hero began to die. This led Darkstar to help Cloak. Meanwhile, Dagger fell unexpectedly, and Monica Rambeau was the one who went to help her. This was huge, as both Cloak and Dagger had teammates who were there to sit with them as they began to die. While this helped them in the outside world, their true battle came in another realm. This is where they faced the cosmic entity known as the In-Betweener.
The In-Betweener is a cosmic being that lives between light and death, created by Master Order and Lord Chaos to serve as the universal balance and as an agent to each of these beings. Debuting in Warlock #9 (1975) by Jim Starlin, the In-Betweener is the synthesis of dual concepts, such as life and death and even light and dark. That is where the being stands with the heroes Cloak and Dagger, who are one when complete, but they are individually dual concepts, with Cloak representing darkness and Dagger representing light. It makes sense that this is the cosmic being who arrives when their deaths are imminent.
The In-Betweener was there to oversee their unraveling. What happened instead was that Cloak and Dagger relived their history together, from the time they met to when their powers first awakened, and to the link between them in power and soul. While this was happening, Cloak spoke out and said that the In-Betweener was wrong and the only thing they needed was each other, with the linking of their souls more important than the connection of their powers. Dagger agreed and said that their connection isn’t about stillness, “it’s a dance.”
With this, they survived and returned to life. The In-Betweener even agreed, commenting that they are “unstable and therefore unstoppable.”
When Cloak and Dagger returned, both Darkstar and Monica Rambeau were shocked, but both of the young heroes said they felt different and better than ever. This led to both of the heroes taking the attack back to Hela, her symbiotes, and Knull himself. This was a shock to many of their teammates and a pleasant surprise for Cable, but this is nothing that should surprise long-time Cloak and Dagger fans.
The big thing about Cloak and Dagger is that they need each other. Cloak needs Dagger’s light to satisfy his constant, agonizing hunger so he doesn’t consume everything around him. Dagger needs Cloak’s darkness to expel her excess light to avoid overloading. Dagger’s light can be used to throw light knives, which can both cause pain and expose the sinfulness of her targets. Cloak is a living conduit for the Darkforce, an extradimensional energy that feeds on the souls of others. When touched by the Darkforce, Cloak’s victims experience their guilt and pain, similar to Dagger’s light knives. Cloak can also transport himself and others through the Darkforce Dimension.
Now, they are even more powerful. Dagger can now wield the All-Light Sword, which is seemingly bound to Dagger. This upgrade should be integral in turning the tide of this battle. With Dagger slicing through Knull’s army, it will be interesting to see what Cloak is now capable of, and if these two young heroes’ history is any indication, it should be impressive.
