About Opentopia
Opentopia Directory Encyclopedia Tools

Eternals (comics)

Encyclopedia : E : ET : ETE : Eternals (comics)

The Eternals bred few in number and were immune to time and death! Like the gods, they lived apart from all other living beings. They took to the highest mountain tops. They probed the universe with their minds and developed powers which surpassed those of all other Earth-life. They were regarded with awe and fear.

Eternals #1


The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are an offshoot of humanity created on Earth by the alien Celestials, and wage war against their counterparts, the Deviants. The Eternals were created by Jack Kirby and made their first appearance in The Eternals #1 (July 1976).

In 2005, it was announced [link] that Neil Gaiman would be writing an Eternals limited series for Marvel with art by John Romita, Jr, to begin in June 2006.

Contents

History

When the Celestials visited Earth one million years ago and performed genetic experiments on early proto-humanity, they created two divergent races: the long-lived Eternals, and the genetically unstable and monstrously grotesque Deviants. These experiments also lead to the capacity for superpowered mutations in humans.

A civil war broke out amongst the Eternals, with one faction lead by Kronos and the other by his warlike brother, Uranos. Kronos' side prevailed, and Uranos and his defeated faction left Earth and journeyed to Uranus. Uranos' group soon tried to return to Earth to re-kindle the war, but they were attacked by a passing Kree ship and forced to land on Saturn's moon Titan. (Experiments performed by Kree scientists on a captured Eternal lead them to go to Earth and perform their own genetics experiments on a group of humans, thus creating the Inhumans.)

One day, Kronos' experiments in Cosmic energy caused a catastrophic release of cosmic energy throughout the Eternals' city, activating latent genes in the Eternals and disintegrating the scientist's body. The Eternals now found they could channel large quantities of cosmic energy themselves, granting them near-godlike power. After the accident, Kronos' son Zuras became leader of the Eternals, while Kronos' other son, Alars, left Earth and journeyed to Titan. Alars found a civil war had erupted on Titan and wiped out all but one member, Sui-San. Alars fell in love with her, and in time they repopulated Titan. Due to the mix of activated genes from Alars and unactivated ones from Sui-San, these new Titanian Eternals are not as powerful or long-lived as Terran Eternals, but are more powerful and longer-lived than the earlier pre-civil war Titanian Eternals.

While Zuras ruled, three new Eternal cities were built. The first was Olympia, located in the mountains of Greece, near the main portal between the Earth dimension and the Olympians home dimension, which lead many ancient Greeks to confuse some of the godlike Eternals with members of the Olympian pantheon. The other two Eternal cities were Polaria (located in Siberia) and Oceana (in the Pacific).

When the Celestials returned to Earth to judge the worthiness of their creations, Zuras feared what would happen if the Celestials judged unfavorably. Zuras lead his people against the Celestials, but was destroyed for his efforts. Before his spirit fully left the material plane, he instructed his daughter Thena to take his people to explore space. Most of the Eternals did so in the form of a gestalt Uni-Mind, but a handful -- those most heavily involved in Earthly affairs -- remained behind on Earth.

Powers and Abilities

Due to the cosmic energy that suffuses an Eternal's body and the nigh-unbreakable mental hold they hold over their bodily processes, the Eternals of Earth are effectively immortal and unkillable. They live for millennia, do not fatigue from physical exertion, are immune to disease and poison, and unaffected by environmental extremes of cold, heat. Most cannot be injured by conventional weaponry, and even if they are, an Eternal can rapidly regenerate any damage. The only way to permanently kill an Eternal is to inflict enough damage to spread a significant portion of their body over a wide area.

All Eternals are also superhumanly strong, able to lift/press an average of 15 tons.

This same cosmic energy can be channeled for a number of superhuman abilities. All Eternals can:

Some Eternals choose to focus on a particular power in order to increased their effectiveness with it. Sersi, for example, has developed the power of transmutation farther than any other Eternal. Additionally, some Eternals choose to focus their cosmic energies into other, non-standard abilities. Ikaris, for example, channels cosmic energy to greatly enhance his senses, while the Interloper uses his to generate fear in others, and Makkari uses his cosmic energies for superspeed.

Generations

Antecedents

Membership

Character First Appearance Notes
Ikaris The Eternals vol. 1 #1 A Polar Eternal, son of Virako and Tulayn, father of Icarus. Ikaris is a 2nd-Level adept at matter control, and a 4th-Level adept at Cosmic Energy. Ikaris' mother died when he was only 300 years old, and his father, when he was 1010, which resulted in his uncle Valkin adopting him. It is not known what Ikaris' birth-name was; he adopted the name "Ikaris" after his son Icarus was killed. Ikaris and Thena have long had a strong dislike for each other, and found themselves coming to conflict when she was appointed Prime Eternal. Questioning her worth as Prime Eternal, Ikaris faced her in the Hall of Eternal Judgement and defeated her, becoming the new Prime Eternal. Ikaris retains the title of Prime Eternal today, and under the alias of "Sovereign" has introduced the Eternals to the world as a team of super-heroes called the "New Breed", and has had to deal with the return of his father Virako to life.
Ajak The Eternals vol. 1 #2 Polar Eternal born to Rakar and Amaa, and brother of Arex. With Arex, they were known in Greece as Ajax the Greater and Ajax the Lesser. Disintegrated himself after he discovered he had killed many sets of human twins in Eternals: The Herod Factor.
Sersi The Eternals vol. 1 #3 Can manipulate molecules and atoms. Daughter of Helios and Perse. Sersi is fond of dancing, and is the only Eternal who is a fifth-level adept at matter manipulation. As Became famous in Greek Mythology through her encounter with Odysseus, when he landed upon her island, Aeaea, and she turned his men into pigs. She had to be forced to attend a Ritual of the Uni-Mind, and initially refused taking part in Ikaris' battle with the Deviants. Of the remaining Eternals, Pyskos, Ikaris and Thena have all experienced some friction working with Sersi, though she herself has few prejudices. After Captain America requested Sersi's aid in going undercover as a teenager, she became involved in the Avengers' affairs, and ended up joining the team. Sersi temporarily put herself into exile, but has since returned to her home dimension.
Domo The Eternals vol. 1 #5 Former Head Technologist at the Temple of Command in Olympia. Domo was extremely dedicated to his work, which involved monitoring all of Olympia's advanced systems. He was also responsible for contacting Earth's Eternals when it was time to form the Uni-Mind. Domo was among the Eternals who left Earth in the form of a Uni-Mind.
Makkari The Eternals vol. 1 #5 Can attain superhuman speeds; Son of Verona and Mara. Like his parents, Makkari is a member of Olympia's Technologists' Guild. Despite being taught his philosophy by Plato, he is not a great genius, and lacks patience. His love of speed and motion, though having led to some of the swiftest vehicles the Eternals have, has also made Makkari overly impulsive, and many Eternals do not take him seriously. He sometimes wears a protective crash helmet, though he does not truly need it. In the 1940s, Zuras assigned him to Earth, and under the alias "Hurricane", "Mac Carry", "Jake Curtiss" and many others, he fought Kro, often alongside the Monster Hunters, a team he formed using his identity as National Security Agent Jake Curtiss. Following the dis-banding of the Monster Hunters, he was convinced by Pixie to join the First Line as "Major Mercury". Was among the Eternals who introduced themselves to the students at City College during the 4th Host. When Maelstrom briefly returned to life, he attempted to seize more power by draining the kinetic energy from Makkari, even though he was light-years away, but the Eternals on Earth defeated him. Recently, Makkari has returned to earth.

Thena The Eternals vol. 1 #5 Daughter of Zuras and Cybele. Was originally born under the name Azura, but Zuras had her name officially changed to resemble that of Zeus' daughter Athena, to seal the bond between their two peoples. Thena was often mistaken for Athena, and the city of Athens was built for her, although she later allowed it to be conquered by the Spartans in 404 B.C. 2,500 years ago, Had twin children and placed them inside of Ms. Ritter, an infertile woman, who raised them as Donald and Deborah. Recently, Thena became involved with the development of her children, after Dr. Daniel Damian attempted to have them killed. Thena has sought sanctuary with Heroes For Hire and the High Evolutionary, with whom she presently resides.
Zuras The Eternals vol. 1 #5 Can manipulate energy; Son of Kronos and Daina, brother of A'Lars, father of Thena, husband of Cybele. Zuras was the first Eternal to form a Uni-Mind, and was chosen by the Eternals to lead them following Kronos' death. He was mistaken for the Greek god Zeus many times in the past, and ultimately forged a pact with Zeus to keep their people at peace. In recent times, authorized Thena to resume her battles against the Deviants, and ordered her to battle against Zakka in New York. When the Celestials blew the Uni-Mind apart, the backlash killed him. Even then, Zuras' spirit continued to exist within his body, until the last of his energy was used to free Thena from a Brain-Mine, destroying his body. Zuras' spirit still seems to exist, as it has appeared at times within Olympia, such as when Ikaris challenged Thena for the title of Prime Eternal
Sui-San Captain Marvel vol. 1 #29 (1976) Follower of Uranos who was the only survivor of the war on the surface of Titan. She was found by A'lars, who with her, founded the new Eternals of Titan. Sui-San's children included Eros and Thanos. She was slain by Thanos during his attack on Titan, when he dissected her with a medical kit, hoping to learn why he was different from other children
Uranos Captain Marvel vol. 1 #29 (1976) Brutal Eternal who brought war to Titanos, until he was defeated Oceanus and Kronos, his brother. Uranos was exiled to space with 24 of his followers, who ultimately arrived upon Uranus, establishing an outpost there. They next moved to Titan, after their craft was damaged by the Kree. Uranos died on Titan when his own people went to war incited by the Dragon of the Moon, but his cruelty lives through Thanos, son of his follower Sui-San
Sprite The Eternals vol. 1 #9 Eternal who has the appearance of a young boy. Sprite is terrificly adept at manipulating matter. He was often mistaken for Robin Goodfellow, and inspired the character of Puck in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. When Zuras called for the Uni-Mind to examine the Celestials' Mothership, Sprite remained behind with Domo's Central Processor. While trying to improve Olympia's systems, Sprite accidentally sent Olympia into the Negative Zone once, but they were able to restore it to its proper place. Sprite advocated the appointment of the Black Knight as Sersi's Gann Josin as a settlement to Ikaris, who wanted her killed
Aginar The Eternals vol. 1 #11 A Polar Eternal who disguised himself as an aide to Valkin in the guise of General Vulcanin of the Soviet Military. Doesn't care much for his Olympian Eternal "cousins". Chosen to form the Uni-Mind which has left Earth to seek out a higher meaning for their race
Delphan Brothers The Eternals vol. 1 #11 Team of boxers from Olympia who enjoy getting into fights. They have little love for Polar Eternals, and once started a fight with them prior to the Ritual of the Uni-Mind. When Sersi refused to answer summons to Olympia, Domo sent the Delphan Brothers to New York and force her back. She temporarily turned them into armadillos for that.
Druig The Eternals vol. 1 #11 Son of Valkin, cousin of Ikaris. In modern times, Druig served as an agent of the K.G.B. in Russia, and found that he enjoyed torturing people. When Ziran the Tester came through the area of Polaria, Druig planned to slay him using the "Weapon", which he learnt of by torturing Ikaris, but Ikaris disintegrated Druig before he could fire the Weapon. His body was then recovered by the Celestials, and put into everlasting containment at the Desecration Annex
Kingo Sunen The Eternals vol. 1 #11
Valkin The Eternals vol. 1 #11 Polar Eternal, father of Druig, brother of Virako, uncle of Ikaris. Valkin is known by some as the "All-Father", and served as the leader of the Polar Eternals. When Virako was slain, Valkin adopted Ikaris as his son. In the 20th Century, Valkin assumed the alias of "Colonel Vulcanin" in the Soviet Military. Following the death of Zuras, many Eternals turned to Valkin as their leader, even though Thena was next in line. This leadership problem was resolved when Valkin chose to lead most of Earth's Eternals into space as a Uni-Mind.
Zarin The Eternals vol. 1 #11 Polar Eternal who served as an aide to Valkin in his "Colonel Vulcanin" guise. Zarin also served as Valkin's pilot. He was among the Eternals who left for space in the Uni-Mind
Uni-Mind The Eternals vol. 1 #12 The collective energy of the Eternals, born of the Ritual of the Uni-Mind. Eternals, Humans, Deviants and Brethren have been a part of Uni-Minds. It is not known how long a Uni-Mind can be held together, but there is one which left earth following Zuras' death, and apparently still exists. It comprises most of the Eternals' population, though Ajak, and possibly others, have left its joining. Zuras was the first Eternal to form a Uni-Mind, after they attained cosmic powers, and used it to determine if he or A'Lars should become Prime Eternal. Since then, the Prime Eternal alone has the power to summon the Ritual, and produce the Blue Flame through which the Eternals fly, their forms physically becoming the Uni-Mind. Varua of the Young Gods is also able to create a joining with her fellow Young Gods which is similar to the Uni-Mind
The Forgotten One The Eternals vol. 1 #13 Has superhuman strength and durability. Later joined the superheroic Avengers. Eternal whose true name is not known. Over the centuries he has been mistaken for Samson, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Hercules and Atlas. He also learnt to rope from Buffalo Bill Cody, fought alongside Achilles in the Trojan War, fought with King David in Judah, and helped Aeneas in his travels following the Trojan War. He was also responsible for cleaning the Augean Stables, rather than Hercules. Befriended the Interloper, but otherwise, has lived mainly in solitude from the Eternals. Was captured by a being claiming to be Kang and forced to train his Anachronauts, aged rapidly after he escaped. "Kang"/Immortus then sent an Anachronaut named Neut to slay him at the Avengers' Mansion. It remains to be seen if the Forgotten One is truly dead, with the revelation of Immortus' involvement
Sigmar The Eternals vol. 1 #17 Polar Eternal with an elderly appearance. Had at least two laboratories on Earth, one in Polaria, and one deep below New York City. Created the Molecular Reassembler, Dimension Cloud, and the Nerve Beast. Was one of the Eternals who left Earth in the form of a Uni-Mind, with Phastos watching over his laboratories
Kronos (Chronos) Iron Man vol. 1 #55 First Generation Eternal who led the rebellion against his brother Uranos. Shattered his sword to mark the new era of peace for the Eternals. With his wife Daina, had two sons, Zuras and A'Lars, but while experimenting in his lab one day, he was atomized by a blast of cosmic energy. Continues to exist as a cosmic being, one of the embodiments of time.
Mentor (A'lars) Iron Man vol. 1 #55 Assumed as head of the Eternals of Titan.
Thanos Iron Man vol. 1 #55 Son of Mentor and Sui-San, brother of Eros. Is a Mutant Eternal, with purple skin and a ridged chin, plus more power than a typical Eternal of Titan, including energy blasts, psionic abilities, and teleportation. Raised the child Gamora, and trained her to become the ultimate assassin.
Starfox (Eros) Iron Man vol. 1 #55 One of the last children of Mentor and Sui-San, and younger brother of Thanos. Was born under the name "Eron", but his parents changed his name when he was five. Became known on Earth as a hero. Former member of the Avengers, and they gave him the alias "Starfox" to control the public's perception of him. Has the power to control the emotions of others, mainly women. Although his powers are not as fully developed as Earth Eternals, he does possess a long lifespan, the ability to fly, superhuman strength, and can breathe in outer space.
Khoryphos Eternals vol. 2 #1 (1985) Eternal who has been mistaken for Orpheus and Horus. He is a musician, whose current composition was started during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Met a Deviant woman, Yrdisis, who he fell in love with. He is able to use his mandolin to subtely control the thoughts of other people.
Cybele Eternals vol. 2 #1 (1985) Mother of Thena and the wife of Zuras. Cybele usually lives in a secluded forest in Colorado, and does not usually take part in the affairs of her people, even though she was technically their queen while Zuras was alive. Has been mistaken for Gaea, Dyndymae, Rhea, and Agdistis. Aided the Eternals in battle against Ghaur, when he gained the power of the Dreaming Celestial.
Phastos Eternals vol. 2 #1 (1985) Eternal who was often mistaken for the Greek god Hephaestus. Built most of the Eternals' devices, including the sword of Kingo Sunen, and the flight harness used by Icarus. Normally, he lives and works in the Ruhr Valley of Germany. Recently helped revive Virako, and serves as a member of the "New Breed" as "Ceasefire". The hammer Phastos carries has the power to manipulate machinery in ways the Eternals' own matter control powers do.
El Vampiro The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #290 Eternal with Mexican features who masquerades as a vampire in his role as a wrestler in Los Angeles. He has a human wife named Maria. Was prevented from answering the call to the Uni-Mind during the 4th Host when El Toro Rojo assaulted him, and injured him badly.
Interloper Defenders vol. 1 #147 (January 1986) Polar Eternal who normally lives in seclusion in a cabin in Siberia. The only fellow Eternal that the Interloper has truly befriended is the Forgotten One, who has also lived a life consisting mainly of solitude. Died in battle against the Dragon of the Moon and transferred his life energies with the other Defenders, he was later resurrected by possessing the body of student Will Fanshaw, and transforming it into a replica of his own form
Virako ''Thor Annual #7 Father of Ikaris, brother of Valkin, husband of Tulayn. Virako is a Polar Eternal who participated in his people's missionary work to lesser cultures. He was mistaken by the Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl.
Arlok What If vol. 1 #27
Astron What If vol. 1 #27 One of Uranus' followers, and leader of the Eternals of Uranus. Killed when Deathurge destroyed the dome protecting them in What If? vol. 1 #27
Pixie #12 Member of the First Line. Can turn people to stone with "pixie dust."

Trivia

Eternals Titles

External links

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

Search Titles
0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJ
KLMNOPQRST
UVWXYZ?

E-mail this article to:

Personal Message: