DC Comics has been in the superhero game longer than any other publisher, and its success back in the Golden Age allowed it to absorb the characters of multiple companies. These characters have been added to the DC Multiverse over the years, and they often show up in JSA, the comic that is all about the legacies of Golden Age superheroes. JSA is one of the better team comics on the market right now, mixing the legacy of the greatest Golden Age characters with their descendants in the present day. This latest run has brought back a character that has a very interesting history, both in DC Comics and in comics in general — Kid Eternity. The JSA have been under attack by the Injustice Society since the book returned last year, and Kid Eternity is about to play a huge role in the team’s salvation.
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The battle against the Injustice Society kicked off with the heavy hitters of the team — Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Wildcat — were trapped in Surtur’s hellish dimension. Hawkman and Hawkgirl ended up separated from the team, and were met by a ghostly young woman. The Hawks missed the bus home, but this new Kid Eternity has been helping them, all while trying to figure out exactly what is going on with her afterlife. Kid Eternity learns her purpose in this issue, and it’s one that will be familiar to old school fans of the previous version of the character.
Kid Eternity Is One of DC’s Strangest Golden Age Legacies
Kid Eternity wasn’t originally a DC character. The character first appeared in 1942’s Hit Comics #25, which was published by Quality Comics. Kid Eternity is the creation of two of the greatest creators in the history of the medium — Otto Binder, best known for his work on Captain Marvel/Shazam and creator of characters like Supergirl and Brainiac, and Sheldon Madoff, one of the creators of Alan Scott. Kid Eternity was Kit Freeman (although in his first appearance, he didn’t have a name yet and was referred to as “Kid”), who was killed on his grandfather’s fishing boat when it was sunk by a German U-Boat in World War II. However, the problem was that Kit wasn’t supposed to die for another 75 years. He is brought back to life for 75 years to make up for it and given the power to channel the abilities of any dead person whenever he says the word “Eternity”. His mission was to do good in the world and he was helped by Mr. Keeper, a celestial of clerks of sorts. He was acquired by DC in the ’50s, and in pre-Crisis DC was an inhabitant of Earth-S, revealed to be the brother of Freddy Freeman, the civilian identity of Captain Marvel Jr./Shazam Jr. He was folded into the New Earth created at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths, but didn’t make an appearance until 1991.
Kid Eternity was given to Grant Morrison in 1991, who was on a tear after the success of Animal Man and Doom Patrol, and is one of the mature readers horror titles that led to the creation of Vertigo several years later, where the character would get another series. Morrison was joined by artist Duncan Fedrego for Kid Eternity. Morrison changed Freeman’s origin — his “grandfather” was a sexual predator who kidnapped Kit and kept him on his boat. The boat was attacked and sunk, with Kit still dying before his time, and his soul was taken by the Lords of Chaos. Freeman was brought back with a cost, having to use the power of Eternity, which allowed him to summon any person, real or fictional, to help him fight on the side of the Lords of Chaos. Mr. Keeper was still around to help him, and he did his best to use his powers to fight evil. Kid Eternity is a forgotten gem, and the character made appearances all over the DC Universe after the series. He was then seen in the first story of greatest of all time team book JSA (Vol. 1), but was killed by Mordru, who was trying to get his hands on the Helmet of Fate. He’d return in Teen Titans (Vol. 2), breaching the barrier between life and death because of Brother Blood. He soon realized the Lords of Chaos were evil — the beings he summoned were revealed to be demons — and he joined the Lords of Order after being saved by Sister Sentry. He’d end up dead again when he was kidnapped by the Calculator, who was trying to speak to his dead son Marvin. Kid Eternity would appear again in the New 52, except he was a police coroner who could resurrect the dead.
The New Kid Eternity Holds the Fate of the Justice Society in Her Hands
The new Kid Eternity first appeared in JSA (Vol. 2) #5, meeting up with the Hawks and helping them escape Surtur’s demons, but she eventually disappeared. JSA (Vol. 2) #10 picks up with her in the afterlife surrounded by the dead members of the Justice Society. Mir. Keeper tells her how to use her powers, allowing her to access the powers of the dead Justice Society, who charge her with saving the Hawks and the rest of the team. She asks Mr. Keeper who she was when she was alive, and he tells her he doesn’t know, but she’ll find out upon completing her mission. Using the powers of Doctor Fate, she helps the Hawks defeat Gentleman Ghost, Solomon Grundy, and three demons (I think they might be new versions of the Demons Three, but it’s never established). When she tells Hawkman’s she’s using Fate’s powers, he asks if her she spoke to Khalid, the current Doctor Fate, but she says it was Kent Nelson, the original, which surprises Hawkman.
This new Kid Eternity has a lot of potential as a character. The Justice Society has been on the back foot this entire battle with the Injustice Society, and Kid Eternity, who can use the powers of any dead person, could be the difference maker. On Earth, the Injustice Society has taken the Spear of Destiny, allowing them to control any superhuman, so the team could use all the help they could get.
JSA #10 is on sale now.
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