Marvel Studios has hired a director to produce a film adaptation of The Eternals. It is genuinely difficult to overstate the strangeness of that sentence as a comic book fan. Even when the series had high-profile names like Jack Kirby or Neil Gaiman attached to it, The Eternals have never been a very popular property at Marvel Comics. That doesn’t make them undeserving of an adaptation; it’s simply unexpected. As this movie develops, there are bound to be a lot of questions and a lot of deep dives taken into the comics lore. That will be a delight as The Eternals capture the majesty and scope of what made Jack Kirby the “King of Comics” — and their legend ties together so many moving pieces into a retroactive storyline.
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However, in this moment, the most important question is simple: Who the heck are The Eternals? While that is also a question with a lot of potential answers, it’s best to start with the logic of Marvel Studios and begin with their most famous member: Thanos. So to kick off what will likely be a lot more comics-related Eternals coverage over the next few years, we’re here to give a rundown of the most important members of this celestial clan beginning with the purple-skinned tyrant who made the mere imagining of this movie adaptation possible.
Thanos
Created by Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Iron Man (vol. 1) #55
Thanos was born and raised as part of a group of Eternals on the offshoot colony of Titan. He was born a mutant within the Eternals race, resulting in his purple skin and bumpy chin. While Thanos’ connection to the Eternals explains some of his immense natural powers, he is still considered to be uniquely powerful, especially considering his Titanian heritage.
Starfox
Created by Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Iron Man (vol. 1) #55
Starfox is Thanos’ sole sibling, the other son of A’Lars and Sui-San on Titan. His birthname is Eros, and his personality and abilities reflect the Greek inspiration of his name. Starfox is known for being a fun and passionate teammate who, in addition to standard Eternals gifts, can also manipulate the romantic emotions of those around him.
Mentor
Created by Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Iron Man (vol. 1) #55
Mentor, also known by his birth name of A’Lars, is the father of both Thanos and Starfox. He chose to leave the core population of Eternals and create a new colony upon the planet Titan with his wife Sui-San when his brother was chosen to lead their race. This was not born out of enmity, but considered a safeguard against future strife as past conflicts has been created by sibling rivalry.
Zuras
Created by Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Eternals (vol. 1) #5
Zuras, the brother of Mentor, is a particularly powerful Eternal who was chosen to lead the alien race following the death of their father. In addition to standard Eternal powers, he can project cosmic energy in multiple forms farther than any other Eternal. Zuras was a renowned leader and is notably the first Eternal to summon the being known as Uni-Mind.
Kronos
Created by Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Iron Man (vol. 1) #55
Kronos is one of the very first generation of Eternals and the father of both Zuras and Mentor. He led a rebellion against his brother in order to bring peace to both their own race and the galaxy around him. After shattering his sword to mark a new era of peace, Kronos devoted his life to science and was killed in an experiment that dispelled his atoms. However, Kronos continues to exist as an entity embodying all of time on a higher plane.
Uranos
Created by Jim Starlin
First Appearance: Captain Marvel (vol. 1) #29
Uranos is the brother of Kronos and another first-generation Eternal, one defined by his brutality and warlike nature. Following his defeat, Uranos was banished into space and eventually died upon Titan. While his legacy was largely undone by his brother and nephews, Uranos can be seen as the dominant influence in Thanos’ emergence as another tyrannical Eternal.
Ikaris
Created by Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Eternals (vol. 1) #1
Ikaris is a “Polar Eternal,” meaning he is a member of the race who was born and raised upon Earth, specifically Siberia. He is the primary protagonist of both Jack Kirby’s original The Eternals series and multiple later iterations from other creators. Ikaris chose his name to honor the myth of Icarus and has been a prominent leader and explorer within Eternals society, guiding them out of hiding and toward a brighter future.
Ajak
Created by Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Eternals (vol. 1) #2
Ajak is another Polar Eternal and a close friend of Ikaris who has played prominent roles in Greek and Norse mythology during his many years on Earth. Ajak is a particularly dominant hand-to-hand combatant and one of the most steadfast warriors throughout the entirety of the Eternals pantheon.
Sersi
Created by Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Strange Tales (vol. 1) #109
Sersi is one of the most powerful Eternals due to her ability to manipulate matter on a molecular level. Early in her life she provided the inspiration for the character Sersi in Homer’s The Odyssey due to her real interactions with Greek soldiers. She has commonly co-existed among humans, preferring them to her Eternal brethren, and has become a regular ally and adversary of The Avengers.
Domo
Created by Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Eternals (vol. 1) #5
Domo is an Eternal who focuses his skills and time towards the advancement of technology, monitoring the many complex systems that maintain Eternals culture and society on Earth. He is another steadfast ally of Ikaris and a reliable comrade in fights against chaos.
Uni-Mind
Created by Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Eternals (vol. 1) #12
The Uni-Mind is not a single character, but the merging of multiple Eternals forms into a collective being capable of accomplishing tremendous feats. It was initially formed by first-generation Eternals in order to sink Atlantis and has been summoned multiple times since then in order to achieve similarly great tasks. Given the psionic and physical power of any individual Eternal, the collected power found within the Uni-Mind, which may contain hundreds of Eternals, marks it as one of the greatest forces in all of Marvel Comics.
