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Quote1 We are two of the Changing People. That's what we call ourselves, anyway. You Eternals have your own names for us. Deviants. Mongrels. Subhumans. Scum. We prefer Changing People. It emphasizes our diversity. And we are about as diverse as you can get. Quote2
Morjak and Gelt[src]

History

Origins: The First Host[]

For the full presentation of this event, please consult the First Host page.

About one million years ago,[2] the "evolutionary borderline between apes and humans" emerged:[6] Homo erectus.[5]

The Celestials, intrigued by the versatility of human genes, sent their First Host to Earth to perform genetic experiments on this species.[7][8]

Homo erectus from New Eternals Apocalypse Now Vol 1 1 001

Proto-humans being collected by the Celestials

When the First Host got to the planet Earth, the Celestial Gammenon the Gatherer collected a few specimens, which Ziran the Tester mutated to create one hundred grotesque Deviants (Homo descendus). After Ziran was done with its brood, Nezarr the Calculator performed his own tests and created 100 superior Eternals (Homo immortalis). Finally, Oneg the Prober created a latent gene for the expansion of human potential.[4][5][9]

After these creations were released back on Earth, the Eternals secluded themselves, while the Deviants established an underground empire in the kingdom of Lemuria.[8][10]

World Rulers and Second Host[]

For the full presentation of this event, please consult the Great Cataclysm pages.

As millennia passed, the Deviants "bred like rabbits" and achieved great numbers.[11] They created unimaginable scientific wonders and conquered almost the whole world, enslaving captured humans. Then came the final showdown against the last safe haven of humanity: the empire of Atlantis. The Deviants launched a massive attack on their human rivals, but one Atlantean city-state, Netheria, had created an impervious dome that protected them from all the attacks.[12]

Meanwhile, the Eternals also fought against them, but, when they realized their numbers couldn't compare to the millions of Deviants, they had no alternative but to call the Celestials.[11]

Great Cataclysm from Eternals Vol 1 2 001

The Great Cataclysm

When the Second Host of Celestials arrived on Earth, they were attacked by the Deviants. Seeing a world fallen into chaos, the Celestials soon delivered their judgment and wiped out most of the Deviants. In the process, they caused both Lemuria and Atlantis to sink all the way to the bottom of the ocean floor, but Netheria, shielded by its dome, survived.[12]

The Celestial known as Tiamut disagreed with the actions taken by the other Celestials against the Deviants and came into conflict with fellow Celestial Arishem.[13] The conflict ended with the defeat and burial of Tiamut under what would later become northern California, near San Francisco, but the Deviants would forever worship him as the Dreaming Celestial.[14]

Living Underground[]

The surviving Deviants retreated underground, to Subterranea, and experimented on their remaining human slaves in the hopes of creating a new race to act as their servants and workforce. Their first attempt created the Gortokians, beings stronger than humans and capable of seeing in the dark, but they revolted and fled into the underground caverns. Their second attempt created the Moloids, designed to be more inhuman, docile and weaker, thus less likely to rebel. Confident in the loyalty of their new creation, they sent them to attack the Gortokians, but they were massacred, ultimately leading to the Deviants' retreat and the abandonment of both their creations.[12]

The Deviants then retrofitted some of Lemuria's remain into a new kingdom for themselves,[15] eventually reaching incredible numbers once more.[16]

Third Host / Truce with the Eternals[]

For the full presentation of this event, please consult the Third Host page.

The Third Host of the Celestials visited circa 1000 A.D.. The Deviants and the Eternals called a truce between themselves and pledged to stop interfering with humans until the Fourth Host would arrive.[17][18]

Ashomia[]

Ashomia from S.H.I.E.L.D

Deviants of Ashomia

Some Deviants created a great, thriving city on the surface called Ashomia in Japan.[19][20] For millennia, these Deviants safeguarded their sacred, devout scripture contained inside a holy book. It had never been copied or shared, until the notorious, power-hungry Sir Isaac Newton of the Brotherhood of the Shield arrived at Ashomia, seeking their knowledge. He was captured outside the city walls in 1625; Ashomia's Deviant ruler was interested in Newton's DNA sequence and paired him with a Deviant woman named Morda to mate with, eventually getting her pregnant. For five years, Newton endured living with them until he got the chance to steal the Deviants' secrets by transferring the words from their holy book to his own skin. He then set the city on fire and fled.[19] The Deviants were enraged and took their anger on Morda. She was dragged to the center of the city and was cooked in a pot, but before her death, she managed to save her baby, Leonid.[21]

Common Era[]

In the mid-20th century, a group of idealistic Deviants, Eternals, and humans put aside their differences and created the Damocles Foundation. The invention of the atomic bomb convinced them that all three species needed to find a way to coexist, which would only happen when they recombined into a single species. The Foundation believed that that single species would be mutants, and they intended to control the future by creating and controlling those mutants. Their leader was Odysseus Indigo; their members included a group called Sword (made up of Argos the Hunter, Pyre, Stranglehold, and Zona), Marcelus, and Veeg.

When the Fourth Host arrived to judge Earth, the truce with the Eternals was over, so the Deviants attacked New York City to trick the humans into attacking the Celestials.[22] As usual, though, they spent as much, if not more, effort on disputes with each other. They did manage to invade Olympia, the home of the Eternals. Led by the high priest, Brother Tode, the Deviants posed such a threat that the Eternals formed their Uni-Mind, trapped the invaders in a stone block, and took it into space.[citation needed]

Deviant Kro Faction (Earth-616) from Symbiote Spider-Man Crossroads Vol 1 4

Kro's faction of Deviants on the hunt for the Matrix Stone

But even after multiple truces were formed there were still Deviant factions who were set on war against the Eternals. A specific faction lead by Kro was hunting for the Matrix Stone that was created by the Celestials to control power.[23]

Judgment Day[]

Progenitor (Celestial) (Multiverse) and Deviants (Homo descendus) from A.X.E

The Progenitor passing all the Deviants as Arishem the Judge

Having discovered that Deviants and mutants are closely related,[24] the Prime Eternal Druig launched an attack on the mutant nation of Krakoa.[25] The Deviants aided the mutants in battle. When the Progenitor declared that it would judge all life on Earth, it appeared to the Deviants as Arishem the Judge, the leader of the Second Host that exterminated most of the Deviants long ago. As the Deviants mostly came to the mutants' aid out of empathy, the Progenitor passed all of them.[26] Having experienced "love" for the first time, many of the Deviants took on prayer following this.[27]

Alternate realities[]

Please find here the histories of alternate realities' Deviants.

Biology[]

Genetics[]

Deviants are genetically very close to Earth's mutants.[28][26][24] There is a Deviant equivalent of the X-Factor chromosome,[29] and some say the mutant X-Gene is derived from Deviants.[25]

The Eternal Thanos possesses a mutation of his kind: he is Deviant-gened and is affected by "Deviant Syndrome."[30][31] He is consequently part Deviant.[32]

Morda (Earth-616) and Leonid (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

The Deviant Morda and her half-human son, Leonid

Deviants can mate with other species to produce hybrids. For example, Leonid is a Deviant-human hybrid,[21] Maelstrom was born from a Deviant and an Inhuman,[33] and the Ritter Twins are the children of a Deviant, Kro, and an Eternal, Thena.[34] Traces of Deviant genes can be found in life worldwide due to crossbreeding.[24]

Excess Deviation[]

Haphazardly, Deviants can go through a process called "Excess Deviation" (or "the Change" by the Deviants themselves) when they rapidly mutate, transform, and lose their minds. It occurs at random and can happen to anyone, although there are warning stages before it takes full effect. The Earth's Eternals are forced to kill any Deviant who is excessively deviating, as per their third principle.[35]

As it turns out, the origin of this "Excess Deviation" is the extremely potent mutagenic "necrofluids" from the Progenitor, a Celestial who died when the Earth was first formed.[24] The fluids soaking into the primordial Earth is said to be the reason for the abnormally superpowered life on Earth.[36] The problem was that the fluid was too noxious and led to extinction. The Earth's Deviants were designed to be malleable with the fluid and stablilized it, passing their traits to other life via crossbreeding, but the effects of the fluid prove potent even for Deviants, leading to bouts of spontaneous instable mutation called Excess Deviation.[24]

Deviant Mutates[]

Main article: Deviant Mutates

Alternate Universe Deviants[]

Earth X (Earth-9997)[]

Deviants (Earth-9997) Earth X Vol 1 0

Deviants of Earth X

The past history of the Deviants on Earth-9997 mostly mirrors that of their Earth-616 counterparts. However, it's been revealed that, at least on Earth-9997 the Celestials intentions for the Eternals was not exactly the beneficent intent they had thought. The Celestials method of reproduction is to impregnate the planet with a portion of their energy (or embryo) and imbed Vibranium in the planet's core. Eventually after centuries of gestation the a new Celestial would be born, destroying the planet. In order to protect the Celestial growing within the planet, they would manipulate the DNA of the dominant species to act as unknowing antibodies. On Earth, it would be prehistoric man that would be manipulated in such a fashion. Their first attempt yielded the Deviants, unstable creatures who were born in new and more horrifying forms within each generation, they were naturally evil. Some of the early Deviants were jump-started to the third tier of mutation, in which their identities, abilities and personality were defined by those around them. It has been identified by Kyle Richmond that these Deviants mutated into the various demons and devils that have plagued humanity, at the very least Mephisto is one of these early Deviants. In order to counteract the Deviants violent nature, the Celestials created the Eternals, but by and large, the Eternals were disinterested in protecting humanity.[citation needed]

The Deviants would eventually conquer the Earth and enslave the baseline human race. It has also been stated that the demons that Prince Wayfinder found (having traveled back in time to prehistoric Earth and before finding refuge in the Microverse) were early Deviants. Their enslavement of the human race did not go unnoticed, and so the Second Host of the Celestials came to Earth and wiped out their empire, which sent the Deviants underground where they never fully recovered.[citation needed]

In the modern age, the Deviants have interacted with humanity in much the same was as their Earth-616 counterparts. In recent history, the Deviants have played it low key on Earth during the various global, economic, and food crisis. With the exception of Ransak the Reject, who was trying to find a way to reverse his "hideous" form, and Mephisto manipulating others to create another divergent reality to escape into, most of the Deviants remained uninvolved in the current events on Earth. It was not until they were all summoned by Mephisto himself to attack Buckingham Palace and take the sword Excalibur, the only device on Earth that could still kill people following the death of Death. The Deviants and Mephisto almost succeeded if not for the intervention of King Britain, Meggan, Medusa, X-51, Black Bolt, and Ransak the Reject. During the battle, Meggan died trying to keep the sword out of Mephisto's grasps. The heroes succeeded and managed to kill Mephisto. Following the defeat of their leader, the Deviants retreated. Their current whereabouts are presently unknown.[citation needed]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Deviants possess an unstable genetic code that causes random mutations. As a result, each Deviant is incredibly unique, and an offspring of two Deviants may look completely different from either parent. They often have grotesque frames and super strength. They may possess other abilities such as telepathy. Kro developed the rare ability of longetivity.[2] "Helen" was another long-lived Deviant (centuries old) and she could also shapeshift to disguise herself as a human.[41]

Deviants (Homo descendus) from Free Comic Book Day 2022 Avengers X-Men Vol 1 1 001

An extreme example of Excess Deviation

If a Deviant experiences Excess Deviation (out of control mutation), they become larger and stronger, possibly with new abilities, but they lose their minds.[42][43][44]

Leonid, the hybrid son of Morda, was born with tremendous cosmic powers and truly godlike potential.[21][45] As Leonid is the son of a Deviant and a human,[21] this likely stems from his Deviant heritage.

Habitat

Habitat

Traditionally, the Deviants lived underground (e.g. Subterranea).[4] In the Pre-Cataclysmic Age, they conquered the surface, but after the Great Cataclysm, the surviving Deviants mostly reside in the sunken Lemuria,[37][38][39] though some secluded surface communities did exist after this (e.g. Ashomia).[19][21][40]

Miscellaneous

Type of Government

Alternates between feudal monarchy and theocracy

Level of Technology

Advanced

Cultural Traits

Xenophobia

Military protocol of Lemurian Deviants demands that only the strongest should lead an army, leading to a rule of single combat: Another person may challenge an army's general to such a fight for the leadership, especially if the general is accused of unappropriate behavior such as cowardice. The fight would not be directly against the general, but against a designated champion in the general's army, and should the pretender lose, they may face humilating fates such as servitude to the general. Only Deviant males are allowed to make this challenge, thou exceptions have been made in the past.[46]

Representatives

Notes

Trivia

  • There is an ancient Deviant proverb: "The Celestials can go &@#$ themselves."[26]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. New Eternals: Apocalypse Now #1
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Eternals (Vol. 3) #5
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 What If? #23
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Marvel Fact Files #8
  6. X-Men Annual #13
  7. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #2
  8. 8.0 8.1 History of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #1
  9. Eternals (Vol. 5) #1
  10. Avengers (Vol. 8) #26
  11. 11.0 11.1 Eternals (Vol. 3) #1
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Avengers Annual #20
  13. Eternals (Vol. 4) #3
  14. Eternals (Vol. 3) #6
  15. Marvel Atlas #1
  16. Eternals (Vol. 5) #3
  17. All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3 ; Deviants' entry
  18. X-Force #97
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. #3
  20. Secret Empire #0
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #1
  22. Eternals #3
  23. Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #4
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Eternals (Vol. 5) #12
  25. 25.0 25.1 A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants #2
  27. A.X.E.: Judgment Day Omega #1
  28. 28.0 28.1 A.X.E.: Judgment Day #3
  29. X-Force #86
  30. Thanos Rising #2
  31. Thanos (Vol. 2) #13
  32. Eternals (Vol. 5) #9
  33. Quasar #21
  34. Eternals: The Herod Factor #1
  35. Eternals (Vol. 5) #8
  36. Avengers (Vol. 8) #45
  37. Eternals #12
  38. Eternals #8
  39. Eternals Forever #1
  40. Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #2526
  41. Thunderbolts (Vol. 2) #26
  42. Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers/X-Men #1
  43. Eternals (Vol. 5) #89
  44. Eternals: The Heretic #1
  45. S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #6
  46. Avengers (Vol. 3) #44
  47. All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #8 ; N'Garai's entry
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