History
Overview
Eternity is an abstract, virtually omnipotent entity representing all time and reality in the universe. The entity is part of a small cosmic pantheon that represents the three essential forces in the universe, being equity, necessity and vengeance.[citation needed]
In the Earth-616 universe these beings are:
Eternity and Infinity are in effect twin concepts, as they represent all time (Eternity) and space (Infinity) in the universe respectively. Eternity and the other cosmic beings are only surpassed by the Living Tribunal, the being that governed the Multiverse.[5][6]
Seventh Cosmos
Eternity also spawned several "children", or concepts that became separate, independent entities. These include Empathy, Eulogy, Expediency, Entropy, Epiphany, Enmity, and Eon - although the last was eventually killed and replaced in turn by the concept Epoch.[7][8]
Eternity typically only manifested when there was an imminent threat to the universe, such as the villain Dormammu or the Titan Thanos, who collected the Infinity Gems and later the Heart of the Universe. With these artifacts Thanos was in fact capable of surpassing Eternity and even imprisoned the cosmic entity, proving that even Eternity was not truly omnipotent.[9]
A notable exception was during the trial of Mr. Fantastic, when Eternity was summoned by the combined effort of Galactus and the Watcher. Eternity then allowed millions of alien onlookers to momentarily become one with the universe so that they could understand that Galactus was part of the natural order of the universe.[2] The Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange was the first human being on Earth to have contact with Eternity.[10]
Eternity and all of his counterparts across the Multiverse were guarded by their own personal Captain Universe.[citation needed]
Eternity was the collective consciousness of all life and was defendant on the many trillions of beings within it. It existed everywhere simultaneously. Eternity could take humanoid form when it deigned to communicate to sorcerers and the like. Eternity once aided Doctor Strange against Dormammu,[11] and Strange then helped Eternity escape from Nightmare's clutches.[12] He was captured by Nightmare once again, which led to the destruction of Earth, but after the intervention of Strange and the Ancient One, Eternity recreated the Earth.[13] To have greater understanding of humanity, Eternity occasionally walked the Earth, using the name Adam Quadmon.[citation needed]
Meetng with the Scientist Supreme
When Henry Pym grew beyond the macroverse into Overspace, he met Eternity, who thanked him for saving reality from Chthon. He gave the title "Scientist Supreme" to Pym because of his desire to take science to the point of studying magic. He sent Pym back to Earth, telling him that he was the founder of the Avengers to come and promised a new age of heroes was coming, although this may have been a ruse by Loki.[citation needed]
The End of Death
Thanos, in an effort to keep Deadpool away from his beloved Death, cursed him never to die. However, the embodiment of Death had also been kidnapped by Eternity, meaning nothing else in the universe could die either, causing untold chaos throughout the universe. When Deadpool, believing Thanos responsible, arrived on Thanos' ship to defeat him, Thanos rescinded his curse, turning Deadpool into the only mortal creature in the universe, then killed him.[14]
However, upon realizing that Death would only speak to Wade, Thanos resurrected him in order to save her.[14] When the pair managed to travel to Eternity's Realm and encounter him personally, Thanos attacked mercilessly, blaming Eternity for all of his life's ills. Wilson, realizing that this was what Death wanted all along, attacked Thanos and was possessed by the Uni-Power, giving Deadpool the powers of Captain Universe. Using those powers, Deadpool and Thanos fought on equal ground, but Deadpool's speech during the fight convinced Death of the validity of life's existence and caused Mistress Death to whisk Thanos away, for a later purpose and to return to her own, restoring mortality to the universe.[15]
Eight Cosmos
After the destruction[16] and rebuilding[17] of the Multiverse, Eternity of Prime Earth (the former Earth-616) was recreated by Mister Fantastic as a part of the bigger Multiversal Eternity, now in its 8th iteration. Later, while the Multiversal Eternity was chained by the First Firmament in a plan to overthrow the Cosmic Entities and regain the control of the reality[18], Eternity of Prime Earth was still able to manifest himself, unaffected by the Firmament.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]Attributes
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Powers
See Also
- 114 appearance(s) of Eternity (Earth-616)
- 8 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Eternity (Earth-616)
- 39 minor appearance(s) of Eternity (Earth-616)
- 52 mention(s) of Eternity (Earth-616)
- 8 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Eternity (Earth-616)
- 8 invocation(s) of Eternity (Earth-616)
- 80 image(s) of Eternity (Earth-616)
- 5 quotation(s) by or about Eternity (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ Ultimates (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fantastic Four #262
- ↑ Ultimates (Vol. 2) #2
- ↑ Captain Marvel (Vol. 5) #6
- ↑ Quasar #25
- ↑ Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1
- ↑ Captain Marvel (Vol. 5) #25
- ↑ Quasar #26–27
- ↑ Infinity Gauntlet #1–6
- ↑ Strange Tales #138
- ↑ Strange Tales #146
- ↑ Doctor Strange #182
- ↑ Doctor Strange (Vol. 2) #12
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Deadpool vs. Thanos #1
- ↑ Deadpool vs. Thanos #4
- ↑ Secret Wars #1
- ↑ Secret Wars #9
- ↑ Ultimates 2 (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ Starbrand & Nightmask #3–6
- ↑ Ultimates (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ Doctor Strange: Last Days of Magic #1
- ↑ Civil War II #8
- ↑ Silver Surfer (Vol. 8) #8
- ↑ Silver Surfer (Vol. 8) #10
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 4) #16
- ↑ Spider-Man/Deadpool #13
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 4