Quick Answer
No, not all Eternals are the same age. The Eternals are an ancient race of immortal beings who have existed in the Marvel universe for millions of years. While they are all extremely long-lived, they were not all created at the same time.
More Detailed Answer
The Eternals first appeared in Marvel comics in 1976. They were created by legendary comic book writer and artist Jack Kirby. In the comics, the Eternals are described as an evolutionary offshoot of humanity. They were originally created over a million years ago when the gigantic cosmic beings known as the Celestials visited Earth and performed genetic experiments on early humans.
This experimentation led to the creation of two new races – the super-powered, near-immortal Eternals and the grotesque, monstrous Deviants. The rest of humanity was unaffected by these experiments.
The first generation of Eternals were created together at the same time. These original Eternals included famous names such as Ikaris, Sersi, and Makkari. Since their creation so long ago, the Eternals have lived amongst humanity while secretly guiding them and protecting them from the Deviants.
While the original Eternals were created simultaneously, later generations came about at different times. Most Eternals reproduce by genetically combining their life energies to produce offspring. These new Eternals are born at different periods across history.
For example, Thena was born far later than the rest of the original Eternals. Sprite was also born much later. This means that while Thena and Sprite are Eternals, they are much younger than their brethren.
Some notable Eternals and their relative ages:
– Ikaris – Born over 1 million years ago
– Sersi – Born over 1 million years ago
– Makkari – Born over 1 million years ago
– Ajak – Born over 1 million years ago
– Kingo – Born over 1 million years ago
– Thena – Born thousands of years after the first Eternals
– Sprite – Born thousands of years after the first Eternals
Other famous Eternals like Gilgamesh, Phastos and Druig were also born during the first generation, so they are roughly the same age as Ikaris and the other original Eternals.
In summary, while the Eternals are collectively an ancient race, they were not all born at the same time. The first generation are the oldest at over one million years old. Later generations of Eternals can be thousands or even millions of years younger. So no, not all Eternals are the same age even though they are all extremely long-lived!
When Were the Eternals Created?
In the Marvel comics universe, the Eternals were first created over a million years ago. Their exact origin date varies across different comic runs, but they came into existence early in human evolutionary history.
Here’s a quick overview of when the Eternals first emerged:
– Circa 1 Million Years Ago: The Celestials arrived on Earth and conducted genetic experiments that led to the emergence of three races – humans, Eternals and Deviants. This is the most common origin story for the Eternals.
– Circa 750,000 Years Ago: An alternate origin story cites this general time period for the Celestials’ experiments that birthed the Eternals.
– Circa 500,000 Years Ago: Another origin version puts the creation of the Eternals around this time.
– Pre-Cataclysmic Age: Some sources describe the Eternals already existing during this very early age of human history millions of years ago.
– 20,000 Years Ago: One older origin dated the Celestials’ genetic work to only 20,000 years ago but this is likely retconned.
So while there are variations, most Marvel canon agrees that the Eternals came into being over 1 million years in the past, long before any human civilizations developed. Their fantastic powers and longevity have allowed them to influence human society in secret for eons.
Which Eternal is the Oldest?
It’s difficult to definitively say which Eternal is the absolute oldest, but based on most origins, four candidates stand out:
– Ikaris: The leader of the Eternals is considered one of the very first Eternals created by the Celestials. He has led the Eternals for over a million years.
– Sersi: Alongside Ikaris, Sersi is also considered one of the first and oldest Eternals. Her matter manipulation powers have remained among the strongest of any Eternal.
– Valkin: Little is known about this obscure Eternal. But some sources cite him as potentially the first Eternal created before any others.
– Cybele: Also known as The Mother, Cybele helped lead the first generation of Eternals. She may predate even Ikaris and Sersi.
While Ikaris and Sersi are most frequently cited as the oldest Eternals, Cybele and Valkin may be strong contenders for the absolute first Eternals created over a million years ago. But in general, the oldest Eternals would have to come from the first generation created by the Celestials so long ago.
Are Eternals Immortal?
Eternals have extremely long lifespans and do not age or get sick like ordinary humans. However, they can still die if injured or killed. So while Eternals have an indefinite lifespan allowing them to live for thousands or millions of years, they are not truly biologically immortal.
Here are some key facts about Eternal longevity:
– Very Long-Lived: Eternals like Ikaris, Sersi and Makkari have lived for over a million years without aging. As long as they avoid fatal injuries, Eternals can have indefinite lifespans.
– Regeneration: Eternals can regenerate damaged cells and tissues rapidly. This prevents aging and illness and contributes to their long lifespans.
– Resurrection: Some Eternals like Ikaris can resurrect themselves after being killed, essentially giving themselves multiple lifetimes.
– Finite Lifespan: Despite their powers, Eternals can still die and eventually exhaust their regenerative abilities after multiple lifetimes. So far, no Eternal has achieved true biological immortality.
– Not Indestructible: While extremely hardy, Eternals can still be injured or killed by sufficient force or power. They must maintain caution to avoid a fatal confrontation.
In summary, Eternals are best described as extremely long-lived rather than immortal. Their natural resilience and regenerative abilities give them what is essentially indefinite longevity under ideal conditions. But they can still succumb to fatal mishaps eventually. So a very long-lived Eternal could technically live for millions of years but still not forever.
Do Eternals Stop Aging?
Yes, one key aspect of being an Eternal is that they stop aging once they reach adulthood. While Eternals are born and grow to maturity like humans, once they reach their prime they become free of any further aging.
– Reach Adulthood: Eternals develop and mature just like humans early in their lives. It takes them several decades to reach full adulthood.
– Cellular Stasis: Once adulthood is reached, Eternals’ cells enter a stasis where they no longer decay from aging. Their bodies remain in their prime state.
– Lack of Senescence: Eternals exhibit negligible senescence, meaning they experience no physical decline due to aging even across millennia.
– Persistent Regeneration: Their cells continuously regenerate, preventing any damage accumulation over time that leads to aging in other lifeforms.
– Immunity to Disease: Eternals are immune to earthly pathogens and conditions that could cause deterioration as humans age.
– Maintenance of Abilities: Without aging, Eternals maintain their physical abilities such as strength, speed, and energy manipulation over their long lives.
– Unchanging Appearance: Without aging, Eternals keep the same youthful appearance for eons without wrinkles, graying hair, or other signs of senescence.
The exact mechanics may vary, but Eternals universally display complete cessation of aging once they reach maturity. Their cells enter a state of equilibrium that preserves their youthful prime, allowing near-ageless longevity.
Do All Eternals Have the Same Powers and Abilities?
No, not all Eternals have the same set of powers and abilities. While they share common traits like strength and longevity, their individual power sets vary greatly.
Here are some of the key differences in Eternals’ powers:
– Super Strength: All Eternals possess some degree of heightened strength, but it varies. Makkari’s strength far exceeds others for example.
– Speed: Eternals like Makkari have blinding running speed, while others like Ikaris only fly fast. Only some are inherently super fast.
– Energy Manipulation: Offensive energy powers vary between Eternals. Ikaris has Eye Beams while Sersi wields matter transmutation abilities.
– Invulnerability: While all Eternals are hardy, some like Gilgamesh are far more resistant to injury than others.
– Immortality: Most Eternals are long-lived but only a few like Ikaris can self-resurrect after death.
– Special Senses: Unique abilities like Ikaris’ ability to perceive cosmic energy are not consistent across all Eternals.
– Intelligence: While generally brilliant, Eternals’ intellects are specialized in different areas based on interests and training.
So in summary, while they share common general traits, Eternals differ greatly from one another in the specific powers they possess and the levels of those abilities. This makes them a diverse group with individualized power sets tailored to their roles and personalities.
Can Eternals Have Children with Humans?
Yes, Eternals are capable of producing offspring with ordinary humans. These children, known as Eternal-Human Hybrids, represent a blending of Eternal and human traits.
Some key facts about Eternal-Human hybrids:
– Reduced Longevity: Hybrids have much greater lifespans than humans, living for centuries, but do eventually suffer age-related decline unlike full Eternals.
– Maintain Youthfulness: Hybrids remain vibrant, youthful and able to physically perform at high levels for their extended lifespans.
– Superhuman Abilities: Hybrids inherit some degree of superhuman strength, speed, stamina and other Eternal attributes. But at reduced levels compared to pure Eternals.
– Variable New Powers: Some hybrids develop new abilities, different than their Eternal parent, such as psychic abilities.
– Reproduction Issues: Hybrids cannot naturally reproduce with ordinary humans or Eternals. They often suffer from infertility.
– Rare Occurrences: Eternal-human hybridization rarely occurs, with fewer than 10 known hybrids across history.
So in essence, Eternal-Human offspring represent something between humans and Eternals. They possess extended but not indefinite lifespans along with moderate superhuman traits from their Eternal heritage. But they also face challenges to reproduction and fertility.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Eternals have existed as a race for over a million years, they are not uniformly the same age. The first generation of Eternals were created together long ago and are the oldest at over a million years old. Later generations vary in age by thousands or millions of years.
All Eternals do stop aging once they reach maturity and remain immune to disease. So they have indefinite lifespans rather than true immortality. Their individual powers also vary widely, with each Eternal having a unique set of abilities. And Eternals are able to produce offspring with humans, leading to powerful but infertile hybrids with intermediate traits of both species.
So while the Eternals are collectively an ancient race, they have many differences including their ages, abilities and connections to humanity. Their long existence shrouded in secrecy has allowed the Eternals to become a unique presence within the Marvel universe.
