Eternals #12 (1977)
by Jack Kirby
After the interruption from the Annual, we return to the series proper.
Technically speaking, the Annual takes place at some point after this scene, where Thena brinks Karkas and Reject to Olympia.
Despite the racism, all the Eternal ladies are hot for Reject.
To be fair to Thena, she seems to be the ONLY one to care for Karkas (who is even wounded).
Now if the intent was to show the Eternals as a shallow and hedonistic society, this would be a fantastic depiction.
But we’ve been beaten over the head for several issues with the idea that this is a perfect society superior to humanity in every way, and I just don’t see it.
I might have been too quick to defend Thena, though, because while she told Karkas LAST PAGE that she would “see to his needs”… all she does is dump him on Reject.
Who I remind you A) has not given any indication whatsoever that he knows how to cure Karkas B) he’s been VERY clear about not caring C) is the one who injured Karkas in the first place!!!
I just love this duo. They were both bred to become warriors, but since Olympia provides no challenges Karkas is loving this…
…and Reject HATES IT.
In the tiniest possible bit of character development, Ajak… still back in the “city of the Celestials”… has developed something of a friendship with Doctor Damian.
Ajak, you clearly know what’s written on the tablets, you don’t care if the doctor learns what they say, and you care for his well-being… why don’t you just read him the tablets!?!?
(spoiler: I initially marked this as the “WTF panel” of the issue, but I found a dumber one so stay tuned for the real WTF)
Meanwhile, Arishem has been standing around doing absolutely nothing about the supposed main plot while complete nonsense has been happening all over the place.
There’s a metaphor for Kirby’s writing somewhere.
(also: I’m still considering those things flying around Arishem as drones of sorts and not Celestials, based on inconsistencies in their scale in previous issues)
Jokes aside, I really appreciate that Kirby restrains himself and never gives the Celestials a voice.
Really makes you wonder what they are thinking.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present you what is possibly the most pointless addition of an action scene.
Because after the doctor complains that it’s hard to relax since there isn’t anything unrelated to the Celestials around here…
…Ajak just conjures up a warrior for a gratuitous fight.
Five panels later, he’s bored with it and just SFUT!s his adversary.
Back to Olympia, the plot FINALLY starts moving again as all the Eternals have gathered to fuse into the Uni-Mind. Well, the Eternals plus Margo and Sersi’s boytoy.
This is truly a spectacular scene, with everybody flying into the giant blue flame summoned by Zuras.
Also I’m pretty sure this is the only case where humans are able to join the Uni-Mind, typically it’s treated as something that only the Eternals can do.
I think the implication is that the Eternals used to do this regularly back in the day.
The Uni-Mind is probably the most far-out concept Kirby introduces with this series, WHICH IS SAYING SOMETHING.
It’s basically the Eternals fusing into a super-organism.
And the Uni-Mind has decided that if the Eternals keep refusing to advance the plot, it’s going to do it for them.
I love that, even if we don’t read his thoughts, Arishem still comes across as thinking “WTF is that!?!?”.
Splash pages: 3 out of 17 (18%)
No double splash pages
Most Kirby panel
Most WTF panel
None of this has absolutely anything to do with a genie in a bottle. Really, nothing whatsoever.
Eternals #13 (1977)
by Jack Kirby
True story: I wasn’t originally planning to review two issues in a row, but seeing how NOTHING HAPPENED it makes sense.
While the Eternals fused into the Uni-Mind, the Deviants build a GINORMOUS spaceship that is going to attack the Celestial ship.
You kind of have to admire the dedication of the Deviants.
The last time they threw a bomb at the Celestials it took them like 10,000 years to rebuild their civilization, and they’ve been jumping at the occasion of using another bomb ever since.
It is interesting that the Deviants seem absolutely convinced it’s going to actually hurt the Celestials. But hey, at least if it doesn’t, millions of humans will still die.
But humans are also not sitting on their asses like they’re Eternals, they actually sent a spaceship to intercept the Celestial one.
This is one of the few occasions where, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Kirby misses the mark when it comes to selling the epicness of the moment.
Remember that a single Celestial is, at the very least, as big as a skyscraper. Sometimes they’re as big as mountains. Here we have an entire ship for them, which must be absolutely colossal in scale… and yet, when compared to the human ship, I’m not even sure it can fit ONE Celestial.
The Deviants picked the right time for this mission, because thanks to the Uni-Mind there’s currently just ONE Eternal in Olympia… Sprite.
I fully understand the Eternals not wanting him, but… Zuras put THIS FREAKING KID in charge of security? Really!?
I think that after 500,000 years the first signs of dementia are coming up, Zuras.
Not sure why Sprite is so certain that the Uni-Mind didn’t notice the Deviants launching the ship.
Thankfully the world won’t have to rely on Sprite, because there’s another Eternal who didn’t join the Uni-Mind. Because he’s in exile.
This is the Forgotten One, later identified with Gilgamesh, and he’s been exiled by Zuras because of his pride.
Take a moment to appreciate that.
How much of a dick do you have to be for THE ETERNALS to think you’re too full of yourself!?!?
Sprite uses his powers to give him a spacesuit (why would he need one!?) and a ship.
So now we have THREE spaceship approaching the Celestial mothership: the Deviants, the humans and the Forgotten One.
This our first glimpse at the One-Above-All, the Celestial leader. Who will look nothing like this later.
The following sequence is a bit confusing, but the Celestials have swapped the positions of the various crews.
The Forgotten One is left in charge of disarming the bomb.
In the end, the humans land with the Eternal ship.
And the Deviants crash with the human ship.
The Forgotten One proves to be interesting enough to be saved by the One-Above-All.
Splash pages: 1 out of 17 (6%)
Splash + double splash pages: 3 out of 17 (18%)
Most Kirby panel
Most WTF panel
Those pilots, how dare they bring back an alien ship!
Historical significance:
#12: 1/10
#13: 6/10
The first issue introduces the Uni-Mind, which weirdly enough is used quite rarely despite its supposed importance to the Eternals.
The second issue introduced the Forgotten One who, despite the name, ends up having a surprisingly varied career.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
Nothing specific, just the general vibe.
Does it stand the test of time?
#12: 4/10
As much as I love the Uni-Mind nothing actually happens here!!!
#13: 7/10
This is more like it. While the plot is still moving at a snail’s pace, it IS moving.
The mystery of the Forbidden One is interesting, and honestly at this point I’m kind of rooting for the Deviants so it’s neat to see them make the slightest amount of progress.
Does this fit the Marvel Universe?
#12: 9/10
The light from the Uni-Mind is shown to be visible from space, so I’m guessing SOMEONE would go there to have a look, but it’s not that distracting.
#13: 0/10
There is absolutely no way an operation like this wouldn’t involve the Fantastic Four. Or the Avengers if they’re not available.
For someone who’s all about the “writer’s barely-disguised fetish”, you’ve clearly missed that Jack Kirby seems to have a thing for sumo wrestlers.
I realize Ajax was in suspended animation and only learned English telepathically (?) from Ikaris (??) about a month ago (???), but “diversion” and “diversity” are not at all the same thing.
Also I’m intrigued by the organization of the Celestials, where Arishem is the leader of the host while The One Above All commands it.
Presumably it is the same distinction between a commander and a field leader, since Arishem is down there standing up on the planet while One Above All is not.
IMO it was a mistake, but a few years ago a crossover series (“A.X.E. – Judgement Day”) established that mutants can actually take part in the Uni-Mind as well.
But that is the exception. AFAIK it is indeed established that only Eternals can participate in an Uni-Mind. When Starfox met them in 1980s issues of “Avengers” it was a big deal that he had common enough origins and nature with the Eternals to immediately join them in forming the Uni-Mind.
I believe that’s a wrap on Ajak (and Dr. Damien, for that matter) as far as the original series goes. He departs fighting a wrestler he’s conjured for no good reason while refusing to share information he has at his fingertips with someone who desperately wants to know it simply because it never seems to occur to him to do so. Good ol’ Ajak. I can see why none of the other Eternals seem to care at all that he’s gotten himself sealed up in an impenetrable dome for 50 years, or seemed to have missed him at all when he was stored away for 1000 years.
The Astronauts was probably my favorite story of the series, because it shows how on the rare occasions that Kirby decided to tell a complete story in a single issue, he stayed focused and usually delivered a fun yarn, probably with a Twilight Zone/O Henry style twist ending. It’s why I think his best solo work of the 70s was his stint on The Losers. Every story was a one and done (aside from one two-parter), and they were mostly pretty focused, entertaining stories. I think the grounded nature of that series also helped keep Kirby focused – he had to stick with a somewhat reasonable depiction of normal humans in World War 2, so he wasn’t constantly wandering off into whatever fantastical concept crossed his mind.
The whole clan of the Eternals _does_ come across as rather shallow and self-entitled through the series, indeed.
I don’t think that was quite what Kirby intended. It is fairly typical characterization coming from him. His characters just don’t do human or humble. People are usually utterly self-assured and determined even when they are facing certain doom.
For the Eternals, characterization will go all over the place along the years. I remember an appearance by Ikaris and Sprite in the Avengers run by Bob Harras in the 1990s where Ikaris was so wrathful and Sprite so ponderate and wise that to this day I wonder if there was a larger plot happening that I was not aware of. I don’t think the two of them were even appearing elsewhere at the time, but the clash was just too blatant.