Eternals Reveals the Tragic Origin of Ikaris’ Name

Contains spoilers for Eternals Forever #1!

Ikaris, the leader of the Eternals, harbors a tragic secret, one stretching back thousands of years. It was a definitive moment in the life of the Eternal, providing the inspiration for his name. In the special one-shot Eternals Forever #1, readers get a glimpse into Ikaris’ past, learning of his history, his family, and the sorrow he carries with him. The issue is on sale now in print and digital.

The Eternals are one of the many amazing creations that sprung from the imagination of the legendary Jack Kirby. They were created in 1976, when Kirby returned to Marvel after a short, but still creatively fertile, stint at DC. Inspired by the “ancient astronaut” craze sweeping through popular culture in the mid-1970s, Kirby told the story of the Eternals, an off-shoot of humanity created by the mysterious Celestials. These Eternals, existing apart from humanity, possessed fantastic powers, and found themselves in conflict with the Deviants, another offshoot race created by the Celestials. While the Eternals involve themselves in humanity’s struggles only intermittently, their presence has been the inspiration for a number of humanity’s myths and legends, and this informs Eternals Forever #1, giving insight into Ikaris’ tragic past. The issue is written by Ralph Macchio, with art by Ramon F. Bachs, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and letters by Joe Caramagna.

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After being attacked by the Deviant warlord Ghaur and his minions, Ikaris is reprogrammed by Ghaur and sent back to the Eternals’ home of Olympia to be a sleeper agent. Before he goes, he pays a visit to a grave on an island, and readers learn his sad story: Zuras sent the man who would come to call himself Ikaris to ancient Greece to fight Deviants; later he would fall in love with a human woman, and together they had a child—and Ikaris was his name. The boy wanted to fly more than anything, and his father promised to build him wings and show the young boy how to use them. Unfortunately, Ikaris was called away for many years, and when his son grew old enough, he built his own set of wings. The boy flew too high, dying from lack of oxygen, and plunged from the sky. The grave is his son’s and readers learn Ikaris took the name to honor his memory.

The Eternals have woven their way in and out of humanity’s affairs, in the process inspiring myths and stories that resonated through the millennia. The story of Daedalus and Icarus, from Greek mythology, is one such story. It is a cautionary tale warning the listener not to let ambition overtake them. Ikaris could have provided guidance to his son, drawing on the Eternals’ vast knowledge to build a set of truly great wings. Furthermore, the Eternals had a greater scientific understanding and would know the atmosphere gets thinner the further up one goes, and Ikaris could have warned his son of this as well. Finally, Ikaris was already thousands of years old, full of wisdom he could have imparted potentially tampering his son’s ambitions. But his son refused to wait, leading to his death.

Ikaris’ shame is compounded because he was doing his duty as an Eternal to fight the Deviants, which forced him to miss his son’s most formative years. Jack Kirby had a lifelong fascination with myths and legends, and the Eternals were perhaps the most fascinating concept to spring from this pursuit. Ikaris inspired one of Greek mythology’s most tragic stories, and this book gives fans a deep look into his melancholic past.

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