Publication history
The Celestials debuted in The Eternals #1 (July 1976) and were created by writer and artist Jack Kirby. They reappeared as regular guest stars in three subsequent limited series sequels: The Eternals vol. 2 #1–12 (Oct. 1985 – Sept. 1986), Eternals vol. 3 #1–7 (Aug. 2006 – Feb. 2007), and Eternals vol. 4 #1–9 (Aug. 2008 – May 2009).
The characters have also been featured in other titles, including the "Celestial Saga" storyline in Thor Annual #7 (1978), Thor #283–300 (May 1979 – Oct. 1980), Thor #387–389 (Jan. – March 1988), Quasar #24 (July 1991), Fantastic Four #400 (May 1995), X-Factor #43–46 (Aug. – Nov. 1989) and #48–50 (Dec. 1989 – Jan. 1990). The first detailed account of the Celestials' origin was finally presented in The Ultimates 2 #6 (2017).
Fictional history
The origin of the Celestials was long unknown, with many species across the mainstream Marvel Universe having only unconfirmed legends about their beginnings—until the "Eternity War" storyline, when major revelations about the Celestials were revealed by the Queen of Nevers, a cosmic entity representing possibility.
The multiverse has been destroyed and reborn multiple times, with the current multiverse being the Seventh and later Eighth Cosmos. The Celestials are older than all incarnations of the multiverse. In the beginning, there was no multiverse: creation was composed of a single and sentient universe, referred to as the First Firmament. The First Firmament was the sole being in creation until it decided to create life to give it companions as well as servants. These servants, cosmic beings of a lesser order of power, were of two kinds: black and multicolored. The black servants dutifully obeyed and worshiped their creator. They even created their own servants and sought to preserve the simple order their creator had made. The First Firmament named these loyal beings Aspirants and was pleased by their goals and desire to maintain the status quo. The multicolored servants, who would become the Celestials, desired a dynamic and continually evolving reality with the long-term goal of producing superior cosmic beings.
The two opposing factions of the First Firmament's children could not peacefully co-exist and the ensuing war nearly destroyed the first universe. At some point during the war, the Aspirants created the Godkiller, a 25,000 foot (7,600 m) tall humanoid robot that dwarfed even the Celestials themselves. During the war, the Godkiller killed billions of Celestials, bringing them to the brink of extinction. At this point, a civil war broke out among the Aspirants that led to the Godkiller being stripped of critical parts for weapons. This division within the Aspirants gave the Celestials a chance to recover and make their last stand. In the final battle against the Aspirants, the Celestials detonated their ultimate weapons, nearly killing the First Firmament. In a desperate act of self-preservation, the core essence of the First Firmament took the surviving Aspirants and fled outside reality. The remaining fragments of the first universe coalesced into a new cosmic being, creating the Second Cosmos and the first multiverse. The Celestials settled in the multiverse, beginning their vast plan to create and nurture transitory while evolving life on the newborn worlds within.
This First Host of Celestials is made after the chosen planet has been judged to possess the needed properties for an effective "seeding". The Celestials then return for follow-up visits or "Hosts", during which they monitor the subject planet's progress and make whatever modifications or interventions they deem appropriate. During the First Host on Earth, the Celestials begin genetic experimentation to determine the future development of humans, creating three subspecies: Eternals, Deviants, and mutants.
The Fulcrum
The Celestials' actions conflict with the policy of "non-interference" practiced by fellow cosmic entities the Watchers, with the two races becoming enemies. The Celestials and their "opposites", insect-like beings called the Horde, are instruments of an entity referred to as the Fulcrum, their purpose to be "instruments of the planting/creation/teeming of the universe".
The End of the Seventh Multiverse
In the storyline "Time Runs Out", the Beyonders are revealed to have killed most of the Celestials in a bid to destroy the seventh multiverse. A number of Celestials survive the Beyonders' attack, having taken shelter within the folds of space-time. This rebirth provides an opening for the embittered First Firmament to return, seeking to destroy the multiverse and restore itself to the center of creation. The Firmament imprisons and infiltrates Eternity while taking control over the lesser cosmic entities that protected the cosmic balance in its component universes. Under the Firmament's influence, Master Order and Lord Chaos destroy the Living Tribunal, then merge into a singular entity called Logos, who intends to replace the Tribunal. Logos locates the surviving Celestials and destroys all of them except for the One Above All, who is rescued by the Queen of Nevers.
A.X.E.: Judgment Day
In the storyline "A.X.E.: Judgment Day", the Avengers and the Eternals who did not side with Druig work to revive the Celestial Progenitor (which became Avengers Mountain) when Druig awakens the Hex to attack Krakoa.
Biology
Referred to as "space gods" by the Eternals and the Deviants, the Celestials are armored humanoids with an average height of 2,000 feet (610 m). They weigh an average of 260 tons, meaning they are far denser than air. They are capable of feats such as reducing the Destroyer to slag, moving planets at will, and creating and containing entire pocket universes. Reed Richards theorized that the Celestials' source of power is hyperspace, the source of all energy in the Marvel Universe. The Celestials are near-vulnerable, though not immune to injury.
New Celestials may be born by consuming the mass of the Black Galaxy, a place made out pure biological and organic matter, or with planets which were implanted with Celestial eggs/embryos at the core and after millions of years they would be born and would consume the planet, similar to the Celestials of Earth X. However, there are other ways for a Celestial to be born as witnessed with the Celestial Madonna who was carrying an infant Celestial. The Celestials also have an immune system, consisting of armored behemoths, jellyfish-like antibodies and a swarm creature with wings and tentacles, which can fire blasts from their eye. The Celestials are all telepathically linked to one-another no matter the distance.
Thanos, wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, ranked the Celestials as being on roughly the same scale of power as Galactus, the Stranger, Odin, and Zeus, but below that of Mistress Love, Lord Chaos, and Master Order.
