Making their first appearance in The Eternals #1 (July 1976), The Eternals were created by Jack Kirby. The series was thematically similar to DC’s New Gods that Kirby didn’t finish … like his Eternals’ saga. Other artists used the characters after that, but they never became really that big. Maybe the movie will help change that.
Who are the Eternals? They formed a race of immortal beings possessed with seemingly limitless superhuman abilities. Once worshipped as gods, this fantastic group left Earth to explore the stars after warring with the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons for supremacy over humankind. One million years ago, the Celestials visited Earth and performed genetic experiments on early proto-humanity.
As a result, they created two divergent races: the Eternals and their enemies, the Deviants. The Eternals have mostly protected the human race, especially during their fights against the Deviants. But some of the Eternals want to conquer the other races… Their history is full of conflicts and power struggles.
Marvel’s Eternals Reading Order
The Eternals story was retconned and a lot of minor appearances are today irrelevant. What follows is what’s now mostly considered canon.
- Eternals by Jack Kirby: The Complete Collection
Collects Eternals #1-19 & Annual #1. Also in:- The Eternals By Jack Kirby Vol. 1
Collects The Eternals (1976) #1-11. - The Eternals By Jack Kirby Vol. 2
Collects The Eternals (1976) #12-19 and The Eternals Annual #1.
- The Eternals By Jack Kirby Vol. 1
- What If? Classic: The Complete Collection Vol. 3
Collects What If? (1977) #24-35. From #23 to #30, Marvel published “Untold tales of the Marvel Universe” in the back of the comic, a story that explored the Eternals mythology. #23 is in Vol. 2. Also collected Eternals: The Dreaming Celestial Saga. - Thor and the Eternals: The Celestials Saga
Collects Thor (1966) #283-301, Thor Annual (1966) #7. - Eternals: The Dreaming Celestial Saga
Collect Eternals (1985) #1-12, Iron Man Annual (1971) #6; Avengers (1963) #246-248; material from What If? (1977) 23-30.
All of the books from this first era of the Eternals are also available in one big volume:
The Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus
Collects Eternals (1976) #1-19, Eternals Annual (1977) #1; Eternals (1985) #1-12; Eternals: The Herod Factor (1991) #1; New Eternals: Apocalypse Now (2000) #1; Iron Man Annual (1971) #6; Avengers (1963) #246-248; Material From What If? (1977) #23-30.
- Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus
Collects West Coast Avengers (1985) #42-46; Avengers West Coast #47-62, Annual #4; Avengers (1963) #305-318, Annual #18. The Eternals appeared only in Avengers #308-310. Those issues are not collected anywhere else for now.
Sersi of the Eternals became a regular member of the Avengers in issue #314 and stayed until issue #375. See the Avengers Reading Order for more information.
- Eternals: The Herod Factor
Collects Eternals: The Herod Factor (1991) #1 one-shot. - Heroes for Hire (Vol.2 ) #4-7 (November 1997, January 1998)
- The New Eternals: Apocalypse Now
Collects New Eternals: Apocalypse Now (2000) #1 one-shot. - Marvel Max: The Eternal
A 6-issue Marvel Max series written by Chuck Austen about the early days of the Eternals and the Deviants.
- Eternals by Neil Gaiman
Collects Eternals (vol. 3) #1–7. - Eternals: To Defy the Apocalypse
Collects Eternals (vol. 4) #1-9 and Eternals Annual (vol. 4) #1- Previously collected in Eternals Vol. 1: To Slay A God and Eternals Vol. 2: Manifest Destiny.
- Thor: The Deviants Saga
Collects Thor: The Deviants Saga #1-5. - Avengers by Jason Aaron Vol. 1: The Final Host
Collects Avengers (2018) #1-6 and Material From Free Comic Book Day 2018.
Kieron Gillen and Valerio Schiti took over the Eternals:
- Eternals Vol. 1: Only Death is Eternal
Collects Eternals (2021) #1-6. - Eternals Vol. 2: Hail Thanos
Collects Eternals (2021) #7-12. - Eternals: A History Written In Blood
Collects Eternals: Thanos Rises, Eternals: Celestia, Eternals: The Heretic And Material From What If? (1977) #24-28. - A.X.E.: Judgment Day
Collects A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1-6, A.X.E.: Avengers #1, A.X.E.: X-Men #1, A.X.E.: Eternals #1, Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers/X-Men #1 (A.X.E. story).- For more information about the crossover, go to our A.X.E.: Judgment Day Reading Order.