Eternals: The 500 Year War

Eternals: The 500 Year War is a seven-part comic mini-series in collaboration with available digitally to subscribers of the Marvel Unlimited program or on the WEBTOON platform. It consists of a series of flashbacks set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before the events of Eternals.
==Synopsis==
An international, all-star creative team of writers and artists presents ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR! Across 7-issues, follow the Eternals in their past encounters against the Deviants. While fighting their longstanding enemies, witness the Eternals interact with different cultures of the human race across time, through the cultural artifacts that were gifted to them.
==Plot==
===Part 1===
Ikaris flies around Babylon, the Eternals' home as well as the resting place for the Domo. Ikaris is asked if the Eternals are ready to leave before Gilgamesh says that the Deviants have been quiet for so long that there may be none left. Thena responds that they should at least make sure. Ikaris agrees, as they have time to check for Deviants carefully. Gigamesh asks where Sersi is before Makkari shows up. They ask her where Sersi is before she runs off to go look for her. Maakari finds Kingo, who tells her he hasn't seen her. She leaves before he could finish talking. She then finds Sprite, at first disguised as Sersi. Sprite than points her in another direction. 
Ajak says it would be wise to do a global search for Deviants, but Phastos says that he thinks it's unlikely that there are any left and that he likes it in Babylon. Ajak responds that they need to do what Arishem asked them to and that she needs the ship to be ready in case they need to leave at a moment's notice. He says that the ship's systems will keep running for ten thousand years. Makkari arrives and Ajak asks if she is looking for Sersi. Phastos says to check the vaults and Makkari thanks them. 
Makkari finally finds Sersi in the vault. Sersi begins a monologue about the stories of the objects in the vault and how she wants to share them. Makkari says that the sword that Sersi is holding is hers. Sersi thinks otherwise before Makkari says it looks Japanese and five hundred years old. Makkari responds that she remembers Heian-Kyo very well. Druig shows up. saying that that was the start of their woes and the war. Sersi asks which one and Druig responds that it was a partially brutal conflict that lasted five hundred years. 
Makkari says that the blade was hers, with her having bought it back from Heian-Kyo with Druig. Sersi says she was sure she got it from someone else, causing Sprite to say that she can take them back there, or rather recount it through illusions. Druig says that they haven't got time to do so, but Sprite says they have all the time in the world, since they are Eternals.
===Part 2===
Druig tells a story about him and Makkari in Heian-Kyo, with help from illusions from Sprite. They find a Deviant being referred to as a Kappa and Makkari starts fighting it, when it gets hit with an arrow. Makkari punches the Kappa far away as they are greeted by Yoshiie Minamoto. Druig tells Minamoto that they are hunting the Kappa, which Minamoto calls an oni, and asks for help navigating the city and discretion regarding their abilities in exchange for killing the Deviant.
A couple of hours later, a second Deviant attacks, which Makkari easily fights off. However, the oni attacks a group of civilians. Druig jumps in the way and the Deviant bites his arm, so Druig controls Minamoto's mind and makes him cut the Deviant's arm. Minamoto and Druig recover, and Makkari brings Druig back to the Domo so that Ajak can heal Druig. The next day, Minamoto thanks Druig and Makkari and gifts them the Onikirimaru, a sword to use next time they encounter the Kappa. Makkari and Druig search the city but cannot find the Deviant, which recovers underground while Druig assumes it is dead. Druig says that the events in Heian-Kyo were the beginning of a very long war.
===Part 3===
In the Domo, Kingo finds a redacted portion of the Samguk Sagi Kumiho, and Sprite tells the group the story of how they obtained the scroll. Kim Bu-Sik is ordered to travel Korea and collect its history, and accepts the task. Kim comes across a temple where he had heard rumors about a Kumiho, wanting to see it for himself. He asks the High Priest whether they are fictional, but the priest says that the monster is real and has eternal life. The priest is killed by the Kumiho, and Kim rushes to protect his writings. Kim's bodyguard and several monks fight the Deviants, who catch up to Kim as he runs to a cliff.
Sprite appears and tells Kim not to worry and turns him invisible while Kingo fights the Deviants. The Deviant disappears, and Kim explains that it feeds off of humans to live for eternity. The Deviant makes several clones of itself and returns, and Sprite expresses surprise at how many they are as they continue to fight. Kingo gets captured as the Kumiho reveals an orb, which Kim says is the source of its power. Sprite makes herself invisible and steals the orb, noting that it radiates cosmic energy. Sprite breaks the orb and the Kumiho flees, and Kingo suggests following it. Kim gives Sprite and Kingo his scrolls, saying that including the attack would only confuse people. Sprite uses his abilities to show him Korea's past.
===Part 4===
In the Domo, Phastos finds the Reconquista Helmet, and he and Ajak reminisce about their time spent in Córdoba. In Sprite's illusion recreating the events, Ajak and Phastos visit the and comment on how beautiful Spanish architecture is. They are greeted by Lope de Fitero and Juan de Soria, and introduce themselves as pilgrims. de Fitero explains the history of the Mosque, and explains that they have not figured out how gunpowder works. Deviants attack elsewhere in town while de Soria and de Fitero excuse themselves, and Ajak expresses concern that gunpowder was already being developed. Phastos shares that he sometimes wonders if the Eternals are doing the right thing by helping humans advance, but Ajak scolds him.
They hear the Deviants attacking and go to defend the people, telling de Fitero to help the soldiers and civilians. Ajak wonders about how the Deviants could have find them, and Phastos focuses on helping people. Phastos realizes that the Deviants are only focusing on the Eternals, and Ajak realizes that it is similar to the events in Heian-Kyo and Korea. A Deviant grows limbs as a human joins the fight. The Deviants retreat, and the human reveals himself to be de Fitero, who thanks them for fighting off the Deviants. de Fitero promises not to tell anyone of their adventure, and de Soria confides in Ajak and Phastos that he plans on promoting de Fitero to Diocese.
===Part 5===
In the Domo, Thena explains that gunpowder spread faster than the Eternals had imagined it would, which she believes to have been due to the human interest in conquest. Sprite casts illusions to help Thena tell her story. In the illusion, Thena helps a Portuguese ship travel to the Americas in exchange for command of the ship. Thena finds Gilgamesh overboard, and explains that a Deviant had attacked a ship of people but did not attack him, which their pair agree is strange. Thena suggests that it was waiting for the right moment to strike as the reappears and drags Gilgamesh underwater. The captain panics, believing the Deviant to be a Kraken, but Thena tells them to calm down since it is there for her and joins the fight.
They fight then Deviant underwater, and Gilgamesh surfaces for air, where he sees the captain of the ship overboard, who explains that the crew mutinied and left with the ship. The Deviant surfaces with Thena in its grasp, and Gilgamesh uses the captain's gun to shoot it and send it back underwater, where Thena and Gilgamesh chase after it. The Deviant leaves behind poisonous ink and disappears. In the Domo, Thena explains that they realized the Deviants had gotten smarter and were planning something. 
===Part 6===
In the Domo, Sprite teases Gilgamesh about his past fear of going near the ocean. Meanwhile, Sersi and Ikaris recall that Gilgamesh and Thena's experience helped prepare them for their fight against the Prime Deviant, which Ikaris says was disappointing. Sersi disagrees, and Sprite casts illusions while Sersi begins to tell the story. Sersi tells the story of a dragon being attacked by Deviant in China. The citizens of China rush to protect the dragon, causing the Deviant to attack them. Ikaris and Sersi arrive and Ikaris begins fighting the Deviant while Sersi protects the Great Wall of China. Sersi and Ikaris banter about Sersi's desire to see the wall finished while the Deviant recovers from Ikaris' attack and lunges at them.
Sersi injures the dragon and rushes to protect a civilian while the Deviant approaches, but gets grabbed by Ikaris, who resumes fighting the Deviant in the sky. The dragon nuzzles against Sersi and engages with the Deviant, as the dragon gets killed. Ikaris flies through the Deviant's heart, killing it and causing it to fall to the ground. Sersi holds on to the dragon's tooth and asks how much longer their fight would last. Ikaris assures her that it would end soon, and tells Sersi to ease the civilians' pain. Ikaris looks for the Deviants, swearing to avenge the dragon and civilians.
Ikaris and Sersi approach a cave and discuss how they were the target of the attack. Sersi asked how they could be sure they were not walking into a trap, and Ikaris says that he was counting on it as a Deviant approaches. The Deviant attacks as Ikaris says that the war shall end soon.
===Part 7===
Ikaris tells Sersi to contact the rest of the Eternals and tell them that they had found a nest of Deviants. Ikaris and Sersi fight off Deviants as best they can, as Ikaris gets dragged underwater by a Deviant. Sersi transforms water into ice and cuts the Deviant's tentacle, releasing Ikaris. Sersi realizes that the Deviants are orchestrating coordinated attacks and becomes scared for their chances, as Thena, Makkari, and Kingo reveal themselves. Phastos comments that he has never seen such a large number of Deviants in one place, and the group begin fighting. Sprite realizes that the fight is coordinated, and Druig recognizes the Deviant that he and Makkari fought in Heian-Kyo. Druig deduces that the Deviant had stolen and replicated Druig's mind control abilities, and Ajak orders Ikaris to take it down. However, Ikaris is too occupied fighting another Deviant, and the Deviants all swarm, refusing to allow any Eternal near their leader. Gilgamesh says that they should clear a path, and Thena summons an axe and cuts into the leader's head, killing it. The rest of the Deviants fall due to their telepathic link to their leader.
In the Domo years later, Sprite concludes telling the story of their five-hundred-year-long war. Druig comments that the war was the first time the Eternals had seen them adapt. Ajak says that the Eternals will continue to fight and defeat Deviants. She orders a global survey for Deviants, saying that they must remain vigilant. Sersi apologizes and acknowledges that the Onikirimaru belongs to Makkari, who tells Sersi to keep it safe. Sprite asks if they will ever be done fighting Deviants, and Sersi replies that their fight will end, although she does not know how.
==Appearances==
===Characters===
*Ikaris
*Gilgamesh
*Thena
*Makkari
*Kingo
*Sprite
*Ajak
*Phastos
*Sersi
*Druig
*Arishem the Judge (flashback)
*Yoshiie Minamoto (illusion)
*Kim Bu-Sik (illusion)
*High Priest (illusion)
*Injong of Goryeo (illusion)
*Lope de Fitero (illusion)
*Juan de Soria (illusion)
*Ferdinand III of Castile (flashback)
*Kappa (illusion)
*Kumiho (illusion)
*Kraken (illusion)
*Sacred Dragon (illusion)
*Bast (statue)
* (statue)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
===Locations===
*Babylon, Mesopotamia
*Heian-Kyo, Japan (illusion)
*Korea (illusion)
*Spain (illusion)
**Córdoba (flashback)
*** (mentioned)
** (mentioned)
** (mentioned)
** (mentioned)
** (mentioned)
*** (flashback)
** (mentioned)
*** (flashback)
** (mentioned)
** (mentioned)
** (mentioned)
*Beijing, China (illusion)
**Great Wall of China (illusion)
*Vatican City (mentioned)
*England (mentioned)
* (illusion)
*Portugal (mentioned)
*France (mentioned)
*China (illusion)
**Deviants Nest (illusion)
===Events===
*500 Year War (illusion)
**Battle of Heian-Kyo (illusion)
**Rescue of Kim Bu-Sik (illusion)
**Ambush in Córdoba (illusion)
**Battle of the Atlantic Ocean (illusion)
**Battle of Beijing (illusion)
* (flashbacks)
===Items===
*Celestial Armor
*Onikirimaru
*Samguk Sagi Kumiho
*Reconquista Helmet
*Chimera de Arezzo
*Tao Mandalas (illusion)
===Vehicles===
*Domo
===Sentient Species===
*Eternals
*Humans (illusion)
*Deviants (illusion)
*Celestials (illusion)
*Demons (mentioned)
*Ennead (statue)
===Creatures===
* (illusion)
* (illusion)
*Dragons (illusion)
* (mentioned)
*Krakens (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
===Organizations===
*Masters of the Mystic Arts (illusion)
==Behind the Scenes==
===Continuity===
This comic has a few contradictions to the film it is based on. For example, in the film, the Eternals disband in 1521 during the Fall of Tenochtitlan. However, the events of Issue 5 are stated as taking place in 1520 while the events of Issue 6 are stated as taking place "just a few years earlier" than present day. This makes it so Issues 5 and 6 take place in the same year (one year prior to disbandment) despite different tags and being "a few years earlier". Additionally, in the film, Sprite claims that the Deviants had not been able to steal their powers before Kro developed the ability despite the Kappa doing so with Druig's powers in the comic.
Despite this, the comic was advertised as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as it came out when Eternals released on digital. The head writer, Dan Abnett, stated "Without conflicting with, or spoiling, the movie, we set out to create a powerful story that allowed each 'episode' to take place in a different time and place, so that each could be delivered by a creative team from that part of the world. I think, as a result, the project has a truly global and authentic feel, and matches perfectly the spirit and scope of the Eternals," proving the comic was based on the movie. Another writer, Geoffo, stated "When working on this kind of project linked to the MCU, my favorite part (beyond drawing) is that I can get exclusive behind-the-scenes access."The Creative Team on Bringing 'Eternals: The 500 Year War' to Life Therefore, due to confirmation it is based on the film, this comic holds Inspired Canon Status.
==References==
==External Links==
*Eternals: The 500 Year War on Webtoon
Category:Comics
Category:Eternals (film) Merchandise