The upcoming Eternals movie will introduce the titular group into the ever-sprawling MCU. Considered one of the most overpowered groups in the Marvel universe, the Eternals are in a perpetual fight with their sworn enemies, the Deviants.
First appearing during the last years of the Bronze Age, the Deviants have a rich history in the comic books, acting as constant antagonists to the Eternals while also having a legacy of their own. Casual fans will finally meet the Deviants when Eternals premieres in November, but comic book fans are already well-acquainted with them, knowing there's much more to them than meets the eye.
The Deviants' Origins
The Deviants are an offshoot of an experiment conducted by the most powerful characters in Marvel comics, the Celestials. The Celestials first experimented on the Wonderers, a tribe of Homo Erectus, but the experiment was faulty, resulting in numerous mutations in the Deviants' bodies.
Disappointed but undeterred, the Celestials released the Deviants into the wild, driving them to hide in caves. The Celestials then repeated their experiment, succeeding and creating the Eternals. After also releasing the Eternals into the Earth, the Celestials created a latent gene, implied to be the X-gene, to develop the human race's potential even further.
Deviants Inspired Human Folklore
Because of their deformities, Deviants deteriorated at a rapid state. They formed a primitive society, ruled by a priesthood that cast away those who were too deformed. These exiles, referred to as "mutates" by the other Deviants, would roam the wilderness, occasionally encountering humans.
Mutates gave rise to myths and legends of trolls, ogres, goblins, and other hideous monsters. Humans who came across them would cower in fear, preserving and exaggerating the tales until they became myth. Mutates wouldn't survive for long. Humans would kill them, or they would die in the wilderness.
Deviants Believe In The Dreaming Celestial
The Marvel universe includes multiple gods, both good and evil. Deities like Uatu the Watcher and Mephisto play prominent roles in several storylines throughout the years, cementing their place in Marvel's pantheon. However, Marvel also has some darker deities, like the so-called Dreaming Celestial.
The Deviants are a very religious group, and they have a complex faith system. Although they once worshipped the Celestials, considering them their makers, the Deviants abandoned those beliefs after the Celestials' second host to Earth. From that point on, the Deviants would worship only the Dreaming Celestial, a being they believed was exiled from the Celestials for creating them.
Deviants Ruled The Earth At One Point
Despite their confinement to caves, Deviants eventually amassed considerable power. Their mutations allowed them to evolve faster than humans, and soon they developed technology, most notably genetic engineering.
Deviants eventually built a small empire, ruled from the capital, Lemuria, while also building cities underground. During this time, Deviants waged war against one another and the Eternals, bringing instability to their kingdom. Lemuria sank into the ocean during the Great Cataclysm, along with another empire, Atlantis.
The Deviants Made A Truce With The Eternals
Comic book fans know the Eternals and Deviants are sworn enemies. However, there was a time when the two groups stopped fighting. After the third host of Celestials left Earth, the Deviants and the Eternals formed a shaky alliance, promising to stop fighting one another until the fourth host of Celestials arrived. Both groups retreated to their respective domains, honoring the truce for the most part.
Their peace lasted from 1,000 BCE until 1976, when the fourth host arrived. The Deviants then attacked New York City, attempting to turn humans against the Celestials. They also launched an attack against Olympia, the home of the Eternals, although their efforts failed in the end.
The Damocles Foundation
The Damocles Foundation is an organization of Deviants, Eternals, and humans tired of their constant warring. The construction of the atomic bomb inspired the union, and the foundation's purpose was to work towards a peaceful world where all three species could co-exist.
The Foundation soon proved its uselessness when they attempted to create a group of super-soldiers to "protect" Earth from any and every future war. The group experimented on mutant children and infiltrated several organizations, like SHIELD and Operation: Zero Tolerance. Their experiments failed, and all the children died at a young age.
Kro, The Warlord
A warlord and dictator, Kro often acts as the Deviants' general. He is 100,000 years old and has the ability to shapeshift, making him closer to the Eternals than his fellow Deviants. He came in contact with humans throughout history, who often confused him with mythological beings like Pluto and even the Devil.
Kro is also the secret lover of the Eternal Thena and, at times, an unwilling ally to her team. However, his relationship with the Eternals is contemptuous for the most part. Kro will appear in Eternals, but his role in the movie remains unclear.
The Delta Network
Speaking of Kro, the general is the mastermind behind the Delta Network. The team helps Deviants around the world, occasionally teaming up with the Eternals. Their purpose is to assimilate themselves into humanity and live peacefully alongside them.
Despite their efforts, the Delta Network and their strike team, Delta Force, are still not trusted by other Deviants. Kro recruited several powerful Deviants, including Enigmo, Dragona, Karkas, and Ransak. The team has worked with Thena and Sersi and was instrumental in rescuing Lemuria from the Deviant Ghaur.
The Skrull Connection
The alien race known as the Skrulls comes from the planet Skrullos, located in the Andromeda Galaxy. Despite being part of the Marvel universe for more than 60 years, the Skrulls reached the apex of their fame thanks to their now-iconic invasion of Earth. The MCU will turn Secret Invasion into a Disney+ series, so the Skrulls moment under the sun is just beginning.
In the comics, the Skrulls are actually Deviants. The Celestials conducted the same experiments in Skurllos as they did on Earth, creating Eternals and Deviants. However, Skrullos' Deviants took advantage of their shapeshifting abilities and killed their Eternals, becoming their planet's dominant species.
Deviants' Powers And Abilities
Not all Deviants have abilities, unlike the Eternals who all possess a plethora of powers. Deviants are also weaker than their eternal foes, adding an extra layer of resentment to the already grudgeful dynamic between both races.
However, those Deviants that do have powers have them in abundance. Their powers include shapeshifting, accelerated healing, and superhuman speed, strength, and resistance. Some Deviants can also breathe fire, and others display hypnotic abilities. Deviants also have unusually long lifespans, and some seem to be immortal.