Spoilers for Eternals #2 below!
The Eternals are back in the Marvel Comic Universe. However, their return isn't without a fair share of problems. Previews for the series' second issue show that Ikaris is about to use his massive powers in a fight against Thanos, the Mad Titan - who's hellbent on destroying the Eternals for good. But, can the MCU's newest upcoming hero defeat the villain?
Marvel's relaunch of the Eternals features a reboot style similar to Jonathan Hickman's X-Men. The Eternals are incapable of dying for good, as they can be brought back to life with their memories (and even new appearances) thanks to an ancient Celestial machine. However, Thanos plans to test the permanence of death as the Eternal (born with Deviant syndrome) wants to kill them all for good. Ikaris, the main hero of the Eternals who was recently rebooted, encounters Thanos, who makes it very clear that he intends on being the last Eternal standing.
In previews for Eternals #2 by Kieron Gillen, Esad Ribic, Matthew Wilson, and Clayton Cowles, Ikaris comes face-to-face with Thanos on Titanos, the Eternals ancestral home that is displaced in time. The Eternal seems up for the challenge, as he hits Thanos with a mighty blast of energy from his eyes - however, he's met with the Mad Titan calling him a "fellow poet of annihilation," before he smashes Ikaris against the ground. In an epic scene, Ikaris and Thanos fight in the time-warped Titanos, going through portals in space and time. Their battle shows them falling through time in the prehistoric era of dinosaurs, as well as a time of knights. Ikaris says the fight lasts "for seconds," and "for all of history."
It's a massive, time-spanning fight between the God-like Marvel heroes, that really showcases how both characters are at the upper-echelon among the universe's most powerful beings. Thanos and Ikaris exchange mammoth punches and blasts at one another. Will a victor be named? Thanos is the big bad for at least the first arc of the Eternals, so perhaps, Ikaris is bested and will need to be rebooted for the second time in as many issues.
Regardless, it's great to see Ikaris and the Eternals in the spotlight again. The comic is an excellent tease of how capable and strong the next batch of MCU heroes truly are. While Thanos is likely done in Marvel's movie universe, the new Eternals series illustrates just how dangerous and bonkers a fight between Ikaris and the Mad Titan would be on film. Eternals #2 is out in stores next week!