One of the most impressive things about Marvel, both in terms of its Cinematic Universe and its world that’s existed for decades within comics, is that it knows how to feature heroes and villains of every shape and size.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe spent its formative years introducing audiences to the more grounded superheroes from Marvel, but it was only a matter of time until magic, interplanetary travel, and time warps were becoming part of the equation.

As more and more superheroes become the norm, there’s a tendency to push the medium even farther and introduce new heroes who are practically the opposite of the everyman that audiences have gotten used to for years.

What if a superhero’s origin story wasn’t about someone normal getting his powers, but about an omnipotent entity that’s lost in space in the search for something?

The MCU has done an effective job of slowly expanding its boundaries, and as characters like Thanos have entered the mix, the series has gotten closer to dipping its toe in the more otherworldly, galactic side of the Marvel universe.

One of the biggest examples of this are the God-like Celestials. They’re unlike anything that’s been encountered yet in the Marvel movies.

Back in the days of the first Iron Man movie, it would have seemed impossible for Gods to enter the equation, but now it’s not only possible, but probable. As the MCU begins to flesh out Phase 4 and beyond, here’s a crash course on some of the more unbelievable details about one of Marvel’s strongest races.

Here are the 25 Things That Make No Sense About Marvel’s Celestials.

Stone Age Avengers Trapped A Celestial Under South Africa

Stone Age Avengers Versus The Fallen

The Marvel universe has resorted to “What If?” stories and alternate reality one-shots in order to adopt some particularly creative, unique takes on classic characters.

One of these experiments sent the Marvel iniverse back to 1,000,000 BC and explored what the Avengers would look like in a prehistoric context.

These prehistoric Avengers (who consist of Phoenix, Agamotto, Star Brand, Thor’s dad, and iterations of Black Panther, Ghost Rider, and Iron Fist) also get to face off against a powerful creature known as the Fallen.

The Fallen is a pre-historic version of a Celestial.

The Avengers eventually trap this Celestial underground in the area that would eventually become South Africa. Because no one will look there.

They Have A Voltron/Megazord Surrogate Of Sorts

Exitar The Exterminator Overwhelms Galactus

Exitar the Exterminator is the tallest of the Celestials, as he clocks in at 20,000 feet. Exitar has many skills, but he's basically treated like the Megazord of the Celestial race and is meant to serve a very specific purpose.

Exitar first appears in Thor #387 and his purpose is to eliminate the planets that contain Celestials that have failed their fundamental tests.

Arishem summons Exitar forward, but he's basically a tool that Celestials call forth to do their ultimate dirty work for them.

Not only is his size significant, but Exitar is also capable of traveling through time and space and is especially powerful in that regard.

The Odin Force, Asgardians, And Eternals All Went To War Against The Celestials

Celestials Battle Thor

When the Fourth Host of the Celestials arrived on Earth to check in on the progress that's been made there, the Eternals and the Asgardians were worried that they wouldn't pass the Celestials’ test and that the planet would be destroyed.

The Eternals quickly fall here due to their betrayal, but Odin capitalizes on the Odin Force and puts up a solid fight against the Celestials before they too see defeat.

All of Asgard and Earth would be destroyed if the Young Gods weren't suddenly offered up as sacrifices in place of humanity.

Arishem is pleased enough to leave the planet after this exchange.

There's A Celestial Buried Underground In San Francisco

Celestial Group On Land

The Dreaming Celestial (otherwise known as Tiamut the Communicator) tries to take on Arishem the Judge, but after Tiamut loses the popular vote and is unable to wipe out the Deviants on Earth, he is trapped for thousands of years under the Diablo Mountains in California.

It never explains why California is considered to be the perfect sanctuary for Tiamut, but it works.

Naturally, things like this have a way of unearthing themselves and even though the Deviants awake Tiamut later on, he finds himself frozen in place outside the Golden Gate Bridge as a monument to hubris.

Mr. Sinister takes advantage of this to temporarily take control and wreak havoc on the city.

Their Heads Can Be Planets

Guardians Of The Galaxy Knowhere

The frequent home base for the Guardians of the Galaxy and many of the miscreants in the universe is a planet called Knowhere.

The planet at the End of the Universe has turned into a somewhat common destination in Marvel comics, but many people may be surprised to learn that Knowhere is actually the giant head of a Celestial.

So apparently if more Celestials ever bite the dust, there could be some new exciting planets in the mix.

Also, what happened to that Celestial's body? Is it food for Galactus or is it posing as a solar system somewhere else?

Not Only Is Atlantis Real, But The Celestials Are The Ones Who Sunk It

Marvel Atlantis

Many people in the universe may have reasons to resent the Celestials (although good luck ever getting revenge), but the citizens of Atlantis are probably near the top of the list.

The craziest thing about all of this is that the sinking of Atlantis (as well as the submerging of Lemuria) was merely the aftermath of a battle between some Celestials and their Deviants.

Their fights are so drastic that the side effects nearly destroy these two continents, so imagine what could happen if Celestials actually tried to attack an area.

The Celestials create both the Eternals and the Deviants, but the latter pose concern for the Second Host of Celestials who are checking in.

They're Stupidly Tall For No Real Reason

Celestials walking through city from Marvel Comics

There are plenty of tall individuals throughout the Marvel universe, but it honestly feels like height doesn’t even mean anything for Celestials.

As if for no other reason than to prove to everyone how important they are, the typical height of a Celestial is 2000 feet tall. Frankly, it seems like they might be trying to overcompensate for something with such an unnecessarily bold height.

However, the tallest Celestial, Exitar the Executioner is actually 20,000 feet tall and he’s the Celestial’s go-to destroyer when they’ve judged that a world is a failure.

Is 20,000 feet really necessary? Couldn’t he just have absurd powers and a reasonable height instead?

They Have A Vendetta Against The Watchers

Celestials Group Prepare For War

The Watchers first appear in The Fantastic Four #13 and they have tremendous power that nearly borders on that of the Celestials.

The major difference between these two entities is that the purpose of the Watchers is to observe and not interfere, whereas the Celestials specifically pride themselves on their creations.

In spite of how the Watchers vow to not interfere, they end up crossing paths with the Celestials on multiple occasions, but are unable to assist them or make matters easier for them.

This tension has resulted in ferocious battles on occasion, but it usually doesn't get them anywhere.

There Was A Baby Celestial Inside Of The Earth

Celestials Fly To Earth

In an alternate version of reality in Earth-9997 (sometimes known as the ominous Earth X), the Celestials are seen as a race that have witnessed and conquered everything and are frustrated at their inability to push themselves even further.

The Celestials eventually turn themselves into immortal beings of energy that are contained in suits of armor.

Here the Watchers are also different and are meant to watch the Celestial embryos that are planted within the Earth.

The Fifth Host sets out to destroy the planet, but Frankin Richards in Galactus mode foils this plan by removing the embryo and eating it, playing into his Devourer of Worlds moniker.

The Celestials Are Basically Giant Batteries

Arishem The Judge arrives to judge Earth in Marvel Comics.

In spite of the extreme power that the Celestials wield, they still need to draw their power from something in order for their abilities to operate properly.

Some superheroes can irresponsibly use their strengths without consequence, but then there are also other super powered characters like Galactus, Odin, or some object like the Infinity Gauntlet, that require a reservoir to draw their strength from.

The Celestials create pocket universes, which they then siphon power from and essentially draw energy from hyperspace itself.

This is the energy the keeps the entire Marvel universe afloat, so clearly it’s a tremendous power source for the Celestials.

They’re Capable Of Regeneration And Normal Injuries Are Useless

Marvel Civil War II #1 Celestial Attack

Good luck to those out there who want to injure a Celestial, because it’s easier said than done. Not only is the strength of Celestials off the charts, their healing abilities are also absurd.

For instance, when Thor fights against the Celestial Nezzar, he successfully severs his arm with the Odinsword. Nezzar’s arm almost immediately regenerates.

This all plays into the idea that even though “normal” individuals have been able to defeat Celestials, this is an instance of a clear injury happening to them and obviously it’s ineffective.

It seems like that with Celestials, the entire thing needs to be eliminated at once, otherwise minor attacks are just going to heal and prove to be fruitless.

Nobody Knows Their True Origin

The Celestials

During the beginning of time there was basically nothing, but then there were the First Celestials and they quickly started to take control and develop the universe.

With how over explained and explored characters’ backstories and origins are in Marvel comics, it’s kind of baffling that the genesis of these powerful beings still hasn’t been definitively fleshed out to greater detail.

Maybe the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s upcoming take on them will finally dip into this mysterious territory.

Not only that, but in the comics, most people aren’t even aware of the existence of the Celestials and they’ve wiped memories before when it’s been necessary.

It’s a risky box to open.

Even Though They Are Gods, They Still Have A Boss

Marvel The Fulcrum

The Celestials comfortably sit at the upper echelon of the Marvel Universe, so it’s surprising to learn that they still have a number of responsibilities that plague them.

These beings are essentially Gods and are responsible for much of the universe, but they still respond to a higher power and aren’t the absolute top of the food chain.

In terms of hierarchy, there’s The One Above All (also known as the Fulcrum) who is basically the God of all Gods and as high up as it gets in the Marvel universe.

There is also the First Firmament, who helps both the Celestials and the Aspirants come into existence, but they soon overthrow his rule.

The Main Marvel Canon Had Only 21 Celestials Left Out There

Celestials descend on Earth in Marvel Comics.

The idea that there are nearly two-dozen super-strong Gods out there in the Marvel universe is frankly a little intimidating. If these entities ever wanted to combine their powers together, it would be a true disaster.

Once Marvel hit 21 of these guys, it feels like they just slammed the breaks and decided that they had gone far enough. Why not quit while they’re still ahead?

However, 21 is such a random number. Granted, there could be more Celestials out there that audiences haven’t met, but it just feels very inconsequential and has more to do with the fact that after 21 it’s hard to come up with varied colors and designs for new Celestials.

Their Birth Depends On The Destruction of Galaxies

Destruction Of Black Galaxy Birth Of Blue Celestial

This is still open to interpretation, but it seems that in order for a new Celestial to come into existence, a galaxy has to see destruction.

The only birth of a Celestial that’s even been put in a comic is in Thor #419 when the Black Galaxy is destroyed. Upon its destruction, the Blue Celestial gets formed from the matter and genetic material that’s in orbit.

Why should an entity that’s so obsessed with creation come about from the destruction of something else?  Does this mean that the birth of every new Celestial also mean that a new Horde comes into existence somewhere, too?

It raises a lot of questions and potential problems.

Humans Can Be Considered For Celestial Hosts

Adult Franklin Richards attacks Celestials in Marvel Comics.

The Richards family seems to experience their fair share of perks and problems in the Marvel universe.

One of the most interesting cases of this is when the Celestials at one point considered Reed Richards’ son, Franklin Richards, to be a host for one of them.

Why would they consider a mere human for such an honor and not someone with more power, like an Eternal?

Even though Franklin’s a human, he's still a powerful mutant and the Celestials consider him to be a Universe Shaper with powers that are even stronger than Omega-level mutants.

Franklin even takes out some Celestials down the road, so maybe they just wanted to try to contain this threat.

They Have Incredible Powers, But They Still Wear Armor

Celestial Masks Guardians Of The Galaxy Mission Break Out

If the Hulk or the Thing don't need armor, then why do these guys who literally created these characters?

It appears that the physics in this armor may also be altered and bigger than the armor implies because Celestials also have weapons and tools in there.

In fact, nobody knows what Celestials look like beneath their armor or even if they possess specific genders. It could just be raw energy in there, with the armor holding it all together.

The only occasions where a glimpse behind the curtain has been seen is when Tiamat takes off his helmet when he addresses the One-Above-All or when Jarnbjorn punctures the Celestial Gardner's helmet armor.

Even Though They Are Gods, They Can Still Perish

Power Stone Celestials

Even though these guys created the universe and everyone within it, that doesn't mean that they aren't beyond passing away, too.

It adds a strange degree of mortality to these super powered entities, which is ultimately important because it shows that there can be consequences that hurt them.

The typical overpowered items, like the Infinity Gauntlet, can take down a Celestial and so can Thor's mystical axe, Jarnbjorn.

Marvel's overpowered take on Franklin Richards (Galactus) has also shown he's capable of pulling off this task, and in Fantastic Four #400, Sue Storm also gets to share the honor, but only because her powers come from the same source as the Celestial's armor.

Ego Is Not A Celestial In The Marvel Comics (And Neither Is Star-Lord)

Ego The Living Planet

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 takes some interesting liberties with Kurt Russell’s character, Ego.

In the comics he’s a giant living planet, which James Gunn represents to some degree, but he’s not a Celestial. This is technically the first mention of these entities in the MCU and by extension it also implies that Star-Lord is also half-Celestial.

It remains unclear if Star-Lord’s partial Celestial status will eventually come into play.

However, taking characters like Ego and Star-Lord and putting them on the same level as the Celestials from the comics is a potentially dangerous idea as they only show a sliver of the strength of what they should be capable of doing.

A Single Weapon Could Still Take Out Billions Of Celestials

Marvel Godkiller Weapon

The Celestials have found themselves in a handful of serious wars throughout time, but the Aspirants really do a number on them.

During the battle between the Celestials and the Aspirants, the Aspirants come up with an intimidating weapon known as the Godkiller. It's a tool that's five miles tall and wipes out billions of Celestials.

This along with an attack from the Ivory King (also known as Beyonders) are the reasons why there are only 21 Celestials left and the race is "endangered," so to speak.

It truly seemed like the Aspirants could have dominated the Celestials if they played their attack better.