Major spoilers for AXE Judgment Day Omega #1!"Nothing will be the same after this" is an oft-repeated refrain many comic fans have grown tired of, but the recent Judgment Day event - and the way it has changed the Eternals - shows that this time, it's more than a hollow boast.
Major crossovers or "events" have been a comic book staple for decades - depending on how you define an event, from anywhere between Steve Engleheart and Sal Buscema's Avengers/Defenders War in 1973 to Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel's House of M redefining summer reading. While some events do create major shockwaves that ripple throughout the Marvel Universe long after, most of them are quickly forgotten. Only the most die-hard fans could precisely detail the impact of Days of Future Present or Bloodties on modern Marvel continuity. Since the 2000s, to try to get around this, Marvel has engaged in a strategy that creates hype for events by proclaiming it will have huge consequences for fans' favorite characters. However, after a number of events that ended up changing very little despite dozens of tie-ins, most fans have become skeptical of this kind of promise - which Marvel is acknowledging in promoting the post-AXE: Judgment Day status quo.
AXE Judgment Day was controversial upon its announcement, as it seemed like one more in an oversaturated list of recent hero vs. hero events. However, Kieron Gillen, Valerio Schiti and the events' other creators managed to subvert expectations, and the event went in a completely different direction after teasing an Eternals vs X-Men war. With the public revelation of the nature of Eternal immortality (a human is automatically killed to bring back any Eternal who falls), Eternals went from being little-known but fairly well-liked, to being seen in an even worse light than mutants, a race of immortal, superpowered energy parasites despised by the world. This seems like a classic "nothing will be the same ever again for the Eternals" post-event scenario, but this is lampshaded in the summary for AXE Judgment Day Omega #1, from Gillen and Guiu Vilanova.
The fallout of Judgment Day is felt! After events, we make promises. “Nothing will ever be the same again.” For the Eternals, it’s a lie. It’s always the same and always will be. However, in the wake of Judgment Day, they discover what is truly Eternal...
Judgment Day Gives the Eternals a New Beginning
In the wake of Judgment Day revealing their greatest flaws and sins, the Eternals are trying to change, but there's the real possibility that thanks to the Celestials, they lack the free will to do so. Ajak's new Celestial form is attempting to break the Eternals' programming, but she admits she doesn't know how, and Zuras' return as Prime Eternals has already condemned her as a heretic. Judgment Day pulled off the cliché ending of reversing most of the event - though humanity still remembers how everyone acted during the end of the world, and hates the Eternals - but in doing so, it places the responsibility for change on the Eternals' shoulders. If they can change, they have a chance at redemption, but if not, they really are as monstrous as they seem - clockwork weapons built to do nothing but kill.
The Eternals Have Never Been More Interesting
AXE: Judgment Day has, ironically enough, already created huge changes. The enigmatic species known as Eternals are a lot less enigmatic, at the expense of being far less beloved. Eternals have seen huge internal changes, to their politics, society and religious doctrine, and are now officially allied to Krakoa as penance for their previous aggressive action. It seems that already, Judgment Day has fulfilled Marvel's oft-repeated and oft-broken promise. And yet, the intriguing tease that they may have stalled as a group manages to address a common fan complaint in a way that strengthens Judgment Day as an event, and the Eternals as a franchise.
AXE Judgment Day Omega #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.