====== Marvel's Cosmic Entities: A Guide to the Universe's Architects ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity:** **Marvel's Cosmic Entities are the living, personified forces of reality, abstract concepts of existence given consciousness and near-limitless power who function as the architects, arbiters, and fundamental components of the Multiverse.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  *  **Role in the Universe:** These beings are not simply powerful aliens; they are the embodiment of essential universal concepts such as time ([[eternity]]), space ([[infinity]]), death ([[death]]), creation, and destruction. They maintain the cosmic balance, often operating on a scale incomprehensible to mortals, from judging entire realities with the [[living_tribunal]] to consuming worlds to sustain the universal equilibrium with [[galactus]].
  *  **Primary Impact:** Their actions, and sometimes inaction, define the very laws of physics and existence. Major cosmic events like the [[infinity_gauntlet]] saga or the destruction and rebirth of the multiverse in //Secret Wars// are direct results of their power being usurped, challenged, or unleashed. They are the ultimate stakeholders in the fate of all reality.
  *  **Key Incarnations:** In the comics (**Earth-616**), the cosmic entities form a vast, complex, and often shifting hierarchy of power. In the **Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)**, they are introduced more gradually and functionally, often with simplified origins and roles (like the [[celestials]] as galactic creators) to serve specific cinematic narratives rather than an overarching cosmic pantheon.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
The concept of cosmic entities in the Marvel Universe is intrinsically linked to the creative explosion of the Silver Age of comics, primarily driven by the visionary minds of Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Steve Ditko. These creators sought to push the boundaries of comic book storytelling beyond street-level heroics, venturing into psychedelic, mind-bending, and philosophical realms.
The first true cosmic entity to be introduced was [[the_watcher|Uatu the Watcher]] in //Fantastic Four #13// (1963), an immensely powerful being sworn to non-interference. However, the floodgates truly opened with two landmark series:
  * **//Doctor Strange// in //Strange Tales//:** Steve Ditko's surreal and abstract art defined the look and feel of Marvel's magical and cosmic dimensions. It was here, in //Strange Tales #138// (1965), that readers first met **Eternity**, the literal personification of the universe. This was a revolutionary concept, portraying a superhero's struggle not against a villain with a bomb, but against forces that sought to unravel a fundamental aspect of reality.
  * **//The Fantastic Four// and //Thor//:** Jack Kirby and Stan Lee used these titles to build out the cosmic framework. The introduction of **Galactus**, the Devourer of Worlds, and his herald, the [[silver_surfer]], in //Fantastic Four #48-50// (1966) established a new tier of threat. Galactus wasn't simply evil; he was a force of nature, a concept that added immense depth to the Marvel cosmos. Shortly after, Kirby's work on //Thor// introduced the **Celestials** in //The Eternals #1// (1976), mysterious space gods who seeded life and judged civilizations, creating a deep mythological history for the universe.
Later, writer-artist Jim Starlin would become a key architect of the cosmic landscape. His work in the 1970s and beyond, particularly with characters like [[captain_marvel_mar-vell|Captain Marvel]], [[warlock_adam|Adam Warlock]], and [[thanos]], delved deeply into the philosophical roles of **Death**, **Lord Chaos**, and **Master Order**, culminating in the universe-defining event, //The Infinity Gauntlet// (1991), which brought nearly the entire cosmic pantheon together on the page for the first time.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
The origin of the cosmic entities is the origin of existence itself. However, the specifics of this genesis differ dramatically between the complex, iterative cosmology of the comics and the more streamlined, story-focused version presented in the MCU.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
The history of the Marvel Multiverse is cyclical, with each iteration of reality referred to as a "Cosmos." The current reality is the Eighth Cosmos, created after the events of //Secret Wars// (2015). The cosmic entities are intrinsically tied to this cycle of destruction and rebirth.
The origin begins before the first Big Bang, with a sentient, solitary universe known as the **First Firmament**. It was a singular, perfect, and lonely existence. To create companionship, it created life: the Aspirants and the Celestials. The Celestials' desire to create a dynamic, evolving, and diverse universe with mortality clashed with the Aspirants' wish to remain subservient to the static perfection of the Firmament. This led to a catastrophic civil war.
The Celestials' weapons tore a hole in the First Firmament, allowing raw energy to pour in and gestate. This energy exploded outwards, shattering the First Firmament and giving birth to the **Second Cosmos**, the first Multiverse. From this new, complex reality, its core principles became sentient. The universe as a whole gained consciousness as **Eternity**, its infinite aspects became **Infinity**, the end of all things became **Death**, and the void of non-existence became **Oblivion**. These four beings—Eternity, Infinity, Death, and Oblivion—form the foundational "Cosmic Compass" of reality.
Each time the Multiverse ends and is reborn, the cosmic entities are reborn with it, sometimes in slightly different forms. The Seventh Cosmos was destroyed by the incursions and the Beyonders, but was eventually restored by [[reed_richards|Reed Richards]], giving birth to the current Eighth Cosmos. In this new iteration, the core concepts were re-established, but new entities also emerged, representing the changed laws of the new reality. For instance, Galan of Taa, the sole survivor of the Sixth Cosmos, was transformed by the sentience of the Seventh Cosmos into **Galactus**, a being required to maintain the balance between Eternity and Death.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The MCU (designated as **Earth-199999**) presents a far less detailed and more mythological origin for its cosmic beings, revealing information only as needed by the plot. There is no mention of the cyclical "Cosmos" or the First Firmament.
The primary origin story revolves around the Big Bang. As explained by The Collector in //Guardians of the Galaxy// (2014), before creation itself, there were six singularities. The Big Bang forged the remnants of these singularities into concentrated ingots: the **[[infinity_stones]]**. While the stones themselves are not sentient entities in the same way as their comic counterparts (e.g., the Ego Gem), they represent the fundamental forces of the universe: Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Time, and Soul.
The oldest known sentient entities in the MCU are the **Celestials**. As revealed in //Eternals// (2021), they are ancient, god-like beings who predate the known galaxy. Their purpose is to create new Celestials. They achieve this by seeding planets with life, allowing that life to flourish and generate the massive amount of energy required for a new Celestial to "emerge" from the planet's core, destroying the planet and its civilization in the process. They created the [[eternals|Eternals]] and the Deviants to protect this process. This positions them as pragmatic, amoral creators and destroyers on a galactic scale, a significant deviation from their comic role as genetic experimenters and judges.
Other entities have been glimpsed, suggesting a broader pantheon. **Eternity** is introduced in //Thor: Love and Thunder// (2022) as a being residing at the center of the universe that grants a wish to the first person to reach it. This depicts Eternity not as the personification //of// the universe, but as a powerful, ancient being //within// it, a key functional adaptation for the film's plot. The **Living Tribunal** makes a fleeting appearance in //Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness// (2022) as [[doctor_strange|Doctor Strange]] and America Chavez tumble through dimensions, confirming its existence as a multiversal arbiter, though its role and power are yet to be defined. The Watchers are also confirmed to exist, observing the multiverse as shown in the //What If...?// animated series.
===== Part 3: The Cosmic Pantheon: A Hierarchy of Power =====
While power levels can fluctuate based on the story's needs, the comic universe maintains a generally accepted (though often debated) hierarchy of cosmic power. This hierarchy helps to contextualize the scale on which these beings operate. The MCU's version is currently much flatter and less defined.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
The hierarchy is vast, with dozens of entities occupying different roles. Here are the most significant tiers:
==== The Supreme Being: The One-Above-All ====
Positioned above all others, The One-Above-All is the ultimate creator of the Marvel Omniverse. It is, for all intents and purposes, the in-universe representation of the supreme creator, possibly even the Marvel writers themselves. It rarely intervenes directly, having appeared only a handful of times, most notably to console Peter Parker after the death of Aunt May and to guide the Fantastic Four after they ventured beyond reality. Its power is absolute and infinite, transcending all other cosmic entities combined.
==== The Ultimate Judge: The Living Tribunal ====
Serving as the right hand of The One-Above-All, the Living Tribunal is the ultimate arbiter of cosmic law and maintains the balance of power across the entire Multiverse. It is a humanoid being with three faces, each representing a different aspect of its judgment: Equity, Necessity, and Vengeance. A verdict is only passed if all three faces agree. The Tribunal's power is so immense that it can shut down the Infinity Gems collectively, as it views their combined power as an unnatural disruption to the universal hierarchy. It only acts when the balance of an entire universe or the Multiverse itself is at stake. It was famously killed by the Beyonders just before the events of //Secret Wars// (2015), an act that demonstrated the Beyonders' incredible threat level.
==== The Cosmic Compass: The Four Necessities ====
These four entities are siblings and represent the most fundamental pillars of existence.
  * **Eternity:** The sentient personification of the universe and all of time. It contains everything within its being—galaxies, stars, planets, and all living things. When a threat is powerful enough to endanger the entire universe, it is Eternity that is truly at risk. It is often the entity that champions or empowers heroes like Doctor Strange to act as its agent.
  * **Infinity:** Eternity's "sister" and counterpart, Infinity is the personification of all of space. The two are essentially two sides of the same coin, representing the totality of the space-time continuum. They almost always act in unison.
  * **Death (Mistress Death):** The embodiment of the end of life and decay. Death is not typically portrayed as evil, but as a necessary and natural part of existence. She often takes the form of a robed skeleton or a beautiful woman and resides in a domain known as the Realm of Death. She was the object of Thanos's obsession, and his quest to win her affection by extinguishing half of all life was the driving motivation behind the //Infinity Gauntlet// saga.
  * **Oblivion:** The personification of non-existence, the void that existed before creation and to which all things will eventually return. Oblivion is arguably the most powerful of the four, as it represents the ultimate entropy and end state of the universe. It is less active than its siblings, content to wait for everything to cease to exist.
==== The Force of Balance: Galactus ====
Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, is a unique entity. Originally a mortal named Galan from the universe before ours, he was reborn in the Big Bang as a fundamental force of nature. He is not truly a part of the Cosmic Compass but serves a critical function related to it: his consumption of planets maintains the cosmic balance between Eternity (creation) and Death (destruction). He requires planets with the potential to support life, as it is this "life energy" that sustains him. While his actions are viewed as monstrous by mortal civilizations, the other cosmic entities view him as a necessary part of the universal architecture.
==== The Shapers of Reality: The Celestials ====
The Celestials are a mysterious race of colossal, armored "space gods." Their true purpose is to foster the evolution of life throughout the cosmos. They visit worlds in waves, known as "Hosts," to perform genetic experiments on the dominant lifeforms. On Earth, their experiments resulted in the creation of two divergent subspecies of humanity: the god-like, immortal [[eternals|Eternals]] and the genetically unstable, monstrous Deviants. They also inadvertently implanted the "X-Gene" in humanity's DNA, which would eventually lead to the emergence of [[mutants]]. After a period of time, they return to judge whether their creations are worthy of survival. Their power is immense, capable of creating and destroying life on a planetary scale with ease.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The MCU's cosmic hierarchy is far simpler and is built around tangible, observable power.
  * **The Celestials:** In the MCU, the Celestials are positioned as the primary creative force in the universe, at least on a galactic scale. Arishem the Judge is the Prime Celestial and leader. Their power is demonstrated by their ability to create stars (as seen in Ego's expansion) and their role in the "Emergence" cycle. Ego, Peter Quill's father in //Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2//, was a Celestial, though his nature as a living planet with a humanoid avatar is unique.
  * **Eternity:** As seen in //Thor: Love and Thunder//, Eternity is presented less as the universe itself and more as a powerful genie-like entity at the "Altar of Eternity." It is a destination rather than a omnipresent being, and its primary function appears to be granting a single, reality-altering wish. Its power is clearly immense, as it was able to cure Jane Foster's cancer and resurrect her as a goddess, but its role as a fundamental force is downplayed in favor of a plot device.
  * **The Watchers:** Led by Uatu, the Watchers are multiversal observers sworn to non-interference, a vow they frequently break. As shown in //What If...?//, Uatu is powerful enough to perceive all timelines and can empower champions (the Guardians of the Multiverse), but he was nearly defeated by a version of Ultron who possessed the Infinity Stones, suggesting a limit to his power compared to the ultimate artifacts of his reality.
  * **The Living Tribunal:** Its existence is confirmed, but its role and power level are entirely unknown. Its presence implies a multiversal order and judgment, but this has yet to be explored.
===== Part 4: Cosmic Conflicts and Alliances =====
The interactions between cosmic entities, and between them and mortal beings, are the basis for some of Marvel's most epic stories. These conflicts are not about territory or riches, but about the fundamental laws of existence.
==== The Tyranny of Thanos ====
Thanos of Titan is the nexus of many cosmic conflicts. His nihilistic love for Mistress Death drove him to seek ultimate power. In the //Infinity Gauntlet// storyline, upon assembling all six Infinity Gems, he became functionally omnipotent. He effortlessly defeated Earth's heroes and then systematically imprisoned the major cosmic entities, including Galactus, the Stranger, Lord Chaos, Master Order, and even Eternity itself. This event was a stark demonstration that the established order could be overthrown, forcing the entire pantheon to work together—and ultimately rely on the cunning of a mortal, [[warlock_adam|Adam Warlock]]—to restore balance.
==== The Judgment of the Celestials ====
The Celestials' cycle of judgment is a recurring source of conflict. Their Fourth Host's arrival on Earth forced humanity, the Eternals, and even the gods of Asgard and Olympus to join forces to prove Earth's worthiness. The sheer power of the Celestials was displayed when they effortlessly merged into a singular, colossal being, the God-Killer, which dwarfed even the Asgardian Destroyer armor empowered by the souls of all Asgardians except Thor. Humanity was ultimately spared due to the intervention of Gaea, the Earth Mother, who presented twelve exceptional humans as proof of the planet's potential.
==== The Annihilation Wave ====
The //Annihilation// event showcased a different kind of cosmic conflict. The invasion of the universe by Annihilus and his fleet from the Negative Zone was not a philosophical threat, but a direct, existential military one. This crisis forced pragmatic alliances between heroes like [[nova_richard_rider|Nova]], cosmic forces like Galactus and the Silver Surfer, and even villains like Thanos. The event highlighted that while entities like Galactus are forces of nature, they are still part of the universal ecosystem and will defend it from outside corruption. Galactus's unrestrained power, when unleashed as a weapon against the Annihilation Wave, was a terrifying sight.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
Certain storylines are essential reading for understanding the role and scale of Marvel's cosmic entities.
==== The Infinity Gauntlet (1991) ====
This is the archetypal cosmic entity story. Thanos, empowered by the Infinity Gauntlet, seeks to court Mistress Death by extinguishing half of all life in the universe. The story's second act is a breathtaking display of cosmic power, as the abstract entities of the universe, led by Eternity, directly confront Thanos. The battle is one of concepts and wills as much as it is of energy blasts. The ultimate lesson of the saga is one of cosmic hubris: Thanos is ultimately defeated not by superior power, but by his own subconscious belief that he is unworthy of the power he wields, allowing Nebula to snatch the Gauntlet from him. The event solidified the cosmic hierarchy for a generation of readers.
==== Annihilation (2006) ====
This storyline revitalized Marvel's cosmic characters and setting. Centered on the invasion by Annihilus, the story is told from the perspective of characters like Nova, Drax the Destroyer, and the Silver Surfer. It provided a gritty, "boots-on-the-ground" view of a cosmic war. The roles of Galactus and his former heralds are central to the conflict, as they are among the few beings powerful enough to turn the tide. //Annihilation// was praised for its world-building and for making the cosmic scale feel both immense and intensely personal. It demonstrated that even without the top-tier abstracts like Eternity, cosmic stories could carry immense weight and consequence.
==== Secret Wars (2015) ====
This event was the culmination of Jonathan Hickman's epic run on //Avengers// and //New Avengers//. The storyline involves the systematic destruction of the entire Marvel Multiverse by the enigmatic and all-powerful Beyonders. In a shocking display of power, the Beyonders succeed in killing the Living Tribunal and all the Celestials, effectively dismantling the entire cosmic order. The event explores what happens when the fundamental laws of reality break down. Doctor Doom, by stealing the Beyonders' power, becomes "God Emperor Doom" and forges a new reality, Battleworld, from the remnants of the dead multiverse. This story is a deep dive into the nature of creation, power, and reality, placing a mortal man in the role of the supreme cosmic being.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
==== The Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610) ====
The Ultimate Universe sought to reimagine Marvel characters for a modern audience, and its cosmic entities were no exception. The most significant change was to Galactus, who was re-envisioned not as a single humanoid being but as a sentient, planet-consuming hive-mind of robotic drones called **Gah Lak Tus**. This swarm was a technological plague rather than a cosmic force of nature. This version was eventually consumed by the mainstream Galactus of Earth-616.
==== What If...? (MCU Animated Series) ====
The MCU's //What If...?// series has provided the best look at how cosmic-level power can manifest in its multiverse. Two key examples stand out:
  * **Infinity Ultron:** In one reality, Ultron successfully uploads his consciousness into Vision's body and acquires all six Infinity Stones. He becomes a being of immense power, destroying all life in his universe and eventually becoming aware of the Watcher and the multiverse itself. He battles the Watcher across dimensions, demonstrating power on a scale that rivals any entity seen in the main MCU timeline.
  * **Doctor Strange Supreme:** A version of Stephen Strange who, consumed by grief, absorbs countless mystical beings to gain enough power to reverse an "absolute point" in time—the death of Christine Palmer. In doing so, he destroys his entire universe, leaving him as its sole, sorrowful survivor. He operates on a cosmic scale, demonstrating that even mortals in the MCU can ascend to a level of power that threatens the fabric of a reality.
===== See Also =====
  * [[thanos]]
  * [[galactus]]
  * [[living_tribunal]]
  * [[eternity]]
  * [[infinity_stones]]
  * [[celestials]]
  * [[the_watcher]]
  * [[doctor_strange]]
  * [[secret_wars]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((The concept of The One-Above-All is often attributed to Jack Kirby, who was depicted meeting the Fantastic Four in //Fantastic Four #511// as the being responsible for their creation.))
((The Living Tribunal's three faces—Equity, Necessity, and Vengeance—were once revealed to be covering a fourth, void-like face, which represents the Stranger.))
((In the original comics, the Infinity Gems were called Soul Gems. Their colors and specific domains (Power, Time, Space, etc.) were codified later, primarily for the //Infinity Gauntlet// storyline, and these choices heavily influenced their portrayal in the MCU.))
((The visual design for Eternity, a silhouette containing the cosmos, was a groundbreaking piece of abstract art by Steve Ditko in 1965 and has remained one of the most iconic designs in comics.))
((While the Phoenix Force is often considered a cosmic entity, it is more accurately described as a "nexus of all psionic energy," a fundamental force of life and passion that requires a host, distinguishing it from self-aware abstracts like Eternity or Death.))
((Key Reading List: //Fantastic Four// (1961) #48-50 (First Galactus), //Strange Tales// (1951) #130-146 (First Eternity), //The Infinity Gauntlet// (1991) #1-6, //Annihilation// (2006) #1-6, //Eternals// (1976) #1, //New Avengers// (2013) #1-33 (Buildup to Secret Wars), //Ultimates// (2015) & //Ultimates 2// (2016) (Modern cosmic hierarchy exploration).))