====== Tiamut the Communicator ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity: Tiamut the Communicator is an immensely powerful member of the cosmic race known as the [[celestials|Celestials]], who was imprisoned on Earth for billions of years for a perceived betrayal and later became known as the Dreaming Celestial.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  * **Role in the Universe:** As a Celestial, Tiamut's original function was to serve the cosmic agenda of his kind: seeding, experimenting on, and ultimately judging fledgling worlds. His specific designation as "The Communicator" implies a role in interfacing with other Celestials or nascent life, though the full extent of this function remains mysterious. In the [[marvel_comics|Earth-616]] continuity, his long imprisonment and subsequent awakening transformed him into a silent, contemplative judge of humanity. In the [[marvel_cinematic_universe|Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)]], his role was simplified to being the dormant "seed" of a new Celestial, whose birth, known as the Emergence, would have destroyed the planet [[earth]].
  * **Primary Impact:** Tiamut's most significant impact in the comics was his transformation into the **Dreaming Celestial**. After being awakened, he stood silently over San Francisco, forcing humanity, particularly the [[x-men|X-Men]], to confront their own nature without direct intervention. His presence became a planetary landmark and a constant, unnerving reminder of humanity's place in the cosmos. In the MCU, his aborted emergence was the central conflict of the film //Eternals//, forcing the titular team to defy their creator, [[arishem_the_judge|Arishem the Judge]], and save humanity at the cost of their primary mission.
  * **Key Incarnations:** The fundamental difference lies in his consciousness and agency. The Earth-616 Tiamut is a fully realized character with a history of betrayal, a conscious awakening, and a complex (if silent) judgment. The MCU Tiamut is presented as an embryonic, non-sentient cosmic being whose "birth" is a natural, albeit catastrophic, process, with his consciousness never fully forming before he is stopped.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
Tiamut, initially referred to as "The Sleeping Celestial," was created by the legendary writer and artist **Jack "The King" Kirby**. His first appearance was in **//The Eternals// #18**, published in December 1977. Kirby introduced the Celestials as a race of inscrutable, god-like space beings responsible for creating the [[eternals|Eternals]] and [[deviants|Deviants]] on Earth. The concept of a fourth, renegade Celestial imprisoned beneath the Earth was a core mystery of Kirby's original run.
The name "Tiamut" and his designation as "The Communicator" were later established by subsequent writers, linking him to the Babylonian goddess of the primordial sea, a fitting name for a being of immense, ancient power. His transformation into the Dreaming Celestial was a pivotal storyline in the 2006 //Eternals// miniseries by writer **Neil Gaiman** and artist **John Romita Jr.**, which revitalized the characters for a modern audience. His subsequent role as a silent watcher over the X-Men's base in San Francisco was a major plot point in Matt Fraction's run on //Uncanny X-Men//, solidifying his unique place in the Marvel Universe as a passive, yet profoundly influential, cosmic entity.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
The origin of Tiamut is a tale of cosmic scale, differing dramatically between the comic book canon and the cinematic universe.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Tiamut's history is interwoven with the very dawn of sentient life on Earth. He was part of the **First Host** of Celestials that arrived on Earth approximately one million years ago. Alongside luminaries like [[arishem_the_judge|Arishem the Judge]], [[one_above_all_celestial|Oneg the Prober]], and [[ziran_the_tester|Ziran the Tester]], Tiamut participated in the genetic experiments on early hominids that resulted in the creation of two divergent offshoots of humanity: the god-like Eternals and the genetically unstable Deviants. This act set in motion a planetary destiny that the Celestials would return to judge in later eras.
Tiamut served faithfully through the Second and Third Hosts. The Second Host arrived around 21,000 BC to check on their experiment's progress and found the Deviants had created a vast, global empire, conquering most of the planet. In response, Arishem the Judge ordered a devastating bombardment that sank the Deviant continent of Lemuria and reshaped the world in a "Great Cataclysm."
Tiamut's fall from grace occurred during this period. The full details are shrouded in cosmic mystery, but it is known that one of Tiamut's fellow Celestials, **Arishem's long-forgotten rival**, began questioning the Celestials' core mission of forced evolution and judgment. This dissenting Celestial was deemed a heretic. Tiamut, as The Communicator, was ordered to kill him. However, Tiamut hesitated or outright refused, an act of defiance that Arishem and the other Celestials viewed as the ultimate betrayal. For this crime, his life-essence was ripped from his cosmic armor and he was cast out. Another Celestial, **Hargen the Measurer**, sealed Tiamut's now-dormant physical form deep within the Earth's crust, in a location that would later become the Diablo Mountains in California. He was designated "The Renegade" and his existence was largely stricken from Celestial records, leaving only the legend of the "Sleeping Celestial."
For millennia, he remained in a death-like slumber, his immense power inert. His silent presence was eventually detected by the Deviants, who built a temple above him, and later by humans. During the **Fourth Host**, when Arishem arrived to pass final judgment on Earth, the combined power of the Asgardian [[destroyer_armor|Destroyer]] armor (inhabited by the souls of all Asgardians except Thor) and the Uni-Mind (a collective consciousness of the Eternals) was unable to even scratch the armor of the Celestials. It was later revealed that the energy blast they unleashed was silently absorbed by the sleeping Tiamut, preventing it from being turned back on Earth and destroying the planet.
His true awakening came millions of years later. In the modern era, the Eternal known as [[makkari|Makkari]], who had been granted the ability to communicate with the Dreaming Celestial, was manipulated into using his powers to awaken the giant. Upon rising, Tiamut did not seek vengeance or destruction. Instead, he simply stood, silent and motionless, his form towering over San Francisco. He had become the **Dreaming Celestial**, a being contemplating a truth far beyond mortal or even Celestial understanding, a living monument to cosmic consequence.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
In the MCU, Tiamut's origin is fundamentally different and serves a more direct, narrative purpose within the film //Eternals// (2021). Here, Tiamut is not a fallen member of a Host but rather an embryonic Celestial whose "seed" was planted in the core of the Earth billions of years ago by Arishem the Judge.
The entire purpose of life on Earth, from Arishem's perspective, was to serve as an incubator. The energy generated by a large, intelligent, and thriving population was necessary to fuel the gestation of the new Celestial. The planet itself was not a subject of judgment, but a cosmic egg. The process of the Celestial's birth is called **The Emergence**. When the planet's population reaches a critical threshold, the Celestial awakens and emerges from the planet's core, completely destroying the planet in the process. This act of creation-through-destruction releases an immense amount of energy, which in turn allows Arishem to create new suns and seed countless new worlds with life, continuing the cosmic cycle.
To protect this process, Arishem created the Eternals. These synthetic beings were programmed with a deep-seated loyalty to their mission: to protect the host planet's dominant intelligent life (humanity) from the Deviants, a race of predators also created by Arishem that had evolved beyond his control. The Eternals believed they were saving humanity for its own sake. Their memories were wiped after each successful Emergence, and they were sent to a new planet to repeat the process, believing it was their first mission.
The Earth-based Eternals, led by [[ajak|Ajak]] and later [[sersei|Sersi]], eventually discovered the true nature of their mission. They learned that their entire existence was a lie designed to facilitate planetary genocide. Tiamut's impending Emergence became the central conflict. The team was fractured: some, like [[ikaros|Ikaris]], remained loyal to Arishem's grand design, arguing that the sacrifice of one planet was necessary for the creation of billions of new lives. Others, led by Sersi, had grown to love humanity and refused to allow its destruction.
Tiamut himself displayed no consciousness during this period. He was a force of nature, a cosmic event about to happen. As the Emergence began, his massive hand and head broke through the Earth's crust in the Indian Ocean. In a final, desperate act, Sersi, channeling the power of the Uni-Mind formed by all the Eternals, used her matter-transmutation abilities to tap into Tiamut's own immense cosmic power. She transformed his entire emerging form into a harmless, marble-like substance, effectively killing the nascent Celestial and freezing his partially-emerged body in place, saving the Earth but defying a fundamental law of the universe.
===== Part 3: Powers, Abilities & Cosmic Significance =====
As a Celestial, Tiamut is a being of near-incalculable power, operating on a scale that dwarfs most other cosmic entities in the Marvel Universe. What is the power level of a Celestial? It is often described as near-omnipotent.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
In his prime as a full member of the Celestial Host, Tiamut possessed the standard suite of powers common to his race, making him one of the most powerful beings in existence.
  *   **Cosmic Energy Manipulation:** Celestials can generate and manipulate vast quantities of cosmic energy for virtually any purpose. This can manifest as concussive force blasts capable of shattering planets, protective force fields that are effectively impenetrable, and the power to create or destroy life on a galactic scale.
  *   **Matter and Reality Manipulation:** Tiamut can transmute matter and energy at a molecular level with a mere thought. He can create complex lifeforms from simple matter, alter the genetic code of entire species (as he did with humanity), and reshape reality on a localized or even universal scale.
  *   **Superhuman Physicality:** While they rarely engage in physical combat, a Celestial's physical form is immense, typically standing around 2,000 feet tall. Their armor is composed of an unknown cosmic material that is nigh-indestructible, capable of withstanding planetary destruction and blasts from beings like Odin and Zeus combined. Their strength is similarly immeasurable.
  *   **Psionic Abilities:** Celestials possess psionic abilities of an infinite order. They can communicate telepathically across galaxies, read the minds of any being, and possess a cosmic awareness that grants them knowledge of events across space and time. Tiamut's designation as "The Communicator" suggests his psionic abilities may have been specialized or even more potent than his brethren, perhaps allowing him to interface directly with the fabric of reality or the consciousness of entire worlds.
  *   **Immortality and Resurrection:** Celestials are, for all intents and purposes, immortal. They do not age and are immune to all known diseases and toxins. Even if their physical form is somehow destroyed, their consciousness can persist and eventually regenerate or build a new body.
As the **Dreaming Celestial**, his state is more complex. While dormant, he was still powerful enough to effortlessly absorb an energy blast that would have destroyed Earth. Upon awakening, his power seemed more passive. He did not act, but his mere presence was a source of immense cosmic energy. He was able to communicate with Makkari and later with the [[x-men|X-Men]], sharing cosmic truths and passing judgment not through action, but through silent observation and the subtle manipulation of events. He eventually judged humanity worthy, but his ultimate purpose and the nature of his "dream" remain one of the universe's great unknowns.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The MCU's depiction of Tiamut's power is more inferred than demonstrated, as he is never seen in a fully conscious, active state. His power is understood through the consequences of his existence.
  *   **Planetary Destruction:** The most explicit power attributed to Tiamut is the ability to destroy a planet simply by being born. The Emergence is an extinction-level event of the highest order, requiring the complete shattering of the planetary body he gestated within.
  *   **Source of Cosmic Energy:** The energy released by his birth is stated by Arishem to be sufficient to create new suns and galaxies. This frames Celestials not just as powerful beings, but as fundamental engines of cosmic creation and destruction, a core part of the universe's life cycle.
  *   **Inherent Cosmic Power:** Even in his dormant, embryonic state, his power was immense. Sersi was only able to halt his emergence by connecting to his own power source through the Uni-Mind. She did not overpower him; she redirected his own limitless energy to transform him. This implies that even a baby Celestial possesses more raw power than the combined might of ten Eternals.
  *   **Physical Scale:** The brief moments of his Emergence showed a being of truly mind-boggling scale. His hand alone was the size of a large island, and his partially-emerged body became a permanent, mountainous fixture in the ocean, a testament to his sheer physical size.
The key difference is one of agency. Earth-616 Tiamut is a character who wields his power. MCU Tiamut //is// the power—a natural, catastrophic event that the protagonists must prevent.
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
For a being as ancient and remote as Tiamut, "relationships" are defined by cosmic hierarchies, ancient betrayals, and the lesser beings who interact with him.
==== Core Allies ====
In the traditional sense, Tiamut has few allies. His primary connections are those who sought to understand or aid him after his long imprisonment.
  *   **Makkari (Earth-616):** The Eternal speedster was chosen by the Dreaming Celestial to be his speaker. For a time, Makkari lost his ability to move at super-speed but gained the ability to understand and communicate with the giant. Makkari became his sole prophet, trying to interpret the Celestial's silent dream for the world, making him Tiamut's most important and direct connection to mortal life.
  *   **The Eternals of Earth (Earth-616, post-awakening):** While his imprisonment was a source of great fear, after his awakening, the Eternals (particularly Ikaris and Zuras) recognized him not as a threat, but as a cosmic fixture. They took on a role as his guardians, protecting his inert form and trying to decipher his intentions.
  *   **The X-Men (Earth-616):** When the X-Men relocated to San Francisco, the Dreaming Celestial's silent form became their neighbor. Cyclops and his team treated the Celestial with a mixture of awe and strategic caution. They eventually appealed directly to him for judgment during a conflict, and the Celestial, after scanning their minds and hearts, chose to remain silent, a tacit approval that allowed them to continue their mission.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
Tiamut's enemies are beings of his own cosmic weight class.
  *   **Arishem the Judge (Earth-616 & MCU):** Arishem is Tiamut's chief antagonist in both universes. In the comics, Arishem was the one who condemned Tiamut for his defiance and ordered his imprisonment, seeing his act of mercy or hesitation as a threat to the fundamental mission of the Celestials. In the MCU, Arishem is Tiamut's creator and would-be master, whose grand cosmic plan necessitated Tiamut's destructive birth. The conflict is less personal and more ideological in the MCU, but Arishem remains the ultimate authority Tiamut's saviors must defy.
  *   **The Celestial Host (Earth-616):** The collective of Celestials who sided with Arishem are Tiamut's enemies. Beings like [[exitar_the_exterminator|Exitar the Exterminator]], [[nezarr_the_calculator|Nezarr the Calculator]], and others all participated in or upheld his sentence. They represent the monolithic, unquestioning dogma that Tiamut dared to defy.
  *   **The Eternals of Earth (MCU):** In a stark reversal of the comics, the Eternals are Tiamut's primary antagonists in the MCU. While they were created to protect his incubation, their development of free will and love for humanity led them to actively prevent his birth. Sersi, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, and Thena all fought directly to stop him, making them the agents of his demise.
==== Affiliations ====
  *   **The Celestials:** Tiamut was once a loyal and high-ranking member of the Celestial Host, participating in their cosmic experiments across the universe for eons. His primary affiliation is, and always will be, with his own kind, even after being cast out as a renegade. His entire identity is defined by his relationship to the Celestial order, either as a servant or a heretic.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
Tiamut's journey is defined by three key narrative arcs that transformed him from a background mystery into a fully-fledged character.
=== The Fourth Host (//The Eternals// Vol. 1) ===
During Jack Kirby's original saga, the mystery of the "Sleeping Celestial" was a crucial subplot. The Deviants, led by Priest-Lord Ghaur, sought to awaken the entombed Celestial, believing they could control his immense power and use it to challenge Arishem and the Fourth Host. The Eternals fought to prevent this, understanding that unleashing such a being could have apocalyptic consequences. This storyline established Tiamut (then unnamed) as a cosmic "nuclear option," a figure of immense power whose true nature and history were unknown but whose potential was terrifying. His silent absorption of the Destroyer/Uni-Mind's energy blast was a key moment, revealing that even in slumber, his power was beyond comprehension.
=== The Awakening (//Eternals// Vol. 2, 2006) ===
In Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.'s influential miniseries, the Dreaming Celestial was finally brought to the forefront. Makkari, desperate for purpose, becomes the catalyst for Tiamut's awakening. The narrative frames this not as an act of evil, but as a cosmic destiny being fulfilled. Tiamut's rise from the Earth is a world-shaking event. But instead of destruction, he simply stops and stands, silent and observing. He communicates his purpose to Makkari: he is no longer a destroyer or a surveyor, but a judge of a different kind. He will watch and wait, and his final judgment will be based on the totality of Earth's existence. This storyline brilliantly subverted expectations, transforming a potential villain into a profound, unknowable cosmic philosopher.
=== The Silent Judge of San Francisco (//Uncanny X-Men//) ===
After the events of the 2006 series, Tiamut's massive, inert form remained standing in the bay just outside San Francisco. When Cyclops moved the X-Men to the city and established their new headquarters, Graymalkin Industries, they found themselves living in the shadow of a god. The Dreaming Celestial became a recurring background element and a plot device. Characters would gaze up at him, contemplating their struggles in the face of such cosmic indifference. The climax of this relationship came when the X-Men faced a dire threat and Cyclops, in a moment of desperation, had his telepaths project a simple message to the Celestial: "//Save us.//" Tiamut responded by communicating with Cyclops, scanning the X-Men and their adversaries, and ultimately deciding to do nothing, allowing the "mutant race to die." However, this was a feint; his inaction was a form of judgment, deeming the X-Men worthy of solving their own problems. He later protected them from harm, confirming his silent guardianship. This arc solidified his unique role as a passive but deeply significant force in the Marvel Universe.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
Due to his nature as a singular, ancient cosmic being, Tiamut does not have as many "variants" as street-level heroes or villains. However, a few notable interpretations exist.
  *   **Heroes Reborn (Earth-982):** In this pocket universe created by Franklin Richards, the Celestials played a similar role. A version of the Dreaming Celestial was also imprisoned within the planet, and its near-awakening was a major threat that the heroes of that reality had to face.
  *   **Video Game Adaptations:** Tiamut's form as the Dreaming Celestial appears in the background of certain stages in fighting games like //Marvel vs. Capcom 3//. He also features in Galactus's ending in that game, where a victorious Galactus confronts the Dreaming Celestial and is shocked to find a being whose cosmic hunger and purpose may rival his own.
  *   **MCU "What If...?":** While not yet depicted, the existence of the frozen Tiamut in the MCU's main timeline (Earth-199999) opens up endless possibilities for the animated series //What If...?//. Potential stories could explore realities where the Emergence was successful, where the Eternals chose to control Tiamut, or where his frozen body becomes a source of immense power sought by villains like [[kang_the_conqueror|Kang the Conqueror]].
===== See Also =====
  * [[celestials]]
  * [[eternals]]
  * [[deviants]]
  * [[arishem_the_judge]]
  * [[x-men]]
  * [[earth-616]]
  * [[marvel_cinematic_universe]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((Tiamut is named after the primordial Babylonian goddess of the ocean, often depicted as a monstrous sea serpent or dragon, who represented cosmic chaos and was slain by the hero-god Marduk to create the heavens and the earth. This is a fitting name for a being whose emergence would reshape a world.))
((In the Earth-X (Earth-9997) reality, it was revealed that the Celestials were not "testing" humanity, but rather using the planet as an egg to gestate a new Celestial. The planet's inhabitants would have their genetic potential unlocked by the Terrigen Mists, becoming a sort of protective "antibody" for the growing Celestial. This concept heavily influenced the MCU's version of Tiamut's origin and the Emergence.))
((The visual design of the Celestials, including Tiamut, by Jack Kirby is one of the most iconic and influential in all of comics. Their silent, towering, and unknowable forms perfectly capture the "cosmic horror" and awe of encountering beings vastly superior to humanity.))
((Following the events of the //Kree/Skrull War// and the destruction of the [[inhumans|Inhuman]] city of Attilan, the Unspoken (the former king of the Inhumans) attempted to use a catalyst to accelerate the Dreaming Celestial's judgment. This failed, but it demonstrated how Tiamut's passive presence continued to be a major plot point for various factions on Earth.))
((The final fate of the Dreaming Celestial in Earth-616 is currently ambiguous. After serving as the base for the X-Men, he was largely absent from major storylines. In contrast, the MCU's giant, frozen Tiamut is a permanent and visible fixture on the world map, a problem that humanity and its heroes will likely have to address in the future. Questions like "What is Tiamut made of now?" and "Can Tiamut be revived?" are common fan queries.))