Eros of Titan first appeared, albeit in a brief cameo, in Iron Man #55 in February 1973, a landmark issue that also served as the debut of his brother, Thanos, and the architect of cosmic malevolence, Kronos. He was co-created by the legendary cosmic writer-artist duo, Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich. His full introduction followed shortly after in Captain Marvel #27 (July 1973).
The creation of Eros was intrinsically linked to the development of Thanos. Starlin, famously inspired by Jack Kirby's New Gods, conceived of Thanos as a parallel to the villain Darkseid. To deepen this new cosmic mythology, he needed a heroic counterpoint, a yin to Thanos's yang. Drawing directly from Greek mythology and Freudian psychology, Starlin created Eros as the personification of the “life-drive,” a direct opposition to Thanos, whose name is derived from “Thanatos,” the personification of the death-drive. This foundational duality—love versus death, pleasure versus nihilism—has defined the character ever since.
His superhero codename, “Starfox,” was given to him much later upon joining the Avengers, deemed a more palatable name for Earth's Mightiest Heroes than the name of the Greek god of love. This era, the Bronze Age of comics, was a period of massive expansion for Marvel's cosmic storytelling, and Eros became a key player in this new, star-spanning theater of heroes and villains.
Eros is a member of the Eternals, a divergent offshoot of humanity created by the cosmic Celestials. His specific branch of Eternals was founded on Saturn's moon, Titan, by his grandfather, Kronos. After a civil war among the first generation of Earth's Eternals, Kronos led a faction to Uranus, and his sons, Zuras and A'Lars, had a falling out. A'Lars (who would later be known as Mentor) was exiled and traveled to Titan, where he found the sole survivor of a prior settlement, Sui-San. Together, they used advanced technology to repopulate the moon, becoming the progenitors of the Titanian Eternals. Eros was the youngest son of Mentor and Sui-San, born and raised in the utopian society of Titan. From a young age, his personality was a stark contrast to his older brother, Thanos. While Eros was handsome, charming, and obsessed with pleasure, romance, and adventure, Thanos was born afflicted with the Deviant Syndrome, giving him a monstrous, purple-hided appearance and a soul to match. Eros grew up beloved by his people, while Thanos became an outcast, consumed by a morbid fascination with death. This idyllic life was shattered when Thanos, having embraced nihilism and the cosmic entity Mistress Death, launched a devastating nuclear assault on his own home world, slaughtering millions, including his own mother, Sui-San. Eros and his father, Mentor, were among the few survivors. This horrific act of familial and planetary genocide forced the carefree Eros to take life more seriously. For the first time, he understood the true depth of his brother's evil and dedicated himself to opposing him. His quest led him to Earth, seeking allies against the ever-growing threat of Thanos. He found them in the Kree warrior Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) and the Avengers. Together, they thwarted Thanos's first attempt to seize ultimate power using the Cosmic Cube. Following this victory, Eros spent years wandering the galaxy, indulging his hedonistic whims but always remaining a steadfast foe of his brother. Eventually, he returned to Earth and formally joined the Avengers, where he was given the codename Starfox by Janet van Dyne, the Wasp.
The origin of Eros in the MCU is, as of his introduction, shrouded in mystery and appears to differ significantly from the comics. He was first revealed in the mid-credits scene of the film Eternals (2021), portrayed by actor Harry Styles.
Onboard their ship, the Domo, the surviving Earth-based Eternals—