Celestials

• Core Identity: The Celestials are an ancient race of incomprehensibly powerful, giant humanoid space gods who experiment on nascent life forms throughout the cosmos, acting as the silent arbiters of evolution and galactic judgment.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: As cosmic “gardeners” and judges, the Celestials traverse the universe, seeding potential in promising worlds by creating evolutionary offshoots like the Eternals and Deviants. Millions of years later, they return as “Hosts” to judge whether their creations are worthy of continued existence.
• Primary Impact: They are directly responsible for the existence of super-powered beings on countless worlds, including the creation of the mutant X-gene within humanity on Earth. Their judgments, known as Celestial Hosts, are apocalyptic events that threaten entire civilizations, forcing heroes like the Avengers and Thor to confront forces far beyond their understanding.
• Key Incarnations: The fundamental difference lies in their purpose. In the comics (Earth-616), their experiments are vast, mysterious, and tied to the very structure of the multiverse. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, their purpose is more defined and finite: they cultivate intelligent life to generate energy for the birth of new Celestials from the cores of host planets, a process known as “The Emergence.”

The Celestials first thundered into the Marvel Universe in The Eternals #1, cover-dated July 1976. They were conceived and brought to life by the legendary artist and writer Jack Kirby upon his return to Marvel Comics in the mid-1970s. Fresh from creating his Fourth World saga at DC Comics, Kirby was brimming with mythological, high-concept science fiction ideas. The Celestials were a cornerstone of this new cosmic mythology for Marvel. Deeply influenced by Erich von Däniken's popular 1968 book Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past, Kirby channeled the theory of ancient astronauts into a comic book narrative. The book's central premise—that advanced alien beings had visited ancient Earth and were mistaken for gods—became the literal backstory for the Marvel Universe. The Celestials were these ancient astronauts, reimagined on a scale of power and size previously unseen in mainstream comics. Their silent, inscrutable nature and impossibly advanced armor made them feel less like characters and more like fundamental forces of nature, a terrifying and awe-inspiring addition to Marvel's cosmic hierarchy. Their creation single-handedly rewrote the prehistoric history of the Marvel Universe, establishing a grand, cosmic reason for the proliferation of superhumans on Earth.

The true origins of the Celestials are shrouded in cosmic antiquity, spanning billions of years and the death and rebirth of entire multiverses. The accounts in the Prime Comic Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are dramatically different, reflecting distinct cosmological frameworks.

The most accepted origin story places the Celestials as rebels in a cosmic civil war at the dawn of creation itself. Before all known reality, there was only the First Firmament, the first, solitary sentient universe. Desiring companionship, it created life—angelic beings known as the Aspirants. The Aspirants were loyalists, content to exist as extensions of their creator's will. However, a faction of Aspirants believed that life should evolve, change, and die, and that this dynamic multiverse of potential was superior to the First Firmament's static monocosm. These “rebels,” led by a creator figure, were branded as a cosmic disease. They created powerful weapons, colossal suits of armor, to fight their creator and the loyalist Aspirants. This schism sparked the first cosmic war. The rebels, who would become known as the Celestials, ultimately detonated a weapon that shattered the First Firmament. From its broken pieces, the Second Cosmos, the first Multiverse, was born. The surviving Aspirants were driven into the dark corners of reality, while the Celestials began their great work: seeding and cultivating life across the new, burgeoning universes. Their fundamental purpose became to foster evolution and ensure the Multiverse grew ever more complex and diverse, a direct refutation of their creator's original, static design. Their connection to Earth began millions of years ago when a single, unnamed Celestial, afflicted by a parasitic cosmic infection from a rival species known as The Horde, crash-landed on the planet. The Celestial died from its infection, bleeding its cosmic blood and entrails into the planet's core. This event, unknown for eons, drastically altered Earth's evolutionary potential, making it a unique hotbed for superhuman genesis. This fallen Celestial would later be known as The Progenitor. Millions of years later, the “First Host” of Celestials, led by figures like Arishem and Nezarr the Calculator, arrived on Earth. They discovered the Progenitor's influence and began their genetic experiments on the primitive hominids. From this tampering, they created three distinct lineages:

• The Eternals: Genetically stable, immortal beings of immense power, designed to protect and cultivate the planet's dominant species.
• The Deviants: Genetically unstable beings with a chaotic cellular structure, resulting in monstrous forms and a propensity for rapid mutation. They were considered a failed experiment, a byproduct of the process.
• Latent Humanity: The majority of humankind, whose DNA was secretly imprinted with the X-Gene, a genetic seed that would one day blossom into the mutant population. This was the Celestials' ultimate success: creating the potential for natural, self-sustaining evolution of superpowers.

The Celestials have returned to Earth in subsequent “Hosts” to pass judgment, culminating in the famed Fourth Host, which deemed humanity, despite its flaws, worthy of survival. More recently, the dead Progenitor was resurrected, becoming a mad god that sought to judge Earth itself, leading to the conflict known as A.X.E.: Judgment Day.

The origin of the Celestials in the MCU (designated as Earth-199999) is more streamlined and directly tied to the creation of the universe itself. As revealed in the film Eternals, the Celestials are primordial beings who existed before the six Singularities. Their primary mandate is the expansion of the universe by creating new suns, galaxies, and life. However, this process requires a tremendous amount of energy. Their method is a galaxy-spanning cycle of cosmic birth known as The Emergence. It involves the following steps:

1. **Seeding:** A Celestial "seed" is implanted deep within the core of a carefully selected, fertile planet.
2. **Cultivation:** The Celestial [[Arishem the Judge|Arishem the Judge]] creates two artificial races from cosmic energy at the **World Forge**: the predatory, monstrous **Deviants** and the perfect, synthetic **Eternals**.
3. **Cleansing & Growth:** The Deviants are sent to the seeded planet to eliminate its apex predators, allowing intelligent life to flourish unimpeded. However, the Deviants evolved beyond their control, beginning to hunt the intelligent life they were meant to protect.
4. **Correction & Protection:** The Eternals are then dispatched with programmed memories to hunt the Deviants and protect the planet's burgeoning civilization. Their true purpose is kept from them; they believe they are simply saviors.
5. **Harvest:** The growth of a large, complex, intelligent population on the host planet generates a massive amount of psychic and vital energy. Once this energy reaches a critical threshold, it triggers The Emergence.
6. **Birth:** The Celestial seed in the planet's core awakens, consuming the planet and its entire population to fuel its birth, emerging as a new, fully formed Celestial.

In this continuity, Earth was seeded with the Celestial Tiamut the Communicator. The Eternals were sent to Earth to eliminate the Deviants and ensure humanity's population grew large enough to trigger Tiamut's Emergence. The key difference from the comics is that the Eternals and Deviants are not evolutionary offshoots of humanity but are entirely artificial beings created by the Celestials, and the Celestials' goal is not to judge life, but to use it as a cosmic incubator.

The nature, power, and structure of the Celestials differ significantly between the comics and the films, though their status as cosmic gods remains a constant.

The Celestials' ultimate goal is the nurturing and propagation of cosmic evolution. They see themselves as the gardeners of the multiverse, and their experiments are designed to test the limits of life. Their judgments are not born of malice but of cosmic necessity; a species or world that stagnates or proves to be a cosmic threat is pruned to allow for healthier growth elsewhere. Their morality is utterly alien and beyond human comprehension. To them, the destruction of an entire planet is akin to a farmer weeding a field.

While they often operate with a unified purpose, the Celestials are not a monolith. They have distinct roles, titles, and functions within their collective. The ultimate authority among them is the One-Above-All (not to be confused with the supreme being of the same name), a silent leader who has only appeared in rare circumstances. Key, frequently-seen Celestials include:

The powers of a Celestial are, for all practical purposes, infinite and undefinable by mortal science.

• Cosmic Energy Manipulation: They can generate and control energy on a scale capable of creating or destroying stars, planets, and even entire galaxies.
• Matter Manipulation: They can transmute matter and energy at a quantum level, create life from scratch, and alter the genetic code of entire species with a thought.
• Reality Warping: Celestials can manipulate space-time, create pocket dimensions, and alter the fundamental laws of physics within their sphere of influence.
• Invulnerability: Their armor is nearly indestructible, capable of withstanding planetary annihilation and attacks from Skyfather-level beings like Odin. Even when their physical forms are damaged, they can regenerate almost instantly.
• Omniscience (Limited): While not truly all-knowing, their consciousness operates on a cosmic scale, allowing them to perceive vast swathes of space-time and calculate probabilities with near-perfect accuracy.

Their only known weaknesses are weapons of similar cosmic scale, such as those wielded by the Aspirants, the reality-warping powers of beings like the Beyonders or a fully-powered Phoenix Force, or internal strife.

In the MCU, the Celestials' purpose is far more concrete and self-serving: procreation. Their entire cosmic “gardening” project is a means to an end—the birth of more Celestials. They create galaxies and foster life not for the sake of evolution itself, but because intelligent life is the fuel source they require. This makes their actions less mysterious and more directly predatory, though on a scale that is still difficult to comprehend. Arishem states their work is necessary to combat the forces of darkness and destruction in the universe, suggesting their continued existence is a form of cosmic balance.

The MCU has introduced fewer named Celestials, with a clear hierarchy.

• Arishem the Judge: The Prime Celestial. He is depicted as the creator of the first sun and the leader of the Celestials' entire cosmic project. He created the Eternals and Deviants and oversees the cycle of Emergence across the universe. He is the one who passes judgment on the Eternals after they prevent Tiamut's birth.
• Tiamut the Communicator: The Celestial gestating within Earth. His purpose was to be born and join the Celestial ranks. The Eternals, having grown to love humanity, defy their programming and use the Uni-Mind to neutralize him, freezing him partially emerged from the Indian Ocean.
• Eson the Searcher: Seen in a flashback in Guardians of the Galaxy, Eson is shown wielding the Power Stone to wipe out an entire planet's civilization. This demonstrates the immense power Celestials wield and their willingness to use cosmic artifacts to achieve their goals.
• Jemiah the Analyzer: Briefly shown alongside Arishem when he communicates with the Eternals.
• Knowhere: The giant, severed head of a deceased Celestial, which has been hollowed out and turned into a mining colony and port of call for cosmic travelers. Its existence proves that even these cosmic gods can die.

While still immensely powerful, the Celestials of the MCU appear more fallible than their comic book counterparts.

• Cosmic Energy Manipulation: Arishem is shown creating stars and manipulating vast amounts of cosmic energy to construct the Eternals. Eson uses the Power Stone to devastate a planet with ease.
• Matter and Life Creation: Arishem's World Forge is a testament to his ability to create sophisticated, synthetic life forms like the Eternals.
• Telepathic Communication: They can communicate across vast interstellar distances and project their consciousness into the minds of their servants.
• Vulnerability: The MCU establishes clear ways a Celestial can be harmed or killed. The decapitated head of Knowhere shows they can die. Tiamut is successfully neutralized by the combined power of the Eternals' Uni-Mind. This is a significant departure from the near-total invulnerability of the Celestials in the Earth-616 continuity.

Due to their nature as cosmic architects, the Celestials' relationships are less about personal alliances and more about their interactions with their creations, their cosmic peers, and those who dare to challenge their authority.

• Eternals: In both universes, the Eternals are the Celestials' perfect creation. In the comics, they are the protectors of Earth, meant to defend the grand experiment. They revere their creators as “Space Gods” but have also come into conflict with them when Celestial judgment threatens their home. In the MCU, they are programmed, loyal servants who are ultimately forced to choose between their creators' mission and their love for humanity.
• Deviants: The tragic “failures.” In the comics, they are a chaotic, warring race, a constant source of instability that the Eternals must contain. Their hatred for the Celestials is born of a sense of abandonment and genetic curse. In the MCU, they are tragic monsters, initially created as tools who evolved beyond their purpose and now seek to consume the Eternals to assimilate their cosmic power and intelligence.
• Humanity (and Mutants): To the Celestials, humanity is the grand experiment. They are the primary subject of the Celestials' judgment on Earth. The secret implantation of the X-Gene in humanity's DNA in the comics makes them the single most important race in the Celestials' eons-long project, representing the ultimate potential of evolution.

• The Watchers: Another ancient, powerful race, the Watchers are cosmic observers who have sworn an oath of non-interference. Their philosophy is the polar opposite of the Celestials' interventionist approach. While they rarely come into direct conflict, there is a deep philosophical divide, with figures like Uatu the Watcher often observing the Celestials' judgments with great concern.
• Galactus: Known as the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus is a force of cosmic balance, whereas the Celestials are forces of cosmic creation and evolution. They are generally considered to be of a similar power tier. They have clashed in the past and tend to give each other a wide berth, recognizing one another as fundamental components of the universal order. There are stories suggesting the Celestials could stop Galactus, but choose not to, perhaps seeing his function as another form of cosmic “weeding.”
• The Horde: The cosmic insect-like locusts of the universe. They are the antithesis of the Celestials, representing decay, consumption, and cosmic plague. The war between the Celestials and the Horde is an ancient one, and it was a Horde infection that led to the death of the Progenitor on Earth.
• The Beyonders: Trans-dimensional beings from outside the multiverse, the Beyonders are one of the very few forces that have proven capable of killing Celestials with ease. During their multiversal incursion that led to the 2015 Secret Wars, the Beyonders systematically slaughtered Celestials across every reality, demonstrating a level of power that dwarfs even the Space Gods.

The arrival of a Celestial Host is almost always a world-shattering event, forming the basis for some of Marvel's most epic and high-stakes storylines.

This is the definitive Celestial storyline. After centuries of absence, the Fourth Host, led by Arishem the Judge, arrives on Earth to render its final judgment. The arrival causes global panic. S.H.I.E.L.D. attempts to attack them and fails spectacularly. The Eternals prepare to defend humanity, while the Deviants plot to trick the Celestials into destroying the surface world. The climax comes when Thor, representing Earth's pantheon of gods, directly confronts the Celestials. He is joined by the Eternals and Odin, who inhabits the powerful Destroyer armor and wields the combined life forces of all Asgardians. Despite this incredible power, they are no match for the combined might of the Host. The Celestials effortlessly melt the Destroyer armor and defeat Odin. Ultimately, it is the quiet offering of twelve of humanity's best and brightest, presented by the Earth-goddess Gaea, that convinces Arishem that humanity has potential and is worthy of survival. The Fourth Host departs, leaving humanity with a new chance at its cosmic destiny.

This modern storyline fundamentally re-contextualized the Celestials' origin on Earth. It is revealed that the first Celestial to visit Earth millions of years ago, the Progenitor, died from a Horde infection. A group of diseased “Dark Celestials” arrive on Earth, drawn to the Progenitor's corpse, intent on cleansing the planet. This forces the modern Avengers to unite. The story's most significant revelation is the existence of a prehistoric Avengers team from 1,000,000 B.C., consisting of Odin, the first Phoenix, Ghost Rider, Starbrand, Iron Fist, and Agamotto. This team had fought a rogue Celestial in their time, establishing a long legacy of Earth's heroes defending their world from Celestial threats. The modern Avengers ultimately defeat the Dark Celestials by combining their powers and realizing the Progenitor's corpse could be used as a source of power, turning it into their new base of operations, Avengers Mountain.

Building on the “Final Host” storyline, this event sees the Progenitor Celestial resurrected by a combination of machinations from the mutant-hating group Orchis, Druig of the Eternals, and a desperate Tony Stark. However, its rebirth drives it insane. The Progenitor decides to enact the judgment the Fourth Host never finished. It gives the entire population of Earth 24 hours to justify its existence, judging individuals on a pass/fail basis. This forces heroes, villains, and civilians alike to confront their own morality, while the Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals desperately try to find a way to stop a mad god. The event is a brilliant deconstruction of the Celestials' classic role, turning their cosmic, impartial judgment into a deeply personal and terrifyingly intimate ordeal for every living being on the planet.

• Earth X (Earth-9997): This celebrated alternate reality provides one of the most popular and influential reinterpretations of the Celestials. In this universe, the Celestials are not just experimenters; they are a cosmic life form that gestates within planets. They implant an “egg” or “seed” in a planet's core, then manipulate the dominant species to develop superpowers. The resulting energy from this population serves as food and protection for the gestating Celestial. Once mature, the Celestial “hatches,” destroying the host planet in the process. This concept—of a Celestial being born from a planet—was a direct and heavy influence on the MCU's version of the beings and their “Emergence” cycle.
• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): The mainstream Celestials do not exist in the Ultimate Universe. However, their role as an unstoppable, world-ending cosmic force is filled by the Gah Lak Tus swarm. This is not a single, humanoid entity like Galactus, but a city-sized swarm of robotic drones with a single hive mind, programmed to cleanse the universe of all life. It is a more mechanistic and terrifyingly impersonal take on the “cosmic judgment” trope.
• Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): As detailed extensively above, the MCU itself presents a major alternative version. Their purpose is procreation rather than pure evolutionary experimentation, and they are demonstrably more vulnerable than their comic book counterparts, creating a different kind of dramatic tension for the heroes who face them.

• Eternals
• Deviants
• Jack Kirby
• Galactus
• Arishem the Judge

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