Deviants

• Core Identity: The Deviants are a monstrously diverse, genetically unstable offshoot of humanity, created one million years ago by the cosmic beings known as the Celestials as a chaotic counterpart to their perfect creations, the Eternals.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: As “The Changing People,” the Deviants represent the cosmic principle of instability and mutation. Their very existence is a cornerstone of Celestial cosmology, and their perpetual, brutal conflict with the Eternals is one of the Marvel Universe's oldest wars. Celestials.
• Primary Impact: Their advanced, war-mongering civilization was once the dominant power on Earth. An ancient conflict between the Deviants and the Celestials resulted in the “Great Cataclysm,” a planetary disaster that sank their original capital of Lemuria and, as a consequence, the human kingdom of Atlantis.
• Key Incarnations: In the Earth-616 comics, the Deviants are an intelligent, technologically advanced species with a complex, caste-based society. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), they are initially depicted as non-sentient, predatory beasts created to eliminate apex predators, only later evolving sentience through unique circumstances.

The Deviants burst onto the comic book scene in The Eternals #1, published in July 1976. They were conceived by the legendary writer and artist Jack “The King” Kirby as part of his grand, mythological return to Marvel Comics. After his groundbreaking work creating the Fourth World saga at DC Comics, Kirby brought a similar cosmic scope back to Marvel, crafting an entire secret history for humanity centered around the god-like Celestials and their genetic experiments. Kirby's creation of the Deviants, Eternals, and Celestials was heavily influenced by the popular “ancient astronauts” theories of the 1970s, most notably Erich von Däniken's 1968 book, Chariots of the Gods?. This theory posited that ancient human civilizations were visited and influenced by extraterrestrial beings, who were perceived as gods. Kirby took this concept and wove it into the fabric of the Marvel Universe, establishing the Deviants as the “demons” and “monsters” of ancient mythology, a tangible, scientific explanation for the terrifying creatures of legend, just as the Eternals were the basis for gods and heroes. The Deviants represented chaos, mutation, and the “mistake” in the cosmic experiment, a perfect dark mirror to the beautiful, orderly Eternals.

The origin of the Deviants is one of the most fundamental stories in Marvel's cosmic lore, but its depiction varies dramatically between the comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Approximately one million years ago, the First Host of the Celestials—immense, silent space gods who travel the cosmos judging and cultivating life—arrived on Earth. They found nascent intelligent life in the form of early hominids (Homo erectus) and saw potential for their grand experiments. The Celestial scientist Gammenon the Gatherer and his colleagues selected a number of these primitive humans for genetic manipulation. This experiment resulted in three distinct offshoots of the human race:

• The Eternals: The pinnacle of the experiment. The Celestials imbued them with cosmic energy, granting them immortality, god-like powers, and physical perfection. Their genetic code was stable and unchanging, designed to be the planet's silent protectors.
• The Latent Humans: The vast majority of humanity was altered to have the latent potential for superhuman evolution, a genetic seed that would eventually blossom into the modern era's mutants and other super-powered individuals. This is the origin of the “X-Gene.”
• The Deviants: The third branch was a deliberate exercise in instability. The Celestials encoded the Deviant genome with a highly volatile factor, ensuring that their genetic structure would be in a constant state of flux. This resulted in “The Changing People,” a race where no two individuals are born alike. Every Deviant possesses a unique, often monstrous, physical form and a random assortment of superhuman abilities.

While the Celestials viewed the Eternals as a success, they saw the Deviants as an interesting but ultimately flawed creation. Cast aside by their creators, the Deviants used their rapid adaptability and inherent cunning to develop a highly advanced technological civilization long before modern humans. They established a vast, powerful empire from their capital on the continent of Lemuria. Their society, built on a cruel caste system that valued physical “purity” and useful mutations, dominated the planet. They enslaved the primitive human race and entered into a millennium-long war with their rivals, the Eternals. This age of dominance ended with the arrival of the Second Host of Celestials around 18,000 BC. Fearing judgment from their creators, the Deviants launched an ill-fated attack on the Celestial mothership. In retaliation, the Celestials unleashed their power, vaporizing the Deviant armies and sinking the continent of Lemuria in what became known as the “Great Cataclysm.” This event reshaped the Earth's surface and also destroyed the nearby human kingdom of Atlantis. The surviving Deviants were forced to rebuild their society in subterranean cities, forever nursing a grudge against the Celestials and the Eternals.

The MCU, as detailed in the 2021 film Eternals, presents a radically different and streamlined origin for the Deviants. Here, they were not created alongside humanity but were engineered by the Celestial Arishem the Judge for a very specific purpose. In the MCU's cosmology, Celestials reproduce by seeding a planet with life and allowing that life to flourish until its population reaches a critical mass. The collective life energy of the planet's inhabitants is then used to fuel the “Emergence,” the birth of a new Celestial from the planet's core, which utterly destroys the planet in the process. To facilitate this cycle, Arishem created the Deviants as a biological tool. Their sole purpose was to travel to seeded planets and eliminate the “apex predators” that would otherwise prey on the developing intelligent species (like humanity). By removing these natural threats, the Deviants were meant to accelerate population growth and hasten the Emergence. However, the Deviants proved to be a flawed creation. Their design allowed them to evolve, and they soon began hunting the very intelligent life they were created to protect. They became a plague upon the cosmos. To correct his mistake, Arishem created a new set of tools: the Eternals. These synthetic, immortal beings were programmed to be immune to Deviant influence and were tasked with hunting the Deviants to extinction on each seeded world, thereby ensuring the Emergence could proceed as planned. The key differences are profound:

• Purpose: Comic Deviants are a result of a grand genetic experiment on humanity. MCU Deviants are alien biological weapons created to clear predators.
• Intelligence: Comic Deviants are a fully sentient, intelligent species with a complex civilization. MCU Deviants are initially portrayed as non-sentient, animalistic monsters, operating on pack instinct.
• Evolution: In the MCU, the Deviants' ability to evolve takes a dramatic turn. After being frozen in ice for millennia, they are thawed by the energy of the approaching Emergence. Their leader (named Kro in supplementary materials) develops the unique ability to absorb the cosmic energy—and with it, the powers and consciousness—of the Eternals it kills. By absorbing the essence of Ajak and Gilgamesh, this Deviant achieves full sentience, a humanoid form, and the desire to protect its own kind, fundamentally changing the nature of the species within the film's narrative.

The defining feature of the Deviant race is their unstable genetic code. This results in several key biological traits:

• The Changing People: No two Deviants are physically identical (with the rare exception of identical twins). Each member of the species is a unique mutation. Their forms can range from nearly-humanoid to grotesquely monstrous.
• Superhuman Attributes: Nearly all Deviants possess physical abilities superior to a peak human, including enhanced strength, speed, stamina, and durability. The level of these abilities varies wildly from individual to individual.
• Unique Powers: Many Deviants are born with specific superhuman powers, such as energy projection, psychic abilities, or environmental adaptation. These powers are as random as their physical forms.
• Shapeshifting: The most powerful and rare Deviant ability is true molecular control, allowing for conscious shapeshifting. The most famous practitioner of this is Warlord Kro, whose control is so absolute that he can alter his form at will and is functionally immortal, having lived for over 100,000 years.
• Mutates and Rejects: The genetic lottery is not always kind. Some Deviants are born with mutations deemed undesirable or useless. These individuals, known as “mutates” or “rejects,” are cast out, enslaved, or forced to fight as gladiators in the arenas of Lemuria.

Deviant society is a reflection of their chaotic biology: rigid, paranoid, and cruel.

• Capital City: The modern Deviant capital is the subterranean city of Lemuria, built beneath the Pacific Ocean near the site of their sunken continent. It is a sprawling, technologically advanced metropolis.
• Government: Their government is typically a totalitarian monarchy, ruled by a hereditary Emperor or Warlord, such as Brother Tode. Power is often contested and maintained through force and political assassination.
• The Priesthood: A powerful and manipulative religious faction holds significant sway. Led by figures like Priestlord Ghaur, the priesthood worships the Dreaming Celestial (Tiamut), a renegade Celestial who was imprisoned beneath the Earth by his brethren. They believe he is their true creator and that by freeing him, they will be elevated above the Eternals.
• Caste System: Society is brutally stratified based on physical appearance. Those Deviants who are born with near-humanoid forms hold positions of power and privilege. The more monstrous a Deviant appears, the lower their status, with the “mutates” forming the lowest slave class. This societal obsession with “purity” is a deep-seated insecurity stemming from their rejection by the Celestials.

Despite their monstrous appearance, the Deviants are technological geniuses, particularly in the fields of genetics and warfare.

• Genetic Engineering: They are masters of bio-engineering, capable of creating bespoke biological weapons, monstrous war-beasts (like Giganto), and altering the genetic code of other species.
• Advanced Weaponry: Their technology includes powerful energy weapons, force-field generators, and advanced surveillance systems.
• Subterranean Vehicles: They employ massive boring machines and transport craft to navigate their vast underground empire and launch surprise attacks on the surface world.

The MCU Deviants are almost entirely different from their comic book counterparts in their biological makeup.

• Initial Form: They are portrayed as organic, almost plant-like creatures with a sinewy, root-like structure. They are quadrupedal, possessing immense strength, speed, and sharp claws and teeth. They are purely predatory and operate as a pack.
• Regeneration: They possess a rapid healing factor, allowing them to recover from most injuries.
• Power Absorption: The leader, Kro, develops a singular, game-changing ability. By ensnaring an Eternal with his tendrils, he can drain their Cosmic Energy. This process not only kills the Eternal but allows Kro to absorb their powers, memories, and consciousness.
  • After absorbing Ajak, he gains her healing abilities and a higher level of sentience.
  • After absorbing Gilgamesh, he gains his cosmic-energy gauntlets and a more humanoid, bipedal form.
• Evolved Intelligence: Through this absorption, Kro transforms from an animal into a thinking, speaking being. His motivations evolve from pure predation to a desire to protect his “family” of Deviants from the planetary destruction of the Emergence. This makes him a tragic villain, as his goal (saving the planet) aligns with the rogue Eternals, but his methods remain monstrous.

In the MCU, the Deviants have no society or culture for most of their existence. They are a pack of monsters, led by the strongest among them. Only after Kro evolves does a rudimentary form of social structure appear, with him as the alpha, capable of directing the other Deviants. Their “culture” is one of survival, driven by a newfound fear of extinction.

The MCU Deviants possess no technology whatsoever. They are purely biological creatures and rely entirely on their natural physical abilities for hunting and combat. This is one of the most significant departures from the Earth-616 canon.

• Warlord Kro: By far the most significant Deviant character. A master tactician and warrior, Kro is a long-lived shapeshifter who has hidden his immortality from his own people for millennia, fearing they would dissect him to replicate his abilities. He has often served as the leader of the Deviant military. His defining relationship is his secret, recurring love affair with the Eternal Thena, with whom he has had twin children. This forbidden romance makes him a uniquely complex and sometimes sympathetic figure, occasionally allying with the Eternals when it suits his purposes.
• Priestlord Ghaur: The ambitious and cunning high priest of the Dreaming Celestial. Ghaur is a master of political intrigue and manipulation. Unlike Kro, who is a soldier, Ghaur seeks ultimate power through arcane means. His primary goal is to acquire the power of the Celestials for himself, and he has often come closer than any other to achieving this, making him one of the most dangerous villains for both the Eternals and the Avengers.
• Brother Tode: The former despotic ruler of Lemuria. Tode was a grotesque, bloated, and utterly cruel leader who embodied the worst aspects of the Deviant caste system. His reign was marked by paranoia and oppression. He was eventually transformed into a crystal cube alongside his followers by Ikaris and Makkari, ending his tyranny.

The conflict between the Deviants and the Eternals is the engine of their shared story. It's an ancient war rooted in their very creation.

• Ideological Clash: The Eternals represent order, stability, and a quest for perfection. The Deviants represent chaos, change, and a constant struggle for survival. The Eternals see the Deviants as abominations, while the Deviants resent the Eternals for their perceived superiority and favor from the Celestials.
• The Kro-Thena Dynamic: The centuries-long romance between Kro and Thena is the ultimate exception to the rule. It proves that peace and understanding between the two races are possible, even if it is a fragile and often-betrayed hope. Their relationship is a central point of drama in many Eternals-centric stories.
• The Uni-Mind: In a rare moment of unity against the threat of the Dreaming Celestial, the Eternals and Deviants were once briefly joined together in the cosmic psionic entity known as the Uni-Mind, showcasing a flicker of potential for true alliance.

The Deviants' relationship with their creators is defined by fear, awe, and resentment. They are the disfavored children. They refer to the Celestials as the “Space Gods” and live in constant terror of their return and judgment. This fear drove them to attack the Second Host, leading to the Great Cataclysm. Their worship of the Dreaming Celestial is a perversion of this fear—they worship the one Celestial they believe they can control, hoping to usurp the power of the gods who abandoned them.

Jack Kirby's original series reintroduced the Deviants to the world. With the Fourth Host of Celestials arriving on Earth to pass judgment, the Deviants, led by Brother Tode and Kro, launch a campaign of fear. They attempt to turn humanity against the “Space Gods” by revealing their monstrous forms and staging attacks, hoping humanity's panic will drive the Celestials away. Their efforts are thwarted by the Eternals, culminating in a final battle where the Deviant leadership is defeated and the Celestials judge Earth worthy, departing without destroying it.

During this major crossover, the High Evolutionary declared war on any being who would interfere with his goal of guiding humanity's evolution. The Deviant Priesthood, under Ghaur, saw this as an opportunity. They allied with Attuma of Atlantis and attempted to steal the High Evolutionary's gene bomb, intending to use it to “cure” their race of unwanted mutations and create an army of genetically pure Deviants. Their plot was ultimately foiled by the Avengers and the Eternals.

This storyline provided a crucial piece of cosmic history, revealing that the modern-day Skrulls are, in fact, the descendants of Deviant Skrulls. Millennia ago, the Celestials performed their standard three-race experiment on the original Skrull species. This created Skrull Eternals, Skrull Deviants (who possessed shapeshifting abilities), and the “Prime” Skrulls. The Deviant Skrulls, with their superior power of transformation, waged a genocidal war, exterminating the other two branches to become the sole inheritors of their world, forming the foundation of the shapeshifting Skrull Empire. This reveals the Deviant genetic strain to be a force of cosmic consequence beyond Earth.

• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): While the Deviants as a species do not explicitly appear, their core concept is echoed in this universe's version of the Skrulls, the Chitauri. These aliens were shapeshifters who believed it was their “birthright” to conquer and consume other civilizations, infiltrating them to cause collapse from within. This methodology is highly reminiscent of the actions of the Deviant Skrulls in Earth-616 lore.
• Heroes Reborn (1996): In the pocket universe created by Franklin Richards, the Deviants were a primary antagonistic force. This version, ruled by a powerful tyrant named Apocalypse (a role usually held by the mutant En Sabah Nur), was locked in a brutal war with the Inhumans. This storyline placed the Deviants in conflict with another genetically divergent offshoot of humanity, creating interesting parallels.
• MCU-Adjacent Comics: In tie-in comics to the MCU, specifically Eternals: The 500 Year War, the Deviants are shown to have a wider variety of forms than seen in the film, including flying and aquatic variants. These comics expand on the idea of them being a persistent threat that the Eternals had to fight across the globe for centuries.

• Eternals
• Celestials
• Kro
• Jack Kirby
• Lemuria

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