Hargen the Measurer

• Core Identity: Hargen the Measurer is a member of the enigmatic and immeasurably powerful cosmic race known as the Celestials, tasked with the specific function of quantifying, analyzing, and measuring the evolutionary development and worthiness of life on planets targeted for judgment.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: As a Celestial, Hargen is a colossal, space-faring “gardener” of life, part of a collective that seeded potential on countless worlds and returns eons later to judge their creations. His specific title, “the Measurer,” designates him as a cosmic surveyor, responsible for gathering the precise data upon which the final verdict of a species—be it survival or extermination—is based. arishem_the_judge.
• Primary Impact: Hargen's most significant impact, as part of the Fourth Celestial Host's visit to Earth, was to silently and impartially perform his function, contributing to the cosmic trial that nearly resulted in humanity's destruction. His presence represents the terrifyingly indifferent and analytical nature of the Celestials' judgment, a process beyond mortal morality or appeal. eternals.
• Key Incarnations: In the Earth-616 comics, Hargen is a distinct, albeit silent, member of the Celestial Hosts with a specialized role. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Hargen has not appeared by name; however, his function is conceptually embodied by the overall mission of the Celestials, particularly Arishem, who monitors Earth's progress to determine its suitability for the “Emergence.”

Hargen the Measurer first appeared in The Eternals #9 (March 1977). He was created by the legendary writer and artist Jack Kirby during his monumental return to Marvel Comics in the 1970s. Hargen, like the entire Celestial race, was a product of Kirby's unbridled creative ambition during this period, which saw him introduce vast, new cosmic mythologies into the Marvel Universe. The creation of the Celestials was heavily influenced by the “ancient astronaut” theories popularized in the late 1960s and 1970s by authors like Erich von Däniken in his book Chariots of the Gods?. Kirby tapped into this cultural zeitgeist, imagining a race of silent, colossal space gods who had directly interfered with early human evolution, creating the god-like Eternals and the monstrous Deviants. Hargen's design is classic Kirby: a massive, armored, and utterly inhuman figure whose scale and silence were meant to evoke a sense of profound awe and cosmic dread. His role as “the Measurer” adds a layer of cold, scientific calculation to the Celestials' otherwise mysterious agenda, positioning them not as angry gods, but as something far more terrifying: impartial cosmic scientists.

The origin of Hargen is inseparable from the origin of the Celestial race itself, a history that spans the entire lifetime of the Marvel Universe and has been subject to significant expansion and retcon over the decades.

In the prime Marvel continuity, the Celestials are among the oldest beings in existence. Their origin is tied to the very first iteration of the cosmos, known as the First Firmament. This primordial, sentient universe created servant races: the dark and subservient Aspirants and the brightly colored, creative Celestials. The Celestials desired a dynamic, evolving universe where life could change and grow, a concept anathema to their creator and its Aspirants who sought eternal stasis. This ideological schism led to a catastrophic cosmic war. The Celestials, creators of the first Hyper-weapons, ultimately shattered the First Firmament. Its broken pieces formed the second iteration of the cosmos and the first Multiverse. The surviving Aspirants were cast out into the void, eventually evolving into the destructive cosmic locusts known as the Horde. Victorious, the Celestials began their grand experiment: seeding nascent life across the countless galaxies of the new creation. Hargen the Measurer was one of the billions of Celestials born to carry out this great work. His specific function—to measure—is fundamental to their entire process. The Celestials operate in groups called “Hosts” that visit planets at key evolutionary stages.

• The First Host: Arrives on a young world and splices the DNA of a dominant, promising species. On Earth, this was early humanity, which they altered to create three distinct lineages: the god-like Eternals, the genetically unstable Deviants, and the baseline human strain, which was implanted with a latent “X-Gene” that would one day give rise to mutants.
• The Second and Third Hosts: Return at later points in the planet's history to check on their experiment, sometimes culling “mistakes” (such as sinking the Deviant continent of Lemuria).
• The Fourth Host: The final visit, where a judgment is passed.

Hargen's role during these visits is crucial. While others like Oneg the Prober and Jemiah the Analyzer conduct specific tests, Hargen is believed to be responsible for the overall quantification of a species' progress. He measures their genetic stability, their technological advancement, their capacity for good and evil, and their overall “worth” against an unknowable cosmic standard. His findings are then presented to the Host's leader, typically Arishem the Judge, who casts the final, irrevocable verdict. Hargen is not an individual in the mortal sense; he is a living instrument of cosmic calculation.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe presents a significantly streamlined, yet equally compelling, origin for the Celestials. While Hargen the Measurer has not been explicitly named or shown on screen, the function he represents is a core element of the MCU's cosmic lore, as revealed primarily in the film Eternals (2021). In the MCU, Celestials are primordial beings of immense power who predate the universe itself. Their fundamental purpose is reproduction. To create a new Celestial, they require a vast amount of energy, which can only be generated by a large, complex population of intelligent life. Their process is as follows:

1. A Celestial "seed" is planted deep within the core of a chosen, fertile planet.
2. The lead Celestial, [[arishem_the_judge|Arishem]], then creates a race of synthetic, immortal beings—the [[eternals|Eternals]]—and a race of predatory creatures—the [[deviants|Deviants]].
3. The Deviants are sent to the planet to eliminate apex predators, allowing intelligent life (like humanity) to flourish unhindered. The Eternals are sent to protect the intelligent life from the Deviants, who inevitably mutate and become a threat themselves.
4. The Eternals guide and protect the planet's population, allowing it to grow and become technologically advanced over thousands of years.
5. Once the population reaches a critical mass, the Celestial seed in the planet's core has absorbed enough energy to awaken. This event, called "The Emergence," results in the birth of a new Celestial, but at the cost of the complete destruction of the host planet and all life on it.

Comparative Analysis: The MCU reframes the Celestials' purpose from one of abstract “judgment” to a tangible, biological imperative: procreation. Hargen's role is therefore not to measure “worthiness” in a moral sense, but to measure readiness. In this context, Arishem himself performs the function of The Measurer. He is constantly monitoring Earth's population growth and energy signature to determine the precise moment for the Emergence of the Celestial Tiamut. The key difference is motivation:

• Earth-616 Hargen: Measures a species' quality against a mysterious standard to see if it deserves to exist.
• MCU Celestial Function (Hargen's Analogue): Measures a species' quantity and energy output to see if it is sufficient to be used as fuel.

This adaptation makes the Celestials' agenda more comprehensible for a film audience while retaining their terrifying, inhuman scale of thought. The conflict becomes less about passing a cosmic test and more about a species realizing it is merely livestock for a higher being's life cycle.

As a Celestial, Hargen possesses power on a scale that defies mortal comprehension. He is less a “character” and more a fundamental force of the universe, and his attributes reflect this status.

Hargen, like all Celestials, appears as a colossal humanoid figure encased in a fully sealed suit of armor. He stands approximately 2,000 feet (610 meters) tall. This armor is not a separate garment but an integral part of his physical being. The true nature of the entity within the armor is unknown and possibly unknowable; it has been suggested that Celestials are beings of pure energy who construct these physical shells to interact with the material universe. Their physiology is so complex that even a being like Galactus finds them difficult to analyze.

Hargen's abilities are functionally limitless within his designated purpose. While all Celestials can manipulate matter and energy on a cosmic scale, Hargen's power is likely focused through the lens of analysis and measurement.

• Immeasurable Strength & Durability: A Celestial's physical strength is effectively infinite. They can move planets with little effort. Their armor can withstand planet-shattering impacts and direct blasts from skyfather-level beings like Odin without showing any visible damage. During the Fourth Host's confrontation with Odin (who was empowered by all of Asgard and wielding the Destroyer Armor), the combined might of the skyfathers barely registered as a threat.
• Cosmic Energy Manipulation: Hargen can generate and control cosmic energy on a scale sufficient to create or destroy star systems. This power can be used for concussive force blasts, translocation, or the manipulation of matter at a subatomic level.
• Reality Warping: Celestials can alter the fabric of spacetime, create pocket dimensions, and rewrite physical laws within a localized area. Hargen's use of this power would be to create constructs or simulations to test and measure a species' potential.
• Omniscience (Functional): While likely not truly omniscient in all matters, Hargen possesses complete and total knowledge within his specific function. He can perceive and process every piece of data on a planetary scale simultaneously—every birth, every death, every technological innovation, every genetic mutation. He can “measure” the collective soul of a species.
• Telepathy & Mental Powers: Celestials are psionically powerful, capable of communicating telepathically across galaxies. However, they rarely deign to do so with “lesser” beings. Their mental defenses are impenetrable.
• Immortality & Regeneration: For all intents and purposes, Celestials are immortal. They do not age, and if their physical form is somehow damaged or even destroyed, they can regenerate it from the smallest remaining fragment, or even from pure energy.

Hargen's primary piece of equipment is the massive, staff-like instrument he is often depicted carrying. This is not merely a weapon but is presumed to be a highly advanced cosmic tool of unimaginable complexity. This “Measuring Staff” likely serves as a focus for his powers of analysis, allowing him to scan, quantify, and record the vast amounts of data required for his task. It may function as a universal scanner, a genetic sequencer, and a sociological analyzer all in one, operating on a planetary scale.

Hargen has no personality in the human sense of the word. He is utterly silent, inscrutable, and impassive. His actions are dictated entirely by his function. He displays no emotion—not malice, not benevolence, only purpose. When confronted by Odin and the Destroyer, he and his fellow Celestials did not react with anger or fear; they simply weathered the attack and effortlessly dispatched the threat, as one might brush away a gnat. This profound indifference is perhaps the most terrifying aspect of the Celestials. They are not evil; humanity and its concepts of good and evil are simply beneath their notice, like microbes in a petri dish.

While Hargen is not present, the abilities of the MCU Celestials establish a clear baseline for what his power level would be.

The MCU depicts Celestials as the largest living entities in the universe, dwarfing planets and even stars.

• Scale: Arishem is shown to be large enough to hold a miniature galaxy in his palm, and the Emergence of Tiamut from Earth's core showed a being whose hand and head alone were the size of continents.
• Energy Nature: They are beings of living cosmic energy. The planet Knowhere is the severed head of a long-dead Celestial, and the mining of its organic matter yields immense power. Eson the Searcher used the Power Stone to effortlessly wipe out the surface of a planet, indicating their ability to channel and control the fundamental forces of the universe.
• Creative Power: Arishem demonstrates the ability to create synthetic life (Eternals, Deviants) and manipulate matter on a cosmic scale, forming complex structures and star systems.

The MCU focuses more on the Celestials' raw power and creative capabilities than the specific, granular roles seen in the comics. The idea of a “team” of Celestials each with a different job (Prober, Analyzer, Measurer) is streamlined into a single, commanding entity—Arishem—who oversees the entire project. If Hargen were to be introduced into the MCU, he would likely be a subordinate of Arishem, perhaps a specialized architect or surveyor who appears to give a final “reading” on a planet's readiness for Emergence. His power set would be consistent with what has been established: planet-scale energy and matter manipulation focused on data collection. The key difference would remain in the purpose of the measurement: comics Hargen measures for abstract “worth,” while an MCU Hargen would be measuring for biological “ripeness.” The MCU version's task is arguably simpler, but the consequences—planetary annihilation—are identical.

Hargen's relationships are not personal but functional, defined entirely by his role within the Celestial hierarchy and his interaction with other cosmic forces.

Hargen's only true “allies” are his fellow Celestials, with whom he operates as part of a single, unified consciousness known as the Celestial Host. Key members he has served alongside include:

• Arishem the Judge: The leader of most Celestial Hosts that have visited Earth. Arishem is responsible for rendering the final judgment based on the data collected by other Celestials like Hargen. He is recognizable by his deep red armor and the mathematical formula of judgment inscribed on his hand. Hargen's role is to provide Arishem with the raw, unbiased data needed to make this decision.
• Jemiah the Analyzer: A Celestial whose function is to analyze life forms, often by trapping them in a massive, transparent specimen tube for study. Jemiah's analysis provides a qualitative sample, while Hargen's measurements provide the quantitative overview. The two roles are complementary.
• Oneg the Prober: The Celestial responsible for probing and manipulating a planet's environment and its inhabitants to test their resilience and adaptability. His experiments create the scenarios that Hargen then measures.
• Eson the Searcher: A Celestial tasked with seeking out new worlds suitable for the Celestials' great experiment. His role is to find the “petri dish,” while Hargen's is to measure what grows within it.

The Celestials operate on a level where few can be considered true “enemies,” but several cosmic forces oppose their work or philosophy.

• The Horde: The insectoid cosmic locusts that are the modern descendants of the Aspirants, the Celestials' ancient enemies. The Horde represents a force of pure consumption and entropy, diametrically opposed to the Celestials' goal of cultivating and evolving life (even if that cultivation ends in judgment).
• Galactus: The Devourer of Worlds is a frequent, if indirect, antagonist. Galactus consumes planets to sate his cosmic hunger, without regard for the life on them. This puts him in direct conflict with the Celestials' long-term experiments. A planet Galactus devours is a world the Celestials can no longer judge. On several occasions, Celestials have directly confronted and easily overpowered Galactus's heralds and even Galactus himself.
• The Progenitor (and the Dark Celestials): It was revealed in recent years that the source of Earth-616's superhuman boom was the infected bodily fluids of a dying, insane Celestial (The Progenitor) that fell to Earth billions of years ago. The arrival of his twisted, “dark” brethren, the Final Host, represented a corruption of the Celestials' purpose and forced the Avengers to fight and defeat them, effectively opposing the will of a rogue Celestial faction.

Hargen's sole affiliation is with The Celestials. He is an inseparable part of their collective will. His most notable missions were his participation in the Celestial Hosts that visited Earth:

• The First Host (~1,000,000 BC): The initial genetic manipulation of humanity.
• The Second Host (~18,000 BC): A check-up visit that resulted in the “Great Cataclysm” and the sinking of Atlantis and Lemuria after a conflict with the Deviants.
• The Third Host (~1,000 AD): A visit that led to pacts of non-interference with the skyfather pantheons of Earth (Asgardians, Olympians, etc.).
• The Fourth Host (Modern Era): The final judgment visit, where Hargen performed his primary function. This event was central to Kirby's Eternals series and saw the Celestials clash with Odin and unite the Eternals, humans, and Deviants against a common, overwhelming threat.

Hargen's history is defined by his participation in the grand, cosmic-scale events orchestrated by the Celestials, particularly their four visits to Earth.

While not individually depicted, Hargen was part of the First Celestial Host that descended upon primordial Earth. This Host identified the nascent human species as having immense genetic potential. They captured a number of primitive humans and performed a series of genetic experiments. This act of cosmic engineering splintered a single species into three:

• The Eternals were created to be the protectors of Earth, blessed with cosmic power, immortality, and physical perfection.
• The Deviants were a genetic mistake, an unstable offshoot cursed with grotesque mutations and a chaotic, warlike nature.
• Baseline Humanity was left largely as it was, but crucially, the Celestials implanted a latent gene sequence in their DNA—the X-Gene—that would allow for beneficial mutations under specific duress, eventually leading to the birth of mutants millions of an years later. Hargen's role would have been to measure the potential of the original stock and quantify the results of the experiments.

This is Hargen's most significant and visible storyline, detailed in Jack Kirby's Eternals and later followed up in the pages of Thor. The Fourth Host, including Hargen, Arishem, Jemiah, and others, arrived on Earth to begin their 50-year period of judgment. Their silent, colossal presence caused global panic. Hargen was seen performing his function, staff in hand, impassively surveying human civilization. The conflict reached its apex when Odin, in defiance of his ancient pact with the Celestials, confronted them to protect his beloved humanity. Empowered by the life forces of all Asgardians (save Thor) and inhabiting the invincible Destroyer Armor, Odin wielded the Odinsword and attacked the Celestials. Hargen and the others stood unmoving as the Destroyer unleashed its full power, which barely scratched their armor. In a display of overwhelming might, Arishem and the others fired a single, coordinated blast that melted the Destroyer into slag, severed Odin's connection to it, and silenced Asgard's defiance. Ultimately, the Earth was judged worthy of survival, due in part to the sacrifice of the Eternal “Uni-Mind” and the offering of twelve of humanity's greatest specimens. Hargen's measurements provided the data for this fateful decision.

In the modern era of comics, the story of the Celestials was drastically re-contextualized. It was revealed that four billion years ago, a diseased Celestial known as the Progenitor, infected by the Horde, came to die on the barren planet Earth. Its cosmic blood and ichor seeped into the planet's core, creating the “engine of possibility” that made Earth so uniquely suited for the genesis of super-powered beings. When Loki brought the Progenitor's insane, dark brethren—the Final Host—to Earth, the Avengers were forced to battle them. This storyline casts the Celestials' “experiment” on Earth in a new light. It wasn't just a random choice; Earth was special because of the dead Celestial at its core. While Hargen was not a member of the villainous Final Host, this event fundamentally alters the history of his race and their connection to Earth, suggesting their interest was not as random as once believed. It implies Hargen may have been measuring the long-term effects of the Progenitor's influence on humanity's DNA.

As a deep-cut cosmic character, Hargen the Measurer has very few prominent alternate-reality versions. His presence is usually tied to adaptations that directly involve the Celestials' core mythology.

• Earth X (Earth-9997): In this dark, alternate future, the true purpose of the Celestials is revealed. They are cosmic architects who implant a Celestial egg within a planet, and they manipulate the dominant species (in this case, by giving them superpowers) to act as a planetary “immune system” to protect the growing Celestial embryo from threats like Galactus. Once the species has served its purpose and the Celestial is ready to hatch, the species is extinguished. This concept was a direct and powerful influence on the MCU's adaptation of the Celestials in the Eternals film. In this reality, Hargen's function would be to measure the effectiveness of the “antibodies” (superheroes) and the growth of the Celestial egg.
• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): The Celestials do not appear in the classic Ultimate Universe in the same form as Earth-616. Cosmic threats in this reality were often re-imagined, such as the Gah Lak Tus swarm, a robotic hive-mind that served as this universe's version of Galactus. Therefore, a direct counterpart to Hargen does not exist.
• Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999): As detailed previously, Hargen does not appear by name. His role is conceptually absorbed by Arishem the Judge, who created the Eternals to foster humanity's growth to fuel the birth of the Celestial Tiamut. The entire plot of the Eternals film revolves around the very function Hargen embodies: measuring a planet's readiness for a Celestial event.

• celestials
• arishem_the_judge
• eternals
• deviants
• jack_kirby
• cosmic_entities_(marvel)
• fourth_host

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