The focus of The Eternals shifts when we follow Thena and her once-upon-a-time paramour Kro into the Deviant "City of the Toads", otherwise called Lemuria deep down in the ocean. There we get a close up view of Deviant society, a society committed to chaos seemingly because of the people's genetic variables. The themes of the the larger story begin to sharpen as we look through Thena's eyes at a society which destroys those of its population who have been born too far from some proscribed set of expectations. These "Rejects" are summarily killed in methods which evoke the depraved Nazi concentration camps and in spectator-filled arenas which call to mind the gladitorial spectacles of a declining Roman Empire.
We meet two of these "Rejects", one called simply that and the other named Karkus. The "Reject" is a stunningly handsome Deviant variation (at least by Eternal and Human standards) but is consumed with a lust for violence while Karkus, a giant red tank of a creature seems possessed of a gentler spirit. Kirby is clearly and bluntly contradicting some of the implications of his Deviant-Human-Eternal "trichotomy" (I think I just coined that word) by suggesting it's less about nature and more about nurture which determines destiny. Kro also speaks to this notion.
All the while this unfolding, Eson of the Celestial Fourth Host seeks out his post on Earth for the fifty year judgment. He appears off the beaches of Miami before descending into the depths.
All the while this has been happening the summons Thena responds to is from Zuras himself and all Eternals are required to respond. That will be the focus of a later installment.
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The introduction of Reject & Karkus, as well as the unfolding of Kro more complex & even tender emotions, showed what Kirby was working towards in this series—not merely larger-than-life figures clashing, but different & opposing groups learning about each other, becoming more than just perpetual enemies. Besides, the Celestials render even the Eternals as something less than larger-than-life, at least as far as power goes. In fact, it seems to me that the series wasn't so much about power as it was about communication & empathy between opposing groups. Certainly more genuinely adult fare than many fans & professionals gave it credit for being then!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. This reading has shown me a depth I ignored before, blinded perhaps by the bombast of the two thousand foot giants all over the place. I've read somewhere that the Deviants are in fact the "heroes" of the saga, those underdogs who are attempting to save their world from the merciless intentions of others. Interesting way to look at it.
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