With the release of Marvel’s Eternals in theaters, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a whole new group of super powered beings in its lineup. The Eternals, created by the Celestials millions of years ago, are stronger than most of the other beings seen in the MCU so far. They have specific abilities that involve changing the state of matter and harnessing energy - for the most part. There are, however, more Eternals than the 10 central to the story of the movie, as the mid-credits scene of Eternals shows the audience.
In addition to the end credits teasing a new character for the MCU, the mid-credit scene reveals Pip the Troll and Starfox appearing in the Domo to offer their assistance to Thena, Druig, and Makkari as they search for more Eternals in space. Starfox goes by many names, like the Knave of Hearts, but he’s better known as the Prince of Titan, Thanos’ brother Eros. It’s likely that the on-screen version will be very different from the comic book version, but fans might still benefit from a primer on the character before he makes more MCU appearances.
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Like many of the cosmic characters currently in the MCU, Eros was created by Jim Starlin and made his comic book debut in the 1970s. He actually first appeared in an Iron Man comic book, and it would be years before his backstory was fully fleshed out, but he became a major player in Avengers storylines in space and on Earth.
Originally born with the name Eron, the character was the son of the Titans Sui-San and A’lars on Titan. While his brother Thanos was obsessed with power and how things worked, Eron was more about having fun - specifically with females. His parents eventually renamed him Eros as a nod to the cupid of mythology, and his visits to Earth perpetuated the myth, though he spent more time using the name Starfox as an adult.
Eros ended up learning more about fighting and his own power set when he decided that he couldn’t focus solely on having a good time. That wake-up call came as a result of his brother - who attacked their own planet. Thanos killed their mother, dissecting her in a medical facility, and that led Eros to become the leader of a small band of survivors from Titan to take on his own brother in repeated fights. It wasn’t until he joined with the Avengers to defeat his brother during the “Infinity Gauntlet” storyline that he went back to his fun-loving lifestyle, but he also still helped out the superheroes when they reached out for assistance.
Most of Starfox’s storylines, however, involve his brother. His final storyline, until a comic book writer decides to resurrect him again, involved a seemingly dead Thanos trying to impart his consciousness into his brother’s body. Gamora ended up killing Starfox to prevent it, though she didn’t succeed.
While Eternals didn’t give any indication of just what Starfox can do in the MCU, it did imply that he’s also an Eternal. He had in his possession a golden sphere just like the one Ajak, and later Sersi used to communicate with Arishem. What being an Eternal means in the MCU might be different than in the comics but it’s likely the character will have special abilities. If he has the same abilities as in his comic book storylines, he’s got a similar power set to Druig.
While Druig can influence people’s actions by imposing his will on others, Starfox is able to specifically influence the pleasure center of the brain. While he can’t make people do something, he can influence their decision to do it. If Starfox increases or decreases the feelings associated with pleasure in regards to a specific decision, he increases the likelihood of someone doing exactly what he wants.
Most often, this particular power of his is associated with relationships. He’s even out on trial at one point for supposedly using his powers against someone to force them into a relationship with him. While he wasn’t ultimately found guilty, it was revealed that he actually influenced Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk to fall in love with her then-husband.
Of course, Starfox also has a slew of other powers in the comics as Eternals share similar power sets on the page. Super strength, advanced speed, teleportation, flight, and more are among their powers, though it doesn’t appear that every Eternal has those abilities in the MCU. Ikaris is, after all, the only Eternal to fly so far.
Just how much of Starfox’s story will be pulled from the comics for future MCU appearances remains to be seen. After all, a brother was never mentioned for Thanos throughout the first three phases of the MCU. Thanos was also never specified as being an Eternal, just as a being from Titan. Whether or not Thanos was an Eternal in the same way as those seen in their self-titled movie might never be explored in the MCU, but whether or not Starfox is likely will be.
The MCU reportedly doesn’t have sequels to Eternals planned, but the characters will be a part of ongoing storylines as the universe is so interconnected. Starfox, on board the Domo with a handful of the Eternals, is likely going to be involved in more cosmic adventures. That could mean crossing paths with Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or even Carol Danvers. Starfox was a friend of the Kree Mar-Vell in the comics, after all, and that’s the same Kree who passed their powers onto Carol.
It’s always possible that Starfox could be used as a way to bring Thanos back from the dead, just as he was in the comics. With the introduction of Celestials, the multiverse, and a whole new lineup of Marvel heroes, however, the MCU has likely moved on from Thanos as its big bad. Starfox will need to have his own storylines that don’t depend on his brother. Considering Starfox is keeping his Knave of Hearts nickname from the comics, he’ll likely still have his playboy sensibilities, but beyond that, the audience will just have to wait and see where he pops up next.
Eternals is currently playing in theaters.
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