Eternals #2
Eternals Vol. 2 #2 is the debut issue of Ghaur, the scheming Deviant priest-lord who would become the primary antagonist of the entire 1985 twelve-issue limited series and later the central villain of Marvel's sweeping 1989 crossover event 'Atlantis Attacks.' His introduction shifts the power structure within Deviant Lemuria away from the warrior class and toward a theocratic conspiracy, giving the series its central dramatic engine. The issue also marks the first comic appearances of both Gilgamesh (the Forgotten One) and the character Ahqlau within this volume, further expanding the cast of Eternal mythology that Peter B. Gillis was weaving into the broader Marvel Universe. As the issue that reveals who truly holds power among the Deviants after the death of Brother Tode, it sets the ideological and political stakes that drive the series to its Celestial-powered conclusion.
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The 1985 Eternals limited series was Marvel's first attempt to revive Jack Kirby's cosmic mythology since guest appearances in Thor and Iron Man had folded the Eternals into mainline Marvel continuity. Writer Peter B. Gillis and penciler Sal Buscema launched the twelve-issue run under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, with Walt Simonson providing the striking covers for the opening issues. According to comic-book historian Peter Sanderson, Shooter grew dissatisfied with Gillis's scripts mid-run, ultimately bringing in Walt Simonson to write the series' final installments — a production conflict that has been noted consistently across multiple sources. Issue #2, titled 'The Old Priest Writ Large...!,' was released on August 6, 1985 with a November 1985 cover date, inked by Al Gordon and lettered by Joe Rosen.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Ghaur, the Deviant priest-lord and de facto ruler of Lemuria, created by Peter B. Gillis and Sal Buscema (confirmed across Marvel Database, CartoonWiki, HeyKidsComics, and multiple other sources).
- First appearance of Ahqlau and the death of Ranar, the rightful heir to the Deviant throne whom Ghaur has executed to consolidate his own power.
- First appearance of Gilgamesh (the Forgotten One) in this volume, as listed in the Marvel Database character appearances for this issue.
- Written by Peter B. Gillis, penciled by Sal Buscema, inked by Al Gordon, with a cover by Walt Simonson; released August 6, 1985, cover-dated November 1985.
- The story, titled 'The Old Priest Writ Large...!', establishes Ghaur's scheme to manipulate Kro as a figurehead king while the Deviant priesthood holds real power — the central political conflict of the entire maxi-series.
- Ghaur went on to serve as the Big Bad of the 1989 'Atlantis Attacks' annual crossover event, making this issue his generative debut across a wide swath of the Marvel Universe.
- The 1985 limited series as a whole was eventually collected in the Eternals: The Dreaming Celestial Saga trade paperback (2021) and The Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus (2020), meaning issue #2's content is now accessible in reprinted form.
- The series was published under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, who — per historian Peter Sanderson and multiple corroborating sources — later replaced Gillis with Walt Simonson for the series' final issues due to dissatisfaction with Gillis's scripts.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in David Anthony Kraft's Comics Interview #27 (1985), The Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus #[nn] (2020), Eternals: The Dreaming Celestial Saga #[nn] (2021)
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