The Eternals #4
The Eternals #4 (October 1976) delivers the second appearance of Sersi — one of the most enduring characters Jack Kirby introduced in the series and later a core Avenger and MCU lead — while also marking the first time Ikaris appears on a cover, cementing his visual identity as the face of the title. The issue is a pivotal chapter in Kirby's mythological science-fiction experiment: with Ikaris incapacitated by Kro's Deviant armies, Sersi is thrust into the spotlight as the issue's active hero, using her matter-transmutation powers to defend Manhattan and establishing her as the series' most versatile and charismatic figure. Structurally, #4 also continues the multi-threaded storytelling Kirby pioneered in this run — intercutting between the Deviant invasion of New York, Ajak's vigil at the City of the Space Gods, and Arishem's looming judgment — a narrative approach that feels remarkably modern and influenced every subsequent Eternals revival.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The Eternals was Jack Kirby's vehicle for exploring ancient-astronaut mythology upon his return to Marvel in the mid-1970s, conceived as a self-contained cosmos deliberately separate from the existing Marvel Universe. Kirby served as writer, penciler, and editor on the title — an unusual triple role reflecting Marvel's desire to give him creative autonomy — with John Verpoorten handling inks on the first four issues, including #4, before Mike Royer took over for the remainder of the run. Issue #4 falls at the close of this opening creative unit, representing the last chapter inked by Verpoorten, and it lands within the editorial context of a series that Kirby reportedly intended to stand alone from Thor, the Avengers, and other Marvel mythology, even as editorial pressure to integrate it with the broader universe was already building.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover-dated October 1976; published by Marvel Comics as part of the 19-issue Bronze Age run (July 1976 – January 1978) written, penciled, and edited by Jack Kirby.
- Story titled 'The Night of the Demons'; inked by John Verpoorten — his last issue on the series — and lettered by Irv Watanabe.
- Second appearance of Sersi (introduced in #3 as 'Sersy'); issue #4 is also the first time her name is spelled correctly in print, a detail the character herself wryly acknowledges in dialogue.
- First cover appearance of Ikaris, establishing the visual that would define the character across decades of reprints and adaptations.
- First appearance of Gammenon the Gatherer, a member of the Fourth Celestial Host whose presence expands the Celestial hierarchy Kirby was constructing across the run.
- Central action: Kro's Deviant armies invade Manhattan; Ikaris is felled by a 'brain-mine' and torpedoed into the ocean by Kro; Sersi single-handedly repels the Deviant assault on her penthouse by transmuting the attackers into lizards.
- Ajak, monitoring events from the City of the Space Gods, rescues the capsule containing Ikaris's unconscious body — a subplot that further develops the Ajak-as-intermediary role between Eternals and Celestials.
- The entire original 19-issue Kirby run, including this issue, has been collected in multiple formats: individual trade paperback volumes (2008), a Marvel Omnibus hardcover (2006), and The Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus (2020), ensuring the story remains accessible to modern readers.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Comic Reader #132 (1976), Strange #93 (1977), Gli Eterni #3 (1978), Hulk Comic #10 (1979), Hulk Comic #11 (1979), Superaventuras Marvel #34 (1985), Eternals by Jack Kirby [The Eternals Omnibus] #[nn] (2006), Les Éternels #1 (2007), Eternals by Jack Kirby #1 (2008), Eternals: Cosmic Origins #[nn] (2020), The Eternals by Jack Kirby Monster-Size #[nn] (2020), Eternals by Jack Kirby: The Complete Collection #[nn] (2020), The Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus #[nn] (2020), Ο Πόλεμος των Άστρων [Star Wars] #6
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