How are Eternity, Infinity, Oblivion important to the Marvel Universe aside from the obvious reasons of existence? i.e. Why bother giving them histories or making actual characters? :banghead:
Quote from: darkphoenixII on March 29, 2007, 05:39:22 PM
How are Eternity, Infinity, Oblivion important to the Marvel Universe aside from the obvious reasons of existence? i.e. Why bother giving them histories or making actual characters? :banghead:
Like most comic-book characters, they were each (starting with Eternity) created by different writers for specific stories, for which they served specific story-related purposes. Later, other writers tweaked them to try to work out exactly how they fit into Marvel cosmology. Personally, I think Marvel made a huge mistake, starting in the '80s, when they started trying to make their various cosmic entities fit into a consistant, defined framework. Beings on that level (or even on the level of, say the Elders of the Universe) should simply be inexplicable from a human point of view- defining them too much makes them seem smaller, somehow...
I would recommend http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_entities_%28Marvel_Comics%29 as well.
Quote from: Alaric on March 29, 2007, 05:57:25 PM
Quote from: darkphoenixII on March 29, 2007, 05:39:22 PM
How are Eternity, Infinity, Oblivion important to the Marvel Universe aside from the obvious reasons of existence? i.e. Why bother giving them histories or making actual characters? :banghead:
Like most comic-book characters, they were each (starting with Eternity) created by different writers for specific stories, for which they served specific story-related purposes. Later, other writers tweaked them to try to work out exactly how they fit into Marvel cosmology. Personally, I think Marvel made a huge mistake, starting in the '80s, when they started trying to make their various cosmic entities fit into a consistant, defined framework. Beings on that level (or even on the level of, say the Elders of the Universe) should simply be inexplicable from a human point of view- defining them too much makes them seem smaller, somehow...
I think you're right, actually. Such intricate details on characters such as these seems to make them a bit less god-like. And forgive me for having to ask, but where would the Phoenix Force rank in sheer scope of power with the aforementioned beings and Galactus? It powers derive from every psyche in every universe in all realities, which says a lot indeed. But how does it compare....?
They're all more powerful than each other.
Comic writers tend to make sweeping and grandiose staements about "cosmic" levels of power to drive home just how far beyond the ken of mortal man they really are. Unfortunately, such grandiose statements make for poor comparison. I mean, how do you really compare the collective psyche of all realities versus the power that caused all those realities to exist versus the power that existed before all current realities versus the power that will end the multiverse as we know it versus the powers that exists beyond all realities? Why do we even need all these "powers" in the first place? The answer is, like an animal placing it's spoor, each writer wants to make his own mark on the universe by doing his own "thing". When you try to put it together logically, you have to retcon like crazy and it's still a big undefined mess.
DK