Eternals has done several things as an MCU movie. In fact, one of its biggest criticisms is that the movie does too many things for setting up future projects and hence forgets to focus on the present. This is evident by the fact that four new super-powered beings are introduced in the after-credits scene of the movie. Moreover, there is no sense of urgency in the entire movie. But the plot has some interesting implications. For example, Eternals reveals that Tony Stark was not Earth’s deadliest MCU character. There was a sort of Iron Man before him. Keep reading to find out what I mean.
Eternals follows the life of the titular character who are cosmic beings sent to Earth to protect humanity. They are sent here by the Celestials to fight off the Deviants. These cosmic beings are specifically instructed not to interfere in the conflicts of humanity. They are to guide and foster human beings so that these apes may prosper and survive for as long as they can. Each one of them has different powers, Makkari can move really fast, Sprite can cast illusions, Druig can control people, Sersi can perform alchemy on the fly, Ikaris has the power of flight and can shoot lasers from his eyes.
Each one of them is unique in its own way. But there is one Eternal who was imperative in fostering the human species and ensuring their growth. We are talking about Phastos. This Eternal was blessed with cosmic energy which he used to make technology, he is a master engineer who even surpasses the skills of Tony Stark. In a sense, he is the first Iron Man of the MCU. He is also Earth’s deadliest character. Let me explain.
Deadliest MCU Character (Earth Based)
Phastos is the first character who was involved in creating technology in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is, quite literally, the first engineer of Earth in this timeline. All our understanding of machines and technology comes from him. He wanted to make humanity adept at handling the technology that he gave them. Phastos invented things from resources available on this planet and gave them to the human beings that he watched over. This allowed him to cast the illusion that humanity created the technology themselves and paved the way for their hubris.
Much like Tony Stark, Phastos is seen making and manipulating blueprints in holograms. The only difference is that his holograms are made from cosmic energy and not electricity. Phastos also has his own Iron man arc in the movie. Tony Stark saw his weapons used by the terrorists and this resulted in him realizing that he needed to amend his weapon-making ways. Stark then discontinued Star industries’ weapons wing and decided that he will use his technology to change the impact he has had in the world. He did this by making the Iron man suit and destroying the terrorist cells who misused them.
Tony then dedicated his life to the betterment of society. Similarly, Phastos tried his best to help humanity with his technology but we used this engineering of his to develop weapons of mass destruction. This broke the Eternal, he realized that giving the humans this level of technology was a mistake. He was heartbroken that his technology would be misused in that way. Although Stark technology killed hundreds of thousands of people, Phastos’ technology’s kill count is probably in millions, and that is being conservative because he has been alive for centuries.
The Future
Moreover, the Eternal developed gauntlets for the final fight to shoot cosmic energy from his palms. This is something that resembles the repulsors of Iron Man. He also built a contraption to capture Ikaris and immobilize him during the final battle allowing for Sersi to have enough time to do her thing. This narrative solidifies Phastos’ place as the first Iron Man in the MCU. He is the deadlines character on Earth with the highest kill count out of all the heroes and villains.
But does that make him a villain or a hero? I think the entirety of Eternals are in space where it is hard to classify them in a category. Let us know what you think about this analysis down in the comments below and keep watching this space for everything Marvel, DC, and Hollywood. Excelsior!!!
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