Spoilers for Avengers #44 and King in Black #3 ahead!
Iron Man has recently used the Celestial at the base of Avengers Mountain to unleash one of his most awesome armor attacks, and now, after the events of King in Black, he might be able to do an even better armor attack -one that would mean harnessing the true power of a Celestial!
The Celestials were created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in The Eternals #1 in 1976. One of the oldest, and certainly most mysterious, species in the Marvel Universe, these enormous, god-like beings travel the cosmos, experimenting on the DNA of lifeforms they encounter. In addition to heroes like Thor, the Celestials have also come into conflict with evil beings the King in Black. The dark symbiote god swore revenge upon the Celestials after they sparked the light of creation, which stirred Knull from his slumber in the primordial darkness. Armed with his Necrosword, the King in Black was able to slay Celestials with one swipe, and after Knull invaded Earth, readers learn that he has enslaved a Celestial as well, but more on that in a minute.
Before Knull attacked, the Iron Man created a variant on his Extremis armor that used symbiote-based technology, and with that was able to take control of the enslaved Celestial the King in Black brought with him.
It is not yet known if the Celestial will stick around post-King in Black, but the implication that Iron Man can control one if need be could prove advantageous should the Celestials ever visit the planet again, as seeing one of their own being controlled by Iron Man might give them pause. And being able to harness the power of a Celestial for defensive purposes could prove useful for Iron Man and the Avengers in turning back powerful, god-level threats such as Galactus in the future as well.
Iron Man’s recent encounters with the Celestials and their technology have given him great insight into this mysterious race, and now that he is able to harness it, it could greatly affect Earth’s standing in the universe. Both Avengers #44 and King in Black #3 are on sale now in print and digital.
