"Who are you people?" When the Deviants were finally eradicated, it wasn't the Avengers or even the Eternals who spoke first—it was Sentry. He flew over to several Eternals and directly confronted them.
Sentry had observed the ongoing battles carefully, but he had no intention of interfering with the Avengers. After all, he had witnessed Robert's fight with Galactus firsthand and knew full well that he wasn't a match for Robert. Picking a fight with the Avengers would be unwise.
What truly caught his attention was the sudden emergence of the Eternals. They had appeared at almost the exact same time as the Deviants, which immediately made Sentry suspicious.
After Galactus's warning was relayed to Earth through Silver Surfer, all global organizations and superhuman factions had mobilized their resources. Even Vought's "The Seven" had initially planned to help, though they ultimately stood down due to their inability to contribute in space-based combat.
Given the dire nature of Galactus's threat, it was understandable that many groups were sidelined. Sentry understood this.
But the Eternals were a different story. From what Sentry had observed, their members exhibited diverse and powerful abilities, and even their weakest member seemed stronger than Homelander. Sentry couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right with this group of sudden arrivals.
The question gnawed at him: Where had these people been all this time?
"We're Eternals. Without us protecting Earth in secret, your precious human civilization would've perished long ago," Ikaris said with a tone of disdain, his voice cutting through Sentry's suspicions.
Sentry raised an eyebrow. "Protecting Earth in secret? And now you suddenly show up? Convenient timing. Where were you during the planet's most desperate moments?"
Ikaris narrowed his eyes. "Do you think we owe you an explanation, mortal? You wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for us. Your so-called heroics exist only because we made it possible."
"You've been protecting Earth in secret?" Sentry's skepticism deepened. From what he could recall, the timeline didn't add up. Earth had faced countless crises over the years. If these so-called Eternals were truly its protectors, they'd been strangely absent when it mattered most.
Unbeknownst to Sentry, his suspicions weren't unfounded. The Eternals truly believed they had protected Earth from extinction by battling the Deviants for millennia. What they didn't know was that their memories had been altered.
The Celestials had created the Eternals to guard civilizations, but on Earth, their role was rendered obsolete when the gods of the Age of Myth eradicated the Deviants almost entirely.
The Eternals' supposed heroics had never actually happened. In truth, Earth's defense had been handled by other factions—mythological gods, Kamar-Taj, the Avengers, and countless other protectors. But the Eternals were unaware of this, having been implanted with false memories by Earth's Dimensional Consciousness as part of its scheme.
"I'm sorry, but your story doesn't check out," Sentry shot back. "Earth's had its share of protectors, and none of them have ever heard of you. Why is that?"
Ikaris bristled at the accusation. "Because we've been fighting battles beyond your comprehension, against threats you couldn't begin to understand—threats like the Deviants."
Sentry crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Those creatures? I've fought worse. You expect me to believe they're the reason you've been hiding all this time?"
"Enough!" Ikaris growled, his pride stung. Energy began to gather around his eyes, threatening to unleash his heat vision.
"Wait!" Ajak, the leader of the Eternals, stepped forward, her voice firm. "Sentry, you mentioned a star god earlier. What exactly did you see?"
Sentry frowned at the interruption. "A cosmic being. Bigger than Earth. Armored. Faceless. Are you saying you don't know who that is?"
The mention of the Celestial caused a ripple of unease among the Eternals.
"It's impossible!" Ikaris barked. "Mortals can't perceive the Celestials! And the Celestials would never interfere with Earth directly."
"Silence!" Ajak cut him off sharply, her eyes narrowing. "From now on, you will speak only when I allow it."
Ikaris opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, a massive hand landed on his shoulder. Gilgamesh, the Eternals' strongest warrior, stepped in, his imposing presence immediately silencing Ikaris.
Though Ikaris considered himself the most powerful Eternal, he was wary of Gilgamesh's sheer physical strength. If it came down to a direct confrontation, Ikaris knew he'd struggle to keep up in close combat.
"Now," Ajak said, turning back to Sentry. "Tell me everything you know about this star god."
Before Sentry could respond, the surrounding atmosphere shifted. The skies darkened as the Avengers arrived, accompanied by Kamar-Taj sorcerers led by the Ancient One.
The area was instantly enveloped in a strange spatial distortion, locking everyone inside. The Ancient One had created a controlled battlefield, although she had deliberately avoided using the Mirror Dimension. This was at Robert's request, who had his own plans for the Eternals.
Robert had been observing the situation from the sidelines, and when he heard Ikaris casually mention the Celestials, he was certain of their connection. These "Eternals" were undoubtedly linked to the Celestials, whom Robert had been seeking out.
Although he didn't yet understand why the Eternals had been absent from history, their sudden reappearance was the perfect opportunity to force the hand of Earth's Dimensional Consciousness.
"You're the Avengers, aren't you?" Ajak's tone was cautious as she addressed the newcomers.
"That's right," Tony Stark replied, stepping forward in his armor. "And you must be their leader. So tell us: Who are you really? When did you go into hiding, and why are you just now coming back?"
"You dare interrogate us?" Ikaris growled, his energy flaring. The other Eternals, sensing his hostility, began to spread out, subtly positioning themselves for combat.
"It's strange," the Ancient One interjected calmly, her gaze sharp. "You claim to have been protecting Earth for millennia, yet Kamar-Taj's records contain no mention of you. For a group supposedly as old as history itself, your existence is suspiciously absent."
"Who… or what is Kamar-Taj?" whispered some of the Eternals to each other, clearly caught off guard by the Ancient One's presence.
Their confusion deepened when the Ancient One produced the Time Stone, its green glow illuminating the battlefield.
"The Time Stone?!" one of the Eternals exclaimed, their voices filled with shock. "How can a mortal possess an Infinity Stone?"
Their reactions confirmed that they recognized the artifact's immense power.
Before anyone could answer, Makkari, the Eternal with superspeed, darted forward, aiming to snatch the Time Stone.
But her speed was met in kind. Pietro Maximoff, the Avengers' speedster, intercepted her mid-dash, his movements creating a wall of wind that forced her to stop in her tracks.
"Get out of my way!" Makkari snarled, launching an energy blast at Pietro.
The energy was deflected by a barrier of swirling wind as Pietro used his control over air pressure to slow Makkari's movements.
"Take the Time Stone from her!" Ajak commanded, signaling the other Eternals to act.
At her order, the Eternals sprang into action, each unleashing their unique abilities as they engaged the Avengers.
The battle had begun.
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