In the beginning of the Marvel Universe, there was just one omnipotent being who created the universe. After the Big Bang, a number of celestial beings came into existence. The universe eventually split off into multiple universes, hence why they call it the “Marvel Multiverse.”
In some cases, there are multiple copies of these beings, as well, so the versions of their stories may actually change depending on the comic series they were published in. With that in mind, we’re going to do out best to talk about these character as accurately as we can. Today, we’re going to go over 10 of the gods and celestial beings that rein over the multiverse…
10. The Celestials
After the creation of the universe in the Big Bang, a race of 2,000-foot tall creatures wearing robot-like armor called The Celestials came into existence. They were the very first race of living beings, and they are responsible for pretty much every significant event in human evolution. They are constantly experimenting, and they make improvements on mankind, including the mutant X-gene that is responsible for the X-Men’s powers. The Celestials also created other powerful cosmic entities like the Eternals and the Deviants.
Celestials never truly die, they are just reborn into a new body. That makes them practically immortal. Even though they are all individuals, they contain a sort of telekinetic hive-mind. So, if you communicate with one, you’re talking to them all. Mere humans could never understand the Celestials’ end-goal, but there is a theory that they are experimenting over time, trying to create a perfect species, and destroying the creatures they deem to be unworthy.
9. Uatu the Watcher
There is yet another race that appeared after the Big Bang called the Watchers. They are equally as powerful as the Celestials, and the two have been at odds for billions of years, because they have polar opposite philosophies about how to deal with lesser life forms. As their name suggests, the Watchers have a strict rule that they should only observe life in the universe for the sake of gathering data without actually interfering. But one Watcher named Uatu broke those rules. He had been watching over Earth, and felt compassionate toward humans and their many issues, so he stepped in to help Earthlings.
Unfortunately for him, he was exiled from the Watchers after breaking the rules. So he decided to make a new home on the moon, and he serves as a middleman between superheroes and celestial beings. Uatu has appeared in multiple Marvel comics over the years, and he has helped saved the planet more than once. While we have yet to learn a lot about them in the films, the Watchers made a brief appearance with Stan Lee in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. In fact, you know all of those Stan Lee cameos in the MCU? Turns out he may have been playing Uatu all along.
8. The Phoenix Force
The Phoenix Force is the force of life and passion that exists in the energy throughout the multiverse. It does not have a true physical form, but it usually appears in the comics in the shape of a phoenix made of flame. It is the guardian of all creation, and it guards the powerful M’Kraan Crystal.
Normally, the Phoenix Force does not interact with living things, but it becomes a sort of soulmate with the X-Men character Jean Grey. When she was a child, Jean’s best friend was killed during a car accident, and she used her telepathic powers to attempt bring her back to life. The Phoenix Force was so impressed by her power that it spared Jean’s life. We don’t want to go into too much more detail with this one, since it just might give away too many spoilers for the upcoming Dark Phoenix movie in 2019. (Of course, if you were a fan of the X-Men cartoon in the ’90s, you no doubt know the general storyline regardless of whether you’ve read the comics.)
7. Galactus The Devourer
The cosmic supervillain named Galactus the Devourer has what is called “The Power Cosmic,” which is the ability to survive anything, even if the entire universe collapses in on itself. In order to maintain this level of power, Galactus consumes entire planets for sustenance, and throughout the Marvel comics, he very nearly has Earth for lunch more than once.
He has appeared in the Fantastic Four and the Avengers comic books, and he also appears in the 2007 movie Rise of the Silver Surfer. Which makes sense, since the Silver Surfer is one of the heralds of Galactus–which is how he got his powers in the first place.
6. Master Order and Lord Chaos
Master Order and Lord Chaos were two more cosmic entities created at the beginning of the universe. As their names suggest, they are on the polar opposite ends of existence, and are constantly having a power struggle over causing order and chaos.
But they don’t just fight with each other. Master Order and Lord Chaos both fight with the Living Tribunal and Galactus, and they created a being known as “The In-Betweener” to help them accomplish their goals. In this process, the brothers were merged together into one cosmic entity called Logos, which appeared as a villain in the Black Panther comics. They have yet to appear in any of the movies.
5. Eon
Eon is the “cosmic custodian” of the universe, because he helps to make sure that the planets are functioning properly in order to maintain life. He is also credited for causing some of the world’s unexplained phenomena. Of course, the planet Earth is a particular favorite of his, since it has nurtured so many of these superhuman Marvel heroes.
Eon chose Captain Marvel to become the protector of the universe, and Captain Marvel (all of the various iterations) is of the only superheroes who just may be strong enough to defeat Thanos. We can’t go into too much more details, because presumably, Captain Marvel will become a very important character in Avengers: Endgame if the end credits scene in Infinity War is any indication.
4. Cyttorak
So, if you saw Deadpool 2 and wondered how Juggernaut was so powerful, he has Cyttorak to thank for that. Cyttorak is a demon who was once worshiped by humans, until he was banished from Earth. He was one of eight supreme beings known as the Octessence, each of whom crafted a totem that would imbue a human who found it with immense power. This person was known as an Exemplar, with the goal being for the eight Examplars–each having found a gem and taking its power–to lead an immense war with an eighth of the Earth’s population behind each, and only one faction remaining when the blood and dust settled. And that’s why Juggernaut is not only immensely powerful, but also endlessly bloodthirsty.
The true identity of Juggernaut under that helmet is a man named Cain Marko, who is actually Charles Xavier’s stepbrother. They clearly don’t get along with one another, which is part of why he becomes the nemesis of the X-Men. After finding the power of Cyttorak, Juggernaut’s physical strength made him virtually unstoppable, and there are very few who can even possibly attempt to take him on.
3. Eternity and Infinity
Eternity and Infinity are twin beings that represent the universe itself, and they first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1965. It is believed that Stan Lee was hoping to introduce Eastern philosophy into the Marvel Universe. They are supposed to be one the most powerful cosmic beings, and in each of the Marvel multiverses, they appear in a different way. Normally, they do not have a physical body, and only take physical form when they are communicating with the Marvel characters.
Eternity created the Infinity stones, and it’s believed that whoever holds the Infinity gauntlet has the power to control the universe. This would mean that in the next Avengers movie, Thanos could actually overtake all of eternity, if he so chose. While the characters have not played a role in a main storyline yet, some believe that Eternity may have been an Easter egg in the movie Ant-Man.
2. The Living Tribunal
The Living Tribunal first appeared in the Dr. Strange comics in the 1960s. His purpose is to balance magical energy in the multiverse, so he only shows up when there is some kind of upset in the cosmos. The Living Tribunal is a floating head with three faces that represent equity, revenge, and necessity. He’s like the judge of the universe, and when all three faces agree, it implements justice when someone has gone too far.
In 2006, there was an additional fourth face added to the Living Tribunal, which was a reflection of the person who gazes upon it. He is supposed to carry out the will of the “One-Above-All,” who you will learn about riiiiight… now:
1. The One-Above-All
The One-Above-All is omnipresent and omnipotent. He sees all, knows all, and he can change anything across any dimension of universe. This means that none of the other characters we have mentioned in this list are more powerful than he is. He also created many of the other gods and cosmic entities that we see in the Marvel comics.
Basically, he is God… like, with a capital G. His job is to make sure there is a balance of power in the multiverse, and that existence doesn’t devolve into chaos. He rarely appears in the comics, but when he does, it is in various forms to various characters. So we never get to learn what he truly looks like.