Marvel changes the name of the upcoming Eternals - The Undying

Eternals: The Undying variant cover
Eternals: The Undying variant cover (Image credit: Phil Noto (Marvel Comics))

Update: Marvel has revised the name of the upcoming Eternals: The Undying one-shot, renaming it Eternals: The Heretic

The publisher hasn't specified the reason behind the change, however the original subtitle 'The Undying' is part of the name of the book's central character, Uranos the Undying.

Along with that, the now-renamed Eternals: The Heretic has been pushed back one month to a March 16 release date.

Original story follows...

Eternals: The Undying #1 cover by Andrea Sorrentino (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

In the lead-up and aftermath of the release of Marvel Studios' Eternals, Marvel Comics and writer Kieron Gillen have been releasing a series of Eternals specials alongside the ongoing series Gillen writes with artist Esad Ribić. 

The newest one-shot will go on sale in February 2022 and is Eternals: The Undying, with art by Ryan Bodenheim and a cover by Andrea Sorrentino. 

The one-shot delves deeper into Thanos' upcoming new role as leader of the Eternals. 

Yes, you read that right. If you're more of an MCU fan or a Marvel Comics reader not reading the Eternals at the moment, Thanos (a Deviant in the Marvel comic book universe) will soon become the leader of the Eternals. 

Eternals: The Undying focuses on Uranos, the Undying, described as Thanos' "Omnigenocidal Great Uncle," even "more horrific" than him, and the worst leader the Eternals has ever seen. 

Eternals: The Heretic #1 cover (Image credit: Phil Noto (Marvel Comics))

The official synopsis describes Thanos as evil but describes Uranos as the "original evil" from whom all Eternals descend. 

Remember, the Eternals comic book origins differ somewhat from their big-screen counterparts. 

"For a second, try and have sympathy with Thanos." Gillen wrying says in a statement about the special. "He was born on Titan, to a family which he loathes and has nothing in common with. In our run, he arrives on Earth, and meets the rest of his extended family... and discovers that it's the same thing, all over again."

"How depressing for Thanos," the statement continues. "And then he discovers... Uranos the Undying, Omnigenocidal Great Uncle, the rotting monstrous tree which Thanos' apple barely fell from, proof that perhaps this capacity of horror does skip a generation. So it's a happy ending for Thanos, really. Unhappy for everyone else, admittedly, but you can't have everything. This is a story about some of the darkest periods in the Eternals saga, as two of the worst people in the Marvel Universe get to know each other. Less Meet Cute, more Meet Execute."

Look for Marvel's full February 2022 solicitations later this month on Newsarama. 

Speaking of Thanos' family tree, learn the sometimes disturbing Marvel Comics history of his brother Eros/Starfox.

I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.