Context
Eterno the Immortal is an obscure DC Comics character, seen but once in 1966. He’s very Silver AgeSuper-hero comics from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. in style.
He was an early creation of Jim Shooter , who began working for DC at 14.
The odds of Eterno returning are rather low :
- He’s not unlike Marvel’s Ultimo, who had a much greater number of appearances.
- There are similar characters that have emerged since, such as the Host.
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Background
- Real Name: Eterno the Immortal.
- Known Relatives: N.A..
- Group Affiliation: Xan civilisation.
- Base of Operations: Earth.
- Height: Almost 50 feet (15¼ m.). Weight: I’d guess 70 tonnes.
- Eyes: White sensors. Hair: Nope.
Powers & Abilities
Eterno has “the power of 100 suns unleashed”. Instead of pondering how one leashes suns (it’s done with tattoos, FWIW), let’s observe the applications of this.
The creature is :
- Undying. It can function for at least hundreds of millions of years.
- Gigantic. As often, his size isn’t super-coherent from one panel to the next, but he’s about five stories tall.
- Immensely strong and durable. He and Superman were evenly matched – in fact they couldn’t truly hurt each other.
- Able to fire eyebeams. These are just as strong as Superman’s heat vision, and could rip through a mountain.
- Fast and accurate enough to reliably hit Superman.
- Immune to pretty much any environmental condition.
- In possession of all knowledge from the Xan civilisation, though that’s not really demonstrated in the story. Maybe he just passively stores it.
- Able to learn modern English within a minute or so of hearing people talk.
Construction
Eterno is half-robot, half-android.
In this case “android” seems to mean “artificial living tissue”. For instance his brain seems organic, but is encased within a robot head. So he could be described as a cyborg synthesoidAn artificial being built using organic-like tissues, rather than robot-like hardware..
His “suntoflesh” (and not “synthoflesh” as I kept reading on the first pass) seems to have similar properties to pre-Crisis Kryptonian bodies. So if he’s cut off from sunlight and forced to expend his power, it might be possible to exhaust him.
History
A billion years ago, there was on Earth a super-civilisation called Xan.
They lived in mighty sky-cities built by super-science. Obviously, everybody was a tall and handsome White dude (no woman is visible in the story).
(“A billion years ago” takes up back to the Proterozoic Eon . At this point the main things happening on Earth are volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and very simple lifeforms gradually pumping oxygen into the atmosphere.)
(Of course, having modern homo sapiens be around back when nobody had even invented trilobites is no big deal in a super-hero universe. At worst, these were settlers from another time or dimensionOther realms of existence that are not our universe..)
It’s a gas gas gas
Xan were experts in the construction of robots and androids. They designed a giant hybrid, which could function eternally and was their crowning achievement.
This entity, Eterno, was also a very powerful servant facilitating excavation, construction, etc..
Eterno eventually decided to become Earth’s ruler. But before it could make its move, a cloud of space gas came nearing Earth. It would extinguish everything but sealife.
The Xan determined that the rare, exotic element Absorbium could soak up the gas. Some could be found at the centre of the Earth. They sent Eterno to get it. But as it happened, exposure to Absorbium paralysed Eterno. The Xan civilisation was destroyed by the gas.
Revenges everywhere
In 1966, a team from the Superman Revenge Squad located Eterno. They then remotely shot the Absorbium at his feet. Freed, the hybrid robot/android made its way to the surface… TO CONQUER !
Superman came in in the nick of time to prevent a carnage in Metropolis. But Eterno was too powerful, and they could make little headways against each other.
However, the Revenge Squad’s spaceship flew in too close to observe – and gloat using a PA system. When Eterno heard that the Squad was using him as a puppet, he didn’t take it well.
Desperate to stop Eterno, the three Revenge Squaddies tried various weapons, then synthesized Absorbium ammunition. These rounds rendered Eterno inert. But the giant came crashing down on them, killing the Squad members.
Examining the Squad’s science notes, Superman learned of Xan and Eterno’s origin.
Personality
Eterno wants to be a king. Like, I mean, an entire civilisation’s worth of knowledge and that’s what you want ? Dude !
Quotes
“Impossible ! No mere human can endure my destructo beams !”
“No one controls Eterno ! I am no one’s tool ! I will destroy anyone who dares call Eterno a puppet !”
Adνеrtisеmеnt
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Eterno
| Dex: 10 | Str: 18 | Bod: 25 |
| Int: 08 | Wil: 08 | Min: 08 |
| Inf: 08 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 06 |
| Init: 026 | HP: 120 |
Powers:
Comprehend languages: 15, Data Storage: 30, Energy blast: 18, Self-Link (Gadgetry): 30, Growth: 10, Running: 07, Swimming: 03
Bonuses and Limitations:
Growth is Always On and Already Factored In. Hand-to-hand attacks can do Sweep Manoeuvres, and/or have a 1 AP Area of Effect.
Skills:
None demonstrated.
Advantages:
Immortal, Language (Xan), Life Support (Full).
Connections:
Nope.
Drawbacks:
Catastrophic Bulletproof Syndrome, Distinct Appearance, MIA toward Power.
Motivation:
Power.
Occupation:
Labourer.
Wealth:
N.A..
If somebody wanna use the Xan in a story, here’s the one relevant shot.
Design Notes
This is using a post-Crisis power scale, and the “Superman has a DEX of 10” scale.
Mentals and Mysticals are nigh-arbitrary. We don’t see Eterno using them. Ditto for Data Storage. Movement speeds are just the basic Growth ones, they’re not clearly demonstrated.
STR/BODY swapped from Superman’s, so they’ll inflict minimal RAPs on each other. But an important bit of Kryptonian-classOn the same general power level as Superman. DCH design is that RAPs do happen even with basic rolls have to be LDD’d, so I’ve kept that in.
(This is a point where DCH mechanics diverge from source material. Kryptonian-class characters not being able to significantly hurt each other isn’t rare, but it wouldn’t be too exciting in a game).
The MIA mostly because I suspect one way to defeat him would be to play on his hunger for… POWER !!
Source of Character: Action Comics #343.
Helper(s): Darci.
Writeup completed on the 30th of May, 2021.