Marvel’s Eternals: Could Ikaris Have Beaten The Other Eternals Combined?

Marvel’s Eternals may have been swept under the carpet, with its poor reception evidenced by a Rotten Tomatoes score of 47%—the lowest ever for a Marvel Phase Four movie. However, there is no denying that it was a good watch for people who simply enjoy superhero movies, featuring some of Marvel’s best action sequences to date. 

The movie introduced 10 new superheroes called Eternals. They are cosmic, immortal humanoids with superhuman abilities created by the Celestial Arishem to help guide humanity toward prosperity from the shadows. There was Ajak (Salma Hayek), the leader of the group, with healing abilities; Ikaris (Richard Madden), with powers akin to Superman’s; Gilgamesh (Don Lee), physically the strongest of the bunch; Thena (Angelina Jolie), whose mastery of hand-to-hand combat is enhanced by her ability to create melee weapons from cosmic energy; and Sprite (Lia McHugh), a master of illusion.

Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) has ridiculously super speed; Druig (Barry Keoghan) can manipulate people mentally; Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) shoots energy blasts of varying sizes from his hands; Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) can invent any piece of technology in minutes; and Sersi (Gemma Chan) can manipulate and transform matter at will. 

Originally united for millennia in their mission to protect humanity from the Deviants, the Eternals split when Ikaris discovers Ajak is reconsidering their true mission: to ensure the emergence of the Celestial Tiamut. Ikaris is unwavering in his faith in Arishem, but Ajak’s compassion for the human race gets in the way of her assignment. Ikaris ultimately facilitates Ajak’s death at the hands of the Deviants, causing her to pass the mantle of leadership to Sersi, despite him being the obvious choice of successor. 

Discovering from Arishem that humanity’s days are numbered, Sersi (like Ajak) seeks the help of the other Eternals to stop or delay Tiamut’s emergence. This puts them at odds with Ikaris, who doesn’t mind going to war with them to see the emergence happen as planned. His confidence in his ability to come out victorious against seven other Eternals raises the question of whether this is fact or merely a result of deep-lying hubris. 

Who is Ikaris?

As earlier mentioned, Ikaris is either Superman or Homelander, depending on how you view it. Compared to the rest, he has the widest array of abilities, which would easily make him the poster boy of the group if they were as camera-loving as The Seven. Along with the Eternal starter pack of durability, immortality, and millennia of combat expertise, he possesses super strength second only to Gilgamesh’s, can fly, and shoots cosmic energy beams from his eyes. 

He is a soldier whose unyielding dedication to carrying out his superior’s orders is reinforced by the fact that he sees himself as unstoppable. Having been looked upon as some demigod, even among his fellow Eternals, does not help either. Kingo, especially, calls him boss and pledges to follow him in whatever decision he makes regarding the emergence. He sees Ikaris as better than him and is quick to throw in the towel when Ikaris declares war on the Eternals, resignedly telling Makkari that even with his help, they’re no match for Ikaris.

Likewise, Sprite’s long, unreturned love for Ikaris clouds her judgment, making her take his side. This, even after finding out he killed Ajak and hearing him tell the others point-blank that he’d kill every one of them to see the emergence through if he had to. 

Can Druig Take Control of Ikaris’ Mind?

Arguably the most headstrong Eternal, Druig was the first to lose faith in the Eternals’ mission of non-interference with humans in 1521 AD. Ikaris unsuccessfully tried to intimidate him into falling in line, breeding contempt between the two. So, unsurprisingly, their reunion isn’t all hugs and smiles when the other Eternals seek him out to ask for his help in stopping the emergence. 

With mental manipulation being his forte, he is the first choice of the Eternals to be the one to stop Tiamut. He is powerful enough to bring a whole city under his control, and even at one time read Ikaris’ mind to learn of his involvement in Ajak’s death.

Physically, Druig is nowhere near Ikaris. So, he prefers to use his powers from a vantage point where his enemy can’t touch him. Thus, there could be a repeat of that scene where Ikaris roughs him up and leaves him for dead in a physical battle between the two. Finally, Ikaris’ position as one of the most powerful Eternals could well mean heightened resistance to mental manipulation when he wills it, so the outcome of a well-thought-out clash between the two on that power level would hinge more on whose will is stronger, as opposed to sheer physical ability.

Thena Shows Why the Greeks Thought She Was the Goddess of War

Angelina Jolie plays Thena with such quiet confidence that is backed by an ability to walk the talk whenever needed. Lauded as the blueprint for the goddess Athena’s personality, she holds status as one of the greatest warriors ever to walk the earth. It is perhaps her ability to get the job done efficiently and effortlessly without making a fuss that makes Ikaris think she’s easy pickings when he tells her, “You’ve never had to fight me.”

He quickly finds out she isn’t easy pickings when she holds out fine against him aboard the Domo, such that he is unable to best her in close-quarter combat without using flight or energy beams. Now, whether or not he went easy on her, seeing as she had Mahd Wy’ry, is a factor to be considered. However, the evidence points out that with both at their best, Thena holds the edge in hand-to-hand combat, with Ikaris only coming out victorious as a result of his more diverse skillset. 

A Highly Motivated Makkari Could Spell Trouble

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or in this case, an Eternal who just watched Ikaris make a crater in the earth with her love interest. A darker side is revealed in the normally sweet and gentle Makkari, who is driven by revenge as she attacks Ikaris after he leaves Druig for dead. She is too quick for him to react, effortlessly dodging his optic blasts as she uses him to mop the beachfront. Ikaris briefly regains his footing and gets her off him, but Makkari quickly returns, landing several punches under which he flails like a ragdoll before she smashes him into the mountainside.

Throughout the fight, Makkari moves so fast that it appears as though she’s teleporting, hitting Ikaris so rapidly that he barely registers one blow before the next lands. The right motivation is all it takes to make her a force to be reckoned with, even for Ikaris. Her speed and agility exploit his weaknesses, making her a significant threat despite his durability. If she is this dangerous alone, there’s no telling how formidable she would be fighting alongside other Eternals.

For Phastos, It’s a Chance To Settle the Score

Like Druig, Phastos had a bone to pick with Ikaris but never got the opportunity to express his resentment. He barely condoned Ikaris destroying his furniture and firing optic blasts into the walls of his home with his child indoors. Ikaris blowing up his Uni-Mind prototype in his face annoys him, and he finally gets his chance when he fights Ikaris alongside Thena and Makkari. 

Ikaris gets more than he expects from Phastos, who invents weapons on the fly and uses them indiscriminately in an already uneven battle. Phastos’ arm cannons and shields cancel out his optic beams in ranged combat, and he is kept from getting close by the different exploding contraptions Phastos continuously throws in his path. He directs the battle like a conductor from afar, sending wave after wave of ordnance, and Ikaris can only dodge or intercept so many before the others find their mark. 

The biggest insight into an Ikaris vs. Phastos matchup, however, comes when Ikaris decides to leave and stop Sersi from killing Tiamut. Phastos shoots a web-like device that catches him in mid-air and smashes him into the ground. There, he keeps him on his knees in energy-powered restraints that dampen his powers such that even his optic beams become ineffective.

The scene gets more weight when Phastos tells the temporarily captive Ikaris, “I’ve been wanting to clip your wings for a long time, Ikaris,” while piling on more restraints, which brings Ikaris almost prostrate on the ground. Ikaris eventually breaks free when Phastos shifts his attention, but it is clear that Phastos’ skillset provides a valuable addition to the Eternal side should there be a battle between them and Ikaris.

Ikaris is confident that he can best his fellow Eternals combined in battle. However, judging by how much damage just the trio of Thena, Makkari, and Phastos was able to inflict on him, a fight against eight other Eternals (excluding the dead Ajak) would most likely see him defeated. This is even more so when his weakness against Sersi, borne of a romantic past that doesn’t end well, serves as his Achilles’ heel against her.