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Kid Eternity

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Kid Eternity is a fictional character, a comic book superhero that premiered in Hit Comics #25 written by Otto Binder, drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, and published by American company Quality Comics in December 1942. DC Comics acquired Kid Eternity, among other characters, after Quality Comics shut down.[1] In the 1980s, Kid Eternity was folded into the Shazam series and revealed to be Christopher Freeman, the brother of Freddy Freeman / Captain Marvel Jr.

Kid Eternity was rebooted in 1991 by Grant Morrison with a new focus and backstory; the character has appeared sporadically since then.

Quality Comics

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Kid Eternity
Hit Comics #25 (December 1942)
Publication information
PublisherQuality Comics, later DC Comics/Vertigo
First appearanceHit Comics #25 (December 1942), Quality Comics
Created byOtto Binder (writer)
Sheldon Moldoff (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoChristopher "Kit" Freeman
Supporting character ofMarvel Family
AbilitiesSummoning of historical or mythological figures,
intangibility

Prior to issue #25, Hit Comics had a series of rotating cover features, including Hercules, the Red Bee, Stormy Foster and Neon the Unknown. However, December 1942 saw the entire line-up of comics at Quality change their features (if not always the cover feature). Kid Eternity was brought in from the start as the new cover feature for Hit.[2]

The character may have been based on the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan, in which a prizefighter dies too soon in a plane crash and is given a new life by a celestial guide.[3]

Kid Eternity received a self-titled solo series in spring 1946.[4] His antagonists, Her Highness and Silk were given their own strip in Hit Comics #29 through #57.

By the late 1940s, however, Quality Comics was experiencing the post-war bust that most superhero comics were. In November 1949, Kid Eternity's self-titled magazine was discontinued and his lead slot in Hit Comics was given to Jeb Rivers, a riverboat captain.

Character origin and powers

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The Kid was originally a nameless boy (who remembered being called only 'Kid' by his 'Gran'pa') who was killed when a U-boat sank his grandfather's fishing boat during World War II. Due to a supernatural mix-up, however, he was killed 75 years too soon.

To rectify the error, the Kid was brought back to life for another 75 years with the mission of upholding good in the world.[5] He was given the power to summon any good historical or mythological figure or animal by saying the word "Eternity" as well as to use the same word to make himself material or immaterial and invisible. Kid Eternity was further assisted on his duties by the clerk who had made the error, Mr. Keeper. He is sometimes shown summoning fictional figures, like Jean Valjean or the Three Witches.

According to Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, "with the help of people like Sir Launcelot, Merlin and Hercules, [Kid Eternity] fights against crime, evil, the Germans, the super-strong Mr. Puny, Master Man (Satan's personal servant, who can summon history's greatest villains), and Dr. Pain, the master of agony".[6]

Villains

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  • Her Highness and Silk: An elderly woman (complete with glasses and white hair) and her young, attractive assistant. Thieves and confidence scammers, the characters were humorous in nature, almost never succeeding in their plans but always willing to try another "get rich quick" scheme.[7] Their first appearance was in Hit Comics #27 (April 1943).[8] They were quickly spun off into their own feature; in the next issue, Her Highness was on the cover, and their spin-off lasted until issue #57.[9] In 1982, she and Silk appeared in a Captain Marvel story guest-starring Kid Eternity (World's Finest #282).
  • Master Man: Kid Eternity's opposite number, Master Man was given powers similar to the Kid's by the Devil. When Master Man said "Stygia", he could summon any evil historical or mythological figure from Stygia.
  • Thuggoths: Evil creatures, part man, part beast, who were imprisoned in a pyramid 3000 years ago by Tutankhamun, but escape and plan to take over the world, killing experts on Egyptology so it is not known how to kill them. Kid Eternity tracks them to the pyramid, is attacked by one but summons up William Tell who slays it with an arrow, and later summons up Tut, who finally destroys them with fire. He only appears in Kid Eternity #1.
  • Dr. Marko: A world-renowned scientist who after being paid by foreign agents to set off radio controlled mines in a city harbour, thus killing hundreds of people, is sentenced to hanging. He decides to travel through time to attack America when it was smaller and weaker, and invents a time-globe to travel to the past, although he takes the Kid with him after they realise a mortal is meddling with Eternity, not realising who he is. Marko attempts to change history twice but is foiled. Mr. Keeper then take Marko back to the day of his execution, where he is hanged, and sends the globe far into the future, where men will learn to use its great powers. Dr. Marko appeared only in Kid Eternity #2.
Mr Keeper fights his evil twin in a 1948 edition of the comic
  • Mr. Keeper's evil brother: An evil twin brother of Mr. Keeper, who was banished to Stygia by Mr. Keeper using the Cup of Jove, for rewarding evil and punishing good, but escapes to get revenge and uses his powers to help criminals. He fights Mr. Keeper, distracting him and knocks him out, before binding him and impersonating him. He is banished once more with the Cup of Jove.
  • Frank Malone: Leader of a group of kidnappers who kidnap a rich girl, called Kathryn, the Greenbriar heiress, and demand a $50,000 ransom. The Kid foils the Kidnappers, and saves the girl from a fire in the car, even though she was supposed to die that day.

DC Comics

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Kid Eternity
Teen Titans vol. 3, #68 (April 2009), art by Eddy Barrows.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
Created byGrant Morrison
In-story information
Alter egoUnknown
Team affiliationsTeen Titans
AbilitiesSummoning of demons that emulate historical or mythological figures

DC Comics acquired Kid Eternity in the 1950s and revived his title in the 1980s. He is revealed to be Christopher Freeman, the brother of Captain Marvel Jr. (Freddy Freeman). Initially depicted as inhabiting Earth-S, Kid Eternity is transported to the main universe following Crisis on Infinite Earths.

In post-Crisis continuity, Kid Eternity is a servant of the Lords of Chaos, who manipulated him into serving them. Furthermore, the entities he summons are demons who assume the form of the figures he desires.[10]

In JSA, Kid Eternity is killed by Mordru. He later returns, but is killed by the Calculator.[11][12][13]

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Kid Eternity is a police coroner who can resurrect the dead.[14][15]

In other media

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References

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  1. ^ Koolman, Mike; Amash, Jim (2011). The Quality Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 137–141. ISBN 978-1605490373.
  2. ^ Morris, Jon (2015). The League of Regrettable Superheroes. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quirk Books. pp. 72–75. ISBN 9781594747632.
  3. ^ Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. pp. 115–116. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  4. ^ Markstein, Don. "Kid Eternity". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. ^ Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-1605490892.
  6. ^ Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. pp. 149–150. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
  7. ^ Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 221. ISBN 978-1605490892.
  8. ^ Koolman, Mike; Amash, Jim (2011). The Quality Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 206, 220. ISBN 978-1605490373.
  9. ^ Koolman, Mike; Amash, Jim (2011). The Quality Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-1605490373.
  10. ^ Irvine, Alex (2008), "Kid Eternity", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The Vertigo Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 113, ISBN 978-0-7566-4122-1, OCLC 213309015
  11. ^ Batgirl (vol. 3) #10 (July 2010)
  12. ^ Batgirl (vol. 3) #12 (September 2010)
  13. ^ Teen Titans (vol. 3) #92 (April 2011)
  14. ^ "Wired". Archived from the original on 2012-04-10.
  15. ^ Gallaher, Valerie (9 April 2012). "DC LAUNCHING NEW "NATIONAL COMICS" TITLE IN JULY, STARTING WITH LEMIRE'S "KID ETERNITY"". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  16. ^ "Batman: The Brave and the Bold #6 - Charge of the Army Eternal (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  17. ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
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