Scattered throughout the various Marvel universes are a group of cosmic beings. They’ve held the Infinity Stones and plotted to end all reality. They’ve crossed blades with the Silver Surfer, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Mad Titan, Thanos. They are the last of their kinds, sole survivors from the earliest civilizations in the universe. They have only three things in common: a past shrouded in mystery, an endless life, and an intense, all-consuming pursuit of an activity of their choice. Individually, we know them as the Architect, the Champion, the Collector, the Grandmaster, the Runner, the Trader, and many more. Collectively, they are the Elders of the Universe.

Apart from Galactus, the Elders are the oldest beings in the universe, and they all possess cosmic power to some degree. Some Elders are pretty obscure; you won’t find too many comics about the Gardener or Father Time. Others are far more prominent: characters like the Grandmaster, the Collector, and Ego have even appeared in the MCU. With a vast scope of powers and a significant amount of influence in the universe, the Elders make fascinating foes and allies. Here are just a few little-known facts about this awesome group of characters.

15 THEIR STRONG WILLS MADE THEM THE LAST OF THEIR KINDS

Much of the history surrounding the Elders of the Universe remains shrouded in mystery, especially for the founding and senior members of the group. What we do know about them is they are survivors from an earlier period of the universe’s history and that they are almost always the last of their kind. As explained by The Collector, the Elders outlived their respective races with nothing but sheer willpower. “We Elders,” he explained in Steve Englehart’s Silver Surfer vol. 3 issue #3, “have lived so long because we have the will to live! Anyone can have it! You can have it!”

We see just how crucial willpower is to an Elder’s lifespan when the Collector’s wife Matani returns from the dead after two billion years. Despite the enormous effort used to bring her back from the dead, Matani doesn’t last more than a few moments. The life of an Elder is essentially unending, and without a purpose to live for Matani can’t bear the thought of returning to life. Not everyone is cut out for immortality. If the Elders of the Universe are any indication of how the rest of the universe would respond, there is apparently only one individual from a given species who can truly handle it.

14 THERE ARE OVER 1,000 OF THEM

Elders are traditionally the last of their kind, so of course, there shouldn’t be too many of them wandering around the multiverse. Elders aren’t always on the best terms with each other either, so they aren’t typically seen in large groups unless a scheme is brewing. Needless to say, we haven’t seen too many of them over the years. Less than 30 unique Elders have appeared in Marvel Comics, and only a handful such as the Collector and the Grandmaster have appeared in a Marvel film. From what we know about the Elders though, there’s a potential to see many more in the future.

In Quasar  issue#17 by Mark Gruenwald, the Elder known as the Runner invites six of the world’s fastest individuals (including Captain Marvel, Quicksilver, and the Whizzer) to compete in a race to the moon. Unsure of the Elder’s motivations for the race, Quasar turned to the cosmic being Eon for more information about the Runner and his intent. Eon tells Quasar that the Runner should be harmless, specifically, that “He’s one of the more harmless of the thousand or so Elders that I am aware of.” So we still have over 1,000 powerful, immortal beings with odd, obsessive hobbies left to discover. Exciting, right?

13 THEY KEPT THE INFINITY GEMS FOR A TIME

As if being a group of ancient, insanely powerful beings wasn’t enough, the Elders of the Universe have had their fair share of overpowered objects pass through their hand over of the years. One notable collection of objects were the Infinity Gems, which six of the Elders kept before Thanos collected them and created the Infinity Gauntlet. The Collector had the Reality Gem, the Runner took the Space Gem, the Grandmaster kept the Mind Gem, the Gardener had the Time Gem, the Champion held the Power Gem, and the In-Betweener had the Soul Gem.

Not every Elder knew the true power that their respective gems possessed, which made most of the gems easy targets for the Mad Titan. The two-issue miniseries Thanos Quest by Jim Starlin recounts Thanos’ journey as he learns of the Soul Gems power and sets out to possess all six gems. One by one, Thanos takes the gems from the Elders. He takes the Champion’s gem after besting him in single combat, makes a trade for the Collector’s gem, and plays (and cheats) one of the Grandmaster’s games for his gem. Thanos used a power from one of the gems he had already claimed to take the remaining ones.

12 THEY SURVIVED AN ATTACK FROM A “COSMIC CUBE”

In Brian Bendis’ Avengers Assemble vol 2 issues #7-8, Thanos summoned a handful of the Elders of the Universe -- including the In-Betweener, the Champion, and the Collector -- against their will. Such a feat is typically beyond Thanos’ might, but the Mad Titan reveals that he is in possession of a Cosmic Cube. Thanos gives the Elders a moment to react; the Champion doubts the Cube is genuine, and the Collector naturally attempts to start negotiations for a trade. However, Thanos only summoned the Elders to kill them, and he promptly blasts them with the Cube’s power. It appears to be a swift end for these Elders, although that would be far too easy a death for cosmic level comic characters.

As it turned out, the cube was actually a man-made Cosmic Cube designed by the U.S. Army, which harnessed interdimensional energy that Thanos didn’t quite understand. Instead of killing the Elders, it transported them to the Cancerverse. The Elders met up with the Avengers, who had a similar encounter with Thanos, and gave the Avengers equipment from the Collector’s collection to bring them back to earth and stop Thanos. In return for the Elder’s assistance, the Avengers let the Elders keep Thanos and decide his fate.

11 THE GARDENER USED HIS INFINITY GEM TO GROW PLANTS

When the Elders held the Infinity Gems, not all of them were aware of the power they possessed. A few of them only accessed a portion of their gem’s power subconsciously. For example, the Runner used the Space Gem to travel faster and the Champion used the Power Gem to make himself stronger, but both believed their gems were worthless trinkets. However, a few of the Elders understood at least a fraction of the incredible power they held and were happy to put it to work. Among them was the Gardener, who held the Time Gem.

According to Thanos Quest issue #1, The Gardener sought out the Time Gem for its power. He wasn’t aware of all that it could do, although he knew it contained a great power that he was willing to fight for. While others with such knowledge might have sought global or even universal domination, the Gardener only had one goal in mind. After he gained the Time Gem, the Gardener used its power to help his planet-wide garden flourish. With the ability to manipulate time, he sped up his plants' life cycles until they were at the peak of their bloom, and then he froze them in time. Who knew gardeners could be so extra?

10 THEY’RE NOT ABOVE BETRAYING THEIR FELLOW ELDERS

The Elders of Universe might sound like a super secret boy band, but they aren’t typically on the best of terms. The only bond they share comes from their status as survivors from ancient races, so while they typically refer to one another as brothers, there’s usually no love lost between them. They wouldn’t hesitate to throw one of their own to the wolves if it meant furthering a personal scheme for power or possession, and we see that repeatedly in the comics.

One such occasion happens during Thanos Quest issue #2 when the Mad Titan came to take the Reality Gem from the Collector. The Collector was not aware of the gem's powers, although he was more than willing to strike a deal with Thanos. In exchange for the gem, Thanos offered the Collector an addition to his collection of rare species: an Elder Thanos had turned into an infant with the Time Gem. The Collector agreed to the trade and exchanged the Reality Gem for the Runner. Unfortunately for the Collector, the Runner’s youth was only temporary, and he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of being part of a collection. Occasionally, Elders will pair up for a grand scheme, but they certainly aren’t BFFs.

9 THEY ARE COMMITTED TO A FAULT

An endless life is a daunting concept. As the Elders realized their lifespans were almost endless, they chose an activity to give themselves purpose for all time. Complete devotion to their pursuits helped focused their will and gave them a reason to continue living when the rest of their kind died. As this trend continued, the Elders eventually took names associated with their chosen activity (Collector, Runner, Caregiver etc.). These commitments did contribute to their longevity, however, placing one activity at the forefront of one’s existence is bound to have some drawbacks. A notable example of this was when the Runner refused to help an entire solar system.

In Defenders issue #143 by Peter Gillis, Moondragon recalled a time when the Runner took her exploring across the galaxy. All went well until they came across a sun that was about a decade away from going supernova. As several planets in the system were inhabited, Moondragon suggested they stop to warn the populated planet. Ever committed to running free in the universe though, the Runner told her that even something as simple as warning the inhabitants would go against his mission. Without any further explanation, he simply told her that “all works out for the best.” He certainly wasn’t hero material.

8 THEY CONSPIRED TO STEAL GALACTUS’ POWER

The Elders of the Universe like to keep to themselves. Many of them have a general distrust of one another, so when two of them team up, there is usually a dire scheme in the works. When a group of them come together, there is likely an universe-wide plot in the making. Ever the strategist, the Grandmaster typically heads up these machinations while the others play a particular role. This was the case when several of the Elders (the Grandmaster, the Obliterator, the Runner, the Gardener, the Possessor, and Ego the Living Planet, to name a few) had their sights set on Galactus’ magnificent power in Silver Surfer vol 3.

As a survivor from a previous incarnation of the universe, Galactus had powers far beyond those of the Elders. Eager to gain similar power, the Grandmaster came up with a simple solution: recreate the circumstances that gave Galactus his power. In other words, he planned to collapse all of reality in on itself and start the next incarnation of reality. The Elder’s attempted to kill Galactus, which would have triggered reality’s collapse and given the Elders Galactus-like powers in the new universe. Luckily for everything else in existence, the Silver Surfer learned of the Elder’s plan and managed to save Galactus.

7 SOME LIVED ON EARTH IN DISGUISE

When an Elder of the Universe visits earth, they usually aren’t quiet about it. Maybe they kidnap a bunch of heroes and villains, hold a marathon that goes to the moon, or teleport pieces of the planet to somewhere out in space. Whatever their aim, subtlety is rarely their main objective. However, there is one instance where an Elder came to earth, found a husband, and settled down in the suburbs - right before a misunderstanding caused a lethal fight with the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Karina Tivan, the Collector’s daughter, came to earth at the request of her father. Her mission was to gather information about Michael Korvac, one of the two beings in the universe (the other being Thanos) who posed a potential threat to the Elders. Karina posed as a human to learn about his intentions, but fell in love with Korvac and agreed to marry him. Unobserved by other cosmic beings, they lived quietly in Queens while Korvac prepared to reshape the universe into a utopia. Unfortunately for Carina and Michael, the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy were unaware of their righteous intentions and confronted the couple, alerting other beings to their presence and forcing Korvac into battle. By the end of Avengers issue #177, both Carina and Korvac were dead.

6 ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS WAS A PLANET

While there are a few main characteristics of an Elder of the Universe, one individual managed to join their ranks without surviving his entire race or tirelessly devoting himself to one chief aim: Ego the Living Planet. Ego held status as an Elder when the majority of the Elders believed he was the only one of his kind. Thor #228 by Gerry Conway tells how the Stranger created Ego when a sun went supernova next to an inhabited world. Before everyone died, the Stranger merged all life on the world with the planet itself, and the planet retained the memories of one of its scientists, Egros.

In a sense, Ego is the last of his race, or even all of his race. However, he later discovered he was not the only sentient planet floating around the universe. During Robert Rodi’s Astonishing Thor, Ego learned he was not the only one of his kind. After Ego’s creation, the Stranger made a second sentient planet named Alter-Ego, whom he gave to the Collector. While Ego is not currently considered an Elder of the Universe, he was an active member of the group when they conspired to kill Galactus. The Elders even held one of their secret meetings on him to prevent outsiders from learning their plans.

5 THE GRANDMASTER HAS A COLLECTION THAT RIVALS THE COLLECTOR'S

 

While one of the Elders’ signature traits is their all-consuming dedication to their one chosen pursuits, they will occasionally dabble in one another’s interests. In All-New Guardians of the Galaxy by Gerry Duggan, the Guardians broke into a high-security bank to steal an item for an unknown buyer. When they reached the rendezvous, all they found was a giant fish floating in the middle of outer space. Inside the fish, however, was one of the most impressive collections of rare items in the universe. Surprisingly, the magnificent collection did belong to the Collector -- it belonged to none other than the Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster proceeded to give the Guardians on another mission: steal a Hujahdarian Monarch Egg from the Collector. After they managed to steal the egg, they learned the heist was a set-up meant to test the Collector, to see if he was truly himself after a dramatic shift in the multiverse. Was the Grandmaster’s collection created just another part of the test? The comics aren’t particularly specific on this point. If that is the case, it shows that Elders can stray from their purpose if a more pressing, cosmic-level issue presents itself. If not, the Grandmaster may have become so obsessed with winning games that he needs someone at their own favorite pastime.

4 ONE OF THEM POSED AS THE BEYONDER

What is an Elder willing to do in order to pursue his purpose? Just about anything, if we’re talking about the Stranger. The Stranger was the sole survivor of the planet Gigantus. As a composite being, he had the combined intellect and strength of the last survivors of his race. His curiosity and quest for knowledge led to a number of interesting endeavors. He created both Ego and his brother Alter-Ego, attempted to destroy the earth on multiple occasions, and he even posed as the Beyonder once.

In Dwayne Mcduffie and Scott Kolins’ limited series Beyond!, The Stranger teleported Spider-man, Gravity, Medusa, Firebird, Wasp Venom, Henry Pym, Kraven the Hunter, and the Hood off the earth as part of an experiment to study humanity. He claimed to be the Beyonder when he revealed himself to his test subjects, and he even gave the same speech the Beyonder gave in the original Secret Wars: “I am from beyond! Slay your enemies and all you desire shall be yours! Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish!!” Henry Pym eventually tricked the Stranger into thinking that he killed the other test subjects, and demanded the Stranger stop conducting any similar experiments.

3 ONE OF THEM KIDNAPPED CAPTAIN AMERICA

An Elder’s pursuit of purpose often leads them to some interesting circumstances. For one lesser-known Elder of the Universe, this meant facing off with Captain America. Father Time (not to be confused with the actual hero Father Time) called himself the “Dispatcher of Destiny.” Essentially, he searched the universe for ways to mark certain events and to create legends. It’s a harmless enough purpose in theory, although his interactions with the star-spangled Avenger were far less than friendly.

In Captain America issue #383 by Mark Gruenwald, Father Time appeared on the 50th anniversary of Captain America’s military career. According to the Elder, it was the perfect time for the hero to complete his transcendence to a legendary figure, which his fame had already brought him to the brink of. All that was needed was a mysterious disappearance and the process would be complete. Father Time lured Cap through an interdimensional portal into the Realm of Myth, where Rogers encountered legendary American figures such as John Henry, Paul Bunyan, and even Uncle Sam. After facing off with Father Time, Captain America and the Elder fell off a mountain into an abyss. Cap found himself back in New York, unsure if the entire event had been a dream.

2 THEY CREATED THE DEADPOOL CORPS

While the Elders’ have occasionally threatened the existence of the multiverse, they've also done their best to save it on numerous occasions as well. And when their own efforts aren’t enough, they’re not above finding the right team for the job or even forming a new team. One such occasion presented itself when the entity called the Awareness threatened to consume all consciousnesses in the multiverse. With Galactus-level power, the Awareness was more than a match for the Elders’ attempts to stop it. Aware that the problem required an unconventional approach, the Contemplator decided the only thing that might stop the Awareness was Deadpool, or an entire team of Deadpools.

Victor Gischler’s miniseries Prelude to Deadpool Corps follows Deadpool as he carries out the Contemplator’s plan. Deadpool recruits Lady Deadpool, Kidpool, Headpool, and Dogpool to fight the Awareness. Before they are deemed worthy to defend the multiverse, the Grandmaster first tests them against another group of champions. After passing the test, the Deadpool Corps set out to defeat the Awareness, and finally succeed in Deadpool Corps issue #5. A team full of Deadpools is every bit as entertaining as it sounds, and we have our friends the Elders to thank for bringing them together.

1 THEY FOUGHT FOR POWER IN THE NEW MULTIVERSE

Following the collapse of the entire multiverse, the Elders of Universe found their way to the broken dimension where the current multiverse began. This dimension held the remains of Battleworld, and because the dimension was ground zero for multiversal creation, it was rich in a powerful substance known as Iso-8. A group of the Elders sought control over the largest concentration of the substance, the Iso-Sphere, and created a new Contest of Champions to determine who would control it. The Elders summoned heroes and villains from different times and multiple universes to fight as their champions and even went as far as to bring Ares the God of War out of his afterlife to take part in the contest.

The first six issues of Al Ewing’s Contest of Champions chronicled the contest on Battleword (renamed to Battlerealm) as the summoned champions fought for the Iso-Sphere and their lives. Of course, not every champion takes kindly to abduction and forced combat. The final two contestants, Maestro (Bruce Banner from an alternate universe) and the Punisher (from yet another alternate universe), turned against the Elders. Maestro eventually gained control of the Iso-Sphere and sent the Elders back to the prime universe.