Spider-Man: Far From Home is swinging into cinemas across the world. Alongside the debut of the famous web-head rogue, Mysterio, the film is also introducing the world to the Elementals. A surprising addition to the film for some, the Elementals serve a unique villainous role in the plot of the latest MCU blockbuster.
While they may be new to the cinematic universe, they are by no means a recent addition in the comics. The Elementals have been around for quite some time and are actually quite a deep cut from Marvel comics history. With these new environmental warriors hitting our screens, we take a look at 10 things that you didn't know about the Elementals.
10 10. DEBUT
The Elementals first made their appearance in August of 1974, demonstrating their long history within Marvel comics. Debuting in issue 8 of the Supernatural Thrillers title, they were a perfect match for the book at the time. The comic was used to showcase more mystical and supernatural characters similar to the likes of the Man-Thing. This title also included characters from famous novels, such as the works of H.G. Wells.
The Elementals were created by Tony Isabella and Val Mayerik and appeared alongside the original character known as the Living Mummy. They also in the subsequent issues of the title, making them some of the more prominent villains before Supernatural Thrillers was canceled. They have reappeared since in Ms Marvel's own title in 1977.
9 9. ORIGINAL TEAM
The original team that was showcased in their debut is quite different to what we've seen in the summer blockbuster, Spider-Man: Far From Home. The Elementals consisted of the wind master Zephyr, the controller of earth Magnum, the lord of water Hyrdon, and the fiery leader of the group Hellfire.
All four of these characters were newly created for the team, although clearly have strong ties to other mythological characters that draw their powers from the planet's elements. Unlike the version we see in the MCU, all four of these creatures have both human forms as well as their more monstrous appearances although these are rarely seen and more as a result of their powers. They are almost always depicted together, although one member of the team did, in fact, part ways with the rest.
8 8. AGE
These Elementals are usually depicted as God-like characters. They are millions of years old, becoming a part of the history of Earth. In Far From Home this is similar, as they are shown to be creatures that have inspired the myths of humanity, as they have been around for so many years and caused havoc on many worlds.
In the comics, they are so old they actually pre-date Atlantis, which is one of the most ancient civilizations in the Marvel universe. They are therefore immortal and are often grouped into stories that incorporate other deities and celestials including Hecate, Thor and Ego the Living Planet. During their early days, they actually ruled their own Kingdom but this has been demolished with time.
7 7. WIDER POWERS
Since they are God-like beings they have more powers than the initial elemental ones that are presented. They've clearly picked up a few tricks as they travel across dimensions and the universe. One of these powers is the ability to create a force field, which is incredibly useful for protection or to keep someone in place.
These beings have increased durability and strength also and can even teleport, making their travel across space far easier. Although they are seemingly all-powerful they have had these abilities removed in the past, but they are also intelligent and resourceful enough to get themselves out of difficult situations even without the use of their powers.
6 6. MCU'S ADAPTATION
The MCU's version of the Elementals is quite different. Although their history is steeped in mythology and they can travel across the multiverse, their comic counterparts are quite different. Marvel didn't use the traditional names of these creatures but instead used other characters as their inspiration.
The movie version is therefore based on Hydro-Man, Molten Man, Sandman, and Cyclone. All four of these characters are individual members of Spidey's rogues gallery and Sandman has, of course, appeared on film before, although in his more tradition iteration. It's interesting that these characters were chosen however, as their appearance in Far From Home also moves them a little further from the classic look of the Elementals in the comics, although they don't directly reflect these characters either.
5 5. RUBY WEAKNESS
The Elementals have had their powers removed as was previously mentioned and were actually trapped in another dimension for quite some time. A warrior and a wizard were the duo who were able to face these powerful Gods and send them from Earth. Using the magic available to them, their weapon was a Ruby Scarab.
This Scarab not only stripped the four Elementals of their powers but it also sent them to a completely different universe. Because they had none of their normal abilities and were in an unknown location they were actually trapped there for thousands of years before finally finding a way out of their situation.
4 4. THE MUMMY
The Elementals are clever beings though and eventually worked out how they could free themselves from this prison. They enlisted the help of, or rather controlled the mind of, The Living Mummy. The idea behind this was to send the Mummy to find the Ruby Scarab in order to return their powers to them.
This plan actually turned out to be a success in part, with the Gods returning to their full abilities and seeking to control the Earth. They were met with some human resistance however, although it was not enough to sway the tide of the battle. Not unless there was someone else powerful enough to oppose their deadly plans.
3 3. ZEPHYR'S BETRAYAL
The MCU version of the Elementals were a pretty unified team, but that wasn't the case for the version in the comics. It was Zephyr who betrayed her teammates and joined the side of humanity, pitying them in some way. This is the shift in the battle and she actually fought alongside the humans in order to stop her brethren from controlling Earth.
Her heroic ways did not end there though as she has since been seen to be on the side of good, facing off against other godly beings. She has actually sided with Thor in the past, in his quest to defeat other cosmic entities. She is in some ways now a hero of many dimensions, although she still has a lot of good deeds to complete before she is worthy of the redemption she seeks.
2 2. POWER TRANSFERENCE
During that final battle between the gods and men, the powers of the Elementals were actually transferred to the humans that faced against them. This was possible with the use of the Ruby Scarab once again, and is another reason that the Elementals were defeated and almost altogether removed from Earth.
The powers were combined amongst the humans and they manifested themselves in very similar ways. It appears therefore that these elemental powers could once again be passed along to someone else in the future and could explain some of the powers of other elemental heroes and villains if the comic's company ever decided to retcon some of their origins.
1 1. ELEMENTALS OF DOOM
Perhaps surprisingly, Marvel has also pulled from other elemental teams for inspiration for Far From Home, with a very similar group of villains having appeared in the comics in the past. Diablo needed back up when he was facing the Fantastic Four and enlisted the help of four beings known as the Elementals of Doom, in Fantastic Four issue 232.
Simply called Water, Fire, Earth, and Air, this dangerous team was a good match against Marvel's first family. However, they truly became a threat when they combined their abilities becoming a much bigger and more menacing creature. This is what has inspired the final form of the Elementals in the film, once all four of the beings come together to create a mega-Elemental.