Kid Eternity

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Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity DC Comics 001.png
The various incarnations of Christoper "Kit" Freeman as Kid Eternity.
Art by Rafael Del Latorre. Colors by Luis Guerrero.
Publication information
Publisher Quality Comics
DC Comics
First appearance Chistopher Freeman
Hit Comics #25 (December, 1942)
Kid Eternity II
JSA (2024) #3 (January, 2025)
Created byChristopher Freeman
Otto Binder (writer)
Sheldon Moldoff (artist)
Kid Eternity II
Jeff Lemire (writer)
Diego Olortegui (artist)
In-story information
Full nameChristopher "Kit" Freeman (I)
Unrevealed (II)
Species Ghost
Place of originKit Freeman
England
New York City (current)
Team affiliations Lords of Chaos and Order
PartnershipsMister Keeper
Marvel Family
Supporting character of Shazam
Teen Titans
AbilitiesSummoning of historical or mythological figures
Intangibility

Kid Eternity is the name of several superheroes published by originally Quality Comics and then DC Comics. The character debuted in Quality Comic's Hit Comics #25 (December, 1942), written by Otto Binder and drawn by Sheldon Moldoff. In the 1980s, Kid Eternity was folded into the Shazam! series. Kid Eternity was rebooted in 1991 by Grant Morrison with a new focus and backstory, appearing sporadically since then and became associated with the Teen Titans. A new, female version debuted in JSA (2024) #3, written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Diego Olortegui.

Contents

The first version of Kid Eternity is Christopher "Kit" Freeman, a teenager whose death in the 1940s was considered too soon due a to a supernatural mishap. The supernatural entity, Mr. Keeper, would rectify this bringing him to life as a superhero upholding good in the world while bestowing the power to summoning mythological or historical figures by saying "Eternity" and granting him ghost-like powers. [1] Subjected to various revisions, the character, is retroactively connected as an agent of the Lords of Chaos. Following the New 52 reboot, he is instead a young coroner able to resurrect the dead. [2] The second Kid Eternity is an unrevealed, teenage ghost girl whom happens upon Hawkman while the JSA battles the Injustice Society and helps the hero while learning of her origins. This version is alternatively an agent for the Lords of Order.

Publication history

Kid Eternity's debut issue. HitComicsNumber25.jpg
Kid Eternity's debut issue.

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. [3] 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. [4] Kid Eternity received a self-titled solo series in spring 1946. [5] 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.

Fictional character biography

Christopher Freeman

Quality Comics

Kid Eternity 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 is brought back to life for another 75 years with the mission of upholding good in the world. [6] He is 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 intangible and invisible. Kid Eternity is 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". [1]

DC Comics

Earth-S background and history

Following DC's acquiring the character and later revived his title in the 1980s, the character was made a sibling of Captain Marvel Jr. (Freddy Freeman) with a similar background. Upon the death of their parents, both would be raised by their separate grandfathers. While Freddy lived with their paternal grandfather Jacob Freeman, Kitt is given to their maternal grandfather Daniel Troop, a merchant captain who's best friends with the ship's owner. Few years later during World War II, Kit and Daniel are attacked by a German U-bot and their ship is sunk, killing them in the process. When their bodies were washed ashore, Daniel's cause of death is blood loss but Kit's death was notably unusual due to his healthy appearance. While Daniel is let into the afterlife, the Wizard Shazam prevents Kit and alerts Mister Keeper, who learns Freddy was originally fated to be killed and Kit was to live to be over 75. Unable to be sent back to the living, Mister Keeper instead empowers him as a superhero and occasionally, he assists the Marvel Family while keeping his brotherhood a secret from Freddy, a fact he eventually learns alongside the Marvel Family. [7]

Post-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. [8] In JSA , Kid Eternity is killed by Mordru. He later returns, but is killed by the Calculator. [9] [10] [11]

The New 52

In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. Kid Eternity is a police coroner who can resurrect the dead. [2]

Kid Eternity II

In the "DC All In" initiative, there is a ghostly girl calling herself Kid Eternity. She encounters Hawkman in Hell after he is captured by Wotan and the Demons Three. She helps to free Hawkman and reunites him with Hawkgirl as they work to avoid the demons. Kid Eternity enters the afterlife and encounters Wildcat, who was recently killed by Lady Eve. She follows him into the afterlife where Wildcat and fellow JSA members Atom, Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson), Doctor Mid-Nite, Hourman, and Sandman tell her that the JSA is in danger and that they will need her help. [12]

As the deceased JSA members tell Kid Eternity that the JSA needs her help, Mister Keeper shows up. At Wildcat's suggestion, Mister Keeper explains to Kid Eternity that there were many people who went by the name of Kid Eternity and she is the most important incarnation right now. Kid Eternity does not know who she was prior to assuming the mantle and has brief memories of her mother. Mister Keeper states that he cannot give Kid Eternity answers until she fulfills her duties. Doctor Fate gives Kid Eternity the ability to harness the powers of the dead JSA members, which she uses to save Hawkman and Hawkgirl from Gentleman Ghost, Solomon Grundy, and the Demons Three. [13]

Powers and abilities

Christopher Freeman

While empowered by Mister Keeper and able to use power by saying the term "Eternity", Kid Eternity can travel to and from Earth, possess ghostly powers such as intangibility and invisibility, time travel, and can call upon the spirit of the deceased, especially those originating of historical or mythological prominence, to advise him. [7] [14]

Kid Eternity II

Kid Eternity II has ghost-based abilities and can sense when someone has died. She later gains the ability to channel the powers of the deceased JSA members like Doctor Fate's magic.

Supporting cast

Villains

Mr Keeper fights his evil twin in a 1948 edition of the comic Mr Keeper defeats his evil twin.png
Mr Keeper fights his evil twin in a 1948 edition of the comic

In other media

References

  1. 1 2 Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. pp. 149–150. ISBN   978-1-61318-023-5.
  2. 1 2 Gallaher, Valerie (April 9, 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 December 12, 2019.
  3. ↑ Morris, Jon (2015). The League of Regrettable Superheroes. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quirk Books. pp. 72–75. ISBN   9781594747632.
  4. ↑ 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 January 15, 2020.
  5. ↑ Markstein, Don. "Kid Eternity". Don Markstein's Toonopedia . Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  6. ↑ Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 138. ISBN   978-1605490892.
  7. 1 2 Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #12. DC Comics. 1986-12-05.
  8. ↑ 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
  9. ↑ Batgirl (vol. 3) #10 (July 2010)
  10. ↑ Batgirl (vol. 3) #12 (September 2010)
  11. ↑ Teen Titans (vol. 3) #92 (April 2011)
  12. ↑ JSA (vol. 2) #7 (July 2025). DC Comics.
  13. ↑ JSA (vol. 2) #10 (August 2025). DC Comics.
  14. ↑ Beatty, Scott; Wallace, Daniel; Inc, DC Comics (2008). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN   978-1-4053-2891-3.{{cite book}}: |last3= has generic name (help)
  15. ↑ Mitchell and Thomas, p. 221.
  16. ↑ Koolman, Mike; Amash, Jim (2011). The Quality Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 206, 220. ISBN   978-1605490373.
  17. ↑ Koolman and Amash, p. 138.
  18. ↑ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Batman: The Brave and the Bold #6 - Charge of the Army Eternal (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
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