Who is Eros, Marvel’s Starfox
Marvel’s Starfox made a very smooth first appearance in The Eternals mid-credit scene. But who is Eros, and how is he related to Thanos?
The Eternals post-credits scenes introduced many new characters from all corners of the Marvel comics universe. Blade and the Black Knight, plus Pip the Troll, who announced another Eternal. But who is Marvel’s Starfox? And what’s his future role in the MCU?
Created by: Jim Starlin
Starfox’s first appearance: The Invincible Iron Man #55
Powers & Abilities
Eros has the power to manipulate the pleasure center of the people’s minds. He can use these powers to charm information out of people or make them compliant to his will. As you can imagine, that kind of power gets pretty complicated.
Like any Eternal, he also has extra strength and resilience. And like fellow Eternal Icarus, Eros also has the ability to fly.
Who is Eros in the Comics?
In the comics, Eros is the son of two Eternals named Mentor and Sui-San. His big brother is none other than the bedazzled bad guy Thanos. The two brothers are meant to be incarnations of ‘Thanatos & Eros’: death and desire.
So, while Thanos was off and about doing murder things, Eros was living his very best hedonist life all across the galaxy. Along the way, he met fellow party-boy Pip the Troll, the character who introduced Eros in The Eternals.
It was only when his brother launched an attack on their home world Titan that Eros stepped into the role of hero. After traveling to Earth, Eros took the name Starfox. Over the years, he’s been on the Avengers team a few times, and made guest appearances in other Marvel stories.
The Avengers #232 (1963) by Roger Stern & Al Milgrom
Marvel’s Starfox & She-Hulk
Of course, you can imagine that Eros’ power set could create some pretty sticky situations– and not always in a fun way.
In She-Hulk, Eros was put on trial for sexual assault after a married woman accused him of using his powers to seduce her against her will. His father, Mentor, hired Jennifer Walters to defend him.
Now, She-Hulk is famously called the single green female. She’s a lady who likes to have a good time, so she and Eros have a spicy pants-off history. But as his trial continues, Jennifer becomes suspicious that Eros used his powers to seduce her, too.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Sadly, the story from here gets pretty jumbled. Jen has to get to the bottom of a long and stupid conspiracy by Thanos to frame his brother, and the whole ordeal gets overly macro.
But in the end, Starfox agrees to voluntarily give up his powers of pleasure and persuasion, acknowledging the risk they pose to free will.
What’s Next for Marvel’s Starfox?
Harry Styles has been cast to play the hero in upcoming stories. After his famous mid-credits scene, the hero is certain to appear again– the question is ‘when’?
Eros has plenty of ties to She-Hulk, so he could appear in her Phase 4 series. It’s possible Style’s portrayal of Eros will introduce some helpful conversations about consent into the MCU without moving the courtroom out into the cosmos.
Marvel’s Starfox and his buddy Pip the Troll are certain to have an influence on the future of the MCU. But is it a good one? We won’t know until the character’s next appearance.
Tell us how you think we’ll next see Starfox in the MCU!
