Sprite (Eternal)
Encyclopedia
Sprite is a fictional character
appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics
. Although physically a child, Sprite is an Eternal, a member of an ancient and extremely powerful race. He was created by Jack Kirby
and first appeared in The Eternals vol. 1 #9.
and practical joker, and has been for centuries. It is rumored that in Marvel continuity, he was the inspiration for William Shakespeare
to write the character of Puck
in A Midsummer Night's Dream
. He revels in what he sees as "playful" behavior, seemingly mindless of the sometimes deadly consequences of his pranks, especially to fragile mortal Humans. Though he has been punished time and again for his actions, he always returns to his preferred way of life after a while.
During the Fourth Host of the Celestials
, when Zuras calls for the Uni-Mind
to examine the Celestials' Mothership, Sprite remains behind with Domo
's Central Processor. Then he convinces the imprisoned Forgotten Eternal
to help stop an attack to the Celestial ship.
While trying to improve Olympia
's systems, Sprite accidentally sends Olympia into the Negative Zone
once, but the Eternals are able to restore it to its proper place. Sprite later advocates the appointment of the Black Knight
as Sersi
's Gann Josin (sharing a mental bond) as compromise with Ikaris
, who wants her killed.
event).
Ikaris
, who seemed to be the only Eternal with any memory of their past, saw Sprite on television and told Mark Curry
that Sprite was another Eternal. Later, after Ikaris disappeared and the remaining Eternals started to recover their powers, Mark Curry contacted Sprite, seeking advice. Sprite reveals that he has always known who they are and takes them to the Dreaming Celestial
. There Sprite tells him that it was him who made all the Eternals forget who they were, took away their powers, and removed all record of them, as revenge for a million years of them treating him like a child - to the extent that they created him as an Eternal 'who would never grow up', trapped in the form of a prepubescent boy (he would later use this form to, in the Marvel Universe
, inspire J. M. Barrie
to create Peter Pan
). Using the Uni-Mind
powered by the Dreaming Celestial, Sprite uses his powers to warp reality
, making him a normal human, so that he can finally age. He and Makkari are attacked by Deviants, but he escapes. He is later seen in issue 7, boarding a train to run away from the problems he caused that led to the awakening of the Dreaming Celestial, and was ultimately found by Zuras
. Sprite has no apologies for causing the current situation, and then Zuras kills Sprite by snapping his neck.
. He does not age and is immune to all known diseases and toxins, radiation, and extremes of temperature. His old Eternal body had the appearance of a pre-adolescent child (and against his will, according to him), but he is in fact hundreds of thousands of years old.
Sprite is able to channel cosmic radiation into blasts of heat or force, levitate himself or others, and create illusions that fool the senses. He has superhuman strength, though because of his small size and childlike anatomy it is less than that of most Eternals. He can rearrange atoms and molecules in such a way as to radically restructure objects (he once created a working ground-to-orbit spacecraft
in seconds), and in fact is second only to Sersi
in the art of molecular reconstruction.
If Sprite's story is to be believed, he has successfully used the reality-warping powers of the Dreaming Celestial
to give himself a human body that will age to adulthood normally (or would have, if not for his demise).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Although physically a child, Sprite is an Eternal, a member of an ancient and extremely powerful race. He was created by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
and first appeared in The Eternals vol. 1 #9.
Fictional character biography
Sprite is an incorrigible tricksterTrickster
In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this...
and practical joker, and has been for centuries. It is rumored that in Marvel continuity, he was the inspiration for William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
to write the character of Puck
Puck (Shakespeare)
Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that was based on the ancient figure in English mythology, also called Puck. Puck is a clever and mischievous elf and personifies the trickster or the wise knave...
in A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
. He revels in what he sees as "playful" behavior, seemingly mindless of the sometimes deadly consequences of his pranks, especially to fragile mortal Humans. Though he has been punished time and again for his actions, he always returns to his preferred way of life after a while.
During the Fourth Host of the Celestials
Celestial (comics)
The Celestials are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in Eternals #1 and were created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, when Zuras calls for the Uni-Mind
Uni-Mind
The Uni-Mind is a fictional composite being in the Marvel Universe. The Uni-Mind and the Eternals were the creation of Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
to examine the Celestials' Mothership, Sprite remains behind with Domo
Domo (comics)
Domo is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics, a member of the immortal race known as the Eternals.-Publication history:Domo first appeared in Eternals vol. 1 #5 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
's Central Processor. Then he convinces the imprisoned Forgotten Eternal
Forgotten One (comics)
The Forgotten One is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the near-immortal hidden race known as the Eternals.-Publication history:...
to help stop an attack to the Celestial ship.
While trying to improve Olympia
Olympia (comics)
Olympia is a fictional city in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in Eternals #5 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Fictional history:...
's systems, Sprite accidentally sends Olympia into the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
once, but the Eternals are able to restore it to its proper place. Sprite later advocates the appointment of the Black Knight
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, the company's third person to bear the name Black Knight. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, he first appeared in The Avengers #47 Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
as Sersi
Sersi
Sersi is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine and an Eternal.-Publication history:Sersi was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in The Eternals #3 . Although the comic book was published by Marvel Comics, the Eternals were not treated as part of the Marvel universe, but as a...
's Gann Josin (sharing a mental bond) as compromise with Ikaris
Ikaris
Ikaris is a fictional character, a member of an alien race known as the Eternals in the Marvel Comics universe. Both Ikaris and the Eternals were created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
, who wants her killed.
The Eternals (2006)
In the new Eternals series by Neil Gaiman, Sprite, under the "real name" of Colin, is the star of "It's Just So Sprite", a sitcom on the Tweenie Channel. Although he seems to be unaware of his past or abilities, he's also a spokesman for Hero Registration (the series is set during the Civil WarCivil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
event).
Ikaris
Ikaris
Ikaris is a fictional character, a member of an alien race known as the Eternals in the Marvel Comics universe. Both Ikaris and the Eternals were created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
, who seemed to be the only Eternal with any memory of their past, saw Sprite on television and told Mark Curry
Makkari (comics)
Makkari, formerly known as Hurricane and Mercury, is a member of the Eternals, a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe...
that Sprite was another Eternal. Later, after Ikaris disappeared and the remaining Eternals started to recover their powers, Mark Curry contacted Sprite, seeking advice. Sprite reveals that he has always known who they are and takes them to the Dreaming Celestial
Dreaming Celestial
In the Marvel Comics' universe, the Dreaming Celestial is a renegade member of the race of god-like Celestials.-Publication history:The Dreaming Celestial first appeared in Eternals Vol. 1, #18 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
. There Sprite tells him that it was him who made all the Eternals forget who they were, took away their powers, and removed all record of them, as revenge for a million years of them treating him like a child - to the extent that they created him as an Eternal 'who would never grow up', trapped in the form of a prepubescent boy (he would later use this form to, in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, inspire J. M. Barrie
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
to create Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
). Using the Uni-Mind
Uni-Mind
The Uni-Mind is a fictional composite being in the Marvel Universe. The Uni-Mind and the Eternals were the creation of Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
powered by the Dreaming Celestial, Sprite uses his powers to warp reality
Reality warping
Reality warping is a superpower in superhero fiction. It is the ability to reshape matter and energy, create or alter life forms, turn a person's thoughts or desires into reality, simulate any and all other powers and abilities, bend time and space, and possibly even rewrite the laws of physics.All...
, making him a normal human, so that he can finally age. He and Makkari are attacked by Deviants, but he escapes. He is later seen in issue 7, boarding a train to run away from the problems he caused that led to the awakening of the Dreaming Celestial, and was ultimately found by Zuras
Zuras
Zuras is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the Eternals.-Fictional character biography:Zuras was born in Titanos, first city of the Eternals, and is the son of the Eternals Kronos and Daina, and brother of A'Lars...
. Sprite has no apologies for causing the current situation, and then Zuras kills Sprite by snapping his neck.
Powers and abilities
Sprite, like all Eternals, has total control over his body's life force and molecular structure, making him virtually immortalImmortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
. He does not age and is immune to all known diseases and toxins, radiation, and extremes of temperature. His old Eternal body had the appearance of a pre-adolescent child (and against his will, according to him), but he is in fact hundreds of thousands of years old.
Sprite is able to channel cosmic radiation into blasts of heat or force, levitate himself or others, and create illusions that fool the senses. He has superhuman strength, though because of his small size and childlike anatomy it is less than that of most Eternals. He can rearrange atoms and molecules in such a way as to radically restructure objects (he once created a working ground-to-orbit spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
in seconds), and in fact is second only to Sersi
Sersi
Sersi is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine and an Eternal.-Publication history:Sersi was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in The Eternals #3 . Although the comic book was published by Marvel Comics, the Eternals were not treated as part of the Marvel universe, but as a...
in the art of molecular reconstruction.
If Sprite's story is to be believed, he has successfully used the reality-warping powers of the Dreaming Celestial
Dreaming Celestial
In the Marvel Comics' universe, the Dreaming Celestial is a renegade member of the race of god-like Celestials.-Publication history:The Dreaming Celestial first appeared in Eternals Vol. 1, #18 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
to give himself a human body that will age to adulthood normally (or would have, if not for his demise).