Gilgamesh was the strongest and kindest member of the community of genetically engineered Eternals who came to Earth. He was exiled alongside his de facto partner, Thena due to her suffering Mahd Wy'ry. As a fierce warrior, he was known to be legendary for his fights with the Deviants throughout history.
In 2024, Gilgamesh was living with Thena in Australia when his former teammates recruited them to stop the Emergence and save Earth. Gilgamesh accompanied his teammates to locate Druig, though when the compound came under attack from the Deviants he stayed behind to defend against the attacking monsters in order to protect Thena. Gilgamesh was then overwhelmed and killed by the Deviant Kro.
Gilgamesh was built and programmed by Arishem the Judge, and presumably was sent to multiple planets to protect and help evolve sentient life forms from the Deviants, powering a Celestial seed inside the planet, which would absorb the energy made from the sentient lifeforms. Eventually, the Emergence would occur, destroying the planet in the process. Upon finishing their mission, the Eternals would be sent back to the World Forge to have their memories erased and reset.[1]
Gilgamesh alongside the rest of the Eternals were sent to Earth on the Domo. Once awoken, the Eternals were provided with suits to wear before arriving at the planet. Gilgamesh, being one of the Eternal's main fighters, landed on Earth first to fight the Deviants. Gilgamesh fought alongside Thena, using their powers together to defeat one of the creatures. When the Deviants attacking the humans were defeated, the Eternals presented themselves to the race they were assigned to protect.[1]
Continuing to protect and assist the human population, the Eternals headed to Babylon, Mesopotamia in 575 B.C., where they fought against more Deviants. Gilgamesh ensured that the humans got to safety inside the walls of the Ishtar Gate before taking on an incoming Deviant. When the creature knocked Gilgamesh into the air, he was caught by Makkari as the rest of the Eternals teamed up to finish off the last Deviant, with Gilgamesh landing the final blow.
Gilgamesh enjoying the festivities
After the battle, a celebration was held, where Gilgamesh sat next to Kingo and enjoyed the festivities. Sprite using her illusions to showcase and embellish Gilgamesh's exploits to the Mesopotamians, which resulted in Gilgamesh becoming deified in Ancient Sumerian history and mythology. In 400 A.D., Sersi and Ikaris decided to get married, so the rest of the Eternals attended the ceremony in India. The Eternals also helped fight against Laufey's army in the Battle of Tønsberg, where Gilgamesh was gifted a secret brew recipe from Odin.[1]
In 1520, Gilgamesh was on a boat with Thena when he noticed a sunken ship. He went to investigate and found a Deviant that looked like a Kraken. Suddenly, Kraken sneaked up on Gilgamesh and dragged him down into the water. Gilgamesh charged up his strength and punched Kraken, breaking himself free. Thena then swam down and helped him take down the Kraken. Gilgamesh caught some air and asked the captain of the ship why he was overboard. The captain said that his crew turned on him. Gilgamesh then took the captain's shotgun and shot Kraken. They swam back down and found that the Kraken escaped, leaving behind a trail of poisonous ink.[5]
Ending the War[]
Later, Gilgamesh and the Eternals were sent down to investigate a Deviants Nest that Ikaris and Sersi found. There, they found Kraken and many other Deviants who were being controlled by Kappa. They then defeated them, ending the war. Gilgamesh got a few punches in on Kappa.[6]
Retelling the War[]
Later, the Eternals found artifacts from the war and were told the stories by Sprite.[2][6]
In 1521, the last of the Deviants were located in Tenochtitlan, so the Eternals traveled there to eliminate their foes once and for all, with the fighters of the Eternas splitting up to fight against the creatures. However, this occurred concurrently as the Fall of Tenochtitlan, but as instructed by the Celestials, they were not to interfere with war amongst humans.
When Gilgamesh regrouped with the rest of the Eternals, he discovered that Thena was attacking them, so he tried to restrain her. Gilgamesh told Thena to stop, but she was able to break free from his hold, and then began fighting him, too. Being much stronger, Gilgamesh was able to block her attacks, all while trying to get through to her, but to no avail. Not seeing any other solution, Gilagmesh used his power to knock Thena unconscious.[1]
The Eternals realized that Thena had suffered from Mahd Wy'ry, a psychological affliction from her vast number of memories which caused her to forget when she was. Ajak told Thena that she'll have to erase her memories, but Thena did not want to forget, so Gilgamesh offered to watch over her, as she was his partner, and they had formed a close bond. Ajak warned that he might have to kill Thena, but Gilgamesh was willing to take the chance.
In addition to this, Druig became fed up with not being able to stop human conflicts, and left the Eternals, leading to Ajak declaring that the rest of them were free go their separate ways, as their mission was completed. Ajak told the Eternals that she wanted them all to go out into the world and find something for themselves, no longer being burdened by their duty.[1]
Gilgamesh and Thena went to live in Antarctica, where they found the climate to be cold but enjoyed hot meals. They sparred with each other to keep their fighting skills sharp in case the Deviants returned. During one such duel, Gilgamesh asked if Thena believed she could defeat him. Thena expressed confidence, so they decided to bet their next hot meal on the duel. Gilgamesh powered his exoskeleton and jumped onto the ice, causing a crack that approached Thena. However, Thena jumped out of the way and over Gilgamesh, hitting him with one of her weapons. However, the weapon did not affect him, and he punched her, causing her to fly back.
Gilgamesh lays in defeat
Thena and Gilgamesh charged each other, but stopped when they realized a pair of penguins were standing between them. Gilgamesh and Thena smiled to each other as they admired how cute the penguins were. Once the penguins were out of the way, they faced each other again. Thena claimed to see a Deviant, causing Gilgamesh to turn around. Thena then swept Gilgamesh's feet out from under him, causing him to land on his back. Thena helped Gilgamesh to his feet and suggested they leave the icy climate, and Gilgamesh agreed. The two then left together.[7]
Life in Australia[]
Seeking a warmer climate,[7] Gilgamesh and Thena moved to Australia, where they lived in exile from the human population. Gilgamesh worked on dealing with Thena's Mahd Wy'ry, and even asked Druig to put Thena to sleep so he could take a vacation to Fiji.[1]
"There has to be a way Tiamut can emerge without destroying the Earth. We just have to delay it until we figure out how." "Could Druig control its mind? Maybe put it to sleep?"
In 2024, a Deviant attacked Gilgamesh and Thena, but they managed to kill it. Not long after, Gilgamesh was reunited with Ikaris, Sersi, Sprite, Kingo, and his valet, Karun Patel, who informed them that the Deviants had returned, mentioning the attack in London.
Gilgamesh was happy to see his family again, but the mood changed when they told him of Ajak's death. They then walked over to Thena, who had been triggered by the attack, and Gilgamesh told her the other Eternals had arrived, but she had succumbed to Mahd Wy'ry. Gilgamesh attempted to use his method to bring her back, and was assisted by Sprite's illusions, successfully returning her to normal.
Gilgamesh as a baby
Having taken to cooking during his time on Earth, Gilgamesh prepared meals for the other Eternals, telling them about a secret brew Odin taught him after they helped defeat Laufey's army in Battle of Tønsberg. When Gilgamesh made a joke about Sprite's drink being for kids, she used her powers to make him dressed as a baby. As they ate, the Eternals joked with each other, with Gilgamesh pointing out how Ajak didn't pick Ikaris to be their leader. Ikaris responded that he was bitter because he could not fly, but Gilgamesh said that he was better looking.
When Sersi left to get some air, Gilgamesh followed her, and told her about Centuri-Six, a planet Thena believed she had lived on that was destroyed. Sersi expressed how she was unable to speak to Arishem, so Gilgamesh suggested listening instead of trying so hard. This advice helped, as Sersi made contact with Arishem, who revealed what his true plans were. Sersi then told the rest of the Eternals, and felt they had to delay Tiamut the Communicator's birth, so Gilgamesh suggested getting Druig to put him it sleep. Ikaris told them that they had to gather the remaining Eternals and then make a decision about the Emergence.[1]
The Eternals went to the Amazon Rainforest, the last place they were all together, where Druig had established a community living in seclusion, in aim to gain his assistance. On the water, Gilgamesh talked about movies with Kingo, saying that The Godfather Part II was his favorite. Kingo sarcastically said his opinion was orginal before asking if Gilgamesh watched his movies. Gilgamesh asked if they were on Showtime, but Kingo just said he would get him blu-rays.[8]
As Sersi filled Druig in on what was happening, Gilgamesh fell asleep, but was awoken by Thena as Druig expressed his disinterest in helping them. As they waited for Druig to think over their proposition, Gilgamesh and Thena sat outside together, where she expressed her disliking to the place. They then talked about their past and Thena's doubts in herself being the same "Goddess of War" she used to be, due to the Mahd Wy'ry, and feared hurting him. Gilgamesh assured Thena that she knew who she was still, and she thanked him for taking care of her, which he stated he would do it all again.
Suddenly, the Deviants ambushed the camp, so Gilgamesh rushed to save Ikaris from being attacked by one of them. As Gilgamesh fought Kro, he noticed that Thena had once again succumb to Mahd Wy'ry and was attacking Ikaris, so he quickly knocked away the Deviant and went to help. Gilgamesh was able to bring Thena back to normal, and told her to stay put as he went to assist Ikaris in the fight. Seeing that the Deviants were heading for the camp, Gilgamesh told Ikaris to go, while he stayed to fight Kro.
Gilgamesh was able to land many powerful hits on Kro, but they were rendered ineffective as he could heal himself, having stolen Ajak's powers. When Kro noticed Thena, he began heading towards her, so Gilgamesh rushed to save her, but it made him vulnerable, and was subsequently stabbed with several of Kro's tentacles. Gilgamesh desperately tried to beat Kro off of him, but he could not do anything but look at Thena as his powers were stolen, leaving him in a fatal state.
Kro then threw Gilgamesh aside, and Thena rushed to his side, while the Deviant began to transform and reveal how he could now access Ajak's memories and knew the truth of the Emergence. As Gilgamesh laid dying, Kro expressed how Arishem the Judge had used them and left them all to die with every Emergence, and then vowed to kill the Eternals for what they had done to his race. Ikaris arrived, so Kro retreated, and in Gilgamesh's final moments, he told Thena to remember what he told her before dying in her arms.[1]
A funeral was held for Gilgamesh, where they cremated his body, and Thena poured his ashes into the Amazon River. Thena later used Gilgamesh's response to why he chose to protect her to inspire Sersi into taking on the role of being the leader of the Eternals. When Thena faced off against Kro, he attempted to trick her by impersonating Gilgamesh, repeating his final words to her, but she managed to stay in control, and killed the Deviant, avenging the death of her partner.[1]
Personality[]
"I asked Gilgamesh once why he chose to protect me. He said, "When you love something, you protect it. It is the most natural thing in the world.""
Though Gilgamesh was physically the strongest in the Eternals, his greatest strength was his kindness. He always cared for his team when they needed him most. His nature has managed to earn the respect from the likes of Odin himself, with the latter giving him a special brew recipe that he continued to use for the future. He looked visibly saddened when the rest of the crew told him Ajak's death at the hands of a Deviant.
Gilgamesh was particularly caring towards Thena, his longtime partner. When the team first arrived in Mesopotamia to fight the Deviants, he gently put out his hand for Thena to hold when she jumped down from the Deviant corpse. When Thena was first diagnosed with Mahd Wy'ry, while Ajak suggested to erase her memories to stop Thena's suffering, Gilgamesh opted to bring Thena with him and take care of her, knowing the risks of doing so. Caring for Thena for centuries, Gilgamesh has sacrificed most of his personal time on her. Gilgamesh has become Thena's emotional support in these years. Even if Thena has lost her "consciousness" every once in a while, Gilgamesh never gave up on her and encouraged her to "remember" who she really is and regain control of her mind, becoming Thena's light in the darkness. Even when Gilgamesh was dying after his powers were absorbed by Kro, he repeatedly told Thena to remember who she really was.
Deep inside, Gilgamesh is a loyal friend who would do anything for his fellow Eternals, as shown when he died fighting against the Deviants for his friends, the Eternals at Druig's Amazon Compound, protecting Thena who was affected by Mahd Wy'ry and wasn't in condition to fight against the Deviants and buying time for the other Eternals. He continued to fight Kro even though he knew his powers have no effect on Kro, who had absorbed Ajak's self-healing powers.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
Eternal Physiology: By design from the Celestials, Gilgamesh was an Eternal possessing superhuman strength, durability, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes, and healing, numerous times more superior than any normal human being, as well as immortality and being able to manipulate cosmic energy to a certain degree.
Superhuman Strength:
Gilgamesh bending a metal pan
Like all Eternals, Gilgamesh possessed great superhuman strength, numerous times stronger than any normal human being. He was the strongest Eternal of his time, even surpassing Ikaris and Thena. He could punch much larger Deviants away with incredible force, although his power was enhanced by his cosmic energy armor. Upon learning of Ajak's death, he easily folded a frying pan in his hands.
Superhuman Durability: Gilgamesh's body was numerous times more resistant to physical and energy damage than any normal human being. When the Eternals gathered in Australia, Gilgamesh was able to remove a hot pan from the oven with his bare hands without showing any sign of discomfort or injury.
Superhuman Speed: Gilgamesh could run and move at great superhuman speed, much faster than any normal human being.
Superhuman Agility: Gilgamesh naturally possessed far greater agility, equilibrium, flexibility, dexterity, balance, and body coordination than any normal human being.
Superhuman Stamina: Gilgamesh advanced musculature was considerably more efficient than any normal human being. As a result, his muscles virtually did not produce fatigue toxins during physical activity. His endurance allowed him to exercise his maximum capacity for a long period of time without tiring at all.
Gilgamesh could react and dodge objects traveling at high speeds, much quicker than any normal human being. He easily blocked Thena attempting to stab him with her cosmic spear.
Regenerative Healing Factor: Gilgamesh metabolism enabled him to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissue with far greater speed and efficiency than any normal human being. However, he could not recover from Kro absorbing his powers.
Immortality: As an Eternal, Gilgamesh is genetically able to live forever, without dying due to old age or illnesses.
Cosmic Energy Manipulation:
Gilgamesh projects cosmic gauntlets
By design of the Celestials, all Eternals are genetically capable of using cosmic energy. Each Eternal possesses a unique ability, all derived from the same cosmic power source. Gilgamesh used his cosmic energy to project a powerful exoskeleton around his arms and fists.
Energy Exoskeleton: Gilgamesh is capable of projecting golden, cosmic energy-enhanced exoskeletons to shield his arms and fists, which enhancing his strength and durability in combat.
Gilgamesh was an extremely skilled and formidable hand-to-hand combatant, with thousands of years of training and combat experience. Gilgamesh was able to fight and kill numerous Deviants throughout the centuries. He was even able to fight evenly against the extremely skilled Thena and successfully defeat her during her episodes of Mahd Wy'ry, being able to block many of her vicious attacks using his exoskeleton shields and then using it to knock her out. He was also the only Eternal confident enough to care for Thena during her episodes of Mahd Wy'ry, knowing that he could adequately defend himself from her murderous attacks.
Celestial Armor: Gilgamesh donned a gold, green armor, equipped on him by the Domo. The armor was durable enough to withstand multiple blows during the fight with the Deviants.
In the comics, Gilgamesh is one of the many identities assumed over the centuries by the Eternal known as the Forgotten One, also known as the Hero, who once joined the rank of the Avengers. He is based on the hero and demigod of the same name, the main protagonist of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
In the closing credits, Don Lee's credit is set alongside François Joseph Bosio's Louvre statue of Hercules fighting a serpent. In the comics, Gilgamesh and Hercules are acquaintances and allies.
Behind the Scenes[]
Xue Zhang was a stunt double for Don Lee in the role of Gilgamesh.
