Editing Kid Eternity

{{Short description|Fictional character}}
'''Kid Eternity''' is a fictional character, a [[comic book]] [[superhero]] that premiered in ''[[Hit Comics]]'' #25 written by [[Otto Binder]], drawn by [[Sheldon Moldoff]], and published by American company [[Quality Comics]] in December 1942. [[DC Comics]] acquired Kid Eternity, among other characters, after Quality Comics shut down.<ref name="Companion">{{cite book |last1=Koolman |first1=Mike |title=The Quality Companion |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |date=2011 |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |isbn=978-1605490373 |pages=137–141}}</ref> In the 1980s, Kid Eternity was folded into the ''[[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Shazam]]'' series and revealed to be Christopher Freeman, the brother of Freddy Freeman / [[Captain Marvel Jr.]]

Kid Eternity was rebooted in 1991 by [[Grant Morrison]] with a new focus and backstory; the character has appeared sporadically since then.

==Quality Comics==
{{Infobox comics character<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| image = HitComicsNumber25.jpg
| caption = ''Hit Comics'' #25 (December 1942)
| character_name = Kid Eternity
| publisher = [[Quality Comics]], later [[DC Comics]]/[[Vertigo Comics|Vertigo]]
| debut = ''[[Hit Comics]]'' #25 (December 1942), Quality Comics
| creators = [[Otto Binder]] (writer)<br>[[Sheldon Moldoff]] (artist)
| alter_ego = Christopher "Kit" Freeman
| full_name =
| species =
| homeworld =
| alliances =
| aliases =
| supports = [[Marvel Family]]
| powers = Summoning of historical or mythological figures,<br/>intangibility
}}
Prior to issue #25, ''Hit Comics'' had a series of rotating cover features, including [[Hercules (comics)|Hercules]], the [[Red Bee (comics)|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''.<ref name=Morris>{{Cite book|title = The League of Regrettable Superheroes|last = Morris|first = Jon|publisher = Quirk Books|year = 2015|isbn = 9781594747632|location = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|pages = 72–75}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Benton |first1=Mike |url=https://archive.org/details/superherocomicso0000bent/page/114 |title=Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History |date=1992 |publisher=Taylor Publishing Company |isbn=0-87833-808-X |location=Dallas |pages=115–116 |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref>

Kid Eternity received a self-titled solo series in spring 1946.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Markstein |first1=Don |title=Kid Eternity |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/eternity.htm |access-date=April 2, 2020 |website=[[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]}}</ref> His [[antagonist]]s, 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.

===Character origin and powers===
The Kid 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Kurt |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944 |last2=Thomas |first2=Roy |author-link2=Roy Thomas |date=2019 |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |isbn=978-1605490892 |page=138}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nevins |first1=Jess |title=Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes |date=2013 |publisher=High Rock Press |isbn=978-1-61318-023-5 |pages=149–150}}</ref>

===Villains===
* Her Highness and Silk: An elderly woman and her young, attractive assistant. Thieves and confidence scammers, the characters were humorous in nature, almost never succeeding in their plans but always willing to try another "get rich quick" scheme.<ref>Mitchell and Thomas, p. 221.</ref> Their first appearance was in ''Hit Comics'' #27 (April 1943).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Koolman |first1=Mike |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |title=The Quality Companion |date=2011 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490373 |pages=206, 220}}</ref> They were quickly spun off into their own feature; in the next issue, Her Highness was on the cover, and their spin-off lasted until issue #57.<ref>Koolman and Amash, p. 138.</ref> In 1982, she and Silk appeared in a [[Shazam (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] story guest-starring Kid Eternity (''World's Finest'' #282).
* Master Man: Kid Eternity's opposite number, Master Man was given powers similar to the Kid's by the Devil. When Master Man said "Stygia", he could summon any evil historical or mythological figure from Stygia.
* Thuggoths: Evil creatures, part man, part beast, who were imprisoned in a pyramid 3000 years ago by [[Tutankhamun]], but escape and plan to take over the world, killing experts on Egyptology so it is not known how to kill them. Kid Eternity tracks them to the pyramid, is attacked by one but summons up William Tell who slays it with an arrow, and later summons up Tut, who finally destroys them with fire. He only appears in ''Kid Eternity'' #1.
* Dr. Marko: A world-renowned scientist who after being paid by foreign agents to set off radio controlled mines in a city harbour, thus killing hundreds of people, is sentenced to hanging. He decides to travel through time to attack America when it was smaller and weaker, and invents a time-globe to travel to the past, although he takes the Kid with him after they realise a mortal is meddling with Eternity, not realising who he is. Marko attempts to change history twice but is foiled. Mr. Keeper then take Marko back to the day of his execution, where he is hanged, and sends the globe far into the future, where men will learn to use its great powers. Dr. Marko appeared only in ''Kid Eternity'' #2.
[[File:Mr Keeper defeats his evil twin.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Mr Keeper fights his evil twin in a 1948 edition of the comic]]
* Mr. Keeper's evil brother: An evil twin brother of Mr. Keeper, who was banished to Stygia by Mr. Keeper using the Cup of Jove, for rewarding evil and punishing good, but escapes to get revenge and uses his powers to help criminals. He fights Mr. Keeper, distracting him and knocks him out, before binding him and impersonating him. He is banished once more with the Cup of Jove.
* Frank Malone: Leader of a group of kidnappers who kidnap a rich girl, called Kathryn, the Greenbriar heiress, and demand a $50,000 ransom. The Kid foils the Kidnappers, and saves the girl from a fire in the car, even though she was supposed to die that day.
{{-}}

==DC Comics==
===Kid Eternity I===
{{Infobox comics character<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| image = Kid Eternity (Teen Titans vol. 3 68).jpg
| caption =Kid Eternity as depicted in ''[[Teen Titans]]'' (vol. 3) #68 (April 2009). Art by [[Eddy Barrows]].
| character_name = Kid Eternity
| publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| debut =
| creators = [[Grant Morrison]]
| alter_ego = Unknown
| full_name =
| species =
| homeworld =
| alliances = [[Teen Titans]]
| aliases =
| supports =
| powers = Summoning of demons that emulate historical or mythological figures
}}
DC Comics acquired Kid Eternity in the 1950s and revived his title in the 1980s. He is revealed to be Christopher Freeman, the brother of [[Captain Marvel Jr.]] (Freddy Freeman). Initially depicted as inhabiting Earth-S, Kid Eternity is transported to the main universe following ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''.

In post-''Crisis'' continuity, Kid Eternity is a servant of the [[Lords of Chaos and Order|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.<ref name="vert-ency">{{Citation |last=Irvine |first=Alex |title=The Vertigo Encyclopedia |pages=113 |year=2008 |editor-last=Dougall |editor-first=Alastair |contribution=Kid Eternity |place=New York |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |isbn=978-0-7566-4122-1 |oclc=213309015 |author-link=Alexander C. Irvine}}</ref>

In ''[[JSA (comic book)|JSA]]'', Kid Eternity is killed by [[Mordru]]. He later returns, but is killed by the [[Calculator (character)|Calculator]].<ref>''[[Barbara Gordon|Batgirl]]'' (vol. 3) #10 (July 2010)</ref><ref>''Batgirl'' (vol. 3) #12 (September 2010)</ref><ref>''[[Teen Titans]]'' (vol. 3) #92 (April 2011)</ref>

In [[The New 52]] continuity reboot, Kid Eternity is a police coroner who can resurrect the dead.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gallaher |first1=Valerie |date=April 9, 2012 |title=DC LAUNCHING NEW "NATIONAL COMICS" TITLE IN JULY, STARTING WITH LEMIRE'S "KID ETERNITY" |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2624774/dc-national-comics-kid-eternity/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212051443/http://www.mtv.com/news/2624774/dc-national-comics-kid-eternity/ |archive-date=December 12, 2019 |access-date=December 12, 2019 |work=MTV News}}</ref>
{{-}}

===Kid Eternity II===
In the "[[DC All In]]" initiative, there is a ghostly girl calling herself Kid Eternity. She encounters [[Hawkman (Carter Hall)|Hawkman]] in Hell after he is captured by [[Wotan (comics)|Wotan]] and the [[Demons Three]]. She helps to free Hawkman and reunites him with [[Kendra Saunders|Hawkgirl]] as they work to avoid the demons. Kid Eternity enters the afterlife and encounters [[Wildcat (Ted Grant)|Wildcat]], who was recently killed by [[Lady Eve (comics)|Lady Eve]]. She follows him into the afterlife where Wildcat and fellow JSA members [[Atom (Al Pratt)|Atom]], [[Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson)|Doctor Fate]], [[Charles McNider|Doctor Mid-Nite]], [[Hourman (Rex Tyler)|Hourman]], and [[Sandman (Wesley Dodds)|Sandman]] tell her that the JSA is in danger and that they will need her help.<ref>''[[Justice Society of America|JSA]]'' (vol. 2) #7 (July 2025)</ref>

==In other media==
* Kid Eternity appears in ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold (comics)|Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' #6.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' #6 - Charge of the Army Eternal (Issue) |url=https://comicvine.gamespot.com/batman-the-brave-and-the-bold-6-charge-of-the-army/4000-161936/ |access-date=July 19, 2024 |website=Comic Vine |language=en}}</ref>
* Kid Eternity appears as a character summon in ''[[Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 2, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - ''Scribblenauts Unmasked'' Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |access-date=July 19, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/k/kidetern.htm Kid Eternity Profile]
* [https://archive.today/20240527150034/https://www.webcitation.org/6d7WaSa1I?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/eternity.htm Kid Eternity] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]].  from the original on November 17, 2015.
* [http://www.titanstower.com/kid-eternity/ Titans Tower: Kid Eternity]

{{Otto Binder}}
{{GoldenAge}}
{{Grant Morrison}}
{{Vertigo Comics Ongoing Series}}
{{Shazam}}

[[Category:1991 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1993 comics debuts]]
[[Category:Captain Marvel (DC Comics)]]
[[Category:Characters created by Grant Morrison]]
[[Category:Characters created by Otto Binder]]
[[Category:Characters created by Sheldon Moldoff]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1942]]
[[Category:DC Comics characters who use magic]]
[[Category:DC Comics fantasy characters]]
[[Category:DC Comics male superheroes]]
[[Category:DC Comics titles]]
[[Category:Fantasy comics]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who can turn intangible]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who can turn invisible]]
[[Category:Mythology in DC Comics]]
[[Category:Quality Comics superheroes]]
[[Category:Quality Comics titles]]
[[Category:Vertigo Comics titles]]
[[Category:Marvel Family]]