Published May 3, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT And one of the strangest teams of the Marvel Universe was born Image: Marvel Studios After co-creating many of Marvel's most popular characters (Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, the X-Men, the list goes on), a creatively frustrated Jack Kirby left the company in 1970 for its chief rival, DC Comics. There, Kirby began work on his passion project, The Fourth World , a tale of gods that have walked largely unnoticed alongside humanity throughout the ages. When that project fizzled out at DC, he returned to Marvel in 1976. Shortly thereafter, The Eternals were born. Issue #1 hit stands 50 years ago in April 1976. The Eternals would carry many of the same themes as The Fourth World ’s New Gods. Both titles have enormous, history-altering scope, and both follow pantheons whose ancient rivalries threaten the modern world.…