Eternal Warrior vol. 2 (2013) VEI

Granted the gift of immortality, Gilad Anni-Padda is a master tactician and one of the greatest warriors on the planet. When in danger Earth calls for her Eternal Warrior to prevent calamities and mete out justice. For countless centuries, these messages have been relayed to Gilad by the Geomancers, an unbroken line of mystics in tune with the voice of the planet. The geomancer of a given era and Gilad work together to do the bidding of the Earth. The Eternal Warrior's journey began millennia ago in the ancient city-state of Ur when found Gilad-then a flesh-and-blood-mortal-was killed during an adventure in the mythical land of the Faraway with his brothers Aram and Ivar. As grief curdled Ivar's mind, Gilad's brother convinced himself that a mysterious machine captured in the Faraway could restore his brother to life. However, when activated, this device-known as "the Boon"-annihilated ancient Ur, draining the life force from thousands and ruining the city. By 6000 B.C., Gilad had fully matured and begun his service as the Eternal Warrior-the Fist and Steel of the Earth. Locked in battle with the forces of Nergal, a death god opposed by the earth, Gilad lost his son Mitu at the hands of his own daughter, Xaran. In the wake of his loss, Gilad continued to fight for the Earth, but with grave misgivings. Eventually after centuries of doubt, Gilad abdicated his post as Earth's defender, electing instead to deliver justice on his own terms. It was only when Xaran, long thought dead, returned that Gilad was called back into service of the Earth-a call he rejected by distorting the House of Earth's California headquarters. However, he soon learned that his attack had unintended consequences. . . and that he will have no choice but to return to the Earth's service if the world is to stand any chance against the return of Nergal in two thousand years time . . . After teaming with his long estranged brother Armstrong to stop the nihilistic cult called the Null, Gilad then traveled to Romania, seeking to change the dangerous course being set by his old friend from centuries ago, Aric of Dacia-better known as X-O Manowar. Failing to convince Aric that his occupation of Romania would only lead to suffering for his people, Gilad reluctantly joined forces with Toyo Harada and the superhuman strike force called Unity to disarm X-O Manowar by any means necessary. Meanwhile, however, the threat of Nergal continued to grow for nearly two thousand years. In the distant future of 4001 A.D., Gilad-now known as the Eternal Emperor-stands guard over a small agricultural village situated atop the ruins of Little Rock, Arkansas. Struggling to keep his charges alive-and his young granddaughter Caroline along with them- the peace of his small kingdom is shattered when a centuries-old weapon explodes, saturating the area with radioactivity. Gilad is forced to set out into the wider world to find a cure, but it soon confronted with the grim reality of what the world has become in the 41st century. Gilad and his grand-daughter eventually forge an uneasy alliance with the weaponsmiths responsible for damaging his village. They unite to destroy a death cult. Gilad returns with a cure for the radioactivity and saves the lives of most of his people.