Makkari, formerly known as Hurricane and Mercury, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Martin A. Burnstein and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared as Makkari in The Eternals #5 (November 1976), but through retroactive continuity was later established as also having been Mercury in Red Raven Comics #1 (August 1940). He is a member of the Eternals, a race of superhumans in the Marvel Universe. He was also a member of the First Line and Monster Hunters.
Lauren Ridloff portrays a deaf female version of Makkari in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, debuting in Eternals (2021).
Publication history
Originally, Makkari was a character in Jack Kirby's The Eternals. Mark Gruenwald later reintroduced Makkari as a long-running supporting character in the Quasar series.
Hurricane reappears as a member of the Monster Hunters in Marvel Universe #4 (September 1998), in a story set in the 1950s. By the end of this three-issue story, it turns out the monsters they are hunting are actually Deviants and Hurricane is revealed to be Makkari. Marvel Comics continuity was later retconned so that the character presented as the mythological god Mercury, introduced in Red Raven Comics #1 (August 1940; "Mercury in the 20th Century" by artist Kirby and writer Martin A. Bursten, pen name "Burstein"), was actually Makkari. Mercury was only seen in that single story, in which he worked to thwart the machinations of Pluto.
Makkari is featured as one of the main characters in the Marvel limited series Eternals (2006–07), written by Neil Gaiman and penciled by artist John Romita Jr.
Fictional character biography
Makkari is the son of Verona and Mara, born in Olympia, the capital city of the Eternals of Earth. He is a member of the Eternals' Technologist's Guild and is skilled at designing and building high-speed vehicles. Makkari has involved himself in Earth's affairs more often than most Eternals. Under the name Thoth, he taught writing to the Egyptians. He was taught philosophy by Plato. He rescued Sersi from Nero's Fire. He spent some time as the charioteer of Darius I of Persia. He witnessed the Trojan War, the reign of Vlad the Impaler, and the Alamo.
In the 1940s, he worked on Earth, per Zuras' request, under the aliases "Hurricane" and "Mercury" (an example of retcon, these Golden Age characters were not originally supposed to be related), and fought Warlord Kro and Deviant Mutates alongside the Monster Hunters, a team he formed using his identity as National Security Agent Jake Curtiss. Later on, he taught Elvis Presley a few guitar tricks. Following the disbanding of the Monster Hunters, Makkari was convinced by Pixie to join the First Line as "Major Mercury".{ { efn|Between Marvel: The Lost Generation #4 and Marvel: The Lost Generation #5}} He and First Line fought against the original Skrull invasion of Earth, and, along with Yeti and Pixie, was one of the few members of First Line to survive the conflict.
Makkari accompanied Thena to New York City to help rescue Sersi and repulse the Deviant invasion. He was with the Eternals who introduced themselves to the students at City College during the Fourth Host of the Celestials. He then returned to Olympia with Ikaris and Margo Damian, where he encountered Sprite. He also participated in the Uni-Mind ritual. Alongside Ikaris and Sersi, he battled the Hulk robot. Makkari then battled Ikaris, who was under the mental influence of Dromedan.
Makkari later battled Hermes of Olympus. He battled Maelstrom alongside the Avengers. Makkari elected to remain while the majority of Eternals departed Earth. Makkari accompanied Ikaris on his mission to assemble the Eternals to wage war against the Deviants. Makkari then encountered Lord Ghaur. Makkari accompanied the other Eternals to Lemuria to battle the Deviants. Makkari battled Ghaur alongside the Eternals, Thor, and the West Coast Avengers, and participated in the defeat of Ghaur. Some time later, alongside the Eternals, Makkari fought the Super-Skrull and encountered the Silver Surfer.