The Ambush at Druig's Compound was an ambush coordinated by Kro and the Deviants on the Eternals, who have been reassembling at Druig's Compound on a mission to prevent the Emergence of Tiamut the Communicator. This engagement between the two forces resulted in the death of Gilgamesh, in Kro's quest for power.

Background[]

Sersi unwittingly reclaimed the Celestial Communication Sphere from Ajak's corpse and learned from Arishem the Judge that Earth would be destroyed in a few days because of the planned Emergence of Tiamut the Communicator. Sersi, who had grown attached to mankind, refused to let Earth be obliterated and suggested to the other Eternals that they could find a way to make sure that Tiamut could emerge without destroying the planet. Gilgamesh thus suggested that Druig, an estranged member of their Eternal community who had left after the Fall of Tenochtitlan out of frustration of being forbidden to interfere in human conflicts.

Although the idea was met with some incredulity, the Eternals tracked down Druig and located the settlement that he and his human followers had established in South America. They thus journeyed to the compound to inform him of Ajak's death and their plan to delay the Emergence of Tiamut, although he initially was reluctant to help them. However, the Eternals were also followed by a pack of Deviants led by Kro, the same creature that had killed Ajak and stole her power.^[2]

Ambush[]

In the night following the Eternals' visit at Druig's compound, the Deviants led by Kro attacked the settlement, taking the Eternals by surprise. A winged Deviant grabbed Ikaris and took him into the air, while two other Deviants assaulted the settlement, killing one inhabitant and turning their attention to Sersi. Kingo promptly reacted and fired his energy bullets at the creature, holding them at bay long enough for him to cast a massive energy ball that threw a Deviant under a pile of wooden rubble. Kingo then asked Sprite to take his valet Karun Patel to safety as Patel had been recording the battle for his documentary.

While Kingo kept battling the two Deviants, Sersi attempted to lead the other residents to safety, instructing them to get into the chapel. She then tried to use her powers to bar the gates, but was attacked by a Deviant, who violently threw her away with a single strike of its tail. Emerging from the ruins, Sersi saw the Deviant charging at her, but it was stopped by Druig and his followers, who used multiple firearms against it. As the creature defended itself and took down more Humans, Druig attacked it from closer, gaining enough time for Sersi to turn a tree into ice and let it fall onto the Deviant, blocking it so Druig's followers could carry on firing at it. Sersi then had Druig release his followers from his control so they could hide near the river.

Meanwhile, Ikaris was able to take down the Deviant that had attacked him by pinning it onto the ground and ripping off one of its wings, but he was then attacked from behind by Kro who thrusted his tentacles into Ikaris' back. Ikaris was saved by Gilgamesh, who confronted the creature and was able to violently punch him, although Kro was able to use Ajak's power to heal himself. Gilgamesh then rushed to stop Thena who, under the influence of Mahd Wy'ry had begun to attack Ikaris. Gilgamesh was able to calm down Thena, but he and Ikaris witnessed two other Deviants heading for the camp. Gilgamesh thus instructed Ikaris to follow them while he would duel against Kro.

Continuing to battle the other Deviant that had attacked the camp in the first place, Kingo asked Sprite to buy him some time so he could conjure a powerful energy sphere. Sprite thus attacked the creature with a conjured knife, enabling Kingo to concentrate his energy. He then slid under the Deviant and unleashed his energy ball, blasting off the head of the Deviant. The Eternals at the camp were then helped by Ikaris, who had managed to kill a flying Deviant by cutting off its wing and arrived in time to protect Druig from the Deviant that had escaped from under the tree. Ikaris fired his energy beams inside the Deviant's throat, killing it, but not before the Deviant was able to wound Ikaris in the stomach with its tail.

Ikaris then went to the rescue of Kingo and Sprite who were struggling to defeat another Deviant. Ikaris himself had trouble fighting it on his own, as the Deviant was able to pin him onto the ground despite Ikaris firing his lasers. Nevertheless, Ikaris was rescued by Sersi, who shove a wooden spike she had transmuted into ice into the creature. The Deviant thus turned its attention to Sersi, who it pushed into a pool before diving after her. He then attempted to kill her, but Sersi, performing something she had never been able to, used her powers to turn it into a tree, thus ending the threat.

Having remained alone against Kro, Gilgamesh was able to hold his own against the chief Deviant, inflicting him wounds from which Kro was able to recover in an instant. Kro then noticed Thena, who struggled to keep her Mahd Wy'ry in check. He ran towards her, forcing Gilgamesh to intervene, but Kro used it to his advantage and was able to stab Gilgamesh in the back with his tentacles and bit his shoulder. This allowed Kro to weaken Gilgamesh enough to absorb his power, leaving him critically injured. The process allowed Kro to achieve a newfound degree of sentience along with a more humanoid appearance. He then expressed his hatred towards Eternals and Celestials alike for having tried to exterminate the Eternals, and fled upon being attacked by Ikaris, leaving the Eternals to mourn Gilgamesh as he died from his wounds.^[2]

Aftermath[]

Karun Patel conducted the funeral in honor of Gilgamesh, which all the other Eternals attended. Gilgamesh's body was cremated and his ashes were spread into the Amazon River by Thena.

Having witnessed the returning threat of the Deviants first-hand, Druig eventually accepted to help the other Eternals to delay the Emergence of Tiamut the Communicator. However, he warned Sersi that his own power alone were not enough to accomplish such a task, meaning that the Eternals also had to convince Phastos, a fellow Eternal who had lost his faith in mankind due to the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the inventions that he had helped conceive.

Having successfully stolen Gilgamesh's power, Kro kept hunting down the Eternals, planning on killing them all and absorbing their powers as well, although he was eventually defeated and killed by Thena while the other Eternals prevented Tiamut's Emergence.^[2]

References[]