Eternal Warrior

Eternal Warrior
Eternal Warrior. Art by Trevor Hairsine
Publication information
Publisher	Valiant Comics
First appearance	Solar: Man of the Atom #10 (June 1992)
In-story information
Alter ego	Gilad Anni-Padda
Team affiliations	Unity
Notable aliases	Gilad Abrams, Gilad Anni-Padda, Eternal Warrior, Fist & Steel, Gilad the One, Gil Masters, Eternal Emperor
Abilities	Immortality, super-strength, limited invulnerability, regeneration, millennia of fighting skills

Gilad Anni-Padda, also known as the Eternal Warrior, is the title character of a 50-issue comic book series by Valiant Comics that ran from 1992 to 1996. Eternal Warrior was relaunched with the other Valiant characters under the banner of Acclaim Comics in 1996 (video game company Acclaim Entertainment purchased Valiant Comics for $65 million in June 1994). Valiant Entertainment, Inc. is the owner of the Valiant catalog (including Eternal Warrior).

The series was originally written by Jim Shooter with art by John Dixon. Later writers included Kevin VanHook, Barry Windsor-Smith, Mark Moretti, and John Ostrander.

Months following Valiant Entertainment's successful relaunch a new Eternal Warrior series titled Wrath of the Eternal Warrior was teased at the Baltimore Comic- Con in September 2012. An Eternal Warrior series debuted in September 2013 by writer Greg Pak and artist Trevor Hairsine.

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 . . .