Thena

Thena
Cover art for Eternals (vol. 3) #3 Art by Daniel Acuña.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Eternals #5 (Nov 1976)
Created by	Jack Kirby
In-story information
Alter ego	Azura
Team affiliations	Eternals Heroes for Hire
Notable aliases	Thena Eliot, Athena, Corona
Abilities	Superhuman speed, strength, durability, and regeneration Energy blasts Flight Illusion generation Matter transmutation Mind control Telekinesis Telepathy Teleportation

Thena (born Azura) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a member of the Eternals.

Thena was born in the city of Olympia in ancient Greece, and is thus one of the Eternals of Olympia. Originally named Azura, but her father Zuras had her name changed by royal decree to resemble that of Zeus' daughter Athena to seal the treaty between their two peoples. Due to this, she has often been mistaken for Athena. The city of Athens was apparently built for her, not the goddess, although Thena later allowed it to be conquered by the Spartans in 404 B.C.

Thena became a scholar and a warrior as she grew. She encountered Kro in Babylon 2,500 years ago. He had a chance to slay her, but did not; as the years passed, the two of them grew closer together. Thena and Kro made love during the Vietnam War, resulting in Thena becoming pregnant with twins. She placed them inside of Ms. Ritter, an infertile woman, who raised them as her own twin children, Donald and Deborah.

When Kro led his armies in an attack on New York City, Thena opposed him to help rescue Sersi. Thena was reunited with Kro, and publicly declared herself to be an Eternal. After Kro called a truce, he showed her Ransak the Reject, a genetically stable Deviant. Thena was convinced by the Deviant Karkas to grant both of them sanctuary and take them under her protection. She then participated in the Uni-Mind. With Karkas and the Reject, she battled Zakka and Tutinax. She met and became an ally of Thor, and then battled Athena of Olympus, during a battle between the Olympian gods and Eternals. She then formed the Uni-Mind again, and battled Maelstrom alongside the Avengers; she was chosen by the Uni-Mind to stay on Earth. After Zuras' death and the subsequent departure of most of Earth's Eternals, Thena became Prime Eternal (leader of the Eternals of Earth), but she was traumatized by her father's death and was being subtly influenced by a Brain-Mine Kro had placed upon her. She thwarted the other Eternals' efforts against Kro and turned against Ikaris to help save Kro's life, but later relinquished her title to Ikaris and was banished. She was captured with Kro by Ghaur, and freed from Kro's brain mine; when she learned of the Brain-Mine, she was furious with Kro. She battled Ghaur alongside the Eternals, Thor, and the West Coast Avengers. She was eventually reunited with her children and Kro.