Real Name: Phastos
Occupation: Technologist, chief engineer of a steel mill
Identity: The general populace of Earth does not know that Phastos is an Eternal.
Legal Status: Citizen of Olympia, citizen of West Germany with no criminal record
Other Aliases: Hephaestus, Vulcan
Place of Birth: Unrevealed, presumably Olympia, Greece
Marital Status: Unrevealed
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Eternals of Earth
Base of Operations: Ruhr Valley, West Germany
First Appearance: ETERNALS Vol. 2 #1

History: Little has been revealed about the past of the Eternal named Phastos. He is either a third or fourth generation Eternal, and in ancient Greece was mistaken for the Olympian god Hephaestus, also known as Vulcan. Phastos has long served as the master technologist for the Eternals of Earth, and has created numerous weapons and inventions for them, it was Phastos who forged the sword of the Eternal Kingo Sunen. He was also the teacher of the Eternal scientist Sigmar.

Phastos has long lived with a deep sorrow whose nature and origin are as yet unrevealed. Phastos believes life to be meaningless, and is searching for someone or something whose identity has not been revealed. Presumably this person or object is the focus of the obsession, which he admits to having. Perhaps Phastos's search is the reason why he remained on Earth when most of his fellow Eternals left for outer space. Perhaps, too, his sorrow and his obsession influenced Phastos's refusal to participate in war. Phastos recently turned down a request by his fellow Eternal Ikaris to join him in opposing a dangerous new venture by the Deviants.

Instead, Phastos continues to work as chief engineer of the largest steel mill in West Germany's Ruhr Valley, and presumably to pursue his mysterious search.

Height: 6 ft. 3 in.
Weight: 410 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Bald, with black beard

Strength Level: Phastos possesses superhuman strength whose exact extent is unknown. He can probably lift (press) at least about 25 tons (as opposed to the average Eternal's ability to lift 15 tons) without using his mental power to levitate the object he is lifting.

Known Superhuman Powers: Phastos possesses the conventional attributes of the Eternal race as well as certain special abilities developed through rigorous discipline. Like that of all Eternals, his life force is augmented by cosmic energy and he has total mental control over his physical form and bodily processes even when he is asleep or unconscious. As a result, he is virtually immortal, immune to disease and aging, and invulnerable to conventional forms of injury. Should Phastos be injured somehow, he could regenerate any injured or missing tissue. An Eternal can die only through an injury that disperses a significant portion of his body molecules, or if he is injured after his mental control over his body is somehow broken. Cosmic energy bolsters Phastos's metabolism so that he does not tire from any physical exertion. He can resist temperature changes through mental concentration.

Like all Eternals, Phastos can levitate himself by mentally manipulating gravitons (subatomic particles carrying the force of gravitational attraction between atoms) around himself. He can also levitate other persons and objects, even while simultaneously levitating himself. The rate of speed at which Phastos can fly through levitation is unknown, but is at least 600 miles per hour.

Phastos can project cosmic energy in the form of beams from his eyes or beams and flashes from his hands. The full amount of energy that Phastos can release in this way is unknown, but he can project a concussive force of at least 200 pounds per square inch and heat reaching at least 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. His energy beams are effective for at least 175 feet. The expenditure of cosmic energy in this way continually for several hours will temporarily deplete Phastos's physical strength, but not his resistance to injury, although it will temporarily increase his sensitivity to pain. He will rapidly return to normal after such lengthy energy expenditure is over.

It is not known whether or not Phastos can teleport himself psionically. If he can, he probably prefers not to do so, since Eternals find the use of their self-teleportation ability physically unpleasant.

Phastos can mentally create illusions to disguise his appearance. He can also psionically manipulate atoms and molecules so as to change the shape of an object. His level of expertise at this skill is unknown, but it does not equal that of Sersi.

Abilities: Phastos is a genius level technologist, inventor, and engineer who prides himself on being able to meet any challenge in his fields.

Weapons: Phastos carries a weapon shaped like a hammer, which fires bolts of energy. Its other purposes, if any, are unknown. Phastos also possesses many other advanced weapons of his own creation.