Fans were instantly excited when merchandise showed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would feature at least one dragon in the plot. On top of that was the potential for more mystical creatures to be included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eternals explored this idea by showing that some Deviants represented or mimicked monsters of legend.
The Deviants were a scourge on the planet, killing as many human beings as possible, but what if they didn't just target humanity? What if the Deviants killed creatures far stronger than humans, like dragons? A new tie-in comic to the MCU shows that not only did Deviants mimic these Shang-Chi-featured creatures of myth but killed them too.
Deviants Dragging Down Dragons
Marvel Comics recently announced a collaboration with the online publishing platform WEBTOON and released "Eternals: The 500 Year War." This is a 7-issue series from multiple writers and artists around the globe, which launched on the Marvel Unlimited app, Marvel's digital comic subscription service.
While this story is depicted as taking place within the MCU, not every issue has new lore or further implications for the universe. However, the sixth issue, written by Yifan Jiang, shows Ikaris and Sersi attempting to protect a dragon from a Deviant.
In the Ming Dynasty from the 16th century, alongside the Great Wall of China, a Deviant began attacking a "young" dragon, which was said to be "sacred" by a sorcerer trying to fight the Deviant.
Upon closer inspection, the sigil engraved on this sorcerer's clothes indicated that he belonged to the Hong Kong sanctum, last seen in the climax of Doctor Strange.
Unfortunately, Ikaris and Sersi failed to protect the dragon, as it sacrificed itself in an attempt to kill the Deviant. After it was weakened and gravely wounded by Ikaris, it escaped, leaving those who honored this sacred beast to mourn its death.
Deviants Killing Legends
On top of the Deviants having been the potential origin of such fabled creatures as the Minotaur, giant sea serpents, and more, they were also responsible for killing dragons and possibly other mystical creatures. Dragons may have been introduced into the MCU in Thor: Ragnarok with a fire dragon from Muspelheim, but fans didn't get a further exploration of the creatures in an Earth realm until Shang-Chi.
In Shang-Chi, it gave audiences an in-depth explanation of where and how dragons (at least of the Eastern variety) arrived on Earth. According to the film, portals on Earth connecting to other dimensions allowed these creatures of myth to enter our world. One of these portals leads to Ta Lo, a world filled with mystical creatures, including a dragon called the Great Protector.
So, is it possible that, due to the arrival of the Deviants, mystical creatures like the dragons were driven back to their home dimensions? It would certainly help explain the sudden disappearance of all these fantastic creatures of legend from the modern day.
