Marvel Cosmology and Herald Respect Thread

Marvel Respect Thread (W.I.P)

 

"Who dares intrude upon the infinite solitude of Eternity!?"

The Far Shore and Yggdrasil (& Al Ewing's Extremely Consistent Kabalistic Structure)

The relationship between Eternity and the Far Shore can appear ambiguous at first, which naturally raises questions about whether Eternity truly encompasses this structure. However, the way the Far Shore is described provides a consistent explanation. It is presented as a deathless realm at the furthest boundary of reality, a place where nothing truly ends and where the Shaper of Worlds fell into Oblivion to reveal what lies beyond. It is also described as the gathering place of the Abstracts in their most complete expressions. The narrative treats these elements collectively as the Multiverse and Eternity later refers to them as his own during a later cosmic manifestation. This aligns with the idea that each new iteration of the Multiverse carries forward the consciousness and essence of the previous one. Eternity is therefore not reset between cycles, but transformed along with reality itself.

Further clarification comes from later descriptions that place the Far Shore within Eternity. It is indirectly identified with the Yawning Void or Ginnungagap and described as the furthest “shore” of Eternity. In Marvel’s Norse mythology, it represents an endless nothingness that existed from the very beginning predating the formation of Muspelheim and Niflheim and even the emergence of life's beginning. Even the Onyx Knight who exists within the Universe, undergoes cycles of life originating from the cosmic Void, which itself transforms alongside each multiversal transition. From this same void emerges the World Tree Yggdrasil, whose roots extend across all time and space. Its highest point corresponds to the Crown of Creation, often identified as the House of Ideas, while its broader structure is said to encompass all things, including the primary Marvel 616 universe.

Yggdrasil’s role as the cosmic axis, or axis mundi reinforces this interpretation. It functions as the connective structure between mortal reality and the divine, mirroring the Tree of Life found in Kabbalistic thought. Later Marvel works deliberately emphasize these parallels, presenting Norse and Kabbalistic cosmology as different expressions of the same metaphysical framework. When returning to Eternity, the Far Shore appears to mark the upper boundary of the World of Action hierarchy, culminating at the House of Ideas. This placement is consistent with Marvel’s broader cosmological structure where there are multiple voids separating these realms such as the invisible axis between Multiversal Eternity and the Beyond and the Abyss that lies between the White Hot Room and the Land of Shouldn’t-Be-Couldn’t-Be. In this context, the Far Shore functions as the final threshold of Eternity before whatever lies beyond creation itself which is the House of Mystery or the World of Creation. 

Strongly supported by an interview, references to a vague Mystery beyond this point are better understood as allusions to the ultimate divine source rather than to a distinct location. Eternity appears to occupy a unique role in encompassing everything up to the House of Ideas and this is not a new concept. His latest Multiversal form is expressed through three aspects which includes Eternity, the Never Queen, and the Griever at the End of All Things. This makes it plausible that Eternity can encompass all, as each subsequent Firmament or Multiverse is essentially a transformation of the previous one. The Never Queen, for instance, represents the sentience of the Fourth Cosmos.

These manifestations reflect the idea that Eternity evolves alongside the structure of reality and the ability of the Abstracts to manifest their full multiversal forms from within the Far Shore further supports a broader understanding of Eternity. Rather than being confined to a single cosmological layer, Eternity can be understood as encompassing everything beneath the Far Shore including the World Tree, which extends through countless inconceivable ways across all planes of existence whether it be physical, metaphysical and even those outside conventional reality from it's bare roots. This interpretation is reinforced by repeated emphasis that the Far Shore exists outside systems such as life and death and cannot be meaningfully located in ordinary terms. Eternity himself is timeless and deathless, serving as the medium through which all multiversal transitions and functions occur.

Concepts of the Void (& It's Myriad of Layers)

Returning to the Onyx Knight, it is important to note that he experiences cycles of rebirth following each transition of the Multiverse. This highlights the distinction between beings tied to multiversal processes and those representing absolute, unchanging states. For instance, the living “abyss” embodied by Knull fundamentally different from the Far Shore. Knull does not embody true darkness itself and his existence is intertwined with the ongoing evolution of the Multiverse. In contrast, the Far Shore represents a stable, foundational state that is unaffected by such transformations. Similarly after more recent info, the Chaos King is often described as darkness in contrast to Eternity, this characterization applies only to his multiversal manifestation rather than to Eternity in his entirety, who encompasses both the Far Shore and the House of Ideas. In this sense, Knull is not considered true nothingness but the void he represents is intimately related but ultimately distinct from the Far Shore while the Chaos King functions merely as the antithesis of smaller aspects of Eternity as the Far Shore is the primordial source from which reality itself emerges.

This primordial void underlies the logic of multiversal development. It provides a framework for understanding all incarnations of the Multiverse, from the Second Firmament onward and connects to  mythological based origins that describe a primordial void from which the worlds and life emerged, created by the Celestials who had existed since the First Firmament, suggesting that the Far Shore has existed essentially since the time of the House of Ideas. Even figures like Nyx who embodies the night following Chaos, does not represent the Far Shore itself as she is born from residual stillness rather than the originating void. The Third Cosmos, existing before the emergence of magic or science, introduces a duality between the Lifebringer and the Anti-All. The void associated with the Anti-All is largely symbolic, reflecting contrast rather than true nothingness and does not extend beyond the limits of the White Hot Room. In this way, figures such as the Griever, Knull, the Chaos King, Nyx and the Anti-All can be seen as facets of smaller voids, perhaps collectively tied to the concept of the One Below All, whereas the Far Shore remains the stable, foundational void from which creation itself is ignited referenced by the demiurgic fires of the One Above All.

The cosmological significance of the Tree of Life known variously as Yggdrasil, the Worldash or the Great Tree cannot be overstated. It contains the Crown of Creation, serving as a bridge between mortal and divine realities. Al Ewing has clarified the deliberate parallels between the Tree of Life in Norse mythology and Kabbalah, where the ten realms correspond to the ten sefirot, channels through which divine energy emanates. The Tree also encompasses the realms of the Elder Gods, including the outlands of the Utgard-Gods, who predate the main Asgardian race and has existed since primal times and at every beginning, preserving the knowledge of earlier Norse gods, exemplified by the tradition of sacrificing one’s eyes in the Well of Mimir to gain ultimate wisdom. Its roots and branches connect all universes, preserving knowledge from past cycles and nurturing the growth and evolution of the Cosmos. When cosmic cycles are broken, the Tree ensures that all worlds return to themselves to begin anew, touching all parts of Creation and infinite planes of existence each with its own independent sense of space and time. Each plane represents an ascending level within the cosmic axis, reflecting a hierarchy that stretches beyond conventional understanding.

At the center of this structure is Eternity, the sum total of all existence, the Universe, the Multiverse and the World of Action. Eternity can exist in his own void, a space so potent it is lethal even to beings as powerful as Lifebringer Galactus. His multiversal form is all-encompassing, incorporating every level of existence, infinity and reality itself. The manifestations we observe, his m-bodies in the physical dimension are merely partial emanations, functioning as the universal cells of his greater multiversal body. Despite this, Eternity transcends all creation, existing beyond even the totality of the Multiverse. From this perspective, it is entirely plausible for him to possess a form that emanates all multiverses, as the Far Shore represents the origin point from which all things begin anew.

In his ultimate conception, Eternity is Adam Quadmon, the primordial archetype through which the Creator fashions all of existence. In this role, he is beyond life and death, beyond distinction itself, and his thoughts are indistinguishable from reality and dream. Through Eternity, the structure and cycles of all creation, the Four Worlds and the multiversal hierarchy are articulated, with the Far Shore serving as the foundational source from which the totality of existence is perpetually renewed.

Result: Eternity’s true extent encompasses the Far Shore within himself, placing him above the House of Ideas yet still beneath the House of Mystery. His Multiversal avatar operates on a lower tier, existing at roughly the level of the House of Ideas and alongside the other primary Abstracts, especially the Never Queen, the Griever at the End of All Things, Infinity and Death.

Dream Hierarchy (& Worlds within Worlds)

Within the overall structure of Marvel cosmology, existence is presented as an infinite plane of being and consciousness that maps out the Multiverse itself. This structure encompasses not only physical reality, but also the dreamscape of the universe and layers of imagination beyond any single observer. Realms such as Asgard are depicted as existing beyond time and space, standing immeasurably higher than Midgard and entirely outside the reach of mortal dreams or comprehension. Reality is framed as a holistic system in which each part contains the whole, reflecting the principle often summarized as “as above, so below.” The universe mirrors its own consciousness, and higher metaphysical realms do not merely sit above lower ones but actively transcend and contain them, giving form and substance to what exists beneath. Each successive layer represents an expansion of awareness rather than a simple spatial hierarchy.

The interconnected nature of the cosmos is further reinforced through structures like the Crossroads of Infinity, which link all universes and demonstrate that reality is composed of innumerable layers. These layers are not only infinite in number but also exist across ascending degrees of infinity, extending beyond baseline infinite structures into progressively higher orders of existence. Within this framework, both reality and the gods are portrayed as reflections or projections originating from higher realms and greater cosmic principles much like shadows cast upon a wall. They derive their meaning and form from transcendent sources above them, emphasizing that the true foundations of existence lie beyond what is directly perceived or understood.

Result: The Plane of Existence functions as a composite realm, a unified recollection that gives form to subspace, the Negative Zone, the Multiverse, the Microverse and the Macroverse (Infinite Layers into Outerversal). All of these domains exist beneath Asgard, which itself transcends them as a realm beyond mere thought and consciousness rather than simply existing within physical or metaphysical space (Baseline High-Outerversal).

Final Tally

Low-End: House of Mystery / World of Creation (+8) > True Extent Eternity / Far Shore (+7) > TOAA / House of Ideas / True Extent Yggdrasil / The Below Place (+6) > Body of Yggdrasil (+5) > Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be (+4) > White Hot Room / Nexus of All Realities (+3) > Beyond!! (+2) > Omniverse (+1) > Superflow (Baseline High-Outer)

High-End: House of Mystery / World of Creation (+9) > True Extent Eternity / Far Shore (+8) > TOAA / House of Ideas / True Extent Yggdrasil / The Below Place (+7) > Body of Yggdrasil (+6) > Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be (+5) > White Hot Room / Nexus of All Realities (+4) > Beyond!! (+3) > Omniverse (+2) > Superflow (+1) > Asgard (Baseline High-Outer)