Gilad Anni-Padda, also known as the Eternal Warrior, is a character/Superhero published by Valiant Comics and originally created by Jim Shooter and Don Perlin.
An ageless master fighter with enhanced abilities, Gilad helps protect Earth and humanity from various threats over his long life, often using methods considered ruthless by others.
He and his two brothers, the sons of Vikings named Mog and Nin, are collectively called the "Eternal Warriors" and share immortality with others over the centuries, creating the "Forever Family."
The series started with the 1997 graphic novel Eternal Warriors: Time and Treachery by writer Art Holcomb and artists Doug Wheatley and John Floyd.
[3] Eternal Warrior (Volume 2) by writer Greg Pak and artist Trevor Hairsine debuted in September 2013, running for 8 issues.
[4] Afterward, the 2014 mini-series Eternal Warrior: Days of Steel ran for 3 issues, written by Peter Milligan with art by Cary Nord and Brian Reber.
In 2017, Gilad appeared in the 25th anniversary one-shot comic Eternal Warrior: Awakening by Robert Venditti, Renato Guedes, and Ulisses Arreola.
He travels along a Geomancer sorcerer for a time, fighting threats when he must, while Aram spends his immortal life preferring to seek pleasure, adventure and drink.
Occasionally he fathers children, each of whom possesses great strength and better than average resiliency to injury, but each of whom is also said to eventually be "black of heart" or "psychopathic," often leading Gilad to later kill them.
This, combined with his enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, resiliency, and healing, all make him a formidable opponent against those he considers evil or too corrupt to live.
During the Unity crisis, Gilad meets a version of himself who lives in the 41st century and battles evil alongside the last Rai warrior and Magnus, Robot Fighter.
Calling it the Bloom, Mog shares it with their young sons, who begin growing rapidly and show increased physical abilities.
Consuming the plant regularly, Mog gains a form of immortality and begins to hear voices he thinks are gods telling him it is his destiny to dominate Earth.
[9] In the modern-day, the Eternal Warriors have a hidden community in the Palazzo base in Rome that includes the Forever Family, several human allies, and the Neo-Vals, the last surviving descendants of the original Vikings.
[10] This betrayal and the recent rise of superhumans and alien invaders lead Gilad to consider taking drastic action to protect humanity.
He considers using a powerful "Harvest Device" to wipe out all life on the planet while he, the Forever Family, and their allies remain hidden and safe.
The father of the Eternal Warriors uses Blackworks resources to wage war, demanding leadership of the Forever Family and domination of Earth.
[12] Six thousand years ago in the ancient Mesopotamian city-state of Ur, Gilad Anni-Prada is a normal man with two older brothers, Ivar the engineer and Aram "the strong," and a younger sister Vexana.
[4] At times, Gilad seemingly dies and has visions of the Earth speaking to him through avatars, telling him he cannot rest yet even if he wishes and must return to life.
Against her father's wishes, and arguing that it is a weakness to not use the methods of their enemies, Xaran not only kills soldiers but also targets the cult's women and children as well.
When his brother Armstrong and the young warrior Obadiah Archer stop an evil cult called the Sect from reactivating the Boon, a Geomancer is killed in the process.
[21] After helping thwart the Null's plans, Gilad is visited by Xaran, still alive due to inheriting his immortality, and learns she serves the Earth in her own way.
As a consequence of his abandoning the fight against evil, Gilad learns he will be forced to serve the Earth again in two thousand years to stop the final followers of Nergal.
Later on, Gilad reluctantly joins forces with Toyo Harada to stop Aric of Dacia, now known as the armored warrior X-O Manowar, who has returned to Earth after being abducted and enslaved by aliens centuries ago.
But after deciding that he cannot rest when he knows there are heroes still fighting to protect Earth, and once again believing his actions do make a difference, he leaves behind his loved ones and battles his way back to the land of the living.
In the post-apocalyptic 41st century, Gilad (now known to some as the Eternal Emperor) stands guard over an agricultural village atop the ruins of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Later leading people into battle against the new incarnation of the death cult of Nergal, he hopes their threat is finally ended and wants to live in peace with his community and granddaughter Caroline.
The Boon also equips the mind with a unique form of apathy, so that emotions do not play a prominent role in their thought processes (although they do still feel them).
[29] The 2020 Bloodshot movie was meant to be the first of several films taking place in a shared Valiant Comics Cinematic Universe that would include characters such as Gilad.
After largely poor reception to the film, and with many studio projects on hold or rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the status of an Eternal Warrior movie is unclear.