WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Eternals #4 by Kieron Gillen, Esad Ribic, Matthew Wilson, and VC’s Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
The Eternals are Earth’s oldest defenders, having been created by the Celestials to oversee humanity through the ages. But in recent years, humanity has developed its own groups of protectors in the form of various superhero teams like the Avengers and Fantastic Four. The most secretive organization protecting humanity is known as the Illuminati, comprised of some of the most powerful and intelligent men in the world.
In Eternals #4, Sersi reveals she was a member of the original Illuminati–a group that influenced the events of Europe centuries earlier. Based on her experiences with both groups, she has a very low opinion of the upstart mortals claiming to be Illuminati.
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Sersi is one of the more cynical members of the Eternals, which is saying quite a lot considering that these long-lived immortals have seen all the ways that humanity has repeated the same mistakes over and over again for eons. Her cynicism can be seen in the conversation she has with Phastos as she explains she has a dinner scheduled with Tony Stark. This leads to some rather dismissive comments about both Stark and his fellow Illuminati members.
She plans to play on Stark’s emotions by making him feel important–something achieved by revealing a few tidbits of information to him. As she says this, Sersi begins to complain at length about the new group of “Illuminati,” noting that the group is not even Bavarian, and saying that the only true Illuminati are from Bavaria, just as the only true Champagne is from the Champagne region of France.
Historically, the original Illuminati were a secret society formed in 1776 that was interested in both occult knowledge and promoting Enlightenment values that would hold nation-states to a higher standard. The word “Illuminati” literally means “the Enlightened Ones,” referencing both their mystical pursuits and the Enlightenment values of rational thought and human compassion that they promoted. Numerous conspiracy theories have revolved around the group, who were accused of (among other things) fomenting the French Revolution. However, the truth of such matters is far more mundane, as the group–for all their interests and secrecy–was a social club.
Sersi was apparently a founding member of this original group, and is disdainful of other groups appropriating the name. However, she also seems to have been dismissive of the original group, as she left them over the unsatisfactory quality of the meals they served.
Sersi believes that she can easily control Tony Stark and his modern-day cabal by stroking his ego, since she knows mortals are flattered whenever Eternals ask them for help. She even has prepared lines of dialogue, telling him who he can and cannot disclose information to, thereby making him feel all the more important for being trusted with such secret intel. Expecting that he will ask what she is hiding, Sersi has prepared coy and flirtatious lines to lead him on as she seduces him, thereby distracting his inquiry. She expects he will cheat on his girlfriend, remarking that humans always give into their vices with time. But the fact that she even knows to expect specific emotional responses from him is also very telling.
Tony Stark is one of the smartest people on the planet. The modern-day Illuminati is comprised almost entirely of geniuses who wield incredible influence. They have the arrogance as well as the intellect to reasonably believe that they can shape the fate of the world. But Sersi has witnessed a lot more history than they have, and has gained substantial insight on human behavior and the art of manipulation. Her cunning and experience grant her insights that the combined intellects of the world’s smartest men could never hope to grasp.
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