The following contains major spoilers for A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1, available now from Marvel Comics.
The long anticipated war between the Eternals and mutants has finally begun, and already the repercussions are being felt throughout the cosmos. Not only has Uranos’ assault on the planet Arakko (formerly Mars) left it nearly devoid of all life, but the Uni-Mind’s attack on the mutant nation of Krakoa have come with some even more disturbing developments of their own. Druig’s plot may not have ushered in the end of mutantkind in one fell swoop, but the recent emergence of the Hex makes it clear that the next generation of Eternals is prepared to finish what he started.
Ever since the truth of mutant resurrection on Krakoa became public knowledge, the rest of the world has been on edge. As seen in A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1 (by Kieron Gillen, Velerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, and VC’s Clayton Cowles), that includes Druig and his like-minded Eternals, who have made it their mission to “correct excess deviation” by way of mutant genocide. While their initial round of assaults didn’t eradicate mutants in their entirety, they were of course just the first part of his plan. The second, it turns out, is to finally reveal the Hex to the world, and they are every bit the “towering death machines” that Druig described them as.
First mentioned in 2021’s Eternals #1 by Kieron Gillen and Esad Ribic, the Hex are only now being seen by the world at large. Unfortunately, details regarding exactly what the Hex are happen to be scarce, yet that doesn’t mean there is no information to glean. Of the 100 Eternals created by the Celestials, the Hex account for six, forming their own unique group much like the Eternals of Olympia or those of the Lemurian Mission. Unlike their brethren, however, the Hex seem to operate under an entirely different set of rules.
Although the names of the individual members of the Hex classified, their purpose is perfectly evident. When Jack of Knives initially explained to Druig that the X-Men had achieved immortality, the latter could be seen working away at a console which displayed “The Hex” above some sort of mechanical diagrams. This coupled with the first of them appearing as a massive robot from the depths of the ocean, not to mention Druig’s earlier description of them, it looks like the Hex are less of their own independent beings and more of a form of living weapon to be wielded by the Prime Eternal.
The idea that the Eternals could have their own mechanized horrors to command is already a frightening one, and the nuances of the Hex’s origins only make things worse. If they are indeed products of the Celestials, as all other Eternals are, then they would be privy to the exact same advantages. This goes much farther than the impossible powers their kind command on their own and all the way to what these cosmic entities are at their very core: Eternal.
The fact that their resurrections have been fueled by mortal sacrifices all along was a revelation which drove more overtly heroic Eternals such as Ikaris from their own society. It is also the most remarkable aspect of all Eternals’ existence. The Machine which is the world ensures their continued survival as a rule, with only rare exceptions having their resurrections interrupted for the least likely of reasons. This all points towards The Hex being just as undying as any of their fellow Eternals, which would make them a literally unstoppable force for destruction no matter what the X-Men or anyone else does about them.