Overview

The station of Protector of the Universe was created shortly after the first sentient races appeared in the universe. Eon, the offspring of Eternity was charged with protecting the Celestial Axis, Time; nurturing the evolution of sentient life of the universe. To this end Eon saw the need for life within the universe to have a protector. He created the Quantum Bands, devices of nearly unmatched in power to act not only as tools for his protector but as symbols of the station.

A Protector required the necessary attributes of Intelligence, Courage, and Resourcefulness to be a worthy of the Quantum Bands and Eon’s universal protector. As the position requires a healthy respect for life in most forms, a certain level of pacifism is implied as well. In many cases it is believed that Eon will appoint a Protector for a particular mission, not only to protect the universe, but to protect it (or a part of it) from a particular threat such as, Thanos or Maelstrom. Only one appointed protector should be operating at a time as appointed by Eon or her child, Epoch. For nearly as long as the universe has been in existence there has been a Protector.

It's worth noting that there is a vague connection between the Protectors of the Universe and Cosmic Awareness. Eon, being a time being and an abstract entity is sometimes known as the Keeper of Cosmic Awareness; as such Eon has been known to bestow Cosmic Awareness upon his Protectors, namely Mar-Vell and Wendell Vaughn. In the case of Mar-Vell the Awareness was even passed down to two of his children Genis-Vell and Phyla-Vell to some degree. It is notable however that despite that Phyla-Vell never exhibited cosmic awareness- recently with Avril Kincaid, the ability of Cosmic Awareness has been described as a power bestowed by the Quantum-Bands themselves.

Known Protectors

Over the course of millenia, there have been presumably countless beings appointed by Eon to protect the universe, but only a few are known to us.

• a Stygian (Glakandar the Stygian Starbender)
• a Archeopian (Ree)
• a Trill (Trantra)
• a Kree (Mar-Vell)
• two Humans (Wendell Vaughn and Greg Willis)
• a Shi'ar (Identity unknown)
• a Space Phantom
• an Elan (Identity unknown)
• a Zen Whoberi (Andwella, species in question)
• a cosmically enchanced Xandarian (Firelord in an alternate future)
• a cosmically enchanced Zenn Lavian (The Keeper)

The first Protector was known to be Glakandar the Stygian Starbender who operated early in the universe’s history most of his history and the story of his life has not be revealed.

Another early Protector was Ree of the Archeopians, a bird-like species that was among the first to have their homeworld consumed by Galactus. As such it is assumed that Ree was an early Protector, it is unknown if he died in defense of his homeworld or not as much of his life is unrevealed.

A later Protector was Trantra of the Trill, who was the first non-humanoid Protector of the Universe. Much like the others, most of it's life has been unrevealed.

In recent times Eon appointed the Kree soldier Mar-Vell to defeat the star-killer Thanos. Though he never wore the Quantum Bands, he did succeed in defeating Thanos. He later died due to the ravages of diesease. Mar-Vell is perhaps the best known Protector until recent times.

Mar-Vell was succeeded by Wendell Vaughn, an earth man who had donned the Quantum Bands years before. He was charged with protecting Eon himself from the Cosmic Assassin, Quasar failed in this; being forced to kill Eon himself in order to protect the secret of Cosmic Awareness, but he did plunge the Assassin in to a black hole destroying him and literally saving the universe in the process. Quasar was later slain by Annihilus.

The Quantum Bands were later taken from Annihilus by Phyla-Vell (daughter of Mar-Vell) though she had never been an appointed Protector.

After Eon’s death his station was taken up by its offspring Epoch and appointed Greg Willis and augmented his power to protect her from Galactus. After successfully defending Epoch against Galactus, Willis declined to formally take the station of Protector of the Universe.

Since his resurrection, Wendell Vaughn has been until recently considered the Protector of the Universe according to Phyla-Vell and Richard Rider, among others.

The following beings have for one reason or another considered themselves the "Protector of the Universe" but were never properly appointed by Eon or Epoch.

• Kree soldier Noh-Varr was appointed "Protector of the Universe" by the Kree Supreme Intelligence, obviously a case of confused continuity.
• Kree/Inhuman hybrid Phyla-Vell was a bearer of the Quantum-Bands and took the mantle of Quasar. She mistakenly thought the mantle included the title of "Protector of the Universe".
• Human SHIELD agent Avril Kincaid upon also becoming a bearer of the Quantum-Bands and taking on the mantle of Quasar from Wendell Vaughn came under the mistaken impression that it also made her the Protector of the Universe.