Originally posted by Galan007
The Beyonders are difficult to gauge with any sort of accuracy.
They have some really high-highs, and some really low-lows. No real grey area for them... No real 'average'. Certainly they housed a massive amount of energy(as evident by the feats Owen and God Doom preformed after killing the entire race and becoming receptacles for their cumulative power), but the Beyonders themselves ultimately left quite a bit to be desired, imo. They should have been able to end all of the Avengers with a finger flick, for example, but that's obviously not what happened for whatever reason...
That being said,
I agree that no real difference
between 'adult' Beyonders was defined in the source material,
1) therefore we really have no reason to assume the Beyonders in NA #32
were weaker than the Beyonders in NA #30.
2) Both depictions were stated to be the 'adult units',
both were stated to be vastly superior to the 'child units',
and until we have a legitimate reason to assume otherwise,
both should have about the same level of power.
Finally, an opposing opinion with sensible input.
I agree with all this Galan, save for one detail:
What's in bold (1) and what's underlined. (2)
1) Imo, the reason we can assume the Beyonders is NA#32 were weaker,
is because of the showings.
Forget about the Ex nihilii victim, that Beyonder literally did nothing,
and, since Beyonders are forced to manifest in vulnerable physical shells,
it's no surprise he got warped into a tree
if he's just gonna stand there and allow himself to get warped into a tree.
Which he literally did, lol.
Instead let's just look at the only depiction that could be senseless here, the Starbrand kill.
A weaker manifestation than the hierarchy killing manifestations? Holding back? A glass canon?
Glass canon is my choice. Thor's hammer smashed his face apart,
but he effortlessly reformed and nearly killed them both, easily as well.
This Beyonder said it can "destroy and/or create stars" ...
but then can't withstand the explosion of something at-least a million times+ smaller. (a planet)
You're right, and I agree, this Beyonder could've,
or rather should've been able to hand wave them out of existence,
but I think it was portrayed as enjoying the clinic it was putting on Thor/Hyperion.
Perhaps that's why it did not, it doesn't matter though,
cause it would've definitely kill both Thor/Hyperion if not for the Starbrand interruption
Anyway, the fact that Thor's hammer broke his face to pieces,
is a dead giveaway that at-least in THIS scene, they were housed in vulnerable shells,
and thus it's not astonishing that a planet scale boom could disperse the rest of its body.
BUT ... the fact that it wasn't able to reform like after the hammer face smash,
is the wtf. Perhaps if a sufficient area of their shells is destroyed,
they can't reincorporate into the physical m-body/manifestation while outside their realm.
Thus, they're "essence dies inside the multiverse outside of their shells.
Because they're not supposed to be able to exit their realm
as they really are inside the Beyond Realm. That's why they need m-bodies.
This understanding has been theirs since their inception,
and Hickman followed through via Ex nihilii who reminded us.
This is my theory brother G based on an educated extraction from the material.
You'll notice I'm not imposing my stance as the correct interpretation or notion,
but I think it gives some sense to the contradictions we had to deal with here.
Thoughts old friend?
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2) Imo, the legitimate reason to assume otherwise,
is the fact that the "child unit" made an entire universe his plaything, and killed Death,
and he himself embodied an entire separate universe.
And the heroes?
Well, specifically Thor. Child Unit with a thought increased Kurse's strength,
and Kurse nearly killed Thor.
The child unit tanked unbelievable attacks, wouldn't even had noticed Thor,
NA#32 Beyonder can't tank a planetary hit,
can't even tank Thor's hammer.
(it had to reform its broken face)
So there it is. This is the comparative difference that is quite clear. Imo.
Originally posted by Galan007
..
It certainly wouldn't be the first time that Hickman has inextricably gimped characters, after all.
After everything I posted, which was not without thought and logic,
this may be the ultimate truth in the end.
They were simply gimped.
