Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Black Adam.

The DC universe's latest film, Black Adam, revolving around the divisive anti-hero of the same name, has finally thundered into theaters, allowing fans to once more lose themselves in the sprawling, action-packed, and full-throttle world of self-important superheroes.

Prior to the release of Black Adam, it was generally believed that the Council of Wizards, the seven wizards who protected the earth from mystical threats for centuries, bestowed Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson), whose real name is Teth-Adam, with the almighty powers of the gods.The movie makes it clear that it was actually Hurut, Black Adam’s son who was granted the powers of the gods for his noble and courageous deeds.

So impressed was the Council of Wizards with Hurut that they blessed him with the stamina of Shu, the fleet of Horus, the strength of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the power of Aton, and the courage of Meheen. Hurut goes on to become the ruler Kahndaq. His deadliest enemy, the evil king Ahk-Ton, launches an attack on Hurut’s family, killing his mother on the spot and mortally wounding his father. In order to save his only living parent, Hurut submits the powers of the gods to Teth Adam, who recovers, only to discover that his son, upon the transference of power, has slipped from the realm of the living.

Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam in Black Adam
Image via Warner Bros.

In a fit of rage and vengeance, Teth-Adam unleashes the Seven Deadly Sins, destroying several civilizations and murdering a number of Kahndaqians. The Council of Wizards, then, set out to try and contain the unhinged wielder of the powers of the gods. All the siblings died trying to stop Teth-Adam, except Shazam, who cursed him with the name Black Adam, and buried him deep within the belly of the Earth. The wizard siblings, probably demigods of a sort, that died trying to stop the vengeful anti-hero, lived in the Rock of Eternity. This is where the mysterious mineral — known as Eternium — comes from.

RELATED: ‘Black Adam’ Review: Dwayne Johnson’s Murderous Antihero Is a Welcome Addition to the DCEU

What Is Eternium?

According to the comics, when Dr. Savant and his anti-magic cult destroyed the Rock of Eternity in an attempt to exterminate its hold over the universe, they scattered its pieces across the galaxy. This mysterious mineral is employed throughout Black Adam as a source of energy for weapons of Intergang, the multinational criminal corporation that loots nations for their natural resources. The mineral is evidently capable of harnessing magical energies and charging powerful machines and weapons, as seen throughout the movie.

dwayne johnson as teth-adam aka black adam in 2022's black adam

The mysterious mineral that’s caused so much fuss in the DC universe is relatively new to the fandom. It has, however, been mentioned on multiple occasions in the Shazam comic books. The Rock of Eternity accounts for the most well-known legend, in which Dr. Savant, a villain from Legion of Super-Heroes #110 (December 1998), and his anti-magic group of science fanatics, destroy the Rock of Eternity — in their minds saving the universe from its magic. After destroying the Rock of Eternity, Dr. Savant and his anti-magic cult scatter the pieces across the galaxy.

The film Black Adam reveals King Akh-Ton as the deadliest enemy of Hurut, the chosen one. It was because of Ahk-Ton that Hurut lost his family, and, in a bid to save his father, yielded his almighty powers to Teth-Adam, who goes on to destroy several civilizations in a fit of rage and fury. King Ahk-Ton ruled Kahndaq until he was slain by Teth-Adam. Before the arrival of King Ahk-Ton, the Kahndaqians were actually the first self-governing people on Earth and lived a tranquil and peaceful life. King Ahk-Ton, obsessed with dark magic, enslaved the people of Kahndaq and forced them to mine Eternium. Now Ahk-Ton’s real goal was to forge the crown of Sabbaq. The crown of Sabbaq was supposed to grant him the preternatural powers of six demons. The forging of the crown of Sabbaq required him to have Eternium, so he took over the land of Kahndaq and forced its people to mine for the mineral. After the crown of Sabbaq was successfully forged, the evil king waited in his palace to be crowned, and, in consequence, acquire the powers of the six demons. Thanks to the vindictive anti-hero, however, Ahk-Ton didn’t live to see the outcome of his tyranny as Teth Adam destroyed the palace from within.

Although Eternium hasn’t been brought up much before Black Adam, it isn’t exactly something that the DC Universe is only just building upon. We see a reference to the mineral in The Flash when Nash Wells is chasing the Monitor across the multiverse. He hunts for items that contain the mineral, in one way or another. So, it’s safe to say that while relatively new, the mysterious mineral is something the DC Universe always planned on fleshing out in more detail further down the line. Given that the mineral bears the same functionality for both Black Adam and the Wizard Shazam, it’s also safe to assume that there will be more references to Eternium in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Effects of the Mineral

black-adam-dwayne johnson-social featured
Image via Warner Bros.

Just like Kryptonite weakens Superman, Eternium brings the mighty wielder of the powers of the gods down by a hefty measure. The movie illustrates the effects of the mineral on Black Adam. When anything containing Eternium is in the vicinity of the anti-hero, he is either weakened to the point that he simply cannot summon his powers or ends up feeling a hollowness in place of the well of magic inside him. The mineral has the same effect on Shazam. Physical contact can also cause serious injuries to both Shazam and Black Adam, which makes the mineral incredibly significant to their storyline.

In the movie, Eternium is used in very interesting ways by Intergang. The corporation infuses their hoverbikes with the minerals, enabling them to dodge obstacles with maddening ease. The corporation also employs the mineral in their weapons and machines, and as Eternium is essentially capable of drawing on magical energies, this made their guns menacing in nature.