as zed divines the nature of the vortex and its problems, the eternals use him to fight their internecine quarrels. led by consuella, the eternals decide to kill zed and to age friend. zed escapes and, aided by may and friend, absorbs all the eternals' knowledge, including that of the vortex's origin, to destroy the tabernacle. while absorbing their knowledge zed impregnates may and a few of her followers as he is transformed from a revenge seeking exterminator, his subsequent efforts to give the eternals salvation by bringing them death are in essence acts of mercy. zed helps the exterminators invade the vortex and kill most of the eternals—who welcome death as a release from their eternal but boring existence. may and several of her followers do escape the vortex's destruction, heading out to bear their offspring as enlightened but merely mortal beings among the brutals.