The Collector explains that the Brethren are mere pawns in his quest to destroy most of humanity and save the few survivors as specimens. He tells the Brethren their secret origin as bacterial offshoots, reduces all of them except Thane Ector and Fool to their genetic components, and sets the germ-like creatures loose to slay the human race. The Watcher passively watches as the Avengers battle the devolved Brethren and the freed Sersi goes to the shamed and distraught Ector. Ascertaining that Ector and Fool have a telepathic rapport with their race, the Avengers convince the two to prove the Brethren’s true worth by stopping their assault on Manhattan. With Sersi’s help, Ector and Fool unite the Brethren into a Uni-Mind that attacks the Collector and seemingly destroys the Elder and itself as well. Ector and Fool die, and Sersi mourns the loss of a deadly race that nobly sacrificed itself to save Earth.
After creating the Eternals from Earth primates, the Celestials create the Brethren from bacteria and use the race to decimate unworthy worlds (1). Viewing his vivarium, the Collector hatches his plan for Earth’s decimation (2).
The Uni-Mind created by the Brethren is a mental gestalt being similar, but not identical, to the one created by the Eternals.
