Each Elder is the last survivor of one of the first sentient races from the beginnings of the universe. They are obsessed with a singular pursuit or passion, and this has somehow allowed them to extend their lifespans indefinitely. Each wields the power primordial (the energy derived from the Big Bang itself) in various ways - for example, the Runner's great speed, Champion's physical prowess and energy blasts for some of the others. Their most daring act was an attempt to kill mighty Galactus in a bid to restart the universe with themselves as the supreme powers. Five of their number came into possession of the Soul Gems (later called the Infinity Gems), which enhanced their already formidable abilities.

Collector (Taneleer Tivan) - Initially this Elder sought to preserve unusual life and exceptional items in a noble effort of preservation against extinction or destruction. Eventually this goal developed into a mania for gathering anything rare or powerful. He has filled worlds with museums stocked from all over the universe. He has attempted on numerous occasions to add the Avengers, as representatives of Earth's finest heroes to his stock. He'd even add a fellow Elder to his menagerie of rare and unusual species - if he thought he could get away with it! Though he acquired the potent Reality Gem, he could not unlock the secrets of the gem through scientific methods, metaphysics not being his strongest suit.

Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast) - He lives for games of skill and chance. He has challenged Kang the Conqueror, Thanos, Krona (from the DC Universe) and even Death in various contests, sometimes using unwilling superheroes and villains as pawns. A successful gamble against Death has resulted in a pact whereby none of the Elders will ever age, sicken or die. A gambler to the end, he plays for the highest stakes, wagering his own life or even the universe itself. He is not above cheating an opponent to get what he wants, as demonstrated when he matched wits with Thanos in a deadly virtual reality military simulation for possession of the Mind Gem.

Champion (Tryco Slatterus) - The ultimate fighting machine, he has visited countless worlds in order to learn and master their most effective hand to hand combat techniques as well as to challenge their greatest warriors in championship bouts. Backed by the Power Gem, he is unstoppable. He had never known defeat inside an arena, defeating such well renowned opponents as Sasquash of Alpha Flight, Colossus of the X-Men, Gladiator of the Shi'ar Empire, Beta Ray Bill, Adam Warlock and the Silver Surfer before he met his match in the She-Hulk!

Gardener (Ord Zyonyz) - His expertise in botany is second to none. He has seeded countless barren worlds with revitalizing vegetation. His only desire is to preserve the beauty and tranquility of his gardens. To this end he joined the Elders in their pursuit of power in order to acquire one of the Infinity Gems. When he attained this goal and secured the Time Gem, he retired to a peaceful life of tending to his plants, until the day the mad Titan Thanos came to strip him of the jewel and his life during the Infinity Gauntlet saga.

Runner - his only devotion is to speed and exploration. A free spirit, though he appears to be the youngest of the elders, he is still billions of years old. Sets up and participates in inter-galactic marathons. He joined the other elders in their plot to destroy Galactus, but true to his fickle and mercurial nature, almost immediately regretted taking part in the plan. Later, in a battle against Thanos, he was able to use his super speed and his Space Gem to destroy Thanos' hover chair but was outwitted by the Titan, who used the Time Gem to age the Runner, first to senility then to an infant as a helpless trade offering to the Collector (in exchange for that Elder's Reality Gem). Though the Collector made the deal, the spell of infancy quickly wore off, and a restored and enraged Runner pummeled the Collector.