In this paper I examine H.G. Oesterheld's comic The Eternaut over a period of three decades (1950s, 1960s, and 1970s). I am interested in the iconic status of the character and the story of the Eternauta himself, in why this figure constitutes such a powerful symbol that resonates in mainstream Argentine culture well beyond the confines of the overlapping communities of sf and the adventure comic where it originated. I will consider both the science-fiction icons within the Eternautas and the icon of the Eternauta in light of what can be described as the posthumous iconization of Oesterheld himself.