Skrulls

From Marvel Database

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Contents 1 History 1.1 Reproduction 1.2 Subspecies 2 Powers and Abilities 2.1 Powers 2.2 Abilities 3 Weapons 3.1 Average Strength level 3.2 Weaknesses 4 Habitat 5 Miscellaneous 5.1 Planets 6 Notes 7 Trivia 8 In other media 9 Footnotes 10 Recommended Readings 11 See Also 12 Links and References

History

The Skrulls were a breed of green-skinned humanoids from the Andromeda galaxy. They were a fierce warrior race who carved for themselves the oldest surviving interstellar empire in the Universe’s history. Skrull science was generally at a higher level than the science of human civilization. The Skrulls were ruled by an Emperor or Empress, who has absolute power.

In the beginning the Skrulls were a peaceful, scientifically inclined race on Skrullos, a planet in the Drax system. Almost a billion years ago the Celestials arrived and experimented on the Skrulls' reptillian ancestors. As the Celestials did with humans, they split the species into three branches: the "normal" branch who were capable of eventually rapidly evolving into Celestial-like beings, the shapeshifting Deviant branch, and the immortal Eternal branch. As in the case with humans, the Deviant and Eternal branches went to war. Unlike the case with humans, however, the Deviant branch wiped out all other Skrulls, thus all modern Skrulls are descendants of the Deviant branch. The Skrulls would later split into two more groups, being the modern Skrulls and the Dire Wraiths, a parasitic race that could still shapeshift and had use of magic, but were not as technologically advanced as the Skrulls. Dire Wraith's were analogous to the Skrulls as vampires were to humans.

Their shapeshifting powers aided the Skrulls’ departure into space. When they encountered a new race, they simply transformed themselves to resemble that race. The Skrull empire that resulted from these contacts was based on free trade and mutual cooperation.

Their scientists also formed the first Cosmic Cube that would become the Shaper of Worlds.

Then trouble struck. The Skrulls voyaged to the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. In the latter cluster they discovered the Kree homeworld of Hala. The Kree were in the dawn of their culture; at this point they shared Hala with the plant race, the Cotati. The Skrull decided to favor one of the races with their advanced technology and devised a test to determine which would be the favored race.

The Skrulls created the Blue Area of the Moon and transported bands of Kree and Cotati there. Both groups were left to accomplish what they could. The Skrulls judged the Cotati’s works to be superior. This angered the Kree and led to a vicious attack in which the Kree band slew the Skrull judges and the Cotati. The Kree stole the Skrull’s starship and technology. Because of the immense distances involved, decades passed before the Skrulls learned of the Kree’s activities. By this time it was too late. The Kree had become advanced and audacious enough to attack the Skrulls in their home galaxy. During the millennia that followed, the Skrulls developed the vicious streak needed to conduct intergalactic war. Their entire culture was remade in the warrior image.

100,000 years ago the Skrull capitol was relocated to Tarnax IV, now renamed Throneworld. The empire was controlled by an Emperor and each of the 978 worlds was controlled by a Governor.

Skrulls became aware of Earth when they discovered a space warp linking Earth and Throneworld. Later they discovered the Earth possessed an equidistant link to Hala. They saw Earth as a world to conquer but they were content to hold off a full invasion. (Perhaps they were afraid the Kree would learn of the plot.) Because of their caution, the Skrulls have sent only a handful of scoutwarriors to infiltrate Earth.

Fearing the Fantastic Four would stand in their way of an invasion of Earth, four Skrull agents came to Earth and posed as the team in order to ruin their reputation. The real Fantastic Four were able to expose the Skrull agents and clear their names. The Fantastic Four stole the Skrulls' rocket ship and found their mothership in Earth orbit. Posing as the Skrull agents, they tricked the captain into believing that Earth was too dangerous to invade. Reed volunteered to stay behind and remove any trace of the Skrulls' presence on Earth. Falling for Richard's deception, the captain called off the invasion. Once back on Earth the Fantastic Four hid the remaining Skrull agents by convincing them to transform into cows. Reed hypnotized them into believing they were real cows. They were left in a field to graze in for the rest of their lives.^[1]

Other Skull agents have included Super-Skrull, Paibok the Power Skrull, Effigy, Ethan Edwards, and Skrull-X.

Throneworld was devoured by Galactus and the Imperial starfleet destroyed by Galactus's herald, Nova (Frankie Raye). With the destruction of a central government, the Skrull Empire collapsed into hundreds of bickering factions. Their galaxy was now filled with Governors declaring themselves “Emperor". The Shi'ar maintained a heavy presence in the former empire as well, constantly dealing with packets of resistance.

The greatest blow to the Skrulls was the destruction of their shapeshifting powers. This was accomplished by Reed Richards and yet another Governor-turned-Emperor.^[2]

The Skrulls recently broke a peace treaty with the Kree. They maintained their military drive and prefered to fight rather than negotiate. Among the other races contained within the Skrull Empire were the Druff, Guna, Kallusina, Morani, Pheragot, Queega, Tekton, and Yirbek races. Other races remained independent, whether through treaties or open resistance. Such races include the Clegrimites, Gegku, Krylorians, Wilameanis, and Xandarians. The war with the Xandarians ended with the destruction of Xandar by the supervillainess Nebula.

There were a small number of Skrull who were the equivalent of mutants. They were outcasts and often shunned or hunted by other Skrulls. One group, Cadre K, was trained by Professor X.

Reproduction

Skrull females do not give live birth; instead, they lay eggs like their reptilian evolutionary ancestors. Skrull children are known as "hatchlings". Despite their reptilian evolutionary roots, however, Skrull females have mammary glands and nurse their young.

It is known that Skrulls are capable of producing hybrid offspring with humans and Kree: the Skrull Lyja was able to conceive with the Human Torch, and Hulkling is the son of the Kree military officer Mar-Vell and the Skrull princess Anelle.

The Skrull species, like the Kree, has been genetically frozen in place and is unable to evolve further due to a single member of the Skrull species abusing the power of the Crystal of Ultimate Vision; as punishment, the Crystal "genetically froze their evolution in place".^[3]

However, that Skrull evolution is frozen in place is contradicted by numerous other comics. Although Celestial genetic experimentation on the Skrulls may not have been as successful as Celestial experimentation on humans, the Celestial experiments were still not failures. The Kree were depicted in Operation: Galactic Storm as a species which could no longer evolve, in contrast to the humans, Shi'ar, and Skrulls. In Maximum Security, the Skrulls were shown to have a mutant gene. Indeed, the superhero group Cadre K consists entirely of mutant Skrulls.

Subspecies

A normal Skrull can only take on the appearance of their template, not the abilities of that person. Warskrulls, an elite group of Skrulls gifted with the ability to emulate the powers as well as the appearance of their templates.^[4] Warskrulls do not naturally have this ability; instead, special encoding technology is used to grant them their powers.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Shapeshifting: The Skrulls are able change their shapes to mimic any shape or being perceived.

Mimicry

Skrulls are cunning spies due to their ability to mimic sounds and voices. This is mainly used in conjunction with the shapes they shift into.

Abilities

Skrulls are able to use their shapeshifting abilities to form weapons with parts of their bodies. For instance, they can shape their arms into blades or clubs. This ability makes them dangerous hand-to-hand combatants.

Weapons

Photon Blaster

Standard issue military sidearm.

Average Strength level

Average strength level unknown

Weaknesses

None known.

Habitat

Habitat: Habitat of this race is unknown.
Gravity: Earth-like
Atmosphere: Earth-like
Population: Population of this race is unknown.

Miscellaneous

Type of Government: Totalitarian Monarchy
Level of Technology: Superior to Earth
Cultural Traits: Warriors
Representatives:

• Emperor Dorrek: - reigned during the first Skrull contact with the Kree, as told in Avengers #133-134 (March-April 1975)
• Emperor Dorrek VII referred to as "Emperor"^[5] - reigned during the Kree-Skrull War^[6]
• Prince Dezan - the younger brother of Dorrek VII^[7], he is a highly-unusual (for Skrulls) pacifist, and as such, was long imprisoned as a traitor to the Empire
• Super Skrull (K'lrt)
• Morrat
• Anelle: Princess and daughter of R'Kll and Dorrek. Super-Skrull wanted her for his mate. She died along with her mother and Throneworld.
• Drexxon: A “Scanman,?? a Skrull observer and sensor operator.
• Hagar: The High Judicator, the leader of the Skrull judiciary.
• Jaketch: An apprentice executioner who shot Reed, Sue, and the Thing with an accelerated-aging ray. He detests Hagar and yearns for the day he can execute him.
• Raksorr: This Skrull officer may be the most important Skrull in recent history. He was originally sent to observe the Shi’ar-ordered trial-by-combat of Jean Grey/ Phoenix and the X-Men. His interference with the trial lead to a fight with the Kree observer, Bel-Dann. That fight lasted for months, long after the Shi’ar had departed and Attilan arrived. The Watcher told Empress R’Klll and the Kree Supreme Intelligence of their long duel. This lead to the rulers signing an agreement whereby the the combatants were now representing their races. The winner would also determine the final victor in the Kree- Skrull War. The combat continued and eventually involved the Inhumans and the FF. Reed concocted a plan whereby Raksorr and Bel-Dann had to cooperate to defeat the FF and Inhumans. After their victory, the Watcher declared the contest a draw. The Kree and Skrull races were declared equals and the long war was finally over.
• R’Klll: Empress. She avenged her father by assassinating her husband, the Emperor Dorrek. Her reign following Dorrek’s death was marked by several attempts at peace-the end of the war against Xandar and the treaty ending the Kree war-and the destruction of Homeworld. She died along with several billion of her people.
• Skragg: A warrior who was turned to stone by Thanos.
• Skrull-X: A Skrull-shaped robot created to be the Super-Skrull’s superior and successor.
• Xalxor: Pilot of Dorrek’s flagship.
• Zendrao: After Galactus’ and Nova’s destruction of Throneworld, Zendrao found himself Commander of the largest remaining Skrull fleet. He is concerned with reforming the Skrull Empire. However, he does not want to be the titular head of it, but rather be the power behind the throne. He views the current Skrull civil war for supremacy as a useless waste of time; rather than join any side he uses his fleet to keep the combatants away from areas he is protecting.
• Empress S'byll: - acclaimed as Empress following successful restoration of shapeshifting abilities to Skrulls^[8]; killed in destruction of new Throneworld by Devos the Devastator^[9]

Ethan Edwards

• Flaw
• Lyja the Lazerfist
• Paibok the Power Skrull
• Replica
• Skrull Kill Krew (not actually Skrulls, these are humans who gained Skrull-like powers after consuming beef made from Skrulls in the shape of cows)
• Skymax of the Squadron Supreme
• Crusader (Earth-5012) (see Freedom Ring)
  • Titannus (Earth-5012)
• Skrullverine
• Xavin
• Z'Cann and other members of Cadre K

Planets

• Aks'lo - paradisaical vacation planet, destroyed by Annihilation Wave^[10]
• Kral - the highly-unusual Kral system is populated by Skrulls fascinated with the culture of 1930s Earth and who have attempted to duplicate that time period; Skrull inhabitants of Kral maintain human rather than Skrull form
• Skrullos - original Skrull homeworld
• Tarnax IV - former Skrull Throneworld, consumed by Galactus in Galactus^[11]
• Tarnax VII - home of Xavin; engaged in a war with the planet non-Skrull planet Majesdane
• Throneworld - can refer to either the former Throneworld, Tarnax IV, or the newer, unnamed Throneworld which was destroyed by Devos the Devastator^[12]
• Zaragz'na - home of the Super-Skrull's son, destroyed by Annihilation Wave^[13]
  

Notes

• While the average Skrull will fearlessly and loyally execute any duties, he will also try to find ways to better his own position. A Skrull will betray another Skrull if it is to his own advantage.
• A number of Skrulls have been augmented with superhuman powers. Mutant Skrulls such as the group of Cadre K have also been sighted.
• Two of the current contenders for the empty Skrull Throne are Baroness S'bak^[14] and Dorrek VIII/Hulkling^[15]
  

Trivia

• Dire Wraiths are believed to be an offshoot of the Skrulls. However, the races do not appear to be friendly with each other.

In other media

• The Skrulls appear in an episode of the Fantastic Four animated series.^[16]
• The Chitauri appear in the animated movie Ultimate Avengers and its sequel, Ultimate Avengers 2.

Footnotes

Recommended Readings

• Fantastic Four #2 - First Appearance
• Fantastic Four #18 - First Super-Skrull
• Fantastic Four #37 - First look at the Skrull homeworld.
• Avengers #89-97 First Kree-Skrull War
  
• Silver Surfer Volume 3 #1-31 Second Kree Skrull War

See Also

• Discuss Skrulls on the forums
• Appearances of Skrulls
• Race Gallery: Skrulls
• Fan-Art Gallery: Skrulls

Links and References

• Dire Wraiths
• Kree-Skrull War
• Skrull article on FFPlaza.com
• Skrull entry (currently almost no content) on Marvel.com, official Marvel website
• Skrull entry on MarvelDirectory.com
• List of less well-known Skrulls on MarvUnApp.com