Skrulls

Millions of years ago, the Celestials performed genetic experiments on the reptilian ancestors of the Skrulls, resulting in three branches of Skrulls that eventually warred with one another. The Deviant branch - possessing the innate ability to shapeshift - were triumphant, and afterward wiped out all members of the other two races until only two were left: the Skrull Eternal, Kly'bn and Prime Skrull of the original Skrull race. Kly'bn implored them to spare his life, as killing him would kill part of their heritage. The Deviants' leader, Sl'gur't, fell in love with him, with the two eventually becoming the gods of the Skrull pantheon. ¹ Prime Skrull escaped to Earth in the 20th Century and later became a member of the Underground Legion.² From that point, the Skrulls began to expand their territory. The Deviant branch later split into two more groups, the modern Skrulls and an anomaly called the Dire Wraiths, a parasitic race that could still shapeshift and had use of magic, but were not as technologically advanced as the Skrulls.

The modern Skrulls originate from the planet of Skrullos, and were originally a mercantile civilization, primarily interested in free trade and willing to share their technology with all races they deemed worthy. A Skrull delegation to the planet Hala, home to the then-barbaric Kree and the peaceful Cotati, held a contest between the two races to determine with whom the Skrulls would trade. The Cotati won, but the vengeful Kree massacred the Skrull delegation, took over the Skrull landing spaceship by force, and developed their own technology from it with which they began waging war against the Skrulls. Kree aggression forced the Skrulls to become a militaristic civilization, and the Kree-Skrull War continued for thousands of years with only brief interruptions. ³ The Skrull Throneworld is later moved from Skrullos to the more central Tarnax IV, with their empire encompassing over fifty worlds. ⁴

The Skrull Empire eventually decides to conquer Earth, but fails to take into account the presence of the modern superhero. An initial scouting party impersonates the Fantastic Four and attempts to have them incarcerated, but is beaten through trickery. ⁵ In retaliation the Skrull Emperor Dorrek VII dispatches Kl'rt, a Skrull known as the Super-Skrull, to Earth to defeat the Fantastic Four. Kl'rt possesses the powers of the entire Fantastic Four (in addition to shapeshifting and hypnotism), and he holds the team at bay until Mr. Fantastic discovers the source of his power. ⁶ The Fantastic Four later travel to Tarnax IV and find the Skrull responsible for the murder of Susan and Johnny Storm's father. ⁷

The largest Skrull-related conflict involving Earth has been the Kree-Skrull War. The Kree Accuser Ronan had wrested control of the Kree Empire from the Supreme Intelligence and attacked the Skrulls, reigniting hostilities. The Avengers become involved once the Super Skrull kidnaps Captain Marvel, and in turn they battle a Kree Sentry robot, three of the original Skrulls that had fought the Fantastic Four, SHIELD agents, rogue Inhumans and legions of Skrulls. The Supreme Intelligence ends the immediate conflict by revealing to Avengers' ally Rick Jones that he has vast mental potential, which is then used to freeze all combatants in place. The Supreme Intelligence announces that, while the Kree and Skrulls have reached genetic dead ends, the human race displays incredible untapped potential. ⁸ It was revealed years later that the conflict produced a Kree-Skrull hybrid, Hulkling, who is the child of one-time lovers Captain Marvel and the Skrull Princess Anelle. ⁹

Despite this development there is still bad blood between the Kree and the Skrulls, and years later the cosmic being the Watcher adjudicates a duel between champions from both races: Colonel Bel-Dann of the Kree and Warlord Raksor of the Skrulls. Unfortunately, after one year of conflict the duel remains deadlocked and is ultimately abandoned with no resolution. ¹⁰ Years later during a conflict with Xandar, Emperor Dorrek VII's wife, Empress R'klll, stages a coup and kills him to become ruling Empress. ¹¹ Empress R'klll's reign is short-lived, however, due to the arrival of the World Devourer Galactus. After his Herald Nova annihilates the Skrull fleet, Galactus devours Tarnax IV, killing billions of Skrulls, including R'klll and the Princess Anelle. ¹²

Galactus's consumption of Tarnax IV throws the entire Skrull Empire into disarray and civil war. Five warlords vie for leadership of the Empire, and the ensuing conflict sparks the second Kree-Skrull War. ¹³

Fall of the Skrull Empire

It is during this time of civil war that the Skrulls Zabyk and Myrn detonate a genetic "hyperwave bomb" which prevents all Skrulls, everywhere in the universe, from shapeshifting, trapping them in whatever form they occupy at the time. ¹⁴ The Skrull Empire is on the verge of collapse until Kl'rt the Super-Skrull is rescued from the Van Allen radiation belt, where he had been trapped as a stream of dissociated particles. The Super Skrull is not affected by the hyperwave bomb as he is not in physical form at the time of detonation.

After reintegration, the Super Skrull joins forces with the Silver Surfer who introduces him to S'byll, one of the five claimants to the Skrull Throne. Using Kl'rt as a template, S'byll is able to regain her shapeshifting abilities and then to restore them to all Skrulls. ¹⁵ S'byll is then acclaimed as the new Empress by the Skrull race, and negotiates a truce with the Kree after defeating them in a decisive battle.¹⁶

Some time later a Skrull called Paibok mounts a campaign to invade Earth, using another Skrull called Lyja as an infiltrator. The plan, however, fails when Lyja defects, having fallen in love with the Human Torch, and it ends with the Fantastic Four destroying the "Skrull War World", the Skrulls' largest attack ship. ¹⁷

Annihilation

The Skrull Empire is the first of the major interstellar empires to be invaded by the forces of Annihilus. The Annihilation Wave's superweapon, the Harvester of Sorrow, destroys dozens of Skrull planets. ¹⁸ In the aftermath the Skrulls unsuccessfully attempt to convince Hulkling to become their new Emperor. ¹⁹

Secret Invasion

Under the leadership of newcomer Queen Veranke, the Skrulls infiltrate Earth for a major assault. Several heroes have been revealed to be Skrulls, with the whereabouts of the real heroes being as yet unknown. ²⁰

Appearance and abilities

Skrulls are green-skinned reptilian humanoids with large pointed ears and corrugated chins. The Skrulls are known for their ability to shapeshift, and are able to assume virtually any form, be it organic (e.g. cows ²¹) or inorganic (e.g. lamp ²²). As a result, the Skrulls excel at spying and infiltration. Skrulls are also able to use their shapeshifting abilities to form weapons (eg. blades and clubs) with parts of their bodies, making them dangerous hand-to-hand combatants.

The Skrull have also recently gained the ability to render themselves undetectable when using their shapeshifting abilities, even from telepaths and those with superior senses. ²³ ²⁴

Courtesy of their advanced technology, the Skrulls have also been able to augment their abilities in certain warriors, such as the Super Skrull and War Skrulls - an elite group who with special encoding are able to emulate the powers as well as appearance of their templates. ²⁵

Prominent Skrulls

Other versions

Squadron Supreme

The Skrullian Skymaster (real name Skymax) is a member of the Squadron Supreme and possesses abilities matching the Super Skrull from Earth-616. ²⁷

Ultimate Skrulls

The Skrulls are first introduced as the Chitauri, who finance the Nazi regime in an attempt to conquer the Earth. ²⁸ The more traditional Skrulls appear later (led by the billion year old Skrull Emperor), and the Chitauri are identified as a subversive group of Skrull terrorists. ²⁹

Other media

Television

Film

Video games

Footnotes

^ Incredible Hercules #120 (Aug. 2008)
^ Blackwulf #2 (July 1994)
^ Avengers #133 - 134 (Mar. - Apr. 1975)
^ Captain Marvel #51 (Jul. 1977)
^ Fantastic Four #2 (Jan. 1962)
^ Fantastic Four #18 (Sep. 1963)
^ Fantastic Four #37 (Apr. 1965)
^ Avengers #89 - 97 (Jun. 1971 - Mar. 1972)
^ Young Avengers #9 - 12 (2005)
^ Fantastic Four Annual #18 (1984)
^ Fantastic Four #204 - 209 (Mar. - Aug. 1979)
^ Fantastic Four #257 (Aug. 1983)
^ Silver Surfer vol. 3, #1 - 31 (Jul. 1987 - Dec. 1989
^ Avengers Annual #14 (1985) & Fantastic Four Annual #19 (1985)
^ Silver Surfer vol. 3, #25 (Jul. 1989)
^ Silver Surfer vol. 3, #31 (Dec. 1989)
^ Fantastic Four #358 (Nov. 1991)
^ Annihilation: Prologue (May 2006) and Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1 - 4 (Jun. - Sep. 2006)
^ Young Avengers #9 - 12 (2005)
^ New Avengers #31 - #32 (May - June 2007)
^ Fantastic Four #2 (Jan. 1962)
^ Avengers Annual #14 (1985)
^ New Avengers #31 - #32 (2007)
^ New Avengers: The Illuminati #5 (2007)
^ Uncanny X-Men #274 - 277 (Mar. - Jun. 1991)
^ Super Spy Weekend: John the Skrull, Comic Book Resources, March 8, 2008
^ Squadron Supreme: New World Order (1998)
^ Ultimates #8 - 13 (2005)
^ Ultimate Fantastic Four #27 - 29 (2004)

Contents

Fictional species biography