Krona's journey to becoming a threat to the Marvel Universe began deep within the lore of its chief competitor, DC Comics. The character was created by the legendary writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, first appearing in Green Lantern vol. 2 #40 in October 1965. He was introduced as a figure of ancient myth among the Guardians of the Universe, a Maltusian whose hubris led to a catastrophe that would ripple throughout DC's cosmic history. His origin was foundational to the Green Lantern mythos, explaining the Guardians' deep-seated opposition to emotion and their rigid control over the universe. His transition into a Marvel-level threat was the result of one of the most anticipated and long-awaited projects in comic book history: the JLA/Avengers crossover. The idea for a full-scale crossover between the two flagship teams had been in development since the late 1970s. An initial attempt, slated to be written by Gerry Conway and drawn by George Pérez, was scheduled for 1983 but was famously scuttled due to editorial disagreements between Marvel and DC. For two decades, the project lay dormant, becoming a piece of comic book “what if” legend. Finally, in the early 2000s, a new deal was struck. Kurt Busiek, acclaimed for his work on Marvel's Avengers and the series Astro City, was chosen to write, while the legendary George Pérez, whose art defined epic events like Crisis on Infinite Earths and was the artist on the original aborted project, returned to draw. The result was a four-issue prestige format limited series, published between September 2003 and April 2004 (though cover-dated a few months later), that served as a definitive love letter to the history of both universes. It was for this monumental event that Krona was chosen as the central antagonist, a character powerful and ambitious enough to credibly threaten two entire realities at once.
To fully comprehend Krona's actions against Earth-616, one must first understand his origins within the DC Universe, as they are the direct cause of his cosmic madness.
Krona belongs to an ancient and immensely powerful race known as the Maltusians, one of the first intelligent life forms in the universe. The Maltusians were a race of blue-skinned humanoids dedicated to science and the pursuit of knowledge. However, Krona's thirst for knowledge was unquenchable and, ultimately, heretical. He became obsessed with a singular, forbidden goal: to witness the moment of creation itself. His fellow Maltusians warned him against this, believing that probing the secrets of the universe's birth was a profound taboo that could bring about immense destruction. Ignoring their pleas, Krona constructed a machine that could pierce the temporal barrier and view the dawn of time. As he looked upon the hand of creation, his machine exploded. The precise consequences of this act have been retconned over the decades in DC Comics, but the core results remain consistent. His reckless experiment “shattered” the singular universe into a Multiverse, creating infinite parallel Earths. It also unleashed evil into the cosmos and, in some tellings, created the anti-matter universe of Qward. As punishment for his transgression, his people, who would later evolve into the Guardians of the Universe and the Zamarons, condemned him. They converted Krona into a disembodied being of pure energy and sentenced him to wander the cosmos for all eternity, a powerless witness to the creation he so desperately wished to understand. However, over the millennia, Krona would find ways to escape his confinement, time and again returning to plague the universe and the Guardians' champions, the Green Lantern Corps, in his unending quest for the ultimate truth.
Krona's entry into the Marvel Universe was a direct result of his eternal quest. After one of his many defeats, he began a journey across dimensions, seeking the truth of creation by observing the origins of other universes. Eventually, he stumbled upon Earth-616. There, he encountered En Dwi Gast, the Elder of the Universe known as the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster, a being obsessed with games and contests, immediately recognized the existential threat Krona posed. Krona, in his madness, saw Earth-616 not as a unique reality but as a contaminated one, an impurity that needed to be purged to find the “pure” origin he sought. He believed that if he could force the two universes to collide and collapse, he could witness their true moment of genesis from the resulting cataclysm. To stop him, the Grandmaster proposed a game. The two would choose champions—the Grandmaster choosing his universe's greatest heroes, the Avengers, and Krona choosing the greatest heroes of the last universe he had visited, the Justice League of America. The game was a cosmic scavenger hunt: the first team to collect twelve items of immense power (six from each universe) would win. If the Grandmaster won, Krona would leave the Marvel Universe forever. If Krona won, the Grandmaster would lead him to Galactus, a being who had witnessed the birth of the Marvel Universe and possessed the knowledge Krona craved. However, this was merely a delaying tactic. Krona had no intention of honoring the deal. The game itself was his true plan. The act of bringing the cosmic artifacts together and moving them between dimensions weakened the very barriers separating the two realities. As the heroes fought, the universes began to bleed into one another, causing chaotic shifts in reality. By the time the Avengers “won” the game, the damage was done. Krona struck down the Grandmaster, seized his power, and used the gathered artifacts to forcibly merge the two universes. He then summoned an army of brainwashed villains from both realities to defend his cosmic fortress, intent on presiding over the destruction of everything to finally achieve his goal.
Krona is a being of immense cosmic power, whose abilities stem from his advanced Maltusian physiology, his unparalleled scientific intellect, and his mastery over vast energies. His threat level is such that he can challenge the combined might of two pantheons of superheroes.
^ The Twelve Items of Power ^
| Marvel Universe (Earth-616) | DC Universe |
| The Ultimate Nullifier | The Spear of Destiny |
| The Casket of Ancient Winters | The Medusa Mask |
| The Evil Eye of Avalon | The Orb of Ra |
| The Wand of Watoomb | The Power Battery of Green Lantern |
| The Cosmic Cube | The Eternity Book |
| The Infinity Gauntlet1) | The Worlogog |
> By combining the power of these items and the knowledge he ripped from the Grandmaster's mind, Krona was able to forcibly merge the two universes. He created a new, amalgamated reality where the histories of the characters were intertwined. He sat on a throne at the nexus of this new reality, able to command time, space, and reality within his domain, effectively making him god-like.
Krona is a solitary being driven by obsession, not connection. He forms no alliances, only hierarchies where he is the master. His relationships are defined by conflict and utility.
Krona has no true allies. During the climax of JLA/Avengers, he used his immense power to enslave a legion of the most dangerous villains from both universes to act as his personal army. This was not a partnership; it was absolute domination. His forces included, but were not limited to:
This army was a testament to his power, as many of these individuals possess wills of iron and would never willingly serve another. Their subjugation highlighted the sheer scale of the psychic and cosmic force Krona commanded.
Krona's only true affiliation is a negative one: he is a Renegade Maltusian. He is an outcast from the race that would become the Guardians of the Universe. This status defines him. He is the ultimate heretic, the scientist who broke the one unbreakable rule. This defines his eternal solitude and his antagonistic relationship with the cosmic order of his home universe.
While Krona has a significant history in DC Comics, his appearance in the Marvel Universe is defined by one singular, monumental event.
This is Krona's signature story within the Marvel encyclopedia. Having journeyed from his reality, Krona's arrival in Earth-616 sets the stage for a cosmic contest against the Grandmaster. The premise is simple: the Avengers and the Justice League are manipulated into a race to collect twelve powerful artifacts. The heroes are led to believe that the fate of their universe is at stake, unaware they are merely pawns. Krona's arc in the story is one of meticulous, deceptive victory. He allows the Grandmaster's game to play out, knowing that the constant inter-dimensional travel and convergence of cosmic energies are weakening the walls between realities. When Captain America and Batman realize they are being played and the contest grinds to a halt, Krona seizes his moment. He overpowers the Grandmaster, absorbs his knowledge, and uses the assembled artifacts to fuse the Marvel and DC universes into a chaotic, amalgamated timeline. In this new reality, he reigns supreme from a cosmic throne, watching as the realities begin to tear themselves apart. The final act sees the united JLA and Avengers storming his fortress, fighting through his army of brainwashed villains. The climax of the story is not a simple physical confrontation. Krona is too powerful. He is only defeated when Captain America and Superman, witnessing the chaos and erosion of their personal histories, finally rally the heroes for one last, desperate charge. The Flash, using the Speed Force, distracts Krona long enough for Hawkeye to fire a single arrow that destabilizes the cosmic artifacts Krona has assembled. The resulting energy feedback, channeled by the Spectre, traps Krona within a new “Cosmic Egg”—a new universe born from the remnants of the old, where he will be forced to witness a creation, but be forever trapped within it. His ultimate wish becomes his eternal prison.
To understand his motivation in JLA/Avengers, his first appearance is essential. This story establishes the core of his character: the Maltusian scientist who defied the ultimate taboo. It frames him as a figure of cosmic terror and explains the deep-seated trauma of his people, the Guardians. It's the reason they police the universe with such rigidity—they are forever trying to prevent another Krona from rising. This original sin is the philosophical bedrock upon which his character is built.
Long after his encounter with the Marvel Universe, Krona returned to prominence in the DCU. In this 2011 storyline, he successfully manages to enslave the emotional entities of the Emotional Spectrum (such as the Ion entity of will and the Parallax entity of fear) and uses them to take control of the entire Green Lantern Corps. This event demonstrates his core methodology on a smaller, yet still cosmic, scale: asserting control over fundamental forces of the universe to achieve his goals. It culminates in his death at the hands of Hal Jordan, though, as with many cosmic beings, death is often a temporary state.
As a character whose core story is tied to a singular event of cosmic tampering, Krona's own timeline is relatively stable. However, there are a few notable aspects to consider.