Skrull

• Core Identity: The Skrulls are a technologically advanced, extraterrestrial race of reptilian humanoids, defined by their innate biological ability to shapeshift, allowing them to perfectly mimic the appearance and voice of any other being.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Originally envisioned as a vast, militaristic, and expansionist empire in the comics, the Skrulls are one of the three great galactic powers alongside the kree and the Shi'ar. In the MCU, their role is inverted; they are depicted as a scattered, stateless race of refugees seeking sanctuary from Kree persecution.
• Primary Impact: Their shapeshifting ability makes them the ultimate infiltrators, sowing paranoia and distrust. This culminated in the universe-altering secret_invasion event in the comics, where Skrull agents replaced key figures across Earth for years, and a smaller-scale but ideologically potent conspiracy in the MCU.
• Key Incarnations: The fundamental difference lies in their motivation. Earth-616 Skrulls are driven by a religious and cultural mandate for conquest, viewing their empire as a divine right. The MCU Skrulls are motivated by survival, with their primary goal being to find a new home and live in peace, though a radicalized faction has since emerged.

The Skrulls made their debut in Fantastic Four #2 in January 1962, created by the legendary duo of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Their creation was a product of the Silver Age of comics and deeply rooted in the Cold War anxieties of the era. The concept of alien invaders who could look just like your neighbor tapped directly into the widespread paranoia surrounding Soviet spies and “sleeper agents.” Their initial appearance portrayed them as subversive, deceptive invaders, a theme that would define them for decades. Kirby's design—green-skinned, with large pointed ears and ridged chins—was instantly iconic, creating a visual shorthand for “alien invader” within the burgeoning Marvel Universe. Their ability to shapeshift was not just a superpower but a narrative engine, allowing for endless stories of espionage, mystery, and betrayal that have been utilized by Marvel creators ever since.

The origin of the Skrull species is one of the oldest and most consequential tales in the Marvel cosmos, but it differs dramatically between the primary comic continuity and the cinematic universe.

Millions of years ago, the ancient and godlike cosmic beings known as the celestials visited the planet Skrullos. They found a primitive reptilian species and, as was their custom, performed genetic experiments on them. This tampering resulted in the creation of three distinct Skrull branches:

• The Skrull Eternals: A long-lived, powerful variant with cosmic abilities.
• The Skrull Deviants: A variant with latent genetic instability, granting them the power to change their shape and form.
• The “Prime” Skrulls: A baseline version of the original species, lacking the advanced powers of the other two branches.

Initially, the three races coexisted. However, the Deviant Skrulls, with their unique shapeshifting abilities, quickly proved to be the most adaptable and ruthless. In a brutal civil war, the Deviants completely exterminated the Prime Skrulls and the Skrull Eternals, leaving themselves as the sole inheritors of Skrullos. From this point on, all Skrulls possessed the Deviant gene for metamorphosis. Harnessing their shapeshifting for espionage and technological theft, the Skrulls rapidly developed into a space-faring civilization and began building a massive interstellar empire. Their policy was initially one of free trade and uplifting “lesser” races. On one such mission, they discovered the planet Hala, home to two primitive sentient species: the plant-like Cotati and the humanoid Kree. To determine which race was more “worthy” of their advanced technology, the Skrulls proposed a contest. They took groups from both species to Earth's uninhabited moon, tasking them with creating something of lasting value. The Cotati cultivated a magnificent garden, while the Kree constructed a massive, technologically advanced city. When the Skrulls declared the Cotati the winners, the enraged Kree slaughtered the Skrull delegation and the Cotati. They then reverse-engineered the Skrulls' starship, rapidly developing their own technology. This act of violence ignited the millennia-spanning Kree-Skrull War, a conflict that would define both empires and shape the political landscape of the entire galaxy for eons.

The MCU presents a radically different origin, reframing the Skrulls from galactic conquerors to tragic victims. As revealed in Captain Marvel (2019), the Skrulls were a peaceful, scientifically advanced civilization. Their homeworld, Skrullos, was destroyed by the Kree Empire, who viewed the Skrulls' shapeshifting abilities as an abomination and a threat. This act of genocide initiated a one-sided war where the Kree systematically hunted the surviving Skrulls across the galaxy. A small faction of Skrulls, led by their general, Talos, sought refuge. They were aided by a rogue Kree scientist, Mar-Vell, who was working on a Light-Speed Engine on Earth, hoping to use it to transport the Skrull refugees to a new, safe home far beyond the Kree's reach. After Mar-Vell's death and the empowerment of carol_danvers, Captain Marvel learned the truth about the Kree's propaganda and the Skrulls' plight. She destroyed the Kree forces menacing Earth and vowed to help Talos and his people find a new planet to call home. However, as explored in the series Secret Invasion (2023), this search proved fruitless over the next three decades. The promise of a new home went unfulfilled. While Talos and a network of Skrulls worked with nick_fury on Earth, living in secrecy, a dissident faction grew. Led by a young, radicalized Skrull named Gravik, this group lost faith in Fury and Talos's leadership. They believed that the only way for their species to survive was to conquer a new home for themselves—Earth. This faction adopted the tactics of infiltration and terrorism, seeking to destabilize human society and provoke a global war, mirroring the more aggressive nature of their comic book counterparts but from a place of desperation rather than imperial ambition.

The nature of the Skrulls—their physical abilities, societal structure, and technological prowess—is a direct reflection of their differing origins in each continuity.

• Biology & Powers:
  • Shapeshifting (Metamorphosis): The Skrulls' most defining trait. Their genetic code is composed of highly unstable molecules, similar to the powers of mister_fantastic. This allows them to psionically alter their cellular structure, enabling them to change their shape, size, color, and texture at will. They can perfectly replicate the appearance and voice of other beings. Skilled Skrulls can even rearrange their bodies to form weapons or grow wings.
  • Limitations: Their mimicry is only skin deep. They do not replicate the powers, knowledge, or memories of the person they impersonate. Advanced technology and certain telepaths can detect them. Certain frequencies can also force them back into their true form.
  • Physical Attributes: In their natural form, they are reptilian humanoids with green, leathery skin, large pointed ears, and deeply grooved chins. They possess greater physical density and durability than humans.
• Culture & Society:
  • Militaristic Empire: Skrull society is a rigid, militaristic hierarchy ruled by an Emperor or Empress from the Throneworld (originally Skrullos, later Tarnax IV, and others after their destruction). Conquest and expansion are central to their culture.
  • Religious Beliefs: Ancient Skrull religion is based on a prophecy foretelling Earth as their new, rightful homeworld. This belief was co-opted and twisted by Queen Veranke to justify the Secret Invasion, framing it as a holy war. They revere a pantheon including the warring gods Sl'gur't and Kly'bn, believing their victory represents the eternal, ever-changing nature of the Skrull.
  • Deception as Virtue: Deceit, espionage, and infiltration are not seen as dishonorable but as high art forms and essential tools of statecraft.
• Technology:
  • War-Focused: Skrull technology is centuries ahead of Earth's and is primarily geared towards warfare and galactic domination. They possess fleets of massive warships, advanced energy weapons, and cloaking technology.
  • The Super-Skrull Program: Their most infamous technological achievement. Unable to replicate the superpowers of their targets, they developed a bio-engineering process to grant a single Skrull warrior the combined abilities of multiple heroes. The original super-skrull, Kl'rt, was imbued with all the powers of the fantastic_four. This process has been refined over the years to create legions of powered soldiers.

• Biology & Powers:
  • Shapeshifting: Functionally similar to the comics, allowing them to replicate appearance and voice. The process appears to be a conscious, physical transformation. As shown in Secret Invasion, they must have access to a person's memories (often via a special machine) to perform a convincing, long-term impersonation.
  • Limitations: While they gain the physical form, they do not gain the unique biological markers of a person, such as their DNA. This became a key plot point, as a specialized scanner could differentiate a Skrull from a human based on their genetic code. The strain of holding a form for extended periods or under duress can cause them to revert.
  • Physical Attributes: Visually identical to their comic counterparts. They possess enhanced strength and resilience compared to an average human.
• Culture & Society:
  • Refugee Culture: For 30 years, Skrull society has been defined by its statelessness. Their culture is centered on survival, maintaining their history through oral tradition and shared memory. Family and loyalty to their leader, Talos, were the core tenets for the main group.
  • Rise of Radicalism: Gravik's faction represents a cultural schism. Disenfranchised and angry, they rejected the patient, diplomatic approach of Talos's generation. They adopted a ruthless, ends-justify-the-means ideology, believing that humans were an inferior species occupying a planet that rightfully belonged to the Skrulls.
• Technology:
  • Adaptive and Scavenged: Lacking a homeworld or industrial base, the MCU Skrulls are masters of adaptation. They primarily use scavenged or gifted technology, such as the modified Kree ship they used to escape Earth in Captain Marvel.
  • The Super-Skrull Project (MCU): Gravik's faction developed their own version of the Super-Skrull program. Using a machine developed by Skrull scientists and a unique collection of DNA samples (including Groot's, a Frost Beast's, and Cull Obsidian's), Gravik was able to grant himself and his followers a variety of superpowers, making them a formidable threat. This culminated in him acquiring the combined DNA of nearly every powered individual from the Battle of Earth, known as “The Harvest.”

In the comics, the Skrulls are almost universally antagonists, making true allies rare. In the MCU, alliances are central to their story.

• The Cotati (Earth-616, Ancient History): Initially, the Skrulls chose the peaceful Cotati as their favored partners on Hala, offering them advancement over the Kree. This “alliance” was destroyed by Kree jealousy and set the stage for millennia of war. Ironically, a unified Kree/Skrull empire would later go to war with a vengeful Cotati in the Empyre storyline.
• Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) (MCU): Carol Danvers is the Skrulls' most powerful and important ally. After discovering the truth about the Kree-Skrull War, she became their sworn protector, dismantling the Kree forces pursuing them and dedicating herself to finding them a new home. Her actions directly saved the species from extinction.
• Nick Fury (MCU): For three decades, Nick Fury was the Skrulls' primary benefactor and partner on Earth. He provided a safe haven for Talos's people in exchange for their intelligence services, creating a vast espionage network that helped him protect the planet. This relationship, however, became strained by his failure to fulfill his promise of finding them a new world.

• The Kree Empire: The quintessential enemy of the Skrulls in both continuities.
  • Earth-616: Their conflict is a galactic stalemate between two vast, ideologically opposed empires. It's a war fought for territory, resources, and genetic purity, a rivalry that has defined the cosmic landscape of Marvel for its entire history.
  • MCU: The conflict is a story of oppressor and oppressed. The Kree are portrayed as fascistic, genocidal zealots led by the Supreme Intelligence, who hunted the Skrulls to the brink of annihilation.
• The Fantastic Four (Earth-616): As the first Earth heroes to ever encounter and defeat the Skrulls, the Fantastic Four hold a special place of hatred in the Skrull Empire's history. The Super-Skrull, Kl'rt, was created specifically to destroy them, and their conflicts have spanned decades.
• The Avengers: In both universes, the Avengers become primary adversaries. In Earth-616, they were the main line of defense during the Kree-Skrull War and the Secret Invasion. In the MCU, Gravik's faction viewed them as obstacles to their conquest of Earth, actively seeking to eliminate them and harvest their powers.

• The Skrull Empire (Earth-616): The primary political and military body for the species. At its height, it was one of the largest empires in the known universe.
• The Kree-Skrull Alliance (Earth-616): A modern, radical shift in the status quo. Following the events of Incoming!, the two ancient enemies united under the leadership of Emperor Hulkling (Dorrek VIII), a Kree-Skrull hybrid, to form a new galactic superpower against a common threat.
• Nick Fury's Espionage Network (MCU): The primary affiliation for the refugee Skrulls on Earth for 30 years. They served as his deep-cover agents across the globe.

This seminal storyline by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and John Buscema was one of Marvel's first true “event” comics. The conflict erupts into the open when the Kree hero captain_mar-vell is captured by his own people. The Avengers become entangled as Skrull infiltrators on Earth attempt to reverse-engineer Kree technology, and the Kree Accuser, Ronan, launches an attack. The arc spanned the galaxy, forcing the Avengers to intervene directly in the interstellar war. It explored themes of paranoia (with Skrulls impersonating key figures), the moral complexities of war, and humanity's place in a hostile cosmos. The event's climax involved the Supreme Intelligence attempting to de-evolve humanity, cementing the Kree and Skrulls as major cosmic threats.

While the Skrulls were not the main focus, this cosmic crossover had a devastating and permanent impact on their empire. The Annihilation Wave, a massive armada from the Negative Zone led by Annihilus, swept through the positive-matter universe, consuming everything in its path. The Skrull Empire was one of its first and most prominent victims. The Skrull Throneworld was destroyed, their fleet was shattered, and their empire was thrown into chaos. This galactic-scale catastrophe directly created the power vacuum and desperation that Queen Veranke would exploit to launch her Secret Invasion.

Arguably the most significant Skrull story ever told. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, this event was the culmination of years of meticulous planning. It was revealed that following the destruction of their Throneworld, a religious sect of Skrulls led by Queen Veranke had initiated a long-term plan to conquer Earth, which they believed was prophesied to be theirs. For years, they had been systematically abducting and replacing heroes, villains, and key political figures with sleeper agents. These agents were so perfectly conditioned they often believed they were the person they replaced. The invasion began when the Skrull agent impersonating Elektra was revealed, shattering the trust among Earth's heroes. The ensuing war was fought on two fronts: a brutal open invasion and a psychological battle where no one knew who to trust. The event ended with Norman Osborn killing Queen Veranke on live television, making him a public hero and ushering in the “Dark Reign” era.

This event represented the most profound change to the Skrulls' status quo in their history. The Young Avenger Hulkling (Teddy Altman), a known Kree-Skrull hybrid and son of the original Captain Mar-Vell, accepted his destiny and united the two warring empires under a single banner to face the threat of the resurgent Cotati, who sought to exterminate all “meat” life. As Emperor Dorrek VIII, he led the Kree-Skrull Alliance, with the super-skrull as one of his chief generals. This transformed the Skrulls from a fractured people into a core component of the galaxy's newest superpower.

• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): The Chitauri: In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, the Skrulls were reimagined as the Chitauri. Introduced in The Ultimates by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, this version is far more monstrous and less subtle. They are a reptilian species with the same shapeshifting abilities, but their goal was to consume the Earth and absorb it into their hive. They were defeated by the Ultimates during their attempted invasion. This name, “Chitauri,” was later adopted by the MCU for the alien army Loki leads in The Avengers (2012), though that version lacks the shapeshifting abilities of either the 616 Skrulls or the 1610 Chitauri.
• Skrulls of the MC2 (Earth-982): In this alternate future timeline, the Skrull Empire remains a significant threat. A key storyline involves the Fantastic Five traveling into space to negotiate peace, only to be betrayed. This universe highlights that even in a different future, the fundamental conflict between the Skrulls and Earth's heroes persists.
• Marvel Zombies (Earth-2149): When the zombie plague ravaged the universe, the Skrulls were not immune. In the Marvel Zombies series, zombified versions of the Skrulls are seen, their shapeshifting abilities rendered moot by their insatiable hunger, demonstrating the sheer apocalyptic scope of the infection.

• kree
• secret_invasion
• super-skrull
• fantastic_four
• captain_marvel
• kree-skrull_war

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