Shi'ar

Latest revision as of 13:00, 18 January 2023

Shi'ar in Uncanny X-Men v1 #484.

The Shi'ar are a species that features in Marvel Comics.

History

Origins

Shi'ar in Galactus the Devourer v1 #5.

The Shi'ar were a humanoid extraterrestrial species native to a distant galaxy whose homeworld was the planet Chandilar. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #275) Aeons ago, it was held that the Shi'ar ancestors had the capacity to fly but as they evolved they traded their wings for intelligence. (Classic X-Men v1 #16) Geneticists amongst the Shi'ar and the Spartoi determined that they were both from a common yet remote ancestry. (Inhumans v3 #3) Around 1,000 years ago, a Shi'ar scouting expedition came upon the world of the M'Kraan where the M'Kraan Crystal resided under the care of the native species. The Shi'ar believed the crystal was given to them by their gods and thus attacked the M'Kraan and drove them from the planet which came under their rule. (X-Men: Emperor Vulcan v1 #2)

Hundreds of years ago, a Shi'ar by the name of Rook'Shir was possessed by a cosmic force known as the Phal'kon. This was in actuality the Phoenix Force that bonded to him and cemented the Phoenix's legend among the Shi'ar. He only possessed the power for days but he managed to destroy numerous worlds in that time. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #481) At some point, the father of T'Korr brought the Strontians into the Shi'ar empire by giving them a cure to the Wraith Plague that afflicted their people. As a result, the Strontians pledged their undying loyalty to the Shi'ar throne. During the reign of Majestor T'Korr centuries ago, a decree was made to create an Imperial Guard to defend the Imperium. This saw candidates from Strontia being selected but T'Korr sought to test their loyalty by having Kallark of Strontia kill his peoples council of elders. After which, he ordered a Shi'ar Starcracker to destroy the system's sun destroying Strontia leaving Kallark among the only survivors with him going through his peoples Gladiator process. He was then admitted to head the newly formed Imperial Guard that was tasked with obeying the Shi'ar throne. (War of Kings: Warriors v1 #1)

At some point, when the empire was very young, they began sending exploration fleets to search for worlds to colonize or races to add to the ranks of the Imperium. The Shi'ar claimed that they brought culture to the heavens and their way of life to such species. Whilst many embraced them, one species actually opposed the Imperium's expansion which were the Mephistoids. A bitter war was fought with this race who had the ability to control others through the secretion of pheromones and they also sought to forge an empire with many Shi'ar lives lost in the conflict. According to legend, around twelve hundred years ago, a young warrior called T'ykll Alabar rose from the decimated ranks who inspired his warriors where they batteld the Mephistoids on an unnamed world where they defeated their foe. In the aftermath, the Mephistoid leader known as the Butcher was brought to Chandilar in chains whilst their homeworld was placed under quarantine. However, a debate emerged in the war weary council of the Imperium on what to do with their prisoner as they believed his exeuction would only incite rebellion against the already fragile quarantine. Thus, it was decided that the Butcher would be placed in stasis and Alabar be similarly placed in the prison to watch over the prisoner. (Avengers v1 #378)

More than a thousand years ago, the Shi'ar were engaged in a war with a species known as the Fianden. The conflict was important to the point that the Shi'ar Empire believed it was essential to the survival of their race. This was because the Fianden were capable of crafting art and music that had an impact on the Shi'ar mind and spread like a disease among their kind. For this reason, the Fianden were completely wiped out and their homeworld was destroyed as all traces of their existence were erased completely. (Astonishing X-Men v3 #57) The sixteenth Majestor of the Shi'ar Imperium policies were noted to had affected the territorial claims during the Spartoi Interregnum. (Nova v4 #23) Years ago, the Shi'ar made first contact with a Symbiote called Zzzxx with the creature captured and sent to be studied under the orders of Emperor D'Ken. (X-Men: Kingbreaker v1 #1)

At some point, they established a secret base of operations on Earth that was used to determine if the world was worthy of being absorbed into the Imperium. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #476)

Modern Age

Later on, an intelligence report drew the attention to a pre-galactic event on the primitive world of Earth where the native race managed to defeat a Flora Colossus warlord. This drew their attention who decided to send scouts to investigate the planet. The scout team came to land in the African continent in the northern reaches of Wakanda where they came to make contact with the dissident Jabari tribe. A pact was made between the two sides where the Wakandans served as guides to the region. The Shi'ar commander and Jabari warrior came to fall in love where they conceived a child together though it was decided that the offspring would remain on Earth. (Marvels v2 #8) They kept perfect records of all known aliens on the planet Earth and associates of those species. (Astonishing X-Men v3 #57)

D'Ken Neramani, a corrupt Shi'ar ruler, attempted to use the powerful M'Kraan Crystal to take over the universe. His younger sister Lilandra and her new allies, the X-Men, foiled his plans. He was rendered comatose by the crystal and Lilandra then took over as the Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire. The X-Men, as well as most of Earth's other superheroes, have had cordial if not friendly relations with the Shi'ar Empire ever since. (X-Men v1 #109)

The Shi'ar put Reed Richards on trial for the crimes of genocide. He was guilty of reviving Galactus after he was defeated on Earth. Shortly after his revival, Galactus proceeded to consume the Skrull throneworld, resulting in the death of billions. Uatu the Watcher, acting as his lawyer and with the help of Odin and Galactus himself, convinced the gathered tribunal that Galactus is a necessary force of betterment of the universe and is not a villain. This was done by summoning Eternity. The truth as shown by Eternity however, is so grand and overpowering that none of the tribunal's members can remember it fully, although the comprehension stays. (Fantastic For v1 #262)

Intelligence was later passed to Lilandra Neramani that indicated that Kree fanatics from the provinces of the former Kree Empire intended to target Sol-3 in order to get revenge against the Terrans known as the Avengers. This was because they were blamed by these Kree for the destruction of their lost empire which led to Lilandra extracting an oath from Deathcry to travel to Earth to help its inhabitants who were allies of the Imperium. After Deathcry departed, Neramani wondered whether she had sent the Avengers their greatest allies or greatest threat. (Avengers v1 #363)

A formal ceremony was conducted on Hala for the formal joining of the Kree to the Shi'ar empire everlasting. Deathbird was appointed as the Viceroy who was charged with oversight of the surrendered Kree territories. However, a number of renegade Kree refused to be ruled by the Shi'ar and formed the Kree Resistance Front that sought to overthrow them. (X-Men Unlimited v1 #5)

The Shi’ar galaxy was later invaded by the forces of the techno-organic hive-mind intelligence known as the Phalanx. They effortlessly defeated the defensive lines of the Shi’ar Imperium and headed straight for the Throneworld of Chandilar. In desperation, Majestrix Lilandra had sent for the X-Men to aid them against this threat. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #343) They joined forces with Deathbird where they arrived on the Throneworld in time to stop the Phalanx from assimilating the Shi’ar young. Beast then managed to create an effect that stripped the Phalanx of their pirated technology and caused them to disintegrate. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #344)

During the civil war, the Scy'ar Tal (Death to Shi'ar) who were the original custodians of the M'Kraan Crystal emerged and attacked all Shi'ar force in order to get their revenge for what happened to their civilization a thousand years ago. (X-Men: Emperor Vulcan v1 #2)

A Shi'ar warbird travelled to Knowhere in order to resupply their delegation at the site but their warriors entered into a bar room brawl with members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. As a result of Adam Warlock's predictions, the Guardians decided to end the war between Vulcan's Shi'ar Imperium and the Inhuman's Kree Empire. (Guardians of the Galaxy 2 #13)

In the aftermath, the Shi'ar came to re-establish control over their empire. During the Builder Crisis, the Shi’ar came to detect the threat posed by the ancient alien race as they cut a swath of destruction across the universe whilst heading towards Earth. The Shi’ar empire thus gathered its forces in order to combat this threat. (Infinity v1 #1) This saw them join the allied forces of the Galactic Council that were looking to provide a unified front against this enemy. (Avengers v5 #18)

Later on, the Shi'ar came to learn that the Earth was the source for the decay of the universe leading to them to destroy the planet. (Avengers v5 #41) However, the Guardians of the Galaxy managed to warn the Avengers about the impending assault. (Avengers v5 #42)

In the aftermath, the Shi'ar gods Sharra and K'ythri enact the Challenge of the Gods by bringing the Shi'ar fleet to Asgard whilst threatening Earth with their Super Destroyers. (Mighty Thor v2 #16)

A diplomatic summit was convened at the Proscenium to explore how intergalactic relations would be impacted by the new Kree/Skrull Alliance, to discuss the status of the Pan-Worlds Treaties, and to seek a path towards stability and peace among the assembled factions. Oracle-2 represented the Shi'ar Empire who attended the summit alongside people from the Kree/Skrull Alliance, the Utopian Kree faction, the Kymellians, the Rigellians, Earth, the Galactic Rim Collective, the Badoon, the Spartax, the Chitauri, and the Zn'rx. (Guardians of the Galaxy v6 #8)

Majestor Gladiator later received reports of a disturbance at the Ravenstarr maximum-security prison galaxy and went to investigate. It was his disappearance that led to the Imperium requesting the aid of the Avengers. (Avengers v8 #27)

The Shi'ar Vice-Chancellor was later sent on a diplomatic venture to the Kree/Skrull Alliance to offer their ruler Emperor Hulkling a honeymoon vacation on one of the Imperium's holiday worlds. During this time, the Symbiote god Knull began attacking all space after being freed from his prison. (King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling v1 #1) It was noted that at least four Shi'ar colonies were lost during this time. (S.W.O.R.D. v2 #4) Later on, the universe suffered from a new crisis in the Last Annihilation when Dormammu came to manifest in the cosmos and sent forth his armies of Mindless Ones to conquer all space. Among his targets was the Shi'ar world of Aerie that was a site of historical importance. (Guardians of the Galaxy v6 #17) The Imperial Guard were deployed to the besieged world where they were nearly overwhelmed by the invaders but received aid from the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Together, the two nations were able to repel the Mindless Ones who were attempting to convert Aerie's moon into a member of their race. (Last Annihilation: Wakanda v1 #1)

Overview

Biology

They were noted for their ties to having avian ancestors. (X-Men v1 #107) As they evolved from birds, Shi'ar physiognomy included a strong and light skeleton. (Taskmaster v2 #4) They tended to have vestigial feathers on their body such as their forearms that was a legacy of their origins when their distant ancestors had wings allowing them to fly unaided. (Classic X-Men v1 #14) Genetically, the Shi'ar held a common yet remote ancestry with that of the Spartoi people. (Inhumans v3 #3)

Though appearing human, the avian-based Shi’ar were far more durable and able to survive injuries that would kill a human being. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #343) They were not capable of surviving long in the cold as their blood did not generate their own heat and as such some Shi'ar had never experienced weather conditions such as snow. (Astonishing X-Men v3 #57)

It was claimed that the humanoid Shi'ar who were descended from avians had more chakra's compared to humans. (A+X v1 #15)

Some Shi'ar were noted to possess telepathic abilities. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #483)

Society

They were described as being a fierce warrior people. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #13) For generations, they had been bred as warriors who were held at being at the pinnacle of their civilization. (Galactus the Devourer v1 #5) Shi'ar were also noted for being an arrogant race. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #476) It was said that they respected those that defeated them and those that they feared. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #477) A form of martial art style was J'Kramak K'ythri (The Wings of K'ythri) with warriors of the Shi'ar galaxy having trained in it for millennia. (Taskmaster v2 #4) Under the Ninth Vow of Destruction, Shi'ar were taught to strong and to be merciful where they were told to not to falter even when the enemy begged for their lives. (New X-Men v1 #123) Within their society, children had no voice amongst the Shi'ar until they had completed the rite of passage. (X-Men Unlimited v1 #5) Under their unique combat protocols, the taking of another warriors target and kill was considered a grave offence as it implied that the other warrior was inadequate for the task. (Annihilation Conquest Starlord v1 #2) The declaration of Arnin'nn Haelar was a duel of honor that could not be refused once made with participants forced to engage in combat. (X-Men v1 #137) For crimes made on a person, Shi'ar were afforded a bloodright where they were allowed vengeance against the perpetrator. (X-Men v4 #21) Under arcane Shi'ar law texts, any child born in the high palace of Chandilar may rise to become royalty. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #483)

Perception of their species was that they were a rigid race and that death was more flexible compared to a Shi'ar. Some considered their kind as being empty of any light and that they never dream. Those that were capable of dreaming were deemed as defective. Music and art were noted to had a profound impact on the Shi'ar mind as it caused their warriors to lose focus and brought about the emergence of deviant thoughts. This was not the case with all art but the specific kind created by species such as the Fianden that touched their souls. (Astonishing X-Men v3 #57) Shi'ar justice did not acknowledge mental illness as there was no frame of reference for it with such individuals being either innocent or guilty if convicted of a crime. (Thanos v1 #10)

Acts of elegance were considered in line with Shi'ar tradition. (Avengers v1 #378) Their sense of fashion was learnt from the Voldi race. (Iron Man v5 #6) It was considered rude for individuals to engage in a private psi-talk among those that could not engage in such conversation. (X-Men v4 #19) They tended to be sensitive to insults regarding their lineage and ancestral deities. (X-Force and Cable Annual v1 #'96) As a people. The Shi’ar were characterised for their detached ruthlessness. (Thanos v1 #2) For extraordinary acts, the Order of K'thari was awarded to specific individuals. (X-Men v4 #22) An old saying among the Shi'ar was that the stain of Kree touch does not fade ever. (Avengers v1 #365)

Certain warriors were grown rather than bred with automated speed sprinklers being used to fertilise frozen eggs. The eggs were harvested from female factory workers as part a government mandated body-tax. Shi’ar were then born in breedmart warehouses in flesh bazaar districts. (Wolverine and the X-Men v1 #13) Slavery was once common among the Shi'ar with unborn or young children forcibly placed in an incubation-accelerator to mature them so that they could begin acting as servants. (X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1 #6)

They were regarded as the most powerful and sophisticated empire in the known universe. (Galactus the Devourer v1 #5) All Shi'ar colonists were fitted with beacon implants married to a locus grid that tracked their location as well as vitals and biometric readouts to monitor conditions such as stress. (Thanos v1 #10) Medical implants that monitored the health of their users were freely distributed and entirely voluntary on whether they were used as they allowed the empire to take care of their own. Superguardians and spouses of the user were capable of accessing the data. (U.S.Avengers v1 #11) Over the course of millennia, the Shi'ar had absorbed many cultures into their empire. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #478) Psi-training was held as standard training for Shi'ar that operated off-world. (X-Men v4 #19)

An elite cadre of female Shi'ar warriors known as the Warbirds existed that operated as bodyguards that were able to engage superhuman foes and were skilled in the use of close-quarter weapons such as blades. (Wolverine and the X-Men Annual v1 #1) Royal Warbirds were divided into a number of rankings such as the Deathbringer Class. Their training was handled by Magistrates who taught the warriors to embrace the true way of the Shi’ar warrior. (Wolverine and the X-Men v1 #13) An elite group known as the Pathfinders existed that were part of the exploratory fleet. (Classic X-Men v1 #14) Imperial Pathfinders were one of the finest scouts in the Shi’ar Starfleet. (Uncanny X-Men Annual v1 #5)

It was known that they recorded their history in the Shi’ar chapterhouse with this knowledge being ancient. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #345) Within their empire, there was the Shi'ar Royal Bank that contained millions of credits. (Legendary Star-Lord v1 #5) One of the most sacred locations in the Imperium was a site that when roughly translated from Shi’arese meant the Nest. This was a collective womb and birthing place for their kind for the royals yet to be born. It was considered the heart of Shi’ar society where there was no distinction between ruling and lower caste with it representing the natural order. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #344)

The Shivarn'n Halanau (Imperial Consort) of the ruler had a degree of power and decision making with their commands being considered to be lawfully followed though only to a point. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #155) Another position within the Shi'ar hierarchy was that of the Vice-Chancellor. (King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling v1 #1) A body within the empire was the Supreme Executive Council. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #275) A high ranking position within the government was that of Minister of Peace. (Starjammers v1 #1) Another group within the empire was the Weather Council that was an advisory body who provided counsel and advice to the aviary entire. Members of the council took the title of counselor that was neither a political or military title. (X-Men v4 #19) A division within the empire was Imperial Intelligence that consisted of spies and covert operatives. (X-Men v1 #105) Torture priests were noted to be used in the extraction of information during an interrogation. (Wolverine and the X-Men v1 #13) A faction within the empire was the Secret Order who opposed the reign of Lilandra Neramani and sought to bring about the rise of the true empire. Thus, they operated secretly and sought to depose her in order to return her brother D'Ken to the throne. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #480)

The Shi'ar Imperium was described as holding a pan-galactic presence in the universe. (X-Men Unlimited v1 #5) Their empire was noted for having a number of skilled and powerful mentas that had psionic abilities. (Classic X-Men v1 #14) The Shi'ar were known to launch conversion missions designed to recruit member worlds into their empire through enlightenment with recruitment ships present among fleets such as the Grand Jhar. (Excalibur v1 #69) The Shi'ar were noted for holding the most massive military force in existence. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #13) The military had a wide range of assets at their disposal ranging from subatomic Superguardians to telepathic sniper squads. (Wolverine and the X-Men v1 #13) It was standard practice for Shi'ar to have psi-protection training if they operated off-world. (X-Men v4 #19) A particular military tactic included the Ehs'tyl (Bursting Cranium) assault designed to decapitate their enemies. (War of Kings v1 #1) Against dangerous threats, the empire was known to make use of atmospheric cremation to destroy an entire alien species with hymns of purification being recited. (New X-Men v1 #123)

Their own language was referred to as Shi'arese. (Cable v1 #46) One of the dialects was also known as High Shi'ar that was a tongue used for formal events. (X-Men Unlimited v1 #5) Glorkon was another dialect that was spoken by members of the Shi'ar. (All-New X-Men v1 #24) Shi'ar Galaxians learn nearly every spoken language allowing them to converse with a wide range of alien races. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #477) The following words exist in the Shi'ar language:

• Aviaryan : Aunt. (X-Men v4 #19)
• Cha/thraff : term for Xandar's soul-matrix. (Nova v2 #1) Possibly their word for the Nova Force.
• Shivarn'n Halanau : Imperial Consort to the Shi'ar ruler. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #155)

The Shi'ar calendar by the modern age was 68,000 with it being termed as the Cycle of the Bright Wing. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #2)

It was said that gods Sharra and K'ythri did not want to get married to one another but found strength and love through their union. This became the basis of the Imperium's policies of expansion as they forcibly married other cultures into itself. (Starjammers v1 #1) They were the Starmother and the Father of Light who claimed to be the creators of all of space and time as well as being the supreme deities of the true cosmic chosen people who were the everlasting Shi'ar. (Mighty Thor v2 #16) Ky'thri was said to had promised the Eternal Sky to her faithful. (X-Men Unlimited v1 #5) Shi'ar theology held the Phoenix as representing the 'End-of-All-That-Is'. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #468) Despite this belief, there were a number of Shi'ar that did not believe in gods and in fact were atheists. (X-Men v2 #189) As an intergalactic monoculture, the Shi'ar empire allowed only one imperial religion with there being no cults or religious uprisings. The only gods within the territory of Shi'ar space were Sharra and K'ythri. (New Mutants v4 #1)

Technology

As a people, the Shi'ar empire were described as a highly advanced Type 5 space civilization. (New X-Men v1 #122) All Shi'ar technology was described as being sentient. (Astonishing X-Men v3 #9) The building blocks of all their technology were Shi’ar nanomatrices with the science being commonplace within the Imperium. (X-Force and Cable Annual v1 #'96) Certain highly advanced computer were noted to be constructed from Shi'ar logic diamonds. (Powers of X v1 #5)

Sleeping modules made use of suspensor fields that were designed to allow a person a comfortable and restful sleep. (Classic X-Men v1 #16) Standard Shi'ar med-tech included bio-implants outfitted on people that recorded life signs and transmitted them through warp space. It made medical care response times brought down to zero as the Shi'ar were able to instantly respond to medical emergencies as they emerged rather than have a delay due to communication or lack of knowledge. (U.S.Avengers v1 #10) These bioimplants were capable of being tracked allowing for those familiar with it to find lost comrades. (Excalibur v1 #69) They had wetware that could be placed in the brain which could damage the synapses of telepaths that probed the mind of the individual with these being available on the black market. (X-Men: Blue v1 #8)

Shi'ar holographic projection was said to be hundreds of years beyond that of human technology. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #476) Their people used practical display holography with pictures that changed shape. (Classic X-Men v1 #16) They could build holempathic matrix crystals that could be sphere which were theoretically possible but many thousands of years beyond current Earth technology. It was a means of recording the thoughts and dreams of a person allowing their essence to live on after their death. Touching the crystal allowed a person to experience everything in that individuals life allowing them to see who and what they had been in their lives. Thus, they simply recorded and served as a memorium of the persons life in the event of their death. (Fantastic Four v1 #286) The Shi'ar were known to make use of hard light that was able to replicate any form of matter or color and distort spatial awareness to the point that they were capable of simulating worlds. (Astonishing X-Men v3 #9)

Certain armor worn by Shi'ar served only ceremonial purposes. (X-Men Unlimited v1 #5) One kind of specialist weapon were psi-bombs that were projectile weapons that exploded when they detected psionic energy and latched onto the signal back to the source thus rendering the target unconscious. (X-Man Annual v1 #2)

Prisoners were known to go through a process that turned them into cyborgs as a sentence with these being known as Imperial Shockers. Such individuals became grafted with cybernetic implants as part of a series of experiments with devices in their brains keeping them alive. These cyborgs had a desire to die and be free from this fate but were kept in sleeper states at secret Shi'ar installations to be deployed to battle enemies. Due to their nature, they felt no pain and had enhanced visual senses allowing them to determine threats with them having enhanced speeds and able to shoot collapsing energy fields to kill their targets. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #476)

Their starships had access to a naval Shi'ar datasphere. (War of Kings v1 #2) Their vessels tended to be referred to as warbirds whilst others were called star destroyers. (Guardians of the Galaxy 2 #13) Even more powerful craft used by the empire were superdestroyers. (New X-Men v1 #123) A homeport to their vast interstellar fleets was the immense, imprengnable orbital platform known as Starharbor. (Avengers v1 #363)

A type of warship used by the Shi’ar were Predator class warbirds. (X-Force and Cable Annual v1 #'96) H'jaht class warbirds were a type of craft used by the Imperium. (Secret Invasion: War of Kings v1 #1) Mid-class diplomatic vessels were a type of Shi'ar vessel that were capable of warp speeds. (U.S.Avengers v1 #11) Another type of ship were Apocalypse-class behemoths that served as a flagship of the Imperial fleet and were used to bear the ruler of the Shi'ar empire. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #275)

Known Shi'ar vessels included:

• M'Kaedo : a Shi'ar warbird that was commandeered by Vulcan in order to journey through the Stargates to reach the Shi'ar Throneworld. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #477)
• Domination Through Superior Firepower : a super destroyer that was commandeered by the Starjammers and followed the the Third Battle Group to the edge of the Disradi system where Havok saved a team from the Guardians of the Galaxy from immediate destruction. (Guardians of the Galaxy 2 #13)
• Lamentation's of the Enemy's Widow : a super destroyer in the Third Battle Group that registered an unauthorized course change in the Domination which later self-destructed though unkknown to the Shi'ar crew was that vessel actually allowed the Starjammers to escape. (Guardians of the Galaxy 2 #13)

In space, they maintained massive Starstations which served as hubs over an entire sector and could hold thousands of occupants. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #342) Key facilities such as Feather's Edge were defended by powerful Armageddon-class killstations. (X-Men: Emperor Vulcan v1 #1)

One method of interstellar travel for the Shi'ar was the use of space based gateways known as Stargates. They were the only means of travelling swiftly to Shi'ar space. Only Shi'ar vessels were able to activate the Stargates. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #477) Smaller portable planet-based versions could also be built to allow for interstellar transportation for individuals. (X-Men v1 #105) Shi'ar jumpships were smaller craft that were capable of creating their own Stargates for faster travel. Prior to building the Stargates, Shi'ar vessels had to make their own jumps that required a set amount of power. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #481)

A weapon developed by the Shi'ar were Nega-Bombs that turned the power of the Negative Zone into pure destructive force. (Wonder Man v1 #8) Among the most powerful weapons in their arsenal were Starcrackers that were large missile warheads that were sent into suns to cause them to go into a nova and destroyed every planet in the system. (War of Kings: Warriors v1 #1) Another weapon within their armaments was the sleeping destroyer. One superweapon the Shi'ar developed was the Hecatomb that was an artificial Mummudrai that devoured the minds of living beings and left the worlds infrastructure intact but the weapon went rogue. (X-Men v2 #198)

Territory

The Shi'ar Imperium was centered in a galaxy located far away from the Milky Way galaxy. The administrative hub for the galaxy-spanning Imperial state was the Throneworld of Chandilar. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #275)

A resort world maintained by the Shi'ar was a planet referred to as Little Chandilar that had beautiful beaches. (King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling v1 #1)

The Shi’ar empire possessed a pan-dimensional prison located beneath the surface of a world with this being the rock called Krag. (Excalibur v1 #70) One facility the Imperium maintained was a galaxy-sized prison that they had manufactured. This was the Ravenstarr maximum-security prison galaxy that was built by the Shi'ar who manufactured artificial suns and planets. (Avengers v8 #27)

Members

• T'Korr : a male black haired Shi'ar who served as Majestor centuries ago when the decree was made for the formation of the Imperial Guard where he ordered the death of the Strontian race with Gladiator serving as the only survivor. He was said to had been a hard man but a good leader who had put his subjects before himself. (War of Kings: Warriors v1 #1)
• Vitana : a white haired female Shi'ar who served as Chancellor to Majestor T'Korr. (War of Kings: Warriors v1 #1)
• D'ken :
• Lilandra :
• Deathbird :
• K'tor : male Vice-Chancellor. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #478)
• T'Cahr : a bald headed male that served as Minister of Peace and served under Majestrix Lilandra during the Uncreated invasion. (Starjammers v1 #1)
• Deathcry :
• Cerise :
• Warbird :
• T'Kao : a female Vice-Chancellor of the Shi'ar Imperium. (King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling v1 #1)
• T'ykll Alabar : a male Shi'ar warrior who lived twelve hundred years ago who was the son of a lesser family that survived the decimation of the Mephistoids where he inspired his comrades to win the war against their enemy thus ensuring him a name in his peoples legends. When the Mephistoid leader known as the Butcher was sentenced to stasis, Alabar who had defeated him was chosen to accompany him in the timeless sleep in order to prevent his release where eventually T'ykll awoke on modern Earth. T'ykll came to believe that he was banished due to his rising success within the empire. (Avengers v1 #378)
• Milyann tec Hilyiani : male messenger of the Branchrise Hilyianis deployed in the Imperium Star Arm whose father was purged by T'Cahr. (Starjammers v1 #1)
• D'Keth : male black haired Shi'ar who was the son of D'Kath and was a counsellor on the Shi'ar Weather Council. (X-Men v4 #19)
• Xandra : female child of Lilandra Neramani and Charles Xavier who inherited her parents considerable telepathic powers making her an Omega-level weapon. (Mr. and Mrs. X v1 #3)
• D’syndri : a female Shi’ar who was a member of the Pathfinders who was hunted and killed by the Badoon. (Uncanny X-Men Annual v1 #5)
• Kai'tra : a white haired female Shi’ar Commander dispatched to apprehend a individuals on Earth who were inadvertently siphoning the power from the M'Kraan Crystal. (X-Man Annual v1 #2)
• Dar'bikk : a male Shi’ar High Priest of the Imperium dispatched to Earth to investigate a case of sacrilege when three inhabitants of the planet were inadvertently draining the power of the M'Kraan Crystal. (X-Man v1 #2)
• Yahnos Tr'morr : male Shi’ar Commander of the Predator-class warbird Hawksblood that pursued the Novaburst piloted by the Kree cyberorganic construct known as Pulse. (X-Force and Cable Annual v1 #'96)
• Adam-X : male hybrid son of former Majestor D'Ken who was unaware of his heritage. (Captain Marvel v4 #3)
• Misa : a female winged skulled faced mercenary who could emit a deadly scream that could kill enemies with her joining the ranks of Mr. Knife's Slaughter Squad. (Legendary Star-Lord v1 #5)
• Nightscream : a female Shi'ar noted to had been exiled from the empire for her deviant ideology and had fought Carol Danvers when she was Ms. Marvel. (Generations: Ms. Marvel & Ms. Marvel v1 #1)
• Shy'tarra :
• Sovel Redhand :
• Al'ti Vidua : a black haired former Shi'ar Warbird imprisoned at the L'Ar Gath Five where she came to work for the Maker. (Future Foundation v1 #2)

Notes

• The Shi'ar were created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum where they mace her first appearance in X-Men v1 #97 (February, 1976).
• In Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe v1 #10 (1983), it was stated that the Shi'ar ruled from an artificial planet constructed by them which was referred to as the Imperial Throneworld.
• On Newsrama, X-Men writer Ed Brubaker compared the Shi'ar to the Romulans in Star Trek where he stated that they were both, "Smart, aggressive and mean."
• Marjorie Liu commented in an interview on Astonishing X-Men that, "Although the Shi'ar have taken on the role of peacekeepers, they remain a very aggressive and militaristic culture. I mean, listen -- they practice interstellar colonialism, which on our world has led to horrific (and insidious) trauma and violence. The Shi'ar don't control that vast sprawling empire of planets because they're nice."
• Writer Keith Giffen commented on the Shi'ar during Annihilation, "We touch base of the Shi'ar. When Nova is getting a report he's told, 'The Shi'ar promised us three combat battalions but you know what they say about a promise from the Shi'ar. We were pretty much told, 'Don't touch the Shi'ar.' I guess the best way to describe the Shi'ar is like they're Peru looking at World War II. They don't really feel the need to get involved but they might be looking out just in case it bumps into their space."

Alternate Versions

• In Gambit and the X-Ternals v1 #2 (1995), the Shi'ar appeared in the alternate reality setting of Earth-295 that was the Age of Apocalypse world. In this world, the empire fielded the Jath'Che that were an assassin cadre sworn to defend the throne. After failing in preventing the emperors murder, they were banished to the farming planet of Ch'reesharaa.
• In Ultimate X-Men v1 #66 (2006), an alternate version of the Shi'ar was shown in the Ultimate Marvel universe where they were a religious cult called the Church of Shi'ar Enlightenment.
• In Major Victory's alternate future, the Shi'ar race were extinct and had been for thousands of years. (Guardians of the Galaxy 2 #13)

In other media

Television

• In X-Men, the Shi'ar made appearances in the animated series starting with the Phoenix Saga.
• In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Shi'ar were referenced in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Live Kree or Die". The damaged Supreme Intelligence came to list the Shi'ar as being among the enemies of the Kree Empire.
• In Legion, the Shi'ar were referenced by name in the live-action television series in the episode "Chapter 10". Cary Loudermilk whilst studying the halo noted that it was advanced but not as technologically sophisticated as something of Shi'ar design.

Video games

• In X-Men, the Shi'ar empire was visited by the X-Men during the 1993 Sega Genesis video game.
• In Marvel Ultimate Alliance, the players heroes travelled to a Shi'ar warship in order to obtain a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal in the third person team based video game.

Appearances

• X-Men v1: (1976)
• Captain Marvel v5:
• Avengers v1:
• Inhumans v3:
• Astonishing X-Men v3:
• X-Men: Emperor Vulcan v1:
• Guardians of the Galaxy v2:
• War of Kings v1:
• Wolverine and the X-Men v1:
• Infinity v1:
• New Mutants:
• Avengers v8:
• King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling v1: (2021)
• S.W.O.R.D. v2:
• Guardians of the Galaxy v6: (2021)
• Last Annihilation: Wakanda v1: (2021)
• X-Men: Red v2: (2022)

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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