Skrull

The Skrulls from Secret Invasion v1 #5.

The Skrulls are an advanced shapeshifting extraterrestrial species that feature in Marvel Comics.

History

Origin

Fantastic Four vs. the Skrulls in Fantastic Four v1 #2.

The Skrulls were a race of reptilian humanoids that were native to the world of Skrullos. (Skrull Kill Krew v1 #2) According to one account, the Skrulls were among the many races including the Kree and humans that were spawned from the inhabitants of the world that became Xorr the God-Jewel around 6 million years ago. (Thor v1 #215) During their early infancy, their world was visited by the Celestials who experimented on their kind as they had done to every other race during their travels in space. The result of these experimentations led to the creation of the gene-transforming Deviant strain, the gene-protecting Eternal strain and the gene-oblivious latent normal strain. (Silver Surfer v3 #5) According to legend, the Changing People rose up against the Unworthies with them being led by Sl'gur't who led her legions into the stronghold of the Fossil Ones in the Valley of Esul. Inside was the last of the Eternals of Skrullos who was named Kly'bn. He convinced them not to kill him stating that his death meant that they killed part of their own heritage. Instead, he urged them to take their crusade to other worlds filled with people unable to change their form whilst he as the Eternal Skrull served as their guide post. Kly'bn proclaimed his loved that Sl'gur't accepted after she became enraptured with him. Afterwards, the two ascended to became part of the pantheon of deities of the Skrull race. (Incredible Hercules v1 #120) With the other two branches eliminated, the Deviant Skrulls began the creation of an empire that began to expand into space. (Silver Surfer v3 #5) At least one of the normal Prime Skrulls managed to survive into the modern age and escaped his homeworld. (Blackwulf v1 #2) In time, the Deviant Skrulls matured into two different strains with one developing into the Dire Wraiths. (Silver Surfer v3 #5) The Wraiths were considered a deviant branch of Skrullkind that had given to practising dire, dark magicks and arcane arts until the Skrulls themselves were threatened. As a result, the Skrulls began to wage war against their deviant offspring and sought to exterminate them in their entirety. However, the Dire Wraiths used their sorcery to escape into the Dark Nebula with the Skrulls being unable to pursue. However, they were glad to be rid of the Wraithkind that had been purged from their homeworld. (Rom v1 #50)

It was said that the Skrulls had built the first intergalactic empire in the universe. (Silver Surfer v3 #27) Through force or colonization, the Skrull Empire came to occupy all the suitable worlds in their home galaxy in M-61 in Andromeda. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #19) At some point, a Skrull had sought out the Crystal of Ultimate Vision and attempted to abuse its power thus failing the test posed by it. As a result, the questing Skrull was frozen into a statue to stand as a failure in the citadel ad the Crystal placed a further punishment by genetically freezing the evolution in place for their kind. (Uncanny X-Men Annual v1 1987)

During the reign of Emperor Dorrek, the Skrull people had achieved an advanced and peaceful civilization that had travelled through many worlds. However, they had not encountered any race that had the same level of technological sophistication as themselves. Thus, the Skrulls thought to share their science with a worthy race and uplift them as a society. Their search took them to the Greater Magellanic Cloud where they found the planet Hala that was home to two native species; the humanoid Kree and the plant-based Cotati. Upon arriving on their world, the Skrulls offered their technology but only to one of Hala's races that would be judged through a trial to create a great work. Both species agreed and were transported by the Skrulls to the isolated uninhabited planetoid that was Earth's Moon to the Blue Area of the Moon. They were both given a year to achieve their task and when they returned they found the Kree had constructed an impressive city whilst the Cotati had cultivated a thriving garden. The Skrulls judged the Cotati the superior achievement for creating life in a place that was lifeless. However, the war-like Kree refused to accept defeat and in the cover of night they slaughtered the Cotati delegation on the Moon. Afterwards, they went to the unaware Skrulls and murdered the peaceful delegation including Emperor Dorrek. The Skrull craft was commandeered and taken back to Hala where the Kree reverse engineered its advanced technology. The Skrulls themselves were not aware of this development until a century later when a Kree armada had formed that without warning had attacked the Skrull homeworld. This sparked off an eternal enmity between the two races that led to the Kree-Skrull War. (Avengers v1 #133)

Many ages ago, the Skrull civilization reached a highly advanced level of technology where their scientists sought to create a machine that turned thoughts into reality. After millennia of research, they succeeded in creating a Cosmic Cube that was taken by the Skrull Emperor who used its power to rule as a god-like being. In time, the Cube began to respond to the personality of its user and developed its own that mirrored the Emperor's. The developing intelligence of the Cosmic Cube only knew the madness of the Skrull Emperor where it lashed out to twist, remake and destroy star system after star system in the Skrull empire. Its rampage saw the devastation of two thirds of the Skrull galaxy and turned the species to barbarism before it finally matured into the being known as the Shaper of Worlds. (Captain America Annual v1 #7)

Around 15 years ago, Prince De'zean had sought the location of the mystical world of Majesdane. During an attempted invasion of Earth, he encountered a pair of Majesdanian criminals that were exiled from their homeworld to the human world. They offered Majesdane homeworld's location and arranged a marriage between their daughter to the Skrull's prince's son in exchange for Earth to be spared. The Skrull's agreed and launched an attack on Majesdane leading to a state of hostilities between the two species. (Runaways v2 #8)

Secret Invasion

Infiltrating Earth in Secret Invasion v1 #1.

At the conclusion of the Kree/Skrull War, the Skrulls were visited by the Illuminati who warned the alien shapeshifters to stay away from Earth. They were briefly captured but managed to escape though their genetic material was studied by the Skrull scientists. (New Avengers: Illuminati v2 #1)

Months ago, Galactus the World-Devourer came to the Skrull Imperial Throneworld where he drained it of its life-energies in a day and thus destroyed it. This act brought the once proud Skrull empire into shambles leading to chaos and rebellion across the galaxy. As a result, planetary governors began to declare themselves emperor or empresses where they rallied their forces in an attempt to bring the empire under their control. Weaker worlds fell immediately whilst alliances were forged and in turn were broken on a regular basis. These chain of events saw many Skrulls killed at the hands of other Skrulls. (Avengers v1 #259) After the destruction of their homeworld, the Skrull empire devolved into a number of smaller kingdoms run from former colony worlds by those that sought power. This period saw their people engage in in-fighting among themselves instead of combating threats such as the Kree. (Captain Marvel v4 #10) The death of the royal family led to every governor declaring themselves as emperor or empress. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #19) One plot was orchestrated by Zabyk who led a radical organization that sought to forge a new order in the Skrull empire after the loss of Throneworld. He had met with the scientist Myrn who had been driven mentally unstable after seeing the loss of their capital. He had designed a weapon of ultimate destruction for the Skrulls that would stabilise their unstable genetic code thus locking forms and preventing them from shapeshifting in the future. This culminated in the Hyper-Wave Bomb with Zabyk believing he could avoid its effects and use the loss of their shapeshifting ability to take control of the empire. A faction of Skrulls opposed him and freed Prince Dezan from the prison colony on Kral where they gained the assistance of the Avengers. Together, they battled Zabyk who had slain Myrn after the completion of the weapon and detonated it but he himself was affected as the entire race loss their ability to change form. Prince Dezan in the meantime had sought the use of the 'weapon' in the help of bringing about peace as he opposed the war-like nature of his race. Thus, a period of time began where many Skrulls were locked in the last shape they had assumed. (Avengers Annual v1 #14) This changed when Empress S'byll of Satriani regained her shapeshifting powers and began to extend them to the rest of her race thus returning their natural ability to them once more. (Silver Surfer v3 #27)

A band of K-Class Mutant Skrulls that formed Cadre K began operating openly within the empire in order to disrupt their operations such as preventing the elimination of newborn Skrulls that had mutations. (Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet v1 #1) The Corporation began to use designer Skrull organs that were given to compatible donors giving various super-criminals shapeshifting powers. (Heroes for Hire v2 #3)

On Annihilation Day, the Annihilation Wave emerged from the Negative Zone and began attacking the positive-matter universe under the direction of Annihilus with the Skrull empire being amongst its targets. (Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1 #1) The tragedy of losing their planets that struck their race meant that they Skrull species became desperate in their desire to survive and saw salvation in their faith. Thus, extremism became an option by their people who decided to conquer Earth which was seen as their last attempt at surviving though some believed this was not the message that the Skrull Empire wanted. (Secret Invasion v1 #8) The Skrulls rallied under formerly exiled princess Veranke who had followed prophecy stating that Earth was to be their new homeworld and spearheaded their invasion through sleeper agents seeded on that planet. (New Avengers v1 #40) Despite this preparation for war, not all Skrulls agreed with this view with there being factions that supported the pacifistic ideals of the martyr Anelle. The jihadist factions sought to eliminate these Skrulls for opposing their plans for conquest. As a result, the peaceful Skrulls sought to flee through an underground railroad and attempted to use the Continuum Cortex on Knowhere to scatter elsewhere in the universe. (Guardians of the Galaxy v2 #6)

Infinity

A trio of Skrull Warlords from Avengers v5 #18.

In the aftermath the Builder War, the Skrull empire was reborn on Tarnax II under the banner of Emperor Kl'rt who was crowned the new leader of his people. (Infinity v1 #6)

Overview

Skrulls in Occupy Avengers v1 #7.

Their reptilian ancestors were noted to be able to shed their skin. (Silver Surfer v3 #26) Though capable shape-shifters, they could only change form but not size as their mass remained a relative constant at all times. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #376) This was derived from their unstable molecular structure that was derived from their Deviant genetic code. (Avengers Annual v1 #14) As shapeshifters, changing genders was no different than changing their hair colour. (Runaways v2 #8) A combination of reptilian genes and the power to change shape allowed the Skrulls to regenerate lost limbs. (Silver Surfer v3 #27) Certain Skrulls were born as evolutionary throwbacks that did not possess the power to change shape with such members of their kind typically not allowed to reach maturity unless they were of the royal family. (Incredible Hulk v1 #419) The Deviant Mutates on Monster Isle were noted for having a striking similarity to the Skrullian mind structure. (Fantastic Four v1 #348) Skrull organs were noted for being aggressive in nature that had the ability to transmorph. These could be transplanted to other species giving those individuals shape-shifting abilities. (Heroes for Hire v2 #3) Adrenaline could be taken from Skrulls and combined between the unstable and normal variants to create an evolutionary formula that advanced evolution without the side effects of unstable mutations. (Blackwulf v1 #4)

Whilst normal Skrulls were able to change their appearance of their natural form to that of another one, they were unable to duplicate the special abilities of a super powered person. Thus, they developed a special encoding form of technology that granted powers to an elite group of soldiers called the Warskrulls who had the gift to emulate the powers as well as the forms of their enemies. (Uncanny X-Men #274-277 March-June 1991)

All members of the modern Skrull race are descendants of the Deviant branch of their species.

Oval lobes protruding on the forehead were marks of mutation that publically indicated a Skrull was a lower-caste deviant. According to their species standards, such individuals were genetically unclean and traditionally slaughtered at birth. This changed in later years as such deviant-Skrulls were deemed to hold military value and were allowed to live. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #376)

Kly'bn D'rhk was a song sung by the Skrulls. (Runaways v1 #14)

Special hatchwardens were present within Skrull society who were tasked with watching over the hatching cycles in order to cull undesirable children to ensure genetic purity. Any mutations present among the children were eliminated with the Purifiers being dispatched for the task. (Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet v1 #1) A chief body for law was the High Court that was the supreme judicial centre for the great Skrull empire that contained a gallery of spectators along with the Jury of Six that listened to the judges deliberations. From there, the high judicator listened to the charges placed against enemies of the Skrull empire. Such trials were allowed as their proud race followed the rules of the Convention of Fornax even though they believed them to be ridiculous. A chief official in the court was the Executioner that were armed with powerful weapons used to eliminate prisoners. (Fantastic Four v1 #206)

Among their kind were a premier warrior class known as the Warskrulls that were able to manifest a whole catalogue of super-powers. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #468) They later developed the Super-Skrull warriors that had the means of duplicating the powers of super-powered beings allowing them to either have a mix of several different individuals or a single person that were hyper-developed. (New Avengers v1 #40)

The Skrull Empire and government was rule by a member of their kind who held the title of Emperor or Empress who had absolute power. Below them were a number of governors each of which ruled a planet within the Empire. Below them were the nobility and lastly there were the commoners who were subservient to the nobles.

Nobility consisted of the blood born with princesses make their ranks and it deemed that it was not possible to imprison one of their number. (New Avengers v1 #40) A leading body was the Skrullian High Command that operated the military and advised the emperor. (Fantastic Four v1 #358)

The Skrull race had a number of religious beliefs and mythologies. According to their teachings, their gods consisted of the last of the Skrull Eternals called Kly'bn who was being hunted by the Deviant Skrull armies led by Sl'gur't. As they approached him, he gave a patriotic speech telling them that he represented a part of their heritage and by killing him, they would lose what it meant to be Skrull. He stated that by being constant and unchanging, it was his destiny to bring the about the destiny of the Skrull race by transforming other worlds according to their truths which the Deviant Skrulls accepted. Sl'gur't fell in love with him and he took her as his bride whereupon they ascended into the Skrull pantheon of gods. As the Skrull conquered other races, those species gods became servants of Kly'bn and Sl'gur't who's power grew with each defeated people's pantheon.

After their ascension into their heavenly dimension, the two were worshipped for millions of years by the Skrulls where they were known to have been the emperor along with the empress of the Skrull pantheon. It was also said that the two wrote the holy text called the Book of World which included the prophecy that stated the Skrull homeworld would be destroyed and that a new home awaited them on Earth. This led to a justification for an invasion and holy war for the planet as the Skrulls believed the planet to be rightfully theirs to rule.

Within their pantheon, they had a number deities that included:

• Sl'gur't : a Skrull war-god with temples and statues made towards her. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #24)
• Zorr'kiri : the goddess of love who was a deity that was missing similar to others around the cosmos due to Gorr the God Butcher. (Thor: God of Thunder v1 #3)

A figure within Skrull beliefs was the Talisman who was a figure a step below their gods. They were a representation of their deities whose presence was required in a conquest or invasion to gain the gods blessings. All Skrulls could sense the presence of the Talisman no matter how far away and could feel the righteousness of their cause by their presence. The importance of such a figure meant that Skrulls kept them away from the main area of any fighting to protect the Talisman as their loss would be a devastating blow for their morale as it meant their gods had abandoned them. (She-Hulk v2 #31)

Skrulls were noted for being a devious race that only took the direct route when all else failed. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #19) It was said that though they had acquired certain mammalian characteristics that they were reptiles at heart and did not care what other races thought of them. (Silver Surfer v3 #27) As a warrior race, the concept of mercy was an alien emotion to them. (Rom v1 #50) Traditionally, warlords among the Skrulls were known to hold little regard for scientists and thus ignored those members of their kind. (Captain Marvel v4 #10) There are a number of different groups and sects within the Skrull race. This includes the mutant group of outcast Skrulls called Cadre K who were hated and the religious sect called the Dard'van. A holiday celebrated by the species was Vaxa Ha-Kax called Enlightenment Day that involved a ceremony known as conversion. This was religious in nature whereby full body baptism was performed. (What If? Secret Invasion v1 #1)

Under the Convention of Fornax, the Skrulls were forbidden from torturing Kree captives. (Avengers v1 #94)

There were a number of different languages and dialects used by the species. This included the Sfosogf dialect that was part of their language. (New Avengers: Illuminati v2 #1) One was the Irdu dialect that was of the Skrull Thort language. (New Avengers v1 #40) Frti was one dialect used by the Skrulls. (Incredible Hercules v1 #120)

Skrull commandos were able to resist any form of torture and were answerable to the emperor alone. (Fantastic Four v1 #348) In the past, pure Skrulls were incapable of copying Mutant powers without the use of mechanics that were easy to detect. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #376)

Their currency consisted of golden Z'laks. (Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1 #1)

Technology

For an unknown number of years, they made use of a special salve called the Lacaroo for the child birthing process that reduced complications. (Fantastic Four v1 #378) Skrulls had the technology to create clones of living beings that had the memories of the original. (New Avengers v1 #40) Skrulls were able to bionically re-engineer members of their race to give them advanced abilities though this was cost prohibitive. (Fantastic Four v1 #358) They had also developed new genetic enhancements that allowed them to copy a member of another species and completely avoid detection by scientific or mystical means so long as the Skrull maintained that form and its thoughts allowing them to create perfect sleeper agents. (New Avengers v1 #40) They used inhibitor masks against prisoners of their own race which prevented them from changing shape. (Avengers Annual v1 #14) They were able to use slave darts that could be placed on even gigantic creatures in order to place them under the control of the Skrulls through their technology. (Fantastic Four v1 #347) Skrulls were quite skilled and knowledgeable of the art of cryogenics. (Fantastic Four v1 #358)

Their science had also constructed the starship based oscilloscope that was designed to track down the radiation factor built into Kree battle suits. A miniature version of this Kree-detecting device was used for individuals when they began searching for the Kree. (Captain Marvel v1 #2) Skrulls used something like fibre optics as a back-up communications and datalink conduit. (Avengers Annual v1 #14) They had also created a repository of knowledge of their greatest leaders, empresses, tacticians and scientists with this being a cybernetic construct known as the Intelligentsia. This was a feminine being that was designed as the Skrull equivalent to the Kree Supreme Intelligence. (Captain Marvel v4 #10)

In terms of weaponry, the Skrulls had a wide range of armaments at their disposal. Maser guns were one such weapon used by the Skrulls. (Captain Marvel v1 #2)

One type of automaton was the Inorganic Technotroid that were an incubated defense robot that was created to defend the Skrull rulers. These machines were hatched from an egg where they imprinted on the individual near them and became loyal to that person. (Fantastic Four v1 #349)

The Skrull Empire maintained devastating Destructor class cruisers that were war worlds whose surfaces resembled lifeless asteroids that hid their true nature as interstellar vessels with untold potential for destruction. (Fantastic Four v1 #358) Skrull starships included the construction of warsaucers. (Untold Legend of Captain Marvel v1 #1) They possessed stealth cruisers that were able to enter into systems undetected and engage in covert operations. (Fantastic Four v1 #358) One type of craft were V'rukk class attack ships that were small atmospheric capable craft. (Nova v4 #16)

They made use of high-energy capacitor crystals that were known as Power Stones with charging stations used to power them. (Avengers Annual v1 #14) Skrulls made use of cosmic generators that were devices that supplied power to entire planets. (Fantastic Four v1 #18)

A powerful superweapon developed by their race was the Hyper-Wave Bomb that drew upon interdimensional energy. It could penetrate the core of the Skrull's unstable molecular structure thus stabilizing their Deviant genetic code. (Avengers Annual v1 #14)

Members

The Skrull Empire in Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1 #1.

• Dorrek VII :
• R'Klll :
• Anelle :
• Morrat :
• Veranke :
• S'Byll :
• Sl'gur't : a Deviant female who headed the Changing People long ago in purging Skrullos of the normal breed Skrulls with her later falling in love with the Eternal Kly'bn becoming his wife and a goddess in her peoples pantheon. Her name in Frti dialect translated to meant "Infinite Names". (Incredible Hercules v1 #120)
• Kly'bn : an Eternal male who had been given his name by the Space Gods and the last of their number on Skrullos after the others were murdered by the Changing People. He convinced them to accept him as their god and he became the husband of Sl'gur't with the two ascending to the Skrull pantheon of deities. (Incredible Hercules v1 #120)
• Dorrek : a peaceful male who ruled his kind as Emperor when they were a pacifistic race looking for worthy recipients for their technology with him being part of the delegation to Hala to decide if the Kree or Cotati would be worthy of their science. Dorrek was ultimately killed by the Kree representatives led by Morag on Earth's Moon who stole the Skrull technology to develop create their empire. (Avengers v1 #133)
• Dezan : a prince and younger brother to Emperor Dorrek VII who was imprisoned for his peaceful nature and had a steel mask fixed to his face. (Avengers Annual v1 #14)
• Dro'ge : male Royal Priest of the Sciences. (New Avengers v1 #40)
• Talos : male member of the royal family whose niece became the empress, he was born without the power to shapeshift with him being a fierce warrior known as Talos the Untamed but during the Kree-Skrull War he was captured by the enemy leading to his shame with him being the disgrace as Talos the Tamed. (Incredible Hulk v1 #419)
• Nogor : male Skrull who operated as the Talisman of their faith and sanctified conquests of worlds. (She-Hulk v2 #31)
• De'lila : a female member of a malcontent rebel cadre who sought the assassination of the emperor. (Fantastic Four v1 #348)
• Ethan Edwards : male son of the scientist that created the Super-Skrull but when their world was being devoured by Galactus he empowered his son with even greater abilities and sent the child to Earth where he was unaware of his heritage with him raised by humans to become a superhero. (Marvel Knights: Spider-Man v1 #16)
• Jazinda :
• Criti Noll :
• Xavin :
• Lyja :
• Paibok :

Notes

• The Skrulls were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where they made their first appearance in Fantastic Four v1 #2 (January, 1962).
• A retcon later made the Skrulls as the aliens that feature in Amazing Adult Fantasy v1 #7 (December, 1961).
• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe v1 #10 (1983) stated that it was about 100,000 years ago that the Skrull capital was relocated to Tarnax IV which was renamed Throneworld where the Skrull Empire was controlled by an Emperor and each of the 978 worlds was controlled by a Governor.
• It was also said in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe v1 #10 (1983) that they were reptilians with mammalian characteristics including hair and mammary glands among the females. Newborns were hatched from eggs but were nursed by their mothers with the species having a lifespan of 210 Earth years.
• In Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe v4 #14 (2005), noted that the Skrulls evolved on the planet Skrullos in the Dox System in the Andromeda/M-31 Galaxy with them being experimented on to create the immortal Eternals, shapeshifting Deviants and the Latents that had benign mutation.
• According to Skrulls! v1 #1 (2008), first contact with the Kree and Cotati was dated ten million years ago.
• In Skrulls! v1 #1 (2008), after the Crystal of Ultimate Vision froze their evolution, the Skrulls were only able to move forward through artificial genetic manipulation.

Alternate Versions

• In Squadron Supreme New World Order v1 #1 (1998), the Skrulls were shown to exist in the alternate universe designated as Earth-712. On this universe, they were involved in a war against the Kree that had lasted for millennia and in an effort to break the stalemate they developed the technology to imbue their soldiers with powers to turn them into an army of Super-Skrulls. However, before they could use the process in large numbers, the World Devourer Galactus arrived and destroyed their homeworld leading to the survivors being scattered across space. Only a single Skrull had went through the Super-Skrull process who was known as Skymax the Skrullian Skymaster who managed to escape the destruction but became marooned on Earth where he passed the Power Prism to a Human who became Doctor Spectrum.
• In Ultimate Fantastic Four v1 #27 (2006), the Skrulls were shown to exist in the alternate universe designated as Earth-1610. People at times referred to them as the Chitauri but they found the term highly offensive and politically incorrect. Through their science unlocked latent super-genes in human biology with them giving a Skrull pill that gave incredible super-powers which also helped cure disease, aging and poverty. However, the super-drug had a secondary effect that eventually killed the user after a set of time which was why the Skrulls did not use it for themselves. Their leader was the billion year old Super-Skrull who wore an anti-assassination suit exo-skeleton to protect him from attacks by mimicking the superpowers of anyone in a thousand mile radius. It was claimed that they were the most benevolent race in the universe though in reality this was a trick as they appeared as a peaceful species that elevated lower technology worlds but in reality they covertly conquered such planets into their empire after their super-drug ravaged the population. After a teleportation incident, mankind inadvertently discovered the Skrulls who made peaceful contact with this Earth and shared their technology under the global administration of President Thor. However, the Skrulls instituted their plan with their Skrull pill wiping out the entire population except for Ben Grimm who did not take the drug and had been turned back into a human. He attacked the Super-Skrull and stole his exo-skeleton whereupon he used a time platform to go back in time to prevent the event that led to the first contact with the Skrulls thus averting this timeline but at the cost of his life.
• In What If: Secret Invasion v1 (2010), an alternate version of the event saw the Skrulls conquering Earth and attempting to convert humanity into their kind where they were opposed by the Avengers Alliance of Freedom.

In other media

Television

• In Fantastic Four, the Skrulls first appeared in the 1967 animated television series where they appeared in the episode "Invasion of the Super Skrulls". They were an advanced civilization of green skinned beings led by the Skrull Emperor who had longed to conquer Earth but were stopped by the Fantastic Four. Marshall Drom was responsible for the creation of the Super-Skrull who was used in a plan to eliminate the Fantastic Four but the enhanced Skrull warrior was defeated.
• In X-Men, the Skrulls appeared in cameo scenes in the 1990 animated series. In "Mojovision", a Skrull was seen in the audience and in the "Dark Phoenix Saga" the Skrull Empress was consulted by Majestrix Lilandra Neramani about the X-Men's Arnin Haelar rite of challenge.
• In Silver Surfer, Skrulls appeared in the animated series where they were green skinned reptilians with three fingers and the capacity to change their shape allowing them to mimic inanimate structures like stone pillars to changing their skin to stone to becoming dragonic caterpillar creatures. In this continuity, its revealed that only a set number of planets are suitable to handle Skrull reproduction. The young hatchlings appear as small near velociraptor style light green skinned creatures with an animalistic behavior. Its revealed that these young hatchlings are watched over by their elders known as Caretakers until they gain sentience and are capable of actual thought at which point they are taken to the Hive Mother who witnessed the hatching of the hundreds of eggs on their hive world. The Hive Mother was vital to the Skrulls as it was she who laid the eyes for the next generation of Skrulls to be born. Without her, the Skrulls would have no future which was why there was always a Royal Egg ready to hatch in case of such a situation. The government of the Skrulls is referred to as the Confederation which differs to their comic counterparts. One of the high ranking members of this state appear to hold the title of Prime Minister though ultimate power was in the hands of the Hive Mother who was capable of removing the Prime Minister from their post. At one point, it was customary for the Hive Mother to witness the hatching of the young born until the Cabal took power which eliminated the Hive Mother. These Skrull dissidents were intent on keeping their power which was solidified in an Admiral and the Prime Ministers hands. The Caretaker was charged with looking after the next generation of Skrulls and ensuring that the young reach sentience. Because of this, he was seen as a father to most of the Confederation. Shocktroopers of the Skrull military wore white silvery suits in combat situations. On a primary hive world, the Skrulls were known to deploy powerful pulsar mines in order to protect the planet. The Skrulls believed themselves to be experts at "persuasion" thanks to their ruthless nature. The Skrull Confederacy was at war with the Kree for many years with neither side gaining the advantage. It was noted that they were one of the most brutal species that inhabited the stars with them earning many enemies. A delegation was sent with a single ambassador from both sides meeting on the planet Zenn-La in order to create a lasting peace. Ironically, these ambassadors would work together to defend the planet against the threat of Galactus which resulted in their deaths and the continuation of the war between the two races. The Skrull Hive Mother had grown increasingly angry with her subjects ver the lack of victory against the Kree species. This prompted in her near move to remove the Admiral and Prime Minister from their positions as well as destroy their nests. As such, a coup resulted with the Cabal eliminating the Hive Mother and attempting to maintain their control over the Confederation. In order to maintain power, the Cabal maintained the illusion that the Hive Mother was still alive though this was a lie only known to a few such as the Caretaker. This was dangerous for the Skrull as it was the Hive Mother that maintained the species with no new generation of eggs being born without a replacement who was still in her egg. The Caretaker and the elders were reluctant to hatch the Royal Egg as they feared that the usurpers would either kill her, make her into their puppet or do something much worse. With the aid of Nova and the Silver Surfer, the Caretaker was able to ensure the new Royal Egg was transported to another world where it would be safe. The Silver Surfer deposited on a planet with a caretaker to watch over it in the hopes that the new Hive Mother will grow to be respectful of life and peaceful so that she would change the nature of the Skrull Confederation when she took power.
• In Avengers Assemble, the episode "Mojo's World" showed a number of Skrulls watching the gladiatorial games that were broadcasted from Mojo's starship.
• In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., the episode "Deathlok" had the Skrulls with a large role. During the episode, its revealed that in one possible future the Skrulls managed to sear the surface of Earth which destroyed humanity and allowed them to terraform the planet as a colony. The remnants of humanity managed to dispatch the cyborg Deathlok back in time to prevent this where he tracked the incident to a town where the Hulk and his allies were touring. It was revealed that the entire town were actually Skrulls following the Super-Skrull who was attempting to accomplish his peoples plans in conquering the planet due to its strategic value. The town itself was later shown to be built on top of a Skrull starship that was hiding underground with Deathlok and the Hulks defeating the alien shapeshifters to prevent their plan from succeeding.

Video games

• In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game, the adaptation showed that Skrulls had arrived on Earth at some point where they established a mining facility underground beneath a volcano. Cosmic radiation was detected at the time leading to Reed Richards along with his team mates investigating the site. During the time, they encountered multiple Skrulls leading to a confrontation with the Super-Skrull who had been imbued with the powers of the entire Fantastic Four. He revealed that his people's mining would shortly come to an end and that mankind would soon become extinct. The Skrulls would be defeated as the volcano became unstable but Sue Richards created a forcefield that encased them as the explosive volcano ejected them from it allowing them to escape.
• In Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Nick Fury sends the Avengers on a mission to the Skrull Homeworld when it was being attacked by Galactus with the mission to recover some of his technology for use against the Odinforce empowered Doctor Doom who had taken over Earth. Their arrival sees them combating Skrull Deviants and Commandos alongside robotic Punishers.
• In Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, the Skrulls appeared as antagonists in the 2015 Wii video game where they had conducted their Secret Invasion of Earth with numerous members of their kind taking the form of various characters on Earth.
• In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Skrulls were only referenced in dialogue or in character backstories in the Facebook video game.
• In Marvel Heroes, the Skrulls appeared as antagonists in the MMORPG and were part of the Secret Invasion story.

Appearances

• Fantastic Four:
• Avengers:
• Secret Invasion v1 #1-8
• What If? Secret Invasion v1 #1

External Links

• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.