Publication history
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Kl'rt was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Fantastic Four #18 (September 1963). He was the original and well-known Super-Skrull, an enemy of the Fantastic Four and has been depicted as both a supervillain and an antihero.[2]
S'byll was created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton, and first appeared in Silver Surfer vol. 3 #13 (April 1988). She was the second Super-Skrull.
Fictional character biography
Kl'rt the Super-Skrull is from the Skrull world of Tarnax IV (in the Tarnax system of the Andromeda Galaxy), which has been destroyed by Galactus. He was a decorated soldier in the army and married a Skrull countess from the planet Zaragz'na and had two children, his beloved son named Sarnogg and a daughter named Jazinda whom he despised.[3] Because of his duty, he was kept away from his family and after the defeats outnumbered his victories, he was banished from Zaragz'na and was not allowed to see his son due to his wife.[4]
Skrull emperor Dorrek VII devised a way to strike back against the Fantastic Four who thwarted the Skrull Empire's invasion of Earth.[5] Dorrek chose the warrior Kl'rt who was given the combined abilities of the Fantastic Four. Kl'rt was stronger than the Thing, had superior flight and greater pyrokinetic ability than the Human Torch, had better control of invisibility and force fields than the Invisible Woman, and could stretch further than Mister Fantastic. The Super-Skrull retained his shapeshifting and hypnotic abilities, and was sent to Earth to defeat the Fantastic Four and pave the way for a new Skrull Empire invasion.
During their first encounter, the Super-Skrull keeps the Fantastic Four at bay and forces them to retreat. Mister Fantastic senses that Kl'rt's powers are augmented by an energy beam from the Skrull homeworld. Blocking the beam with a device placed on him by the Invisible Girl deprives Kl'rt of his new powers. Defeated, he is imprisoned in a crater by the Human Torch when he pursues the Invisible Girl.[6]
The Super-Skrull returns as the Invincible Man after the Skrulls restored his powers to fight the Fantastic Four. He breaks out of his prison, travels to New York and kidnaps Franklin Storm. The Fantastic Four recognize his deception and return him in exchange for Storm. Storm dies when a bomb placed on him by the Skrull Warlord Morrat (in a final attempt to kill the Fantastic Four) explodes, but he saves the Fantastic Four.[7] The Super-Skrull was among the villains summoned by Doctor Doom to attack Reed Richarads and Sue Storm at their wedding, but Mister Fantastic used a machine to remove the villain's memories.[8] Repeatedly sent back to Earth, he battles Thor,[9] and the Kree hero Captain Marvel.[10] The Super-Skrull is the Empire's agent on Earth during the Kree-Skrull War; he temporarily disbands the Avengers and kidnaps Mar-Vell, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.[11] With the war ending in a truce, the disgraced Super-Skrull sides with Thanos and (with Skragg) aids Thanos's quest for the Cosmic Cube. The Super-Skrull, attempting to capture Rick Jones for Thanos, fights Mar-Vell and the Thing; Mar-Vell defeats him and Thanos.[12] After a skirmish with Spider-Man, the Human Torch and Ms. Marvel, Kl'rt is trapped in the Van Allen radiation belt.[13]
A Canadian research team accidentally pulls Kl'rt back from deep space. He kills the group except for the physicist superhero Sasquatch. Kl'rt discovers that the radiation belt has given him cancer. Sasquatch is initially defeated by the Super-Skrull but tricks him, converting him into a stream of dissociated particles and sending him back into deep space.[14] The Super-Skrull, later freed by the Silver Surfer, discovers that his cancer is in remission (apparently due to a "chronal anomaly" which reverted his cellular makeup to its precancerous state).[15]
Kl'rt is freed from the Van Allen belt and cured of cancer by the sorcerer Master Khan,[16] and used against Iron Fist. Khan brainwashes the Super-Skrull into believing that he is Bobby Wright, a twelve-year-old boy who acquires superhuman powers and a terminal disease from exposure to an alien spore. "Bobby" uses his powers to assume the identity of adult superhuman Captain Hero and ingratiate himself with Iron Fist and Power Man. Captain Hero's misuse of powers leaves Iron Fist apparently dead and triggers disintegration.[17]
The Super-Skrull's imprisonment shielded him from the effects of Zabyk's Disaster, when the Skrulls lost their shape-shifting ability.[18] When the Skrull Empire falls into disarray, Kl'rt goes into hiding on Earth and later attacks the Fantastic Four. He escapes his imprisonment and resumes contact with the Skrull Empire. The Super-Skrull seeks to take Young Avengers member Hulkling into protective custody because the latter has Skrullian heritage due to being the son of Princess Anelle. He impersonates the willing Hulkling (who wishes to remain on Earth) and returns to space able to spy on the Skrulls and the Kree who also have a stake in Hulkling's mixed parentage since the latter is the son of Mar-Vell.[19]
During the Annihilation War, Kl'rt tries to stop the destructive wave before it reaches the Skrull world, where his son was. After he is nearly overwhelmed by the forces of Annihilus, he sacrifices himself by destroying the warship Harvester of Sorrow, however unable to save his son. Kl'rt meets Praxagora, a Negative Zone android who becomes his lover.[4] His body is later recovered and revived.[20] Kl'rt joins Ronan the Accuser and Zak-Del to reclaim the Kree home world from a Phalanx invasion.[21] In defeating the Phalanx, Ultron causes Praxagora's death.[22]
During the Skrulls' Secret Invasion of Earth, the Super-Skrull aids Nova against the Skrulls.[23]
After an unexplained capture, Kl'rt is seen as a prisoner on The Raft.[24]
During the "Infinity" storyline, the Super-Skrull is a member of the Galactic Council.[25] To repay the Avengers' efforts in the war and attain glory, Kl'rt accompanies Alliance forces to Earth to free it from occupation by Thanos and they liberate the Peak.[26] After his victory in the war against the Builders, Kl'rt is crowned emperor of the reborn Skrull Empire as the alien race is settled on the planet Tarnax II.[27]
During the "Return to Planet Hulk" story arc, the Super-Skrull arrived on the restored planet Sakaar. While Amadeus Cho's Hulk form was fighting the Warlord, the Super-Skrull unearthed the Time Stone and plans to use it to restore the Skrull Empire to its former glory.[28]
During the "Infinity Wars" storyline, Doctor Strange took the Time Stone from the Skrull sorcerer Mt'nox and used it to loop through time, creating multiple versions of himself to defeat Kl'rt.[29]
During the "Empyre" storyline, the Super-Skrull took part in the Kree/Skrull Alliance and was recruited by Tanalth the Pursuer to become part of Hulkling's inner circle. Though Hulkling did punch the Super-Skrull for what he did to his mother. The Super-Skrull states that the woman who raised him was Anelle's chambermaid and he has since regretted the action.[30] At the persuasion of Tanalth the Pursuer, the Super-Skrull talks about it stating that when a star builds up enough energy and detonates, the Pyre happens. The Super-Skrull revealed that he had to use it on the Kral system where the Skrull colonies that imitated Earth's culture were wiped out during the Cotati's invasion much to the shock of Captain Marvel.[31] Following the Cotati's defeat, Hulkling makes the Super-Skrull pay for what he did to his foster mother by making him live with his actions and transferring him to diplomatic services effective immediately.[32] In his first diplomatic mission, the Super-Skrull and his subaltern Val-Korr go into peace talks with Noh-Varr of the Kree, Nova of the Nova Corps, Lani Ko Ako of the Badoon Sisterhood, Nymbus Sternhoff of the Kymellians, Emperor Stote of the Zn'rx who went to the restroom, Mentacle of the Rigellians, Oracle-2 of the Shi'ar, Zoralis Gupa from the planet Silnius, Empress Victoria of Spartax, and Peacekeeper of the Chitauri. The representatives go into peace talks while bringing up the Pyre incident and Hulkling's marriage to Wiccan. Nova proposes that all pan-world treaties remain in force and all forbidden weaponry to be decommissioned which Empress Victoria supports. When Emperor Stote is found dead and Marvel Boy is a suspect after attacking Val-Korr, Nova calls in the Guardians of the Galaxy to investigate Emperor Stote's murder.[33] After reviewing what had happened up to Emperor Stote's murder, the Super-Skrull states that a Snarkwar has begun in the Zn'rx race to decide his successor and declines Oracle-2's suggestion of a mind-probe. When asked by Rocket Raccoon to shoot Noh-Varr in the head with Val-Korr's gun, he does and part of the Super-Skrull's head gets shot off and regenerates. Rocket Raccoon states that the gun is a gene-scanner which kill anyone who uses it on a Kree and suspects that one of the representatives was responsible. He has the Proscenium's computer system initiate the voice override code 877-Delta for one hour, instructs Oracle-2 and Mentacle to scan the minds, has Moondragon scan Oracle-2 and Mentacle's minds at the same time. The scan goes on until it reaches the mind of Peacekeeper as he initiates a bio-bomb on his chest while stating that he was to bring peace to the enemies who despise hive-kind. As Hercules and Phyla-Vell restrain Peacekeeper, Nova and Noh-Varr work to disarm the bio-bomb as Rocket Raccoon figures out that Lani Ko Ako is the true culprit since the Badoon Sisterhood have never left their planet nor sent anyone to represent them. Lani Ko Ako deactivates her image inducer revealing that she is the Profiteer who interfered in the peace meeting since it would put her out of work of selling weapons to feuding sides. After Zoralis Gupa takes an urgent call while mentioning to the person on the other side to warn all neighboring systems, he tells Victoria that it is the End of Everything as different planets are starting to die in the planets owned by the Shi'ar, the Kree/Skrull Alliance, and the Zn'rx while rendering the galactic economy fragile enough to go bankrupt. Knowing that she will not make a profit, the Profiteer teleports Peacekeeper and the bio-bomb away. While thanking Zoralis Gupa for fooling the Profiteer with the bluff, Zoralis Gupa states to the Super-Skrull and everyone present that something darker than Galactus is destroying the worlds and its name is Knull.[34]
Powers and abilities
Kl'rt can shapeshift like all Skrulls but his bionic re-engineering thanks to Skrull scientists is a greater version which usually of the Fantastic Four's superpowers. Originally, these capabilities are being amplified from a special relaying satellite via Tarnax IV. The prolonged exposure to its beams have since made them permanent. Kl'rt also possesses mind control via eye contact, is an accomplished combatant, a competent starship pilot, talented impersonator, and highly trained in the martial applications of his powers.[35]
Other versions
Earth-6309
In this reality, Kl'rt is the Skrull lord of Colony UK7 and a Captain Britain Corps member.[39]
Heroes Reborn
In the "Heroes Reborn" universe created by Franklin Richards, the Super-Skrull masquerades as Wyatt Wingfoot, tricks Doctor Doom into capturing the Silver Surfer and steals Galactus's powers. When the Fantastic Four release the Surfer from Doom, he defeats Kl'rt.[40]
Marvel Zombies
Several Super-Skrulls appear in the Marvel Zombies series. He is infected by the zombified Spider-Man before a zombified Thing rips off his right arm and seemingly kills him.[41] Another infected version appears in Marvel Zombies Return, in which he fights Zombie Spider-Man and the zombie New Avengers before he is killed by Iron Man.[42] When the Fantastic Four of Earth-616 (Black Panther, Storm, the Thing, and the Human Torch) visited the Marvel Zombies universe, they encountered four Skrulls who had been given the powers of one of the original Fantastic Four each in an attempt to replace the Super-Skrull, with Lyja becoming the "Invisible Woman".[43] These four Skrulls are later turned into zombies when Galactus attacks,[44] and the Fantastic Four take them apart before moving on to another dimension.[45]
Professor W's X-Men
In this two-issue limited series, the Super-Skrull has been killed by Rogue and his powers have been stolen. His abilities, superpowers and darker personality traits remain in Rogue as the latter joins Cyclops's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.[46] Professor W's X-Men appear in X-Men: Millennial Visions (2000) #2000 (Aug. 2000) and X-Men: Millennial Visions (2001) #2001 (Jan. 2002).
Ultimate Marvel
The Ultimate Marvel version of Kl'rt is the Skrull emperor and oldest living Skrull. In an alternate timeline, created when the Fantastic Four attempt to undo the accident that gave them their powers, their teleportation experiments allowed them to contact seemingly benevolent Skrulls, who manipulate them as part of their plan to use Earth's technology to further their conquests. Despite wearing an anti-assassination suit that allows him to duplicate the powers of any superhuman in a thousand-mile radius, Kl'rt is defeated by the powerless Ben Grimm, the last human on Earth, who had no powers for him to replicate.[47]
Marvel Mangaverse
An original incarnation of the Super-Skrull named Kreega appears in Marvel Mangaverse.[48]
Squadron Supreme
The Skrullian Skymaster, also known as Skymax, is a member of the Squadron Supreme who possesses the same powers as Kl'rt.[49]
Venomized
A "Poison Super-Skrull" appears in Venomized #5.[50]
