Kree

Kree
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Fantastic Four vol. 1 #65 (1967)
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby

Template:Cosmic Marvel The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Their first on-panel appearance was in Fantastic Four (volume 1) #65 (August 1967), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Biology

Famous Kree. Interial panel from
Annihilation: Ronan #1.
Art by Scott Kolins.

True Kree resemble humans almost exactly, with the exception of sky-blue skin. Kree have a higher strengh level than that of a human, and require more nitrogen to breathe comfortably.

The Kree were an evolutionary stagnant race. This was due to a single member of the Kree race attempting to gain control of The Crystal of Ultimate Vision (Giant Sized X-Men Annual #11). This un-named Kree found the crystal, but attempted to use it to become akin to a god, with powers as of those of the Phoenix Force. As punishment, the crystal "genetically froze their evolution in place" allowing the rest of creation to pass them by. In an attempt to further their development, some Kree bred with other species, producing the 'pink-skinned' Kree, who are similar in appearance to Caucasian humans. These pinks (also called 'whites') eventually outnumbered the blue-skin Kree.

Still, the Supreme Intelligence arranged for further advancement of the Kree. Through a series of events discussed below during Operation: Galactic Storm and the Destiny War, he arranged for a large number of his people to be irradiated with a Nega-Bomb (killing 90% of the Kree), and then artificially sped up their evolution by means of an artifact called the Forever Crystal.

This new brand of evolved Kree, called Ruul, have a grayish skin tone and many shoulder-length tentacles atop their heads. Individuals possess the ability to 'will' adaptation to different environments, spontaneously developing the ability to breathe underwater, fly, or whatever their circumstances require.

Culture

The Kree are a nationalistic society, with the only widespread religion being worship of the Supreme Intelligence. A small minority practice Cotati religion, but this is forbidden (very early Captain Marvel stories mentioned an 'idol' called Tam-Borr and a 'fabricated' god named Zo, whom Marvel served between issues 11 and 15). Some are members of the Universal Church of Truth.

Kree names are usually short, being one or two syllables. Given names are separated from surnames by a hyphen. Examples include Mar-Vell, Yon-Rogg, Una-Rogg, and Zey-Rogg.

Kree are often given comic book references as names, such as Mar-Vell (Marvel Comics), Att-las (Atlas Comics), Dea-Sea (DC Comics), and Star-Lyn (Jim Starlin).

Technology

The Kree control a vast empire that stretched across the Greater Magellanic Cloud. They are the only race in the galaxy to possess the Omni-Wave Projector technology, a device which can enable communication across hyperspace as well as be used in an offensive capacity as a weapon. They also possess cloaking technology, which they call the 'aura of negativity'.

History

Antiquity

Millennia ago a race of humanoid reptiles called the Skrulls came upon prehistoric Hala. At that time the Skrulls were a largely peaceful spacefaring race, and they set about educating the natives to the point where they could join their trading empire. However, Hala was home to two equally intelligent races, the Kree and the Cotati.

The Skrulls proposed a test to determine the worthier race. Taking members of both races to a distant planetoid in another galaxy, Earth's moon, the Skrulls created an arena, the Blue Area, and bid the two races to use the resources they had to create something of worth. The Skrulls then left. The Kree constructed a magnificent city, while the Cotati created a beautiful garden.

A year later the Skrulls returned to judge the two races and found the Cotati's accomplishment the worthier. Enraged, the Kree killed the Skrulls and the Cotati and seized the Skrulls' starship. They used the ship to return to their native planet, then set about deciphering the technology of the starship.

Kree-Skrull War

Main article: Kree-Skrull War

Within a hundred years of acquiring interstellar technology from the Skrulls, the Kree empire began to spread throughout the Greater Magellanic Cloud Galaxy. The Kree launched an attack upon the Skrull empire and the peaceful Skrulls were again forced to become war-like to defend themselves. The Kree-Skrull War would continue for hundreds of thousands of years.

At the same time the Cotati on Hala were almost driven to extinction by the Kree. However, a small handful of Kree, the pacifist priests of Pama, hid and kept safe a group of Cotati. Eventually these Kree began worshipping the Cotati that they had kept sheltered. To further hide and keep them safe, the priests relocated the surviving Cotati throughout the universe.

About 250 years later the Kree Science Council, aware that the Skrulls had once created an incredibly powerful weapon called the Cosmic Cube, designed a cybernetic/organic supercomputer called the Supreme Intelligence (sometimes referred to by the honorific "Supremor") to help them in creating a Cube. When the computer became functional, it determined that a Cosmic Cube would be too dangerous to construct and refused the Science Council's request. The computer was then used simply in an advisory capacity.

At the beginning of the Kree-Skrull War, millions of years ago in Earth time, the Kree established a station on the planet Uranus, a strategic position between the Kree and Skrull empires. Through their work at this station, they discovered that sentient life on nearby Earth had had genetic potential invested in it by the alien Celestials. Intrigued, the Kree began to experiment on Earth's then-primitive homo sapiens.

Their goal was apparently twofold — to investigate possible ways of circumventing their own evolutionary stagnation, and to create a powerful mutant race of soldiers for use against the Skrulls. However, although their experiments were successful in creating a strain of humanity with extraordinary and diverse abilities, the Kree abandoned their experiment for reasons which are not yet clear.

Their test subjects, eventually dubbed the Inhumans, went on to form a society of their own, which thrived in seclusion from the rest of humanity. Their city Attilan has frequently been relocated and as of 2005 stories rests in the Blue Area of the Moon. The Kree abandoned the project eventually, but stationed a giant surveillance robot, Sentry 459, on a small South Pacific island. The Fantastic Four's unwary awakening of the long-dormant Sentry, in Fantastic Four #64 (July 1967), alerted the Kree to Earth's advanced state of evolution. The Sentry's destruction brought the Kree official Ronan the Accuser the following issue, with the intent of passing judgment on those who "murdered" the outpost guard; his own defeat increased Kree scrutiny of Earth, setting off a chain of events that continues to reverberate.

Over time, and as the war with the Skrull dragged on, the Supreme Intelligence gradually accrued more and more political power and responsibility until finally it was elected as absolute ruler of the Kree. Eventually, the Supreme Intelligence came to be worshipped and an organized religion built up around it.

The War Comes to Earth: The Mighty Avengers # 89-97

The Earth's importance as a strategic beachhead became apparent when the Avengers became involved in the latest round of Kree-Skrull hostilities. During this early 70s story-arc, the Skrull were revealed to have been infiltrating human society in an effort to control America's political infrastructure, using their shape-shifting abilities to replace key political figures. In the meantime, the Kree were reestablishing cultural ties with the Inhumans, ostensibly for the purpose of technological exchange, although their true intentions turned out to be far more sinister.

At this point, Captain Marvel, former hero of the Kree Empire, approached the Avengers with evidence that renegade elements within the Kree Hierarchy (led by Ronan the Accuser) were planning to 'erase' humanity through the use of exotic technology. This particular scheme was foiled by Marvel and the Avengers (comprised, at that time, of Goliath 2, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Yellow Jacket, the Wasp, and eternal side-kick Rick Jones) but it proved to be only the tip of the iceberg.

As the war escalated and Earth's position became increasingly precarious, the original Avengers (including Thor, Iron Man and Captain America) were recalled to active service after a Skrull scouting party (led by interstellar menace The Super-Skrull) managed to abduct Marvel, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. The Skrull also attempted to destroy the Inhumans' Great Refuge with a nuclear-level incendiary device, but failed when the Avengers intervened. This was the group's first inkling that an interplanetary war was being fought over possession of the Earth. During the ensuing conflict, the Skrull took his prisoners back to the Skrull homeworld, leaving the remaining Avengers to pick up the pieces and reform their tattered forces.

The conflict worsened when the Avengers began to understand the scale of the war erupting all around them. Setting off in pursuit of their kidnapped allies, they discovered a vast 'Skrullian' armada en route to devastate the planet Earth; an equivalent Kree fleet poised to anhilliate the Skrulls; and a full-scale insurrection breaking out between the Supreme Intelligence and Ronan the Accuser. All sides were determined to either invade or decimate the Earth in order to prevent it falling into the 'wrong' hands. Led by Thor, Iron Man and The Vision, the Avengers launched an attack on the Skrull flagship, somehow managing to turn back the fleet after a desperate battle (during which Goliath 2 was deemed to be MIA and presumed dead).

The war came to a close in Avengers # 96 and 97, when the Supreme Intelligence managed to bring Rick Jones into his presence. The Intelligence had been usurped by Ronan the Accuser, but (as he explained to Rick in retrospect), he was still capable of channelling his powers through an agent. While the Intelligence cared little for the fate of Earth and its inhabitants, he recognised that the Kree-Skrull war was futile, and temporarily altered Rick's DNA to release his 'full evolutionary potential.' Armed with godlike powers, Rick literally froze both Kree and Skrull forces in mid-stride, allowing the Intelligence to re-establish control over his people and bring the war to a halt.

The effort proved too much for Rick's fragile human physiology; as he collapsed lifeless to the floor, the Supreme Intelligence teleported the remaining Avengers to his side to witness his grim sacrifice. The irony was not lost on the assembled heroes, who reflected that a frail teenaged boy had succeeded where all of their collective might had failed. The final act in the cosmic tragegy was played out by Captain Marvel, who - understanding the debt owed by all of them - agreed to merge his life-force with Rick's body, bringing the boy back from the brink of death: at the cost of his own existence.

And with that, Marvel's first Kree-Skrull saga reached its final conclusion.

Further Kree-Skrull Wars

At several points in the years after the end of the first Kree-Skrull war hostilities were said to have broken out again between the two empires. It is unclear how serious these conflicts were though they were often referred to as "wars".

The most significant of these instances came when the Skrulls lost their ability to shapeshift, and a Skrull Warlord provoked new hostilities. During this war, the Supreme Intelligence was incapacitated by the Silver Surfer who removed the Soul Gem which the creature used to maintain peaceful balance between its blue and pink Kree components. Afterwards, Nenora, a Skrull spy in the guise of a high ranking Kree official, took command of the Kree empire. The war ended with Nenora being exposed as a Skrull. Rulership of the Kree was assumed for a time by an alien named Clumsy Foulup.

Another significant conflict arose during the Infinity Gauntlet crossover when the machinations of Thanos led to the sudden elimination of half the universes lifeforms. Unaware of Thanos' role in the disappearance, the Kree and the Skrull blamed each other and temporarily renewed fighting.

Kree-Shi'ar War

Main article: Operation: Galactic Storm

Not long after the conflicts with the Skrull ended, the Kree again found themselves embroiled in a war, this time with the Shi'ar Empire. This war was much shorter, and was possibly engineered by the Skrull and the Supreme Intelligence.

The Avengers of Earth became involved in the conflict and their involvement inadvertently set off a chain of events which led to a Nega-Bomb being detonated in Kree space (in the Operation Galactic Storm crossover, ending in Avengers #347 (May, 1992). The bomb explosion, in which negative energy was released into space causing an extremely powerful explosive and radioactive reaction, devastated the Kree empire, and led to its surrender to the Sh'iar. The Supreme Intelligence was eventually revealed as being ultimately responsible for the bomb's detonation, the whole thing being a bid to kickstart the Kree race's genetic development.

Kree territory was then annexed by the Sh'iar, with Majestrix Lilandra naming her sister Deathbird as the territories' administrator. Deathbird has since abandoned this post and it appears that the Kree Empire has, at least in some part, been reestablished.

Ruul and Retcon

During the Maximum Security storyline in 2001, the remaining Kree were evolved into the Ruul through the machinations of the Supreme Intelligence.

The Kree have since appeared in Peter David's Captain Marvel run, where they had returned to prior form. The consensus is that, during one of the storylines, where Captain Marvel convinced Entropy (son of Eternity) to destroy the universe, but then to recreate it almost exactly alike, causing some 'disrepancies' (such as Genis-Vell's mother being still alive, and having a grown-up daughter).

Kree soldiers also appeared during Avengers Disassembled, when they attacked the Earth and were driven off by the Avengers; in the process, Hawkeye was killed. But this may not have been the real Kree, as the entire incident was later revealed to be a product of the Scarlet Witch's reality-altering powers.

Annihilation

In Annilation #2 it is revealed that the Kree forces, commanded by the merchant House of Fiyero, make up 90% of the United Front. In #5, after mercy killing the Supreme Intelligence and wiping out the House of Fiyero, Ronan the Accuser assumes control of the Kree Empire.

Other versions of the Kree

Ultimate Kree

The Kree were introduced to the Ultimate Marvel Universe by the miniseries Ultimate Secret. The Ultimate Kree are brownish fishlike humanoids with green glowing eyes. They breathe an earthlike atmosphere, and their throats are unable to speak English without surgical modification. Ultimate Kree have a Supreme Intelligence, but it has not yet been shown. Finally, they worship a being called Hala, a historic figure comparable to Jesus or Buddha who preached on the preservation of life while claiming not to be a God.

Notable Kree

• The Supreme Intelligence or Intelligence Supreme - First appeared in Fantastic Four #64 (July 1967)
• Ronan the Accuser- a superpowered enforcer of Kree laws - First appeared in Fantastic Four #65 (Aug 1967)
• Zarek - Prime Minster - First appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec 1967).
• Captain Marvel - the Kree's greatest hero, who defected to Earth; deceased - First appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec 1967).
• Una - Mar-Vell's deceased lover - First appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec 1967).
• Colonel Yon-Rogg - an enemy of Mar-Vell, deceased - First appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec 1967).
• Morag - Prehistoric leader (deceased) - First appeared in Avengers #133 (Mar 1975)
• The Lunatic Legion - a Kree conspiracy group (includes Fer-Porr and Sro-Himm) - First appeared in Captain Marvel #37 (Mar 1975)
• Colonel Bel-Dann - First appeared in Uncanny X-Men #137 (Sep 1980)
• Bun-Dall - Servitor to Supremor - First appeared in Captain Marvel #45 (Jul 1976)
• Doctor Minerva- a female scientist and schemer - First appeared in Captain Marvel #49 (Mar 1977)
• Mac-Ronn – Scientist - First appeared in Captain Marvel #49 (Mar 1977)
• Falzon - Scientist - First appeared in Inhumans #3 (Feb 1976)
• Shatterstar (Arides) - Super-Kree Agent - First appeared in Inhumans #3 (Feb 1976)
• Genis-Vell & Phyla-Vell (half-Kree/half-Titan) - Mar-Vell's son and alternate reality daughter
• Una-Rogg- the daughter of Yon-Rogg and an enemy of Genis
• Zey-Rogg - son of Yon-Rogg and brother of Una-Rogg
• Captain Att-Las - an ally of Minerva's who has fought the Avengers and the Silver Surfer.
• Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) - It was revealed that the people of Zenn-La, Norrin's homeworld, were an offshoot of the Kree.
• Ultra Girl - an Earth superheroine who is a Kree savior, she is a Kree/Human mutant
• Carol Danvers - another Earth superheroine, who was genetically modified by accident, is effectively half-Kree
• The Priests of Pama
• Hulkling (real name Teddy Altman) of the Young Avengers through recent events, show he is a Kree/Skrull hybrid.
• Noh-Varr - A Kree soldier from a parallel reality, called Marvel Boy
• Richard Rider - A human member of the Nova Corp, who was offered honorary Kree status by Ronan after the events of Annihilation (comics).

From other realities:

• Mahr Vehl - known as Captain Marvel in the Ultimate Universe
• Yahn Rgg - Ultimate Universe version of Yon-Rogg
• Earth Sentry - A human/Kree hybrid from the MC2 future.

In other media

The Kree, most notably Ronan the Accuser and the Supreme Intelligence, appear in the first episode of the new Fantastic Four animated series, "Trial by Fire". Template:Spoilers According to Ronan, the Kree sent sentries which were attacked by Johnny Storm without provocation. It is then originally implied that they were simply trying to make contact and took offense, with Ronan explaining that they take an attack on their sentries as an attack on the empire. Later, however, Ronan also states that "the Kree do not make contact. They conquer!" After Johnny is sentenced to death. Still, Johnny later protects a Kree child that is threatened by a robotic lion meant to carry out the sentence. The Kree audience then disagrees with the ruling and the Supreme Intelligence agrees to spare Johnny for the moment, saying that the Fantastic Four may be useful against the Skrulls. Template:Endspoilers

In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, if you save the Skrull Homeworld, the Skrulls will help the Earth fight the Kree in their plans to enslave Earth.

References

• About the Kree on Marvel.com
• Marvel Appendix - Una
• Unofficial Chronology to the Marvel Universe
• Marvel Boy Noh-Varr