Marvel Database
Register
Advertisement

History

Preface[]

The datation for the early stages of the Empire varies, with events seemingly irreconcilable, possibly due to errors or retcons.

Origins[]

In the Kree Year Zero, about a million years ago,[3] the Kree had their first encounter with the Skrulls. The meeting went disastrously and the long and bitter war started between the two races. The Kree eventually spread throughout the galaxy, establishing a vast empire.[4]

Within a hundred years of acquiring interstellar technology from the Skrulls, the Kree empire began to spread throughout the Greater Magellanic Cloud.[5]

Kree-Skrull War[]

For the full presentation of this event, please consult the Kree-Skrull War page.

The Kree launched an attack upon the Skrull Empire and the peaceful Skrulls were forced to return to their warlike tendencies to defend themselves. The Kree-Skrull War continued for hundreds of thousands of years.[5]

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 worshiping the Cotati that they had kept sheltered. To further hide and keep them safe, the priests relocated the surviving Cotati throughout the universe.[6]

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.[citation needed]

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 worshiped and an organized religion built up around.[7]

Activities in prehistoric Earth's solar system[]

The Kree Empire attempted an invasion of Earth about 66 million years ago, but were repelled by a Tyrannosaurus rex imbued with the power of the Starbrand.[8] That event presumably happens via time travel,[9] as the Kree began their space-faring activities only about a million years ago.

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 genetic potential, invested in it by the alien Celestials. Intrigued, the Kree began to experiment on Earth's pre-humans.[10]

Experimenting on Earthlings[]

Homo antecessor from Fantastic Four Vol 1 577 0001

The Kree, after earlier having been vivisecting the Eternal Arlok (found in space after the destruction of Ouranos' spaceship), found out the Celestials' experiments on terrans.[11]

The Kree experimented on Homo antecessor, leading the way to the Inhumans.[12]

The Inhumans' Creation[]

For the full presentation of this race, please consult the Inhuman History page.

Around 25.000 years ago,[13] The Kree travelled to Earth to investigate possible ways of circumventing their own evolutionary stagnation, and to create a powerful race of soldiers for use against the Skrulls. The Kree (along with a Sentry) came to a tribe of Neanderthals and experimented on them,[10] because of their genetic potential for manipulation,[10][12] which was discovered due to the Kree dissecting Arlok, a fallen-in-combat Eternal, and finding out the Celestials' experiments on the early humans.[10]

Those Kree experiments lasted for twenty-five years, and led to the creations of an offshoot eventually known as the Inhumans;[11] their divergence from humanity occurring twenty-five thousand years ago. 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.[14]

The Kree abandoned the project eventually, but stationed a giant surveillance robot, Sentry 459, on a small South Pacific island.[15]

Kree dormant evolution[]

At some point, allegedly due to a Kree trying to acquire the Crystal of Ultimate Vision without denying the temptation of its powers,[16] Kree evolution became dormant.[17]

4th century BC[]

Along with other Kree Eternals, Ard-Con journeyed through space and traveled to Earth 4000 years ago. After being mistaken for Gods by the Celts, all Kree Eternals soon left, save for Ard-Con who lived there for a millennium, but was soon imprisoned by Tantalus.[18]

2nd century BC[]

In 200 B.C. A great Greek inventor, Archimedes utilized his intellect to build the Colossus of Rhodes, a massive mechanical construct with which he defended Rhodes against a Kree Sentry, defeating the Sentry, but at the cost of the Colossus of Rhodes.[19]

Modern Era[]

The Fantastic Four's unwary awakening of the long-dormant Sentry, alerted the Kree to Earth's advanced state of evolution. The Sentry's destruction brought the Kree official Ronan the Accuser, with the intent of passing judgment on those who "murdered" the outpost guard; his own defeat increased Kree scrutiny of Earth.[20]

The Supreme Intelligence sent a group of soldiers on a secret mission to Earth commanded Yon-Rogg. Mar-Vell was sent undercover to infiltrate human society. He took the identity of Dr. Walter Lawson a recently deceased N.A.S.A. scientist. Yon-Rogg was jealous of Mar-Vell and Una and tried to kill him while on Earth.[21]

An Aakon force battled a Kree contingent led by Captain Marvel and Yon-Rogg on the dark side of the Moon. Both sides suffered losses and the Aakon escaped.[22]

The Earth's importance as a strategic beachhead became apparent when the Avengers became involved in the latest round of Kree-Skrull hostilities. 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, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Yellowjacket, 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 'Skrull' armada en route to devastate the planet Earth; an equivalent Kree fleet poised to annihilate 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 was deemed to be MIA and presumed dead).

The war came to a close when the Supreme Intelligence managed to bring Rick Jones into his presence. The Supreme 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 Supreme Intelligence cared little for the fate of Earth and its inhabitants, he recognized 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 Supreme 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 tragedy 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.[23]

New Kree-Skrull War[]

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".[citation needed] 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. Leadership of the Kree was assumed for a time by an alien named Clumsy Foulup.[24] Another significant conflict arose during the Infinity Gauntlet event 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.[25]

Kree-Shi'ar War[]

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 engineered by the Skrull and the Supreme Intelligence.[26] The Avengers of Earth became involved in the conflict and their involvement (primarily between the Vision and Wonder Man) inadvertently set off a chain of events which led to a Nega-Bomb being detonated in Kree space. The bomb explosion, in which negative energy was released into space causing an extremely powerful explosive and radioactive reaction, devastating the Kree empire and killing ninety eight percent of the entire Kree population. This act of extreme genocide led to the Kree's surrender to the Shi'ar. 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.[27]

A Kree territory was then annexed by the Shi'ar, with Majestrix Lilandra naming her sister Deathbird as the territory's administrator.[26] Deathbird has since abandoned this post and it appears that the Kree Empire has, at least in some part, been re-established as they again had larger numbers and a feared Army.[28]

Ruul and Return of the Empire[]

The remaining Kree were evolved into the Ruul through the machinations of the Supreme Intelligence.[29][30]

The Kree have since returned to their prior form.[28] The general consensus, explained by Elysius is that when Captain Marvel convinced Entropy (son of Eternity) to destroy the universe, but then to recreate it almost exactly alike albeit with Entropy having become Eternity, it caused some 'discrepancies' (such as Genis-Vell's mother being still alive, and having a grownup daughter) and that some of these 'discrepancies' seemingly rippled back across time and showed up before the reconstruction of the universe, including the Kree again being an influential Empire and no longer appearing as the Ruul.[31]

Destruction of Hala[]

With the resurgence of the Black Vortex, a powerful item capable of unleashing the cosmic potential of whoever used it, the Kree attempted to destroy it. The Supreme Intelligence sent Ronan and the Accuser Corps to take it from their current possessors, the cosmically enhanced Gamora, Beast, and Angel.[32]

In retaliation, the three cosmically-enhanced beings assaulted Hala.[33] The Accuser Corps tried to fight off their attackers, but were notably overpowered. After being denied by the Supreme Intelligence to use the power of the Black Vortex to fight back, Ronan the Accuser disobeyed him, and submitted to its power, ensuring a successful defense for the Kree homeworld, and forcing Gamora, Beast, and Angel to flee after the latter was knocked down.[34]

Once the dust settled, the Kree attempted to get rid of the Black Vortex once more. However, they were attacked by Mister Knife and the Slaughter Lords, another party interested in the Vortex. Taking advantage of the state of frailty in which Hala was left, he used all the firepower of his flying fortress to destroy the planet. The Supreme Intelligence demanded his Accuser Corps to escape, while he remained in Hala and perished.[35]

Potential Resurgence[]

Remnants of the now-broken empire enacted their own plans for rebuilding, as well as seeking retribution for what had been down to the throneworld.[36][37][38]

Thanks to the power of a cosmic artifact known as the Black Vortex; Ronan, one of the last living Accusers, was last seen alive within the decimated remains of the destroyed Kree home planet, wallowing in bitterness and despair over the destruction of his protectorate charge.[39] He beset the royal envoy of Inhuman spacefarers led by Marvel Boy, who sought to reinvigorate the empire via a Plex Intelligence seedling while on their jaunt through the cosmos.[40]

Ronan still bore inherent resentments of Crystal and the Royal family due to having left the dominion, more importantly; of her having left him behind.[41]

But after they all had escaped his judgement, placated by cosmically simulated Pocket Battlefield techniques, Noh-Varr initiated a Supremor regenesis via implementing a seedling of his old Plex command module in an attempt to revitalize the Kree Empire as a pacifistic enterprise instead of it's warmongering predecessor.[42]

Kree Civil War[]

An outlier of Kree explorers returned to the remains of their shattered realm, horrified to learn that a band of Brigands led by a disgraced king turned criminal mastermind had destroyed it. Masterminding an ultimate plan to revitalize their shattered fiefdom, these remnants disposed Ronan and subjected him to inhumane cybernetics experimentation; rechristening themselves as the Kree Imperium.[43]

They deployed a monstrous super-inhuman carrying all the powers of its adjacent race by the name of Vox to attack and slaughter any and all Inhumans across the galaxy who would not join their cause willingly.[44]

As Black Bolt refused to aid these loathsome individuals who committed atrocities against his subjects in preparation for war against Earth and its Inhuman Population. Vox had the Inhuman King crippled by slitting his throat.[43] But the Midnight King would escape his confines and slaughter his would be slave master while giving the desecrated Ronan an honorable end with his voice. Blackagar would find rescue at the hand of his family with aid from Lockjaw's friend; Beta Ray Bill.[45]

The lot are horrified to discover that there is no super-inhuman, but a whole enclave of bionically modified inhumans enslaved by the heretical Imperium to do their bidding.[46]

The Inhuman royal family set out to do final battle with their tormentors only to be met by a brainwashed Crystal & Lockjaw. Black Bolt used the last of his energy to decimate the Inhuman army, putting an end to the Kree Imperium's threat.[47]

As the civil war raged on, the two factions eventually established a ceasefire by the Imperium's leader, Emperor Dorrek VIII. The civil war had disastrous effects on the Kree Empire as they were no longer an empire, and so rebranded themselves as the Utopian Kree.[2]

Culture[]

Law[]

The known elements of the Krew Law[48] or the Kree Legal System, was developed thanks to the Voldi's influence.[49]

Koth was the first lawgiver of the Kree, and some of the funding rules of Kree law are contained in the Tablets of Koth.[48]

The Accusers are the enforcers of Kree law.[50]

Ronan, as the Accuser, was called to judge upon trials.[51] He is therefore a Kree legislator.[48] Ronan also presented himself as judge and jury, master and supreme Accuser of the Kree Authority.[52]

Other protagonists includes the "Supreme Judiciary".[48]

The jurisdiction of Kree Law extend to every place where Kree sets foots, as according to the tablets of Koth, the first lawgiver, "wheresoever Kree sets foot so shall Kree law hold sway".[48]

The very fact of being of showing slight distrust for the leaders was enough to cause arrest.[50]

Of all crimes, the ultimate one was to be "un-Kree".[51]

The sentences include:

In unsolved cases, the Accusers can decide not to decide and let the tried be, judging him upon his actions to come.[51]

The Kree maintained a strict apartheid system towards the pink-skinned Kree, favoring the blue-skinned Kree. It is unknown what status is applied to the "throwback" Blue Kree occurring in pink families.[50]

Some of the Kree inventions were outlawed, such as the organic-destroying robots Null-Trons and the genetic-enhance Psyche-Magnitron.[50]

Religions[]

Supreme Intelligence[]

As the Kree prized science and rational thought, they created a living God to those ideals: the Supreme Intelligence.[55] The worship of that creature was made the Kree official state religion.[7]

The afterlife of the Kree is the Etherplex.[56]

Others[]

An Kree Army officer and his crew once prayed to the "Gods of Pama". The prayer ended this way: "...and consign you to the gods of Pama, for your having died valiantly in battle... a death that the Kree appreciate above anything else. So say we all".[57]

Korath the Pursuer once made an omen to Gardar,[54] possibly a Kree god.

A group of Kree also worshiped a being known as Tam-Bor,[58] and Mar-Vell had also invoked his name.[59]

The ex-prime minister Zarek posed as a god-like being named Zo in order to seize control over the empire.[58]

The government allowed the Universal Church of Truth to erect temples throughout the Kree Empire, including on Kree-Lar.[7]

Some Kree also gathered into secret sects of Cotati worshipers.[7]

The creators of the Kree, the Progenitors, have been called gods of the Kree,[17][42] in the same way that the Kree have been called gods to the Inhumans.[17]

Sim-Del, a Kree scientist, had researched and studied a God of Light who was able light an entire galaxy.[60]

On Earth-1610, the Kree worshiped the being known as Hala, who was also the alleged ancestor of Mahr Vehl.[61]

In the Cancerverse, just like the majority of the beings, the Kree also worshiped the Many-Angled Ones following their takeover of the universe.[62]

Atheism[]

On Earth-200080, the Kree were seemingly atheists, learning in their early childhood a mathematical equation proving the nonexistence of any deities.[63]

Languages[]

The Kree language (simply known as "Kree")[64] exist in different versions, including at least ancient Imperial Kree[65] and Kreevian.[66]

Arts[]

The Kree had an Era of Symbolism in their history of theatre.[67]

Money[]

The Kree used as currency the kredits,[68] or credits.[69]

Technology[]

The Kree possess technologies common to most alien races, including:

Notes

  • The Kree Empire were compared to Fascists.[48]
  • The Earth year 2008 was the 'four hundred and fifty-six Kehn-Vell Sah' in the Kree calendar.[71]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. Fantastic Four (Vol. 6) #21
  2. 2.0 2.1 Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #1
  3. Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #6
  4. Avengers #133134
  5. 5.0 5.1 Avengers #133
  6. Avengers #134
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #7
  8. Avengers (Vol. 8) #26
  9. Empyre Handbook #1 ; Kree's profile
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 What If? #28
  11. 11.0 11.1 What If #28
  12. 12.0 12.1 Fantastic Four #577
  13. Inhumanity #1
  14. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #6
  15. 15.0 15.1 Fantastic Four #64
  16. X-Men Annual #11
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Royals #5
  18. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #5
  19. S.H.I.E.L.D.: Infinity #1
  20. Fantastic Four #6465
  21. Marvel Super-Heroes #12
  22. Captain Marvel #89
  23. Avengers #8997
  24. Silver Surfer (Vol. 3) #31
  25. Infinity Gauntlet #2
  26. 26.0 26.1 Avengers #347
  27. Imperial Guard #3
  28. 28.0 28.1 Captain Marvel (Vol. 5) #34
  29. Maximum Security #13
  30. Captain Marvel (Vol. 4) #2425
  31. Captain Marvel (Vol. 5) #18
  32. All-New X-Men #38
  33. All-New X-Men #39
  34. Guardians Team-Up #3
  35. Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3) #25
  36. Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 4) #2
  37. Starbrand & Nightmask #2
  38. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1012
  39. Royals #3
  40. Royals #45
  41. Royals #4
  42. 42.0 42.1 Royals #6
  43. 43.0 43.1 Death of Inhumans #2
  44. Death of Inhumans #1
  45. Death of Inhumans #3
  46. Death of Inhumans #4
  47. Death of Inhumans #5
  48. 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 48.5 48.6 Annihilation: Ronan #1
  49. Iron Man (Vol. 5) #6
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6
  51. 51.0 51.1 51.2 Captain Marvel #5
  52. 52.0 52.1 Inhumans (Vol. 3) #3
  53. Annihilation: Ronan #2
  54. 54.0 54.1 Annihilation: Ronan #3
  55. X-Men Unlimited #5
  56. Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1
  57. Captain Marvel (Vol. 5) #3
  58. 58.0 58.1 Captain Marvel #1516
  59. Captain Marvel #44
  60. Web of Venom: Wraith #1
  61. Ultimate Secret #4
  62. Annihilation - Scourge: Silver Surfer #1
  63. Dark Reign: The List - Wolverine #1
  64. Extreme Venomverse #3 ; Greatness and Catastrophe
  65. Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games #1
  66. Avengers (Vol. 3) #7
  67. Star-Lord #8
  68. Captain Marvel #11
  69. Iron Man #279
  70. Mighty Avengers #30
  71. Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 2) #2
Advertisement