History
The Shi'ar are a race of avian-descended humanoids (see Biology).
Phoenix Saga
D'Ken Neramani, a corrupt Shi'ar ruler, attempted to use the powerful M'Kraan Crystal to take over the universe. His younger sister Lilandra and her new allies, the X-Men, foiled his plans. He was rendered comatose by the crystal, and Lilandra took over as the Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire.[3]
The Trial of Galactus
The Shi'ar put Reed Richards on trial for the crimes of genocide. He was guilty of reviving Galactus after he was defeated on Earth. Shortly after his revival, Galactus proceeded to consume the Skrull throneworld, resulting in the death of billions. Uatu the Watcher, acting as his lawyer and with the help of Odin and Galactus himself, convinced the gathered tribunal that Galactus was a necessary force of betterment of the universe, not a villain. This was done by summoning Eternity. The truth as shown by Eternity however, was so grand and overpowering that none of the tribunal's members could remember it fully, although the comprehension stayed.[4]
Deathbird, the Kree-Shi'ar War, and the Spartoi
Lilandra and D'Ken's unstable exiled elder sibling, Deathbird, made several attempts to overthrow her sister from power. Deathbird even resorted to attacking Lilandra's Earth-based allies in order to achieve her goals. She was also responsible for initially directing the alien parasites known as the Brood towards the Earth and its heroes.[5] Deathbird was eventually deposed with the assistance of the X-Men.[6]
The Shi'ar annexed the Kree Empire at the end of the Kree-Shi'ar War and Deathbird was placed into a prominent position as viceroy of Hala, the Kree homeworld. However, Deathbird did not last long in this position and the current status of the Kree territories is unclear.[7]
The Shi'ar have had recent contact with the Spartoi, described as an equally advanced distant race.[8]
Cassandra Nova
Professor Xavier's evil twin sister, Cassandra Nova, single-handedly destroyed a good portion of the Shi'ar Empire. Inhabiting the body of her brother, Nova asserted control of Empress Lilandra and caused a Shi'ar civil war. Jean Grey was instrumental in ending this threat.[9]
Phoenix Endsong & End of Greys
Even though Jean Grey did the Shi'ar a big favor by eliminating the threat of Cassandra Nova, the Shi'ar still wanted her dead. A group of Shi'ar tried to permanently kill the Phoenix Force and Jean Grey. Jean, however, escaped their suicide bomb attack and returned to the White Hot Room to restore herself.[10] The Shi'ar wanted to wipe out the Grey genome and Quentin Quire with the purpose of eliminating the possibility of a new Omega-level mutant becoming a host for the Phoenix Force. The Shi'ar Death Commandos murdered Jean Grey's father, mother, niece, nephew, and other relatives in a mass assassination, thus inciting the wrath of Jean's alternate reality daughter Rachel Summers, who vowed vengeance on the entire Shi'ar Empire.[11] Recent events seem to indicate the Shi'ar Council was responsible for this, and that Lilandra was unaware of what had been done in her name.[12]
Fall of the Shi'ar
Another Shi’ar threat came from an X-Men villain called Vulcan. During his tenure as majestor of the empire, D'Ken killed Vulcan's mother Katherine Summers (also mother to long time X-Men Scott and Alex Summers) and made him a slave for most of his adolescent life. Bent on revenge against D'Ken, Vulcan attacked the Empire. Not only that, but within the empire, there was a coup to dethrone Lilandra and return D'Ken to power, with the aid of Deathbird. The X-Men once again teamed up with their space allies, the Starjammers, to stop both Vulcan and the plot to return rulership of the empire to D'Ken. In the end, Vulcan killed his father, Corsair, and D'Ken, and assumed the throne of the Shi'ar Empire for himself, with Deathbird as his queen; Lilandra and the Starjammers led a resistance against Vulcan's rule.[13]
Emperor Vulcan
The civil war between Vulcan's forces and those loyal the dethroned Lilandra raged on. Led by Havok and the Starjammers, Lilandra's forces gradually whittled away at Vulcan's forces, which were plagued by defections. The Shi'ar, contrary to Vulcan's expectations, were not happy to have an outsider as their ruler. Vulcan was discouraged by this, but Deathbird convinced him that they would come to accept him.[citation needed]
Warned in advance of a rebel raid on Feather's Edge, Vulcan and his fleet ambushed the Starjammers. However, in the middle of the battle, his ship, the Hammer, was destroyed by the Scy'ar Tal (translates as "Death to the Shi'ar"). Vulcan and Gladiator (still the praetor of his Imperial Guard) attacked the leader of the Scy'ar Tal and were easily defeated, whereupon they retreated deeper into Shi'ar space.[citation needed]
Marvel Girl made contact with the Eldest Scy'ar Tal and discovered their true origin. The Scy'ar Tal were originally called the M'Kraan. Early in their history, the Shi'ar attacked them, killed a great number of their people, making the rest flee for their lives. Eventually, the Shi'ar settled on their planet, took the M'Kraan Crystal as their own, and passed down the legend of the M'Kraan Crystal as a sacred gift from their deities, Sharra & K'ythri. The M'Kraan then changed their name to Scy'ar Tal and devoted their culture and society to the destruction of the Shi'ar Empire. With their first attack, they destroyed Feather's Edge by transporting a star to obliterate it. After which, Vulcan made contact with the Starjammers to call a temporary ceasefire.[14]
Under the ceasefire, the Shi'ar and the Starjammers decided to take out the Finality, thus crippling the Scy'ar's biggest threat. Once Havok and Vulcan were in position to destroy Finality, the Eldest Scy'ar tried to stop them. Once Vulcan figured out how the Eldest was powered, he severed the connection Eldest had with his brothers, making him powerless. Once the connection was severed, the Scy'ar become unorganized, and the tide of the battle shifted to the Shi`ar. The Shi'ar then proceed to attack both the Scy'ar and the Starjammers. Meanwhile, Vulcan blasted Havok into a sun.[15]
Vulcan decided to use Finality to destroy the Scy'ar by using the weapon to place a star in the middle of their fleet. Alex returned and, having absorbed enough power to burn him, decided to end things with Vulcan. While they battled, Rachel and Korvus tried, but failed to stop the beacon that would initiate the attack by the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar Imperial Guard ended Alex's battle with Vulcan by appearing with the Starjammers in captivity, threatening to kill them. Before surrendering, Alex destroyed Finality. With Alex and the Starjammers in custody Vulcan declared that he would return the Shi'ar Empire to its former glory.[16]
Vulcan decides to once again pursue the expansionist policies that were abolished by Lilandra and launches an invasion of Kree space, capturing several outlying worlds. The Kree Empire now led by the Inhuman royal family retaliates and are locked in a bitter war against the Shi'ar. Vulcans faction of Shi'ar however are opposed from within by a faction led by former Majestrix Lilandra and the Starjammers led by Vulcans brother Alex. The Kree also gain assistance from among others the Guardians of the Galaxy as well as Blastaar. Gladiator eventually betrays Vulcan as well, siding with Lilandra. Vulcan accepts the aid of the ancient Brotherhood of Raptors who assassinate Lilandra during a riot on Chandilar.[17]
Meanwhile the Inhuman king Black Bolt plans to detonate a bomb which will turn the entire galaxy into Inhumans. Vulcan goes to stop him and after a bitter battle Vulcan makes Black Bolt scream (despite the fact that a whisper from Blackbolt can be deadly) which causes the bomb to overload and create a great fault rift in the Universe and presumably killing Black Bolt and Vulcan. On the ruins of Chandilar Gladiator picks up the Imperial Scepter and is hailed by the masses as Majestor.[18]
Gladiator's Rule
Gladiator reluctantly accepted the title of Majestor of the Shi'ar Empire but due to their defeat by the Kree, the Shi'ar are now little more than puppets of the Kree.[19]
Time Runs Out
When the focus of the decay of the universe was found to be the Earth, the Majestor adressed the Galactic Council, and decided that the Earth had to be destroyed to save the universe.[20] Even though the Shi'ar planned a sneak attack on the Earth, the Guardians of the Galaxy managed to discover their plan and warned the Avengers.[21]
While approaching Earth, the Shi'ar alerted humanity that they had two hours left to live until Earth was destroyed by their fleet. Using a super weapon capable of channeling the Earth's power, Sunspot and A.I.M. retaliated against the Shi'ar in front, while S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers used a Planetkiller seized from the Builders to attack from behind. However, A.I.M.'s weapon overheated and exploded, and the Planetkiller was destroyed by the Annihilation Wave. With no options left, the Avengers prepared to meet their end. However, the Illuminati used the controller disk of a rogue planet that shared the same space with Earth while phased while Iron Man flew to the Sol's Hammer, and prepared to use it.[22]
Iron Man charged and fired Sol's Hammer, successfully destroying the Shi'ar fleet, including the Imperial Guard.[23]
Shi'ar Biology
Close to to humans, the Shi'ar have specific biological and physiological features.
Technology
The Shi'ar possess technologies common to most alien races, including:
- Faster than light capable starships
- Energy-based weapons in their ships and in their handheld weapons
- Force fields
- Faster than light communication
- Teleportation technology
The Shi'ar also possess technologies fairly unique to them, including:
- Hologram technology: which was used by the X-Men in their Danger Room.
- Cloaking technology: rendering a craft completely invisible, used by the X-Men on their Blackbird aircraft.
- Stargates: Devices in a network system. They were used for travel to faraway distances. There were planet-based Stargates (used for personal travel to other solar systems and galaxies) and enormous space-based versions (used for starships to travel through).
- Starcracker technology: This was the Shi'ar ultimate weapon. The Starcracker caused stars to go supernova.
Most if not all Shi'ar technology was sentient.[24]
Culture
Languages
A Shi'ar "galaxian" stated that they "learn[ed] nearly every spoken languages".[25]
The Shi'ar have multiple forms, including the High Shi'ar, used for formal events,[26] and Shi'ar Glorkon dialect.[27]
Mostly for tactical terms or insults, the Shi'ar insert words of their language into English sentences.
- Please find here our Shi'ar Dictionary.
Arts
The Shi'ar are defiant toward arts such as drawing or music. They considered that music distorted perception.[28]
They fought the Fianden, a species of artists, musicians, singers, painters and carvers... with such beautiful creations that it could enter the Shi'ar and destroy their minds, save for those "defective", able to dream.[28][29]
Although, the Shi'ar did not forbid arts on conquered worlds,[28] and they at least produce theatre, such as the Absurdist Shi'ar play "The Spaceship That Wasn't There" (allegedly very "successful in its dialectic".[30]
Law
The Shi'ar are ruled by their own Shi'ar Law, also used for Council decisions.[31]
- Please find here the Shi'ar Law.
Philosophy
Traditionally, the Imperium aggressively absorbed new cultures. The story of the Shi'ar deities Sharra and K'ythri was a parable which guided the Shi'ar expansionist philosophy to other worlds:
- "Sharra and K'ythri are the gods in marriage. The gods who didn't want to marry, but were forced into it. In marriage they found strength and in strength they found love. That's what the Shi'ar Imperium does. It marries other cultures. Shotgun weddings."[32]
Their philosophy and traditions impacts the Shi'ar Law in violent ways (Arin'nn Haelar, a trial by combat)[31] or uncompromising, such as the fact Shi'ar courts don't recognize insanity.[33]
Politics
Government
Though the empire grew to include hundreds of thousands of different sentient species and worlds, the Shi'ar race controlled and governed the empire. Its central base of power was located on the "throneworld" Chandilar,[citation needed] while the Shi'ar homeworld was called Aerie (it is unknown if the planet still exists).[citation needed] The leader of the empire was given the title Majestor (male) or Majestrix (female) and was a hereditary position, occupied by members of the royal family of the Shi'ar. The Neramani family was the most recent to represent the royal bloodline.[citation needed]
Not all races had the same rights in the Imperium, as the Shi'ar appeared to have a disproportionate influence on its governance.
It was nominally ruled over by a high council, which had representatives from a large majority of the alien races that existed within the Imperium. However, in practice, the head of the council (the Majestor or Majestrix) exercised strong executive control and could institute policy virtually by decree.
Relations
The Shi'ar Empire was one of the most advanced and expansive civilizations in the universe, spanning entire galaxies. It was mainly an economic co-operative, where trade with other galactic powers was its driving force.
The leader of the empire was protected by his or her own personal guard, the Imperial Guard, which was made up of the most powerful and elite soldiers from throughout the Empire, and led by a praetor. The military itself (outside of the Imperial Guard) consisted almost exclusively of Shi'ar personnel, at least in most of the command positions.
Though having warlike and militaristic ancestry, the Shi'ar Empire largely occupied the role of peacekeepers in many interstellar affairs. For example, Empress Lilandra Neramani tried to broker peace between the Kree Empire and the Skrull Empire to help bring an end to their devastating war, she sought interstellar accord when deciding how to end the threat of the Dark Phoenix, and attempted to avenge the destruction of Tarnax IV, the Skrull throneworld, by Galactus.
However, it should also be noted that Empress Lilandra was personally responsible for authorizing the use of the Nega-bomb weapon, devastating the Kree Empire during Operation: Galactic Storm, and that the Shi'ar were pivotal in the invasion and containment of Earth during the Maximum Security event. One of the latest atrocities committed by the Shi'ar was ordering the extermination of Jean Grey's family, in an effort to quell any future conflicts with the Phoenix entity.
Religion
The Shi'ar are mostly followers of Sharra and K'ythri, but atheists exist as well.[34]
In the Shi'ar belief, K'ythri promised the Eternal Sky as an afterlife to the faithful.[26]
Alternate Realities
Earth-295 - Age of Apocalypse
The death of Charles Xavier in this reality[35] would have far reaching consequences to the Shi'ar empire. In this reality when Emperor D'Ken took over power of the empire he would slay his sister Lilandra and seek to gain control of the M'Kraan Crystal. His only opposition would come from the Starjammers who were led by earthman Christopher Summers until he was infected with a Brood embryo and would return to Earth[36]. He would be succeeded by Deathbird. When the X-Ternals came to the Shi'ar galaxy to obtain a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal they would clash with the Imperial Guard on number of times[37]. In the aftermath of the battle, most of the Imperial Guard would be caught in a crystallization wave created by the Crystal and D'Ken would be rendered inert in attempting to seize it's power. The fate of the Shi'ar empire following the downfall of D'Ken remains unrevealed.[38]
Earth-928 - 2099
In 3099 A.D. is mentioned that the encroaching twilight of the Shi'ar left a void of power[39].
Earth-91126 - Earth-Z
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Powers and Abilities
Powers
Average Strength Level
Weaknesses
Habitat
Population
Miscellaneous
Type of Government
Level of Technology
Cultural Traits
Representatives
- Leaders
- Lilandra Neramani
- Chancellor Araki
- D'Ken Neramani
- Deathbird (Cal'syee Neramani)
- K'tor
- Ka'ardum
- Notable Individuals
- Deathcry (Sharra Neramani)
- Lifeguard (Heather Cameron) & Slipstream (Davis Cameron) (Mutants, Half-Shi'ar, Shi'ar Royalty)
- Adam-X (Adam Neramani) (Mutant, Half-Shi'ar)
- Black Light & White Noise (Shi'ar Royalty, Imperial Guards, powered)
- Cerise
- Electron (Imperial Guard, powered)
- Frr'dox
- Rook'shir & Korvus (Respectively Phoenix and able to wield the Blade of the Phoenix)
- Magique
- Eric the Red
- Urizen Ul'var (Mummudrai)
- Warbird (Ava'Dara Naganandini)
Notes
- X-Men writer Ed Brubaker compared the Shi'ar to Star Trek's Romulans, saying they are "smart, aggressive, and mean".
- The correct spelling is "Shi'ar", with the capital letter only on the S,[44] and is misspelled "Shi'Ar" on some occasions.[45][46]
- The adjective form of the name can be both Shi'ar[citation needed] or Shi'arian.[47]
See Also
- 486 appearance(s) of Shi'ar (Race)
- 10 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Shi'ar (Race)
- 54 minor appearance(s) of Shi'ar (Race)
- 217 mention(s) of Shi'ar (Race)
- 16 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Shi'ar (Race)
- 32 image(s) of Shi'ar (Race)
- 210 representative(s) of Shi'ar (Race)
Links and References
References
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 4) #19
- ↑ Deathbird says "I am of the Aerie, the royal nest of Shi'ar" in Uncanny X-Men #157. This suggests that Aerie might be the capitol building or even some section of that building (royal family creche?) rather than the name of the planet.
- ↑ X-Men #107–109
- ↑ Fantastic Four #261–262
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #162
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #275
- ↑ Operation Galactic Storm
- ↑ Inhumans (Vol. 3) #3–4
- ↑ New X-Men #122–126
- ↑ X-Men Phoenix Endsong #5
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #466–468
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #481
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #475–486
- ↑ X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1–2
- ↑ X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #3–4
- ↑ X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #5
- ↑ War of Kings #1–4
- ↑ War of Kings #5–6
- ↑ War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #41
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #42
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #43
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #44
- ↑ Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #9
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #477
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 X-Men Unlimited #5
- ↑ All-New X-Men #24
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #57
- ↑ Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #58
- ↑ Star-Lord #8
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Avengers (Vol. 3) #35
- ↑ Starjammers #1–4
- ↑ Thanos #10
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #189
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #41
- ↑ Tales From The Age of Apocalypse #2
- ↑ Gambit and the X-Ternals #2
- ↑ Gambit and the X-Ternals #3
- ↑ 2099: Manifest Destiny #1
- ↑ Marvel Zombies Return #5
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ Avengers West Coast #81
- ↑ New X-Men #122
- ↑ Statement by Stuart Vandal
- ↑ X-Men: Kingbreaker #2 resume.
- ↑ Marvel Universe 2001 Millennial Visions #1; "Galactus: Dawn of the Heralds"
- ↑ Nova (Vol. 5) #1