The Shi'ar Empire is a vast intergalactic empire that rules a million worlds.[2] It is an aggressively expansionist empire whose religion instructs the Shi'ar to "marry" other cultures, by force if necessary, to become stronger.[3] The empire is ruled by an autocratic imperial government headed by the Majestor (male) or Majestrix (female) who is advised by a High Council made up of selected worlds. Conquered worlds are permitted to self-govern within limits given by the empire.[4]
History
Prehistory[]
The Shi'ar originally started out as a race of space raiders working alongside the Lupak, back when they had more avian traits. They eventually came across Earth where they encountered the the first ever mutant society known as Threshold which had evolved billions of years before baseline humanity arose. The Shi'ar with the hired help of Obliterator attacked Threshold, but were repelled, and with their pride hurt they declared war on the mutants. Desperate to defeat Threshold the Shi'ar decided to utilize the Xorrians' technology to manipulate their evolution.[5]
However, the Shi'ar lost the opportunity to destroy Threshold after a cataclysm occurred on Earth that killed most of the mutants as they fled the planet. The few mutants that survived were placed outside of time by the Shi'ar, but as years went they were also slayed. In the aftermath, the Shi'ar removed all information regarding their encounter with Threshold from their history, becoming the first of the Ten Shames known as the First Blood Spilled. As time went on they secretly observed the new generations of mutants in order to make sure that their secret would never be revealed.[5]
Shi'ar Empire[]
The Shi'ar left their homeworld and began a vast intergalactic empire that ruled over a million worlds.[2] It became an aggressively expansionist empire whose religion told the Shi'ar to "marry" other cultures, by force if necessary, to become stronger.[3]
The empire was ruled by an autocratic imperial government headed by the Majestor (male) or Majestrix (female) who was advised by a High Council made up of selected worlds. Conquered worlds were permitted to self-govern within limits given by the empire.[4]
Fraternity of Raptors[]
Thousands of years ago the ancient Shi'ar travelled to Null Space to find the Tree of Shadows. It was planted by the Gardener eons ago and grew in the sorcery of the Darkforce Dimension. The Skrulls were also in search of the tree. The two were at war but one of the Shi'ar arrived at the tree first becoming the first Raptor.[6]
Empire expansion[]
The Empire spread out and their warriors conquered various races such as Chameloids, Lupaks, Stygians, Strontians, Hodinns, Saurids, and many more.[7][8]
Invasion of Tryl'sart[]
Long ago the Shi'ar invaded Tryl'sart the homeworld of the Mephitisoids. The Shi'ar arrived to the world to bring civilization to the primitive world. However this was a lie and the Mephitisoids had technology almost equal to the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar conquered the peaceful Mephitisoids, stealing their technology. The true history was lost to legend and propaganda.[9]
Rook'shir[]
Centuries ago Rook'shir was bonded to Phoenix Force. He became a Dark Phoenix and wreaked havoc across Shi'ar Empire. The first Imperial Guard was formed to stop him, and they succeeded. Rook'shir was killed by the Imperial Guard's leader; Gladiator. For five hundred years all his descendants were culled, out of fear that one of them might host the Phoenix Force like their ancestor. Rook'shir left behind a sword known as the Blade of the Phoenix which contained a small portion of the Phoenix Force's power. The sword could only be lifted by Rook'shir's descendants. Korvus is the only known surviving descendant of Rook'shir.[10]
Modern Age[]
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.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13] Deathbird was eventually deposed with the assistance of the X-Men.[14]
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.[15] In the years that followed, Lilandra struggled to maintain control over the empire, in part due to its nature as inherently warlike and conquest oriented, and in part due to the challenges of managing the Kree annex. This brought her into conflict with the Starjammers and the Uncreated.[16]
The Shi'ar have had recent contact with the Spartoi, described as an equally advanced distant race.[17]
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.[18]
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.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21]
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.[22]
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.[23]
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.[23]
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.[24]
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 the sun.[25]
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.[26]
Vulcan decided to once again pursue the expansionist policies that were abolished by Lilandra and launched an invasion of Kree space, capturing several outlying worlds. The Kree Empire now led by the Inhuman royal family retaliated and were locked in a bitter war against the Shi'ar. Vulcan's faction of Shi'ar however was opposed from within by a faction led by former Majestrix Lilandra and the Starjammers led by Vulcan's brother Alex. The Kree also gained assistance from, among others, the Guardians of the Galaxy as well as Blastaar. Gladiator eventually betrayed Vulcan as well, siding with Lilandra. Vulcan accepted the aid of the ancient Brotherhood of Raptors who assassinated Lilandra during a riot on Chandilar.[27]
Meanwhile, the Inhuman king Black Bolt planned to detonate a bomb which would turn the entire galaxy into Inhumans. Vulcan went to stop him and after a bitter battle, Vulcan made Black Bolt scream (despite the fact that a whisper from Black Bolt can be deadly) which caused the bomb to overload and create a great rift in the universe and presumably kill Black Bolt and Vulcan. On the ruins of Chandilar, Gladiator picked up the Imperial Scepter and was hailed by the masses as Majestor.[28]
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 had been little more than puppets of the Kree.[29] Eventually, the Empire regained its power back.[30]
Time Runs Out[]
When the focus of the decay of the universe was found to be the Earth, the Majestor addressed the Galactic Council, and decided that the Earth had to be destroyed to save the universe.[31] 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.[32]
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 channelling 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.[33]
Iron Man charged and fired Sol's Hammer, successfully destroying the Shi'ar fleet, including the Imperial Guard.[34]
Asgard/Shi'ar War[]
Due to being manipulated by Loki, the Shi'ar deities K'ythri and Sharra had the Empire go to Asgardia to force the new Thor in their "Challenge of the Gods", threatening her to destroy Earth.[35] As part of different rounds, the cruel gods attempted to claim the countless lives of Shi'ar citizens in order to force worship into them, [36], but were all mostly thwarted by Thor who saved as many lives as she could. However, in the end Thor lost the last round, leading to her outright challenging the two gods in a fight.[37]
Unexpectedly, she was joined by other Asgardians who were inspired by her to fight for righteousness. Because of this act, Thor was declared the winner, greatly infuriating K'ythri and Sharra. They ordered Gladiator to destroy Earth, but as he refused to obey them any longer,[38] K'ythri and Sharra summoned the Phoenix Force to eradicate the entire galaxy. Luckily, the Phoenix Force was appeased, and with two two gods imprisoned in the Omnipotence City Kid Omega would act as a stand in for the Shi'ar gods.[39]
Xandra's Rule[]
Due to Gladiator not being a member of the Shi'ar, his rule was opposed by a rebellious group led by Deathbird.[40] As a result, Xandra Neramani was genetically created using the genetic materials derived from Lilandra and Professor X.[41] As the Titans began waging war, Gladiator decided to abdicate from the throne in order to allow Xandra to become the new Majestrix.[42] Under her rule, Xandra went on to improve the relation between the Shi'ar Empire and the mutant nation of Krakoa.[43]
Empyre[]
The Shi'ar monitored Hulkling as he ascended to the throne of the newly formed Kree-Skrull Alliance.[44]
After the resolution of the conflicts sparked by the merger of the Kree and Skrull, vice-chancellor T'Kao, the representative of the Shi'ar Empire to Emperor Hulkling offered and his husband Wiccan a honeymoon on Little Chandilar as wedding gift.[44]
Meanwhile, a diplomatic summit was convened at the Proscenium to explore how intergalactic relations would be impacted by the new alliance, to discuss the status of the Pan-Worlds Treaties, and to seek a path towards stability and peace among the assembled factions. In attendance were representatives of the Kree/Skrull Alliance, the Utopian Kree faction, the Kymellians, the Rigellians, Earth, the Galactic Rim Collective, the Badoon (in fact the weapons dealer and Elder of the Universe known as the Profiteer), Spartax, the Chitauri, the Zn'rx, and the Shi'ar, represented by Oracle-2.
Chaos ensued when the Profiteer, hoping to precipitate another Snarkwar (and the resulting lucrative weapons market), assassinated the Emperor. Further efforts to destabilize the conference were exposed when the attending Chitauri representative, the diplomat-drone Peacebringer, was revealed to have been created as a walking bio-explosive bomb.[45]
The King in Black and the Reckoning War[]
In the midst of the Proscenium summit chaos, those in attendance received word that planets within Shi'ar Space (along with many other worlds) were being stripped of life by the advance of the Symbiote god Knull.[46] Afterwards, several Shi'ar colonies fell to the Symbiote Dragons.[47]
With the Reckoning causing chaos through the cosmos, supplying various alien races with the Watchers' technology, the Morani assaulted the Shi'ar.[48] The Reckoning and the Morani went on to fight the Imperial Guard to steal the M'kraan Crystal as part of their plan to take over the Nexuses of Realities, and despite the intervention of Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, She-Hulk and Jack of Hearts, they were able to steal it regardless.[49] In the end the Reckoning was defeated and the Crystal restored thanks to Uatu.[50]
Fall of X[]
A radical faction of the Shi'ar Empire brainwashed some of the Supergardians to attack Earth. However, they were repelled by the new "superhero" squad the Children of the Vault.[51]
Meanwhile, following Orchis' attack on Krakoa which left mutantkind scattered once again, the Empire helped by granting asylum to the mutants who were forced to leave Earth.[52]Paraphernalia
Equipment
The Shi'ar possess technologies common to most alien races, including:
- Holographic Technology[53]
- Robots[54]
- Artificial Intelligence[55]
- Cybernetics[citation needed]
- Force Fields[54]
- Cloaking technology: Able to render a craft completely invisible, used by the X-Men on their Blackbird aircraft.[56]
- The Hecatomb: An abhorrent war part of Shi'ar make, the basis of said experimental technology based on Mummudrai feeding habits was to loose a doomsday weapon upon unsuspecting worlds, harvesting the psyches of unwitting populations while leaving planets intact for later assimilation by the empire. But they lost control of it and it went on a rampage ever since.[57]
- Shi'ar Antimatter Engine: A device that functions as a workable power source, used by the new Mutant Nation to operate Cerebro.[58]
- Shi'ar Logic Diamonds: Mineral utensils with infinite information storage space. Used by Krakoa to facilitate their resurrection protocols.[58]
Weapons
- Galactic-level Weapons: Super-powerful Nega-Bombs used to devastate a dwarf galaxy (the Greater Magellanic Cloud), the home galaxy of the Kree Empire during the rule of Majestrix Lilandra.[61][62]
- Starkiller Weapons: The Starcracker; the Shi'ar ultimate weapon. The Starcracker caused stars to go supernova.[63]
- Antimatter Plasma Gunnery: Some of the higher grade Shi'ar battleships possess antimatter energy batteries which can decimate planets.[64]
- Planet Killer Weapons: Lower-yield Nega-Bombs used to destroy individual Kree worlds during the reign of Majestro Vulcan.[65]
- Warp-Capable Warships: Ranging in size from small starships to planetoid sized ships (the 38 mile long Starjammer and 100 mile long Apocalypse-Class Behemoth). Some with incredible firepower (e.g gigaton-level plasma energy weapons that vaporize all within 100 miles and split the planetary crust).[64]
- Armageddon-class Killstations: Orbital battle space stations.[23]
- Fighters[54]
- Combat Robots[54]
- Flying Walker-Spacecraft: Spaceships with walker-like legs used on land.[54][66]
- Armored Tracked Fighting Vehicles[66]
- Plasma Energy Weapons: Used on starships to fire plasma bolts.[67][64]
- Particle Beam Weapons: Used on the Fearless-class Dreadnoughts.[68]
- Missiles[53]
- Fusion Space Mines[69]
Transportation
- Intergalactic Warp-Capable Starships: Ranging in size from small vessels to ships approximately 100 miles long (e.g. Apocalypse-Class Behemoth).[21]
- Teleportation Systems[59]
- Superdestroyer: A planet breaking class of battleship used to sterilize life sustaining biomes in the service of the Shi'Ar.[8]
- Stargates: Create stable wormholes for travel, either in a planet or in space.[60]
Notes
- The Shi'ar hold more galactic power than the Kree or Skrulls individually, but not collectively.[70]
Trivia
See Also
- 174 appearance(s) of Shi'ar Empire
- 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Shi'ar Empire
- 19 minor appearance(s) of Shi'ar Empire
- 84 mention(s) of Shi'ar Empire
- 8 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Shi'ar Empire
- 7 image(s) of Shi'ar Empire
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Shi'ar Empire
- 11 item(s) used/owned by Shi'ar Empire
Links and References
References
- ↑ New Mutants #51
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Marvel Encyclopedia #X-Men
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Starjammers #4
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Marvel Fact Files #38
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Marauders (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk #3
- ↑ X-Men #107
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 New X-Men #124
- ↑ Avengers #379
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #479
- ↑ X-Men #107–109
- ↑ Fantastic Four #261–262
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #162
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #275
- ↑ Operation Galactic Storm
- ↑ Starjammers #1–4
- ↑ Inhumans (Vol. 3) #3–4
- ↑ New X-Men #122–126
- ↑ X-Men Phoenix Endsong #5
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #466–468
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Uncanny X-Men #481
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #475–486
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Infinity #3
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #41
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #42
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #43
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #44
- ↑ Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #16
- ↑ Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #15
- ↑ Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #17
- ↑ Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #18
- ↑ Mighty Thor (Vol. 3) #19
- ↑ Mr. and Mrs. X #3
- ↑ Mr. and Mrs. X #1
- ↑ New Mutants (Vol. 4) #2
- ↑ Marauders (Vol. 2) #3
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling #1
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #7–8
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #8
- ↑ S.W.O.R.D. (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ Fantastic Four (Vol. 6) #40
- ↑ Fantastic Four (Vol. 6) #41–42
- ↑ Fantastic Four (Vol. 6) #45
- ↑ Children of the Vault #2
- ↑ Alpha Flight (Vol. 5) #2
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 Uncanny X-Men #476
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 54.3 54.4 Uncanny X-Men #485
- ↑ X-Men #108
- ↑ Marvel Vehicles: Owner's Workshop Manual #1
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #198
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 Powers of X #5
- ↑ X-Men: Kingbreaker #4
- ↑ X-Men #105
- ↑ Wonder Man (Vol. 2) #8–9
- ↑ Avengers #347
- ↑ War of Kings: Warriors #1
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 Uncanny X-Men #157
- ↑ War of Kings #2
- ↑ 66.0 66.1 War of Kings #4
- ↑ X-Men #135
- ↑ X-Men: Spotlight on...Starjammers #1
- ↑ Starjammers #1
- ↑ S.W.O.R.D. (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 2) #2