In 1963, the first appearance of Kl’rt also referred to as the Super-Skrull, was in “Fantastic Four” #18. Kl’rt is part of the Skrull species, a group of shape-shifting extraterrestrials with the ability to transform into anyone they desire. However, he stands apart as a formidable warrior, enhanced by his leaders to become a living weapon with the power to mimic the extraordinary abilities of the Fantastic Four.
Throughout the years, Kl’rt’s tale has been one of tragic grief, unexpected treachery, and seething retribution, taking him from being a dutiful warrior of the Skrull Empire and antagonist of the Fantastic Four to a dominant warlord and eventually a cosmic champion. As he transitioned from a perilous threat to a virtuous guardian, Kl’rt has confronted some of Marvel Universe’s finest heroes, including the Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. He has served as both a foe and an ally to Thanos, vanquished entire extraterrestrial armies, and thwarted dangers to both the Skrull Empire and Earth itself.
As the Skrulls dominate the Disney+ series “Secret Invasion,” and speculations abound about his potential entry into the MCU, there’s no better opportunity to provide newcomers with a comprehensive introduction to Kl’rt, the Super-Skrull.
Kl’rt: Introducing the Skrull Warrior, Husband, and Father
Above all, Kl’rt is a valiant warrior, serving in the Skrull military and participating in numerous battles to safeguard his species. His exceptional feats in interstellar conflicts have earned him numerous accolades. Kl’rt catches the attention of a Skrull countess from Zaragz’na and marries her, and together they start a family with two children. However, their married life is far from idyllic. Kl’rt’s military performance deteriorates over time, and his shortcomings result in him being ostracized by the Skrull military. As a result, his wife ultimately abandons him.
In the years that followed, Kl’rt’s daughter, Jazinda, became an accomplished Skrull warrior like her father, continuing the family’s legacy. However, during a mission that went awry, she acquires the Sy-Torak Gem, a coveted artifact of the Kree Empire that grants her the power of revival, rendering her invincible. This development creates a divide between Jazinda and her father, who sees it as another stain on their family’s reputation.
The Fantastic Four’s Frequent Adversary
Throughout the years, the Skrulls make numerous efforts to invade Earth, but the Fantastic Four persistently foil their endeavors. In an effort to overcome the superheroes, they choose Kl’rt as their ultimate weapon, empowering him with the abilities of the Fantastic Four and making him an unstoppable force in their quest to conquer Earth.
After receiving the powers of the Fantastic Four, Kl’rt becomes widely known as the Super-Skrull, and the Skrull leaders remotely control his abilities. However, blocking the signal allows Reed Richards and his team to defeat him easily, reducing Kl’rt to his ordinary Skrull form. Despite this setback, the Skrulls make repeated attempts to empower Kl’rt once again with the Super-Skrull abilities, allowing him to confront the Fantastic Four again. Using his shapeshifting powers, Kl’rt even masquerades as “The Invincible Man,” posing as Franklin Storm, the father of Sue and Johnny, while wreaking havoc on the city.
Following a series of battles, the Super-Skrull rapidly rises to become one of the most prominent foes of the Fantastic Four. He also emerges as a valuable ally to other villains, such as Dr. Doom, who share their own grudges against the iconic superhero team.
Fighting in the Kree/Skrull War
One of Marvel’s earliest major crossover events was the Kree/Skrull War. This grand-scale tale ran across the pages of “The Avengers” and featured prominent characters like The Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel, and Nick Fury. The storyline involves Earth being embroiled in a conflict between two of the most powerful forces in the galaxy, the Kree and the Skrulls, with Kl’rt, the Super-Skrull, right in the thick of the action as one of the Skrulls’ top warriors. In fact, Kl’rt is part of the initial wave of the attack sent to Earth by Emperor Dorrek to investigate the presence of Kree soldier Mar-Vell on the planet.
Kl’rt, in a cunning move, disguises himself as Carol Danvers after his defeat by Captain Marvel. As Danvers, he infiltrates Earth’s superhero community and uses Skrull agents to trick the Avengers into disbanding. He manipulates Captain Marvel into building a powerful weapon known as the Omni Wave Projector. Although Mar-Vell uncovers his ruse, Kl’rt captures several heroes and delivers them to Emperor Dorrek as prisoners, hoping to redeem himself for his past failures.
Ultimately, the Kree emerge victorious in their conflict against the Skrull Empire, and Kl’rt suffers the consequences. The Emperor imprisons him, and he becomes an outcast and social reject in the eyes of his fellow Skrulls.
Aiding Thanos
Although Kl’rt had clashed with Captain Marvel as a Skrull, who were bitter enemies of the Kree, he was not the primary threat to the cosmic hero. That title belonged to Thanos, the Mad Titan who would later wield the Infinity Gauntlet. However, when Thanos and Captain Marvel first faced off, Kl’rt was chosen as Thanos’ second-in-command.
The story begins in issue 25 of Captain Marvel, where Kl’rt breaks free from his imprisonment and teams up with another Skrull mercenary named Skragg to aid Thanos in his fight against Mar-Vell and his search for the Cosmic Cube. However, Kl’rt is defeated in a one-on-one battle with Mar-Vell. Frustrated with their failure, Thanos turns Skragg into stone and handles the situation himself, leaving Kl’rt in charge of his base on Titan. But Mar-Vell manages to escape while Kl’rt is in charge, and the two engage in another fight, with the Super-Skrull being no match for the Kree hero. Although Mar-Vell is severely injured, Thanos ultimately defeats him without Kl’rt’s assistance.
Leading the Rat Pack
After his defeat by Captain Marvel, Kl’rt returns to Earth and assumes the identity of Joshua Plague. Under this guise, he takes control of a criminal organization known as the Rat Pack, expanding its ranks by recruiting new members. However, he soon finds himself in conflict with Tigra, an unforeseen Marvel hero.
The Marvel Chiller series depicts the conflict between the Rat Pack, a gang of criminals led by Joshua Plague, and Tigra, who is trying to regain her humanity. Plague and his gang are hindering Tigra’s efforts by searching for an ancient artifact that can trap souls. However, their plan fails when Plague’s true identity as the Super-Skrull is revealed. In an attempt to steal Tigra’s soul, Kl’rt’s soul gets trapped in the artifact, leaving him as Reed Richards’ prisoner after Tigra hands over the relic to the leader of Kl’rt’s longtime enemies.
Battling Spider-Man
The events of “Marvel Chiller” left Kl’rt trapped within the Soul Catcher, which was being held at the Baxter Building by the Fantastic Four. A year later, in “Marvel Team-Up” #61, Spider-Man pays a visit to the Fantastic Four when he appears to be attacked by the team. However, it’s revealed that the heroes are not actually attacking him – it’s Kl’rt the Super-Skrull, who has been inadvertently released from the Soul Catcher and is now on the loose.
Fortunately for Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel comes to his aid when Kl’rt the Super-Skrull attacks him at the Baxter Building. In “Marvel Team-Up” #61, Ms. Marvel defeats the Super-Skrull and sends him to the hyperspace dimension using a Star Drive. He remains trapped there for some time, even during the Skrull throneworld’s destruction by Galactus.
After being trapped in the hyperspace dimension, Kl’rt is freed by scientists at a research station in the Canadian Rockies. However, he goes on a rampage and fights against Alpha Flight, the Canadian superhero team, in “Alpha Flight” #10. But soon after, he learns that he has developed a terminal form of cancer.
Becoming Captain Hero
In one of the more unique Super-Skrull stories, Kl’rt assumes the guise of a dying child. The tale begins in “Power Man and Iron Fist” #111 in 1984, where a new superhero named “Captain Hero” clashes with the crime-fighting duo after being rejected from Heroes for Hire. Despite Captain Hero’s enormous size and power, he is revealed to be a terminally ill boy named Bobby Wright, who has somehow gained extraordinary abilities. However, it is later discovered that Bobby is not real and is actually a persona created by Kl’rt, the Super-Skrull.
In Namor, the Submariner #25, published in 1992, comic book artist and writer John Byrne presents a sinister alliance between Kl’rt and Master Khan, the Lost Lord of K’un-Lun. Kl’rt, suffering from terminal cancer, strikes a deal with Khan that involves taking on the persona of a super-powered child named Bobby Wright to defeat Power Man and Iron Fist. In return, Khan offers Kl’rt a cure for his illness. This storyline was an attempt by Byrne to retcon the Super-Skrull’s cancer, which had been left unexplained by a previous writer, and was chronicled by Comic Book Resources.
K’lrt lived a quiet life on Earth.
After an unsuccessful attempt to regain his reputation in space by forming an unlikely alliance with the Kree Supreme Intelligence, Kl’rt returns to Earth and decides to stay there permanently. He assumes the identity of a special effects technician named Lon Zelig and lives a seemingly normal life, which is documented in “She-Hulk” #23. Under this identity, he successfully works in the movie industry, and nobody suspects that he’s actually an interstellar villain. It seems that Kl’rt has finally found a way to blend in and escape his tumultuous past.
Despite his desire for a peaceful life, Kl’rt’s attempts to live anonymously in Hollywood are dashed when he crosses paths with Johnny Storm, reigniting his conflict with the Fantastic Four. As a result, he’s imprisoned in the Vault, an extra-dimensional jail for supervillains created by Mr. Fantastic. However, his incarceration doesn’t last long as he manages to escape and resumes his reign of terror against Earth’s heroes.
Clash with the Young Avengers
In the mid-2000s, Kl’rt found himself not alone on Earth, as the son of Skrull Princess Anelle was also on the planet. This Skrull, named Hulkling, had been living a secret life as a member of the Young Avengers under the human name Teddy Altman and was actually the result of a forbidden union between Anelle and Kree hero Captain Marvel. Interestingly, Hulkling’s conception occurred while Mar-Vell was Kl’rt’s captive during the Kree/Skrull War. So now, Kl’rt is after Hulkling to bring him back to the Skrull throneworld and unite the Empire, but the Kree agents have the same plan.
In the mid-2000s, the Super-Skrull was not the only Skrull on Earth. Hulkling, the son of Skrull Princess Anelle and Kree hero Captain Marvel, was hiding out as a member of the Young Avengers under the name Teddy Altman (real name Dorrek VIII). Hulkling owed his existence in part to the Super-Skrull, as he was conceived while Mar-Vell was Kl’rt’s captive during the Kree/Skrull War. Kl’rt aims to capture Hulkling and take him back to the Skrull throneworld to unite the Empire, while Kree agents have the same goal. However, the Young Avengers are unable to stop Kl’rt, and a massive battle ensues between him, the Young Avengers, the New Avengers, and the Kree forces. In the end, Kl’rt realizes that Hulkling has no place in either empire and helps him stay on Earth, starting a personal journey that will eventually turn the Super-Skrull from a villain to a hero.
Kl’rt, galactic savior
Kl’rt’s heroic side is seen when the villain Annihilus attacks from the Negative Zone with the Annihilation Wave that has already destroyed many worlds. The threat of Annihilus to the Andromeda galaxy prompts Kl’rt to defend it. However, he needs the help of the Fantastic Four, who had previously imprisoned him in the same dimension. He must raise an army against Annihilus. Kl’rt puts his past behind him and works together with the heroes to save countless lives.
Kl’rt teams up with Reed Richards to infiltrate the Negative Zone and gather intel on Annihilus’ allies. This leads him to the Harvester of Sorrow, the deadliest weapon of the Annihilation Wave. Kl’rt frees a group of prisoners who agree to join him in his quest to obtain a deadly virus that can defeat Annihilus and stop the wave. However, to accomplish this, he must work alongside Ronan the Accuser, a former Kree villain turned hero, as well as the Earth hero Nova.
Resisting the Phalanx
After becoming a hero by saving the Andromeda Galaxy, Kl’rt’s reputation starts to change. He continues to work alongside Ronan the Accuser, who is focused on rebuilding the Kree Empire’s defenses. However, their efforts are cut short as the Phalanx arrive, a biomechanical race controlled by Ultron. The Phalanx, similar to “Star Trek’s” Borg, aim to conquer all worlds and assimilate them into their techno-organic collective. This presents a new threat to the galaxy, and Kl’rt and Ronan must find a way to stop them before it’s too late.
Kl’rt’s heroism is on full display once again when he teams up with the Phalanx-resistant warrior Wraith to rescue Ronan from the clutches of Ultron. This comes after the Kree world has been conquered by the biomechanical aliens known as the Phalanx, who are now under the control of Ultron. Fortunately, Kl’rt receives support from several of the greatest heroes in the cosmos, including Nova, Adam Warlock, Quasar, and the newly formed Guardians of the Galaxy led by Peter Quill. Kl’rt earns recognition as a defender thanks to their combined efforts, leaving his villainous past far behind him.
Helping Earth’s heroes resist an invasion.
“Secret Invasion,” a monumental event for Marvel Comics in 2008, brought about one of the biggest shakeups in the company’s universe. The Skrull Empire launched a full-scale attack on Earth, leading to thousands of super-powered Skrulls invading the planet, with the ability to imitate the powers of Earth’s greatest heroes. As the story unfolds, it is discovered that several members of the X-Men, Avengers, and other groups have been undercover sleeper agents for years. Unfortunately, Kl’rt and his people picked the wrong time to invade, as he is no longer a revered Skrull hero and is unable to join in the war.
Despite his diminished status, Kl’rt cannot ignore the news of the Skrull Empire’s invasion of Earth and rushes to the planet’s aid. He joins forces with Nova to fight a faction of powerful Skrull warriors, successfully making their way to Earth. However, Kl’rt has a hidden agenda. He seeks revenge against his estranged daughter, who he discovers is on Earth. He plans to kill her and take the Sy-Torak Gem to prevent her resurrection. In the end, Jazinda’s partner, She-Hulk, makes a heartfelt plea to Kl’rt, and he ultimately spares her life. This happens just in time for Earth’s heroes to repel the Skrull invasion successfully.
Infinite Super-Skrull
Following the failed invasion of Earth, the Skrull Empire is left in ruins, with numerous factions fighting for control. However, Kl’rt returns to his people and emerges as a strong leader who plays a vital role in uniting the divided empire. This comes at a critical time when the Builders, an ancient cosmic race, pose a grave threat to the universe. Alongside the Avengers and other galactic forces, they join forces to defeat the Builders. Unfortunately, the Skrull Empire suffered significant damage in the conflict and was left in a more dire state than ever before.
In an effort to repay his debt to the Avengers, Kl’rt accompanies them back to Earth to help defeat Thanos. The Mad Titan has seized control of the planet amid the chaos of the cosmos. Together with Ronan the Accuser, Gladiator, and Annihilus, they manage to drive Thanos off the Earth. However, this encounter with Thanos plants a seed in Kl’rt’s mind. He develops a plan to restore the Skrull Empire to its former glory by collecting the six Infinity Gems that Thanos once held. With these powerful gems in his possession, Kl’rt intends to make the Skrulls a great force once again.
Fortunately for the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange becomes aware of Kl’rt’s plan and uses the Time Gem to journey into the future. There, he gathers an army of duplicates of himself, drawn from various future timelines, and thwarts Kl’rt’s efforts to collect the Infinity Gems. As a result, the Skrull Empire remains exposed and vulnerable without powerful gems.
Uniting empires and joining the Guardians
Despite the Skrulls’ weakened state, a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a prophecy. The prophecy foretells that a Kree/Skrull descendant will unite the two cosmic powers in a powerful interstellar alliance. This prophecy comes to fruition in the “Empyre” storyline, which reveals that the young Avenger, Teddy Altman (also known as Hulkling), is the offspring of Captain Marvel and Skrull Princess Anelle. Kl’rt had discovered Teddy on Earth. Now, with the arrival of the Cotati – a dangerous new threat to both empires – he calls upon Teddy to fulfill the prophecy and lead both peoples in their resistance against the Cotati.
The conflict between the Cotati and the newly formed Kree/Skrull Alliance, led by Hulkling and Kl’rt, spills over onto Earth and captures the attention of the Avengers. Initially, the Avengers are deceived into siding with the Cotati. Still, when the truth is uncovered, they unite with the Alliance to defeat the Cotati, bringing about a new era for both the Skrulls and Kree. Following their victory, the Galactic Council — established after the Builders’ invasion — invites Kl’rt to join the Guardians of the Galaxy, a renowned galactic peacekeeping force. As a fully-fledged hero, Kl’rt puts aside his past animosity and fights alongside many of his former adversaries.
Super-Skrull, Hollywood veteran
Although yet to make his debut in the MCU, Kl’rt the Super Skrull has made several onscreen appearances. Surprisingly, his first appearance was on television just a few years after his debut in the “Fantastic Four” comic series, in the 1966 Saturday morning cartoon series, “The Marvel Superheroes.” He later appeared in the “Invasion of the Super-Skrull” episode of the “Fantastic Four” cartoon series, which aired a year later.
Kl’rt, the Super Skrull, has made numerous appearances in animated adaptations since his first onscreen appearance. He reappeared in the “Fantastic Four” cartoon in the “Invasion of the Super-Skrull” episode in 1967. In the 1994 “Fantastic Four” cartoon, he even shapeshifted into young Franklin Richards. He also appeared in “The Super Hero Squad Show,” where he led a Skrull attack on Super Hero City. In the 2006 “FF” reboot “Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes,” he teamed up with Ronan the Accuser, Annihilus, and Impossible Man, battling the Fantastic Four at the behest of cosmic trickster The Gamesmaster in the episode “Contest of Champions.” He also fought Captain America in an episode of “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” in 2010. As “Secret Invasion” and “Fantastic Four” are coming to the MCU, fans can expect Kl’rt to make his live-action debut in the near future.
