Kree
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The Kree are a fictional species of alien origin in Marvel Comics' universe. They usually appear in The Avengers, although their first appearance was in Fantastic Four (volume 1) #64-65 (July-August 1967; the Sentry, a Kree construct, first appeared in #64, and Ronan, the first Kree seen on-panel, first appeared in #65).
The Kree are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race from the planet Hala. They resemble the human homo sapiens almost exactly, although their main skin colors are in appearance, similiar to Caucasians, or sky blue; As in either case, with or without platinum blond hair. 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.
The Kree have consistently shown great interest in the Sol system and Earth in particular. They have visited the planet at least since it was inhabited by cavemen. This interest is ultimately due to the amazing genetic potential that another alien race, the powerful and enigmatic Celestials, had bestowed on the human race much earlier. The Kree themselves were until very recently thought to be at a genetic dead end, and they hoped that research into humans might lead them to a solution to this condition.
Their investigations into human genetics led to the creation of the homo sapiens genetic offshoot Inhumans superhuman race on earth.(And Later, The Moon...) The race was at least initially developed to be a reserve militia for their war with the Skrull. The Kree abandoned the project eventually, but they stationed a giant robot sentry on a small south Pacific island to monitor for Skrull activity in the area and to observe the progress of their test subjects.
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Interactions with the Skrull
Millennia ago a race of humanoid reptiles called the Skrull came upon prehistoric Hala. At that time the Skrull 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 a planet-like atmosphere, 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 more worthy. 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.
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 (Kree Supreme Intelligence; The 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 to help them in creating one. Afterwards the computer was used in an advisory capacity.
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 even came to be worshipped and an organized religion was built up around it.
The war finally ended only through an armistice in the very recent past, with no side a clear winner.
War with the Shi'ar Empire
Not long after the Skrull conflict 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 exploded in Kree space (in the Operation Galactic Storm crossover, ending in Avengers #345). 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.
The Kree's territories were duly 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.
The Ruul
During the Maximum Security storyline in 2001, the remaining Kree were evolved into Ruul through the machinations of the Supreme intelligence.
However more recent appearances have featured the Kree, so it is unclear whether all or just some of the race has evolved to this new form.
Notable Kree include
- Ronan the Accuser
- The Supreme Intelligence or Intelligence Supreme
- Captain Marvel
- Dr. Minerva
- Captain Att- Las