Right now Marvel Comics is in the midst of a giant crossover event that covers nearly all of the venerable publisher’s monthly titles. Secret Invasion features the Skrulls, one of the oldest alien threats in the history of the company, whose history reaches all the way back to 1962 and Fantastic Four #2. Ever since that fateful issue the Skrulls have been involved in numerous key events in the history of the Marvel Universe. There was the Kree/Skrull War, the Super-Skrull’s many battles with Marvel’s heroes, and the destruction of their empire during the Annihilation saga. Aside from their green skin and ridged chins, the most important thing to remember about skrulls is that they change shape.
Anyone could be a skrull! Any hero, any villain, anybody! When skrulls first debuted in the 1960’s, the Cold War was raging, and the idea of the impostor in our midst became fodder for writers of all stripes. You couldn’t tell if your neighbor was a Communist, and in the Marvel Universe, you never knew who might be a skrull! Comic book writers have always loved the idea of the double, or doppelganger. All it took was one visit from a kooky character called the Space Phantom to splinter the newly formed Avengers, a team of super-heroes featuring the Hulk. The Space Phantom’s ability to impersonate other heroes was positively skrull-like, and sewed paranoia in the team, driving the Hulk away and changing the course of the Avengers’ history.
Fortunately for us, Marvel has collected much of its storied history in easily digestible graphic novels and trade paperbacks. We have quite a selection on our shelves here at the library:
Folks who don’t mind a little work (and spending a few dollars) can head to their friendly local comic shop and dig up some of the skrull-related issues of the Silver Surfer’s (vol.3) series from the 1990’s. The Super-Skrull plays a pivotal part in several story arcs from that era.
Scott
4 Comments
October 2, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Wow, Scott. Now I have one more thing to worry about–Skrulls. Oh, man.
Now that you’ve warned us, I ordered a few more titles to help our brave patrons inform themselves about the threat. Look for some more Secret Invasion titles in the adult Graphic Novel collection in the next few weeks.
–Renée
October 2, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Good work, citizen! Vigilance is our best weapon against such a crafty foe!
–Scott
Agent of SHIELD
October 8, 2008 at 11:42 am
Gee, wonder if it will be as exciting as the Secret Wars series…
October 15, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I am a DC man, tried and true.
“In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil’s might,
Beware my power…Green Lantern’s light!”
The true problem being, who earned your allegiance; the Greens (Lantern or Arrow,) Flash, Aqua-Man, Wonder Woman, others? And of course Superman or Batman. In my home at least, your allegience couldn’t be split. It was/is a black & white world, you had to make a choice – no waffling and no 25 or 30% solutions. You were with us or against us — sound familiar?
Batman or Superman, Sgt. Rock or Sgt. Fury, Munsters or Addams Family. I will admit though that I did have a side allegiance for that Marvel icon of USAdom, Captain America. The shield, the uniform and the hurt he put on Nazis sucked me in.
DC had no one like that; an unabashed patriot. Superman ostensibly fought the Nazis too, but I recall somewhere in Superman Kryptonian lore a pledge akin to Starfleet’s Prime Directive to let earthly nature take its course.
Among my prouder bibliographic holdings is the January 1959 Superman Comics. My birthday edition.