SKRULLS READING ORDER: Rise of the Skrulls (1962-1977)

It looks like the Skrulls will be playing a notable role in the upcoming Captain Marvel film, so some of you may be wondering about the history of these shape-shifting alien bad guys. Here's part one of three posts that'll take you right up to the event that had their biggest impact on the Marvel Universe... SECRET INVASION!

As always, I'd like to thank the guys over at the Marvel Chronology Project which I use as a basis and then work out my own version of the Marvel Universe continuity. Those guys have done all the heavy lifting for me!

MCG Note:

• Issues in blue are worth reading, are major chapters in Skrull history or may play a key part in the great Marvel tapestry.
• Issues in grey are part of the Skrulls' chronology, stories of note that aren't essential or are no longer considered 'required reading'.

Marvel Westerns: Kid Colt and Arizona Girl #1 (2006)
The Skrulls' first recorded invasion attempt is discovered when Arizona Girl and Kid Colt learn the population of Wilcox, Oklahoma are all shape-shifting Skrulls during THE MIGHTY MARVEL WESTERN.

Amazing Adult Fantasy #7 (1961)
A human discovers a crashed alien vessel and desperately searches for a pilot, only to discover a shape-shifter called Zankor with amnesia; Zankor was revealed to be a Skrull in the 'Secret Invasion: Skrulls' one-shot, retroactively making this the first Skrull appearance as the issue predates their first actual appearance.

Marvel: The Lost Generation #1-12 (2000-2001)
Time-traveller Cassandra Locke learns of a failed Skrull invasion; a surviving Skrull, Zuhn, becomes the super-villain Chimera while another Skrull, Velmax, became the super-hero Effigy - a member of the First Line; after run-ins with Dorrek VII and Zankor, the First Line pay the ultimate price while defending Earth during THE LOST GENERATION.

Marvel Premiere #35-37 (1977) 

First appearance of Zirksu (aka Diabolik); during the 1950s, a Skrull conspiracy to inflame the Cold War is unearthed by the 3-D Man; using his special goggles, 3D Man can see disguised Skrulls for what they really are, even when Zirksu disguises himself as Richard Nixon!

Fantastic Four #2 (1962) 

A group of Skrulls commit crimes while in the guise of the Fantastic Four; Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) convinces the Skrull FF imposters to turn themselves into cows and even hypnotises them into believing they really are cows.

Fantastic Four #18 (1963)
First appearance of Emperor Dorrek VII (unnamed), the Super-Skrull (Kl'rt) and Tarnax IV (the Skrull homeworld); angered that his low-key invasion attempt was thwarted by the FF, Emperor Dorrek VII grants Kl'rt the powers of all four members of the Fantastic Four; the Super-Skrull is defeated when the team leave him buried beneath the Earth's surface, unable to access his solar-fuelled powers.

Fantastic Four #32 (1964) 

First appearance of Warlord Morrat (unnamed); Dorrek's next plan to take down the Fantastic Four involves a new villain, the Invincible Man; the FF believe the Invisible Girl and Human Torch's father, Franklin Storm, to be the Invincible Man, but Reed Richards correctly believes him to be the Super-Skrull; Franklin Storm is returned to his family with his name cleared but learns the Skrulls have planted a bomb inside him; Franklin Storm uses his body to contain the bomb, sacrificing himself in the process.

Fantastic Four #37 (1965) 

First appearance of Princess Anelle; the Fantastic Four travel to Tarnax IV, looking for revenge over the death of Franklin Storm; the team face Warlord Morrat (named in this issue) who turns against his own king, but sacrifices his life to save his beloved Princess Anelle; Dorrek claims it was Morrat who wanted to invade Earth.

Fantastic Four Annual #3 / Marvel Heroes & Legends #1 (1965/1996) 

The Super-Skrull is one of the many villains who tries to disrupt Reed Richards and Sue Storm's wedding.

Fantastic Four #48 (1966) 

Dorrek VII and the Skrulls hide the existence of Tarnax IV from the Silver Surfer and Galactus.

Marvel Comics Presents #18[4/4] (1989) 

A flashback reveals how Willie Lumpkin almost failed to deliver the Fantastic Four's mail thanks to the Super-Skrull.

Thor #142[1/2] (1967) 

Loki manipulates the Super-Skrull into attacking Thor, but he's inevitably defeated and stranded in space.

Captain Marvel #2 (1968) 

Dorrek VII wants to investigate the recent Kree activity on Earth and sends the Super-Skrull to investigate in return for his daughter, Anelle's, hand; the Super-Skrull first battles Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell); the enmity between the Kree and the Skrulls is revealed for the first time.

Fantastic Four #89-91 (1969) 

First appearance of the Kralians of Kral IV; the Thing is kidnaped by Skrull Slavers and taken to the Kral; a world based on America in the 1930s, including mobsters.

Avengers #69-70 (1969) 

First appearance of Doctor Spectrum's Power Prism; the crystal is later revealed to be a Skrull named Krimonn during ENDGAME.

Fantastic Four #92-93 (1969) 

The FF arrive on Kral IV, rescue the Thing from the Skrulls' battle arena and free the other aliens held by the Skrull Slavers before returning home.

Captain Marvel #20 (1970) 

First appearance of the Rat Pack - a group of human looters who are defeated by Captain Marvel.

X-Men: The Hidden Years #16 (2001) 

Zankor emerges in a previously untold tale, clashing with the original X-Men.

Avengers #97 (1971) 

One of the Skrulls transformed into cows by Mister Fantastic is revealed to have escaped and become H Warren Craddock, the head of the Alien Activities Commission; Craddock begins a campaign to discredit the Avengers just as the Earth becomes the beachhead for the next skirmish in the 'Kree-Skrull War'; Captain Marvel meets the Skrull Princess Anelle (which is later revealed to be a more intimate meeting than we thought); the Avengers defeat some Skrull Fantastic Four imposters and defend Earth with the help of Rick Jones and his Destiny Force powers; 'Craddock' is beaten to death by an angry mob! during THE KREE-SKRULL WAR.

New Avengers: Illuminati #1 (2007) 

Iron Man gathers a secret group dubbed the Illuminati and leads them back to Tarnax VII to take down the Skrulls; instead, the group are captured and narrowly escape with their lives.

New Avengers #44 (2008)
Emperor Dorrek creates clones of Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange, Professor X and Namor the Sub-Mariner and begins experiments to learn how to avoid being detected on Earth by super-humans; but don't read this now, wait until SECRET INVASION.

Incredible Hulk #155 (1972) 

First appearance of the Shaper of Worlds - a being with the power to make people's dreams a reality; the Shaper looks like a pasty white Skrull up top and a mechanoid from the waist down.

Marvel Team-Up #5 (1972) 

The Puppet-Master discovers a crashed Skrull ship left over from the Kree-Skrull War that contains a Skrull scout robot called a Monstroid (or a Ballox); Monstroid and Puppet-Master are defeated by Spider-Man and the Vision during THE WORLD WITHIN.

Captain Marvel #25-27 (1973) 

First appearance of Skragg; Thanos initiatites his plan to dominate the universe; among Thanos' alien mercenary army is Skragg, a Skrull who hopes to learn the secrets of the Destiny Force from Rick Jones; Skragg is defeated by Captain Marvel during THE THANOS WAR.

Fantastic Four #136-137 (1973) 

The Shaper of Worlds empowers gang leader Thomas Gideon to help make his dreams come true and take on the Fantastic Four.

Iron Man #63-66 (1973) 

During a protracted battle with Doctor Spectrum (Kinji Obatu), Iron Man learns that Spectrum's Power Prism is actually a Skrull; Krimonn was transformed into a gem as punishment for attempting to overthrow Emperor Dorrek and later granted energy powers by the Grandmaster.

Defenders #13-14 (1974) 

Krimonn is wielded by a new Doctor Spectrum (Billy Roberts) who costumes up and joins the Squadron Sinister to fight the Defenders.

Incredible Hulk #190-191 (1975) 

The Hulk has another run-in with the Shaper of Worlds and his protégé, Glorian.

New Avengers #40 (2008)
Emperor Dorrek sends Princess Veranke into exile; don't read this until SECRET INVASION.

Avengers #133-134 (1975) 

The Avengers learn the origin of the centuries-old Kree-Skrull War during THE CELESTIAL MADONNA SAGA.

Giant-Size Defenders #4 (1975) 

Krimonn is shattered by the Hulk during another conflict between the Defenders and the Squadron Sinister.

Marvel Premiere #24 (1975) 

The Monstroid returns and is destroyed by Iron Fist during IRON FIST MUST DIE!

Marvel Chillers #3, 5-7 (1976) 

The Rat Pack return with a new leader, Joshua Plague, who is revealed to be the Super-Skrull; the Rat Pack abandon their boss to Tigra and Red Wolf's wrath when they learn his true identity; the Super-Skrull tries to steal Tigra's soul using a stick called the Soul Catcher, but it backfires and leaves the Skrull stuck in the stick.

Fantastic Four #173-174 (1976) 

While trying to save Counter-Earth from Galactus, the Fantastic Four encounter Skrulls who are living out a medieval fantasy very similar to the Kralians of Kral.

Marvel Team-Up #61-62 (1977) 

The Super-Skrull escapes from the Soul Catcher and clashes with Spider-Man, the Human Torch and Ms Marvel (Carol Danvers); Ms Marvel screws up and accidentally teleports the Skrull him to an unknown location using a Cavorite Crystal (this is Carol's first clash with the Skrulls in her Ms Marvel persona).

[SKRULLS READING ORDER: Fall of the Skrulls (1978-1994)]

[SKRULLS READING ORDER: Infiltration (1995-2008)]