The Shi'ar ( ) are a
fictional species
There are a number of lists of fictional species:
Extraterrestrial
*List of fictional extraterrestrials (by media type)
*Lists of fictional alien species: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, ...
of
alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
s appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The Shi'ar Empire (or
Imperium
In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from ''auctoritas'' and ''potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic an ...
), is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
and
Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic list of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the p ...
Empires. The Shi'ar are one of the three main extraterrestrial empires depicted in the
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
, alongside the
Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic list of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the p ...
and
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
s.
Publication history
The Shi'ar first appeared in ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X ...
'' #97 (Feb. 1976) and were created by writer
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
and artist
Dave Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. Cockrum was ...
.
Biology
The Shi'ar are
cold-blooded[''Astonishing X-Men'' vol. 3 #57. Marvel Comics.] humanoid
A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and ''-oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. The earliest recorded use of the term, in 1870, referred to indigenous peoples in areas colonized by Europeans. By the 20t ...
s of
avian
Avian may refer to:
*Birds or Aves, winged animals
*Avian (given name) (russian: Авиа́н, link=no), a male forename
Aviation
*Avro Avian, a series of light aircraft made by Avro in the 1920s and 1930s
*Avian Limited, a hang glider manufacture ...
descent; they resemble
human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
s with
feather
Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier ...
ed crests atop their
head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...
s in lieu of
hair
Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...
. Two different styles are common: most Shi'ar, particularly those of the
aristocracy
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At t ...
, have feathers sprouting in a triangular shape away from the face, one peak on the top of the head and one peak on each side slightly over the shoulder; the other commonly seen "hairstyle" is bushy on both sides and very flat on the top.
[''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' vol. 2 #7. Marvel Comics.]
Internally, they have lightweight and hollow bones, and on their forearms there are still some vestigial feathers left of wings that were lost over millions of years of
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
.
[''The Avengers'' #379. Marvel Comics.] The average Shi'ar can lift 1 ton in Earth-like gravity and has far greater stamina than the average human. Most Shi'ar have no other special abilities, though occasionally a genetic throwback appears possessing wings that allow for flight (an example of
atavism
In biology, an atavism is a modification of a biological structure whereby an ancestral genetic trait reappears after having been lost through evolutionary change in previous generations. Atavisms can occur in several ways; one of which is when ...
). The superhuman Shi'ar can at least lift one ton through exercise.
[The ]Wasp
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
stated that the Shi'ar aren't stronger than humans.
The Shi'ar conceive their offspring in eggs. They are nurtured in special chambers and the children are referred to as hatchling
In oviparous biology, a hatchling is a newly hatched fish, amphibian, reptile, or bird. A group of mammals called monotremes lay eggs, and their young are hatchlings as well.
Fish
Fish hatchlings generally do not receive parental care, similar to ...
s.
The Shi'ar have more chakras
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
than a human.
Unlike Humans the Shi'ar do not dream, except for those born "defective" or "infected by dreams". Such Shi'ar include Warbird and the Shi'ar having survived the Fianden's weapons.
There have also been Shi'ar who had developed superpowers such as Electron, Rook'shir, Deathcry, Dakari, White Noise and Black Light. This can be explained as most of them are members of the Imperial Family and because of Rook'shir, who had transmitted his Phoenix Force manipulation power to his descendants.[''The Uncanny X-Men'' #479. Marvel Comics.]
Some Shi'ar have also telepathic abilities.[''The Uncanny X-Men'' #483. Marvel Comics.]
Technology
The Shi'ar possess technologies common to most Marvel alien races, including:
* Starship
A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems.
The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 188 ...
s capable of moving faster-than-light
Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
* Energy-based weapons in their ships and in their handheld weapons[''The Uncanny X-Men'' #157. Marvel Comics.][''X-Men: Spotlight on...Starjammers'' #1. Marvel Comics.]
* force fields
Force field may refer to:
Science
* Force field (chemistry), a set of parameter and equations for use in molecular mechanics simulations
* Force field (physics), a vector field indicating the forces exerted by one object on another
* Force field ( ...
[''The Uncanny X-Men'' #485. Marvel Comics.]
* Faster-than-light communication
* Teleportation
Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction literature and in other popular culture. Teleportation is oft ...
technology
* Robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
s
* Missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket i ...
s
The Shi'ar also possess technologies fairly unusual to them, including:
* Hologram
Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other Holography#Applications, applic ...
technology: which is used by the X-Men in their Danger Room
The Danger Room is a fictional training facility appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The facility is depicted as built for ...
.[''The Uncanny X-Men'' #476. Marvel Comics.]
* Cloaking technology: rendering a craft completely invisible, used by the X-Men on their Blackbird aircraft.
* Stargates: Devices in a network system. They are used for travel to faraway distances including instantaneous travel between galaxies. There are planet-based Stargates (used for personal travel to other solar systems and galaxies) and enormous space-based versions (used for starships to travel through).[''X-Men'' #105. Marvel Comics.]
* Starcracker technology: This is the Shi'ar ultimate weapon. The Starcracker causes stars to go supernova.
* Warp-Capable Warships: Ranging in size from small starships to planetoid sized ships.
* Armageddon-class Killstations: Orbital battle space stations.
* Flying Walker-Spacecraft: Spaceships with walker-like legs used on land.
* Nega-Bomb: A Galactic-level weapon used to destroy Dwarf Galaxies, like the Large Magellanic Cloud.[''The Avengers'' #347. Marvel Comics.] There are also lower yield Nega-Bombs used to destroy planets.
* Fusion Space Mines[''Starjammers'' #1. Marvel Comics.]
According to a statement by Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (Jan. 1980), and was created by writer ...
in ''Astonishing X-Men'' #9, most if not all Shi'ar technology is sentient
Sentience is the capacity to experience feelings and sensations. The word was first coined by philosophers in the 1630s for the concept of an ability to feel, derived from Latin '' sentientem'' (a feeling), to distinguish it from the ability to ...
.
Culture
Language
A Shi'ar "Galaxian" has stated that they have learned nearly every spoken language.
The Shi'ar have multiple forms, including the High Shi'ar, used for formal events,[''X-Men Unlimited'' #5. Marvel Comics.] and Shi'ar Glorkon dialect.
Mostly for tactical terms or insults, the Shi'ar insert words of their language into English sentences.
Philosophy
Traditionally, the Imperium has aggressively absorbed new cultures. Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
' 1995 ''Starjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers have often appeared in the pages of the ''X-Men'' comic books. The Starjammers first appeared in ''X-Men'' #104 (Ap ...
'' miniseries described the story of the Shi'ar deities Sharra
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and firs ...
and K'ythri
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and firs ...
as a parable which guides the Shi'ar expansionist philosophy to other worlds:
Sharra and K'ythri are the gods in marriage. The gods who didn't want to marry, but were forced into it. In marriage they found strength and in strength they found love. That's what the Shi'ar Imperium does. It marries other cultures. Shotgun weddings.
There are aggressive and violent ancient traditions, such as the Rite of Arin'nn Haelar, which is a battle to the death. This rite can be invoked to settle disagreements and their outcomes are accepted by the Imperium. Their philosophy also impacts their court, as they do not recognize insanity.
''X-Men'' writer Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker (; born November 17, 1966) is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and screenwriter who works primarily in the crime fiction genre. He began his career with the semi-autobiographical series '' Lowlife'' and a number of serials i ...
compared the Shi'ar to ''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
s Romulan
The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series ''Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The A ...
s, saying they are "smart, aggressive, and mean".
Politics
Though the empire has grown to include hundreds of thousands of different sentient species and worlds, the Shi'ar race controls and governs the empire. Its central base of power is located on the "throneworld" Chandilar, while the Shi'ar homeworld is called Aerie (it is unknown if the planet still exists). The leader of the empire is given the title Majestor (male) or Majestrix (female) and is a hereditary
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...
position, occupied by members of the royal family of the Shi'ar. Formerly, the Neramani family represented the royal bloodline.[''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' #10. Marvel Comics.]
The Shi'ar Empire is one of the most advanced and expansive civilizations in the universe, spanning entire galaxies
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
. It is mainly an economic co-operative, where trade with other galactic powers is its driving force. Not all races have the same rights in the Imperium, as the Shi'ar appear to have a disproportionate influence on its governance.
It is nominally ruled over by a high council, which has representatives from a large majority of the alien races that exist within the Imperium. However, in practice, the head of the council (the Majestor or Majestrix) exercises strong executive control and can institute policy virtually by decree.
The leader of the Shi'ar empire is protected by his or her own personal guard called the Imperial Guard
An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...
, which is made up of the most powerful and elite soldiers from throughout the Empire with most of them being Shi'ar and others being from other alien races in the Shi'ar's jurisdiction. The Imperial Guard is led by a praetor
Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vario ...
. The military itself (outside of the Imperial Guard) has been depicted as consisting almost exclusively of Shi'ar personnel, at least in most of the command positions.
Though having warlike and militaristic ancestry, the Shi'ar Empire has largely occupied the role of peacekeepers in many interstellar affairs. Just to name a few, Empress Lilandra Neramani tried to broker peace between the Kree Empire
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cl ...
and the Skrull Empire
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated from ...
to help bring an end to their devastating war: she sought interstellar accord when deciding how to end the threat of Dark Phoenix
"The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an extended X-Men comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics, focusing on Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force. It was written by Chris Claremont with art by John Byrne.
The Dark Phoenix Saga commonly refers to the s ...
, and attempted to avenge the destruction of Tarnax IV, the Skrull throneworld, by Galactus
Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of ...
.
Attitude toward the arts
The Shi'ar consider artistic creativity to be a sign of insanity and deviance, as they lack the ability to dream. Shi'ar who have the ability to dream and create do all they can to suppress their impulses. In the past, execution was a common remedy to such 'infections'. A race called the Fianden had the ability to cause any Shi'ar to dream; this caused mass catatonia and insanity in most Shi'ar, although a small subset who already are able to dream recover after a brief delay. The Fianden were wiped out in a mass genocide. After they were used to destroy the Fianden, the Shi'ar executed all of the natural dreamers to purge the taint from their bloodlines. Nevertheless, the trait does still emerge periodically, to continued violent repression.
Fictional race biography
After leaving their world, the Shi'ar started an intergalactic Empire and forced other cultures in order to become stronger and ruled for millions of years. Such cultures included the Chameloids, Lupaks, Stygians, Strontians, Hodinn, Saurids and many more. When the Shi'ar invaded the homeworld of the Mephitisoids, they declared 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 Mephistoids stealing their technology. However, the true history was lost to legend and propaganda.
When the Shi'ar known as Rook'shir was bonded to the Phoenix Force, he became Dark Phoenix and wreaked havoc across Shi'ar Empire. In order to stop him, the first Imperial Guard sent Gladiator after him, who killed him. For 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.
M'Kraan Crystal
D'Ken Neramani, a corrupt Shi'ar ruler, attempted to use the powerful M'Kraan Crystal
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
to take over the universe. His younger sister Lilandra and her new allies, the X-Men, foiled his plans. He was rendered coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...
tose by the crystal and Lilandra then took over as the Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire. The X-Men, as well as most of Earth's other superheroes, have had cordial if not friendly relations with the Shi'ar Empire ever since.
Trial of Galactus
The Shi'ar put Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
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
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
throneworld, resulting in the death of billions. Uatu
Uatu (), often simply known as the Watcher, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963). He is a membe ...
the Watcher, acting as his lawyer and with the help of Odin
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
and Galactus himself, convinced the gathered tribunal that Galactus is a necessary force of betterment of the universe and is not a villain. This was done by summoning Eternity
Eternity, in common parlance, means Infinity, infinite time that never ends or the quality, condition, or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside time, whereas ...
. The truth as shown by Eternity however, is so grand and overpowering that none of the tribunal's members can remember it fully, although the comprehension stays.
Deathbird, the Kree-Shi'ar War, and the Spartoi
In the 1980s, Lilandra and D'Ken's unstable exiled elder sibling Deathbird
Deathbird (Cal'syee Neramani-Summers) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Dave Cockrum, she is usually depicted as a supervillain, an adversary of th ...
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 is also responsible for initially directing the alien parasites known as the Brood
Brood may refer to:
Nature
* Brood, a collective term for offspring
* Brooding, the incubation of bird eggs by their parents
* Bee brood, the young of a beehive
* Individual broods of North American Periodical Cicadas:
** Brood X, the largest bro ...
towards the Earth and its heroes. Deathbird was eventually deposed with the assistance of the X-Men.[''The Uncanny X-Men'' #275. Marvel Comics.]
In the 1992 crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
" Operation: Galactic Storm," the Shi'ar annexed the Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic list of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the p ...
Empire at the end of the Kree-Shi'ar War and Deathbird was placed into a prominent position as viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
of Hala, the Kree homeworld. However, Deathbird did not last long in this position and has since abandoned her responsibilities and it appears that the Kree Empire has, at least in some part, been re-established.
The Shi'ar have had recent contact with the Spartoi
In Greek mythology, Spartoi (also Sparti or Spartae) (Ancient Greek: Σπαρτοί, literal translation: "sown en, from σπείρω, ''speírō'', "to sow") are a mythical people who sprang up from the dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus and were ...
.
Phalanx
The empire came under the threat of the "techno-organic" alien race known as the Phalanx
The phalanx ( grc, φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, , ) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar pole weapons. The term is particularly use ...
after they infiltrated the Shi'ar Empire as the "Pure", killing tens of thousands before the X-Men fought them on the Shi'ar throneworld and separated the transmode virus from its hosts, killing most of those Phalanx.
Cassandra Nova
Professor X
Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...
's evil twin sister Cassandra Nova
Cassandra Nova is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, Cassandra first appeared in ''New X-Men (2001 ...
single-handedly destroys a good portion of the Shi'ar Empire. Inhabiting the body of her brother, Nova asserts control of Empress Lilandra and causes a Shi'ar civil war. Jean Grey is instrumental in ending this threat.
Phoenix Endsong and End of Greys
Despite the aid she gave them by eliminating the threat of Cassandra Nova, the Shi'ar still held a grudge against Jean Grey for the destruction she caused as Dark Phoenix. In the Phoenix Endsong series, a group of Shi'ar tried to eliminate both the Phoenix Force and Jean Grey. Jean, however, escaped their suicide bomb
A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...
attack and returned to the White Hot Room to restore herself. In the "End of Greys" story arc, the Shi'ar wanted to wipe out the Grey genome
In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding ge ...
and Quentin Quire
Quintavius Quirinius "Quentin" Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in those featuring the X-Men. Quire first appeared in ''New X-Men'' #134 (January, 2003). ...
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
The Shi'ar ( ) are a List of fictional humanoid species in comics, fictional species of Extraterrestrial life, aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium), is a vast collection of alien spe ...
murdered Jean Grey's father
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
, niece
In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of an ...
, nephew
In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of an ...
, and other relatives in an alien invasion
The alien invasion or space invasion is a common feature in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial lifeforms invade the Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under an intense state, harvest people ...
on Earth, thus inciting the wrath of Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers (also known as Rachel Grey) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-plotter John Byrne (comics), John Byrne.
In h ...
, the daughter of Jean Grey and Scott Summers from an alternate future, who has since declared vengeance on the entire Shi'ar Empire. Recent events seem to indicate the Shi'ar Council was responsible for this, and that Lilandra is unaware of what has been done in her name.
Fall of the Shi'ar
Another Shi'ar threat comes from an X-Men villain called Vulcan
Vulcan may refer to:
Mythology
* Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
. During his tenure as majestor of the empire, D'Ken killed Vulcan's mother Katherine Summers (also mother to longtime X-Men Scott
Scott may refer to:
Places Canada
* Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec
* Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380
* Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...
and Alex Summers
Havok (Alexander Summers) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. He first appears in ''The X-Men'' #54 (March 1969), and was created by writer Arnold Drake an ...
) and made him a slave for most of his adolescent life. Bent on revenge against D'Ken, Vulcan attacks the Empire. Not only that, but within the empire, there is a coup to dethrone Lilandra and return D'Ken to power, with the aid of Deathbird. The X-Men once again team up with their space allies, the Starjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers have often appeared in the pages of the ''X-Men'' comic books. The Starjammers first appeared in ''X-Men'' #104 (Ap ...
, to stop both Vulcan and the plot to return rulership of the empire to D'Ken. In the end, Vulcan kills his father, Corsair
A corsair is a privateer or pirate, especially:
* Barbary corsair, Ottoman and Berber pirates and privateers operating from North Africa
* French corsairs, privateers operating on behalf of the French crown
Corsair may also refer to:
Arts and ...
, and D'Ken, and assumes the throne of the Shi'ar Empire for himself, with Deathbird as his queen; Lilandra and the Starjammers now lead a resistance against Vulcan's rule. This occurs in a 12 issue arc entitled " The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire".
Emperor Vulcan
The civil war between Vulcan's forces and those loyal to the dethroned Lilandra rages on. Led by Havok and the Starjammers, Lilandra's forces gradually whittle away at Vulcan's forces, which are plagued by defections. The Shi'ar, contrary to Vulcan's expectations, are not happy to have an outsider as their ruler. Vulcan is discouraged by this, but Deathbird convinces him that they will come to accept him.[''X-Men: Emperor Vulcan'' #1. Marvel Comics.]
Warned in advance of a rebel raid on Feather's Edge, Vulcan and his fleet ambush the Starjammers. However, in the middle of the battle, his ship, the Hammer, is destroyed by the Scy'ar Tal (translates as "Death to the Shi'ar"). Vulcan and Gladiator
A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
(still the praetor of his Imperial Guard) attack the leader of the Scy'ar Tal and are easily defeated, whereupon they retreat deeper into Shi'ar space.
Marvel Girl makes contact with the Eldest Scy'ar Tal and discovers 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 makes contact with the Starjammers to call a temporary ceasefire.[''X-Men: Emperor Vulcan'' #2. Marvel Comics.]
Under the ceasefire, the Shi'ar and the Starjammers decide to take out the Finality, thus crippling the Scy'ar's biggest threat. Once Havok and Vulcan are in position to destroy Finality, the Eldest Scy'ar tries to stop them. Once Vulcan figures out how the Eldest is powered, he severs the connection Eldest has with his brothers, making him powerless. Once the connection is severed, the Scy'ar become disorganized, and the tide of the battle shifts to the Sh'ar. The Shi'ar then proceed to attack both the Scy'ar and the Starjammers. Meanwhile, Vulcan blasts Havok into a sun.
Vulcan decides to use Finality to destroy the Scy'ar by using the weapon to place a star in the middle of their fleet. Alex returns and, having absorbed enough power to burn him, decides to end things with Vulcan. While they battle, Rachel and Korvus try, but fail to stop the beacon that will initiate the attack by the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar Imperial Guard end Alex's battle with Vulcan by appearing with the Starjammers in captivity, threatening to kill them. Before surrendering, Alex destroys Finality. With Alex and the Starjammers in custody Vulcan declares that he will return the Shi'ar Empire to its former glory.
X-Men: Kingbreaker
Vulcan and the Shi'ar were featured prominently in the mini-series X-Men: Kingbreaker that revolved around Vulcan and the Starjammers following the conclusion of the mini-series Emperor Vulcan. This mini-series led to the War of Kings event and revealed that eons ago the Shi'ar, used dark sorcery to created and stored in Null Space the Tree of Shadows which is the repository for all of the Darkhawk amulets used to empower the Fraternity of Raptors to whom the Shi'ar intended to use to maintain the Shi'ar Empire as it evolved over the centuries. The Fraternity of Raptors refer to their mission to protect the long term interests of the empire as "The Great Purpose." However, as the Shi'ar Empire aggressively expanded so to did the Fraternity of Raptors and eventually they grew too powerful for the Empire to control. Therefore, they all were sealed in patches of dark matter throughout Shi'ar territory and their history almost completely forgotten.
War of Kings
The story revolved around the Starjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers have often appeared in the pages of the ''X-Men'' comic books. The Starjammers first appeared in ''X-Men'' #104 (Ap ...
, the Shi'ar, the Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
, the Kree, the Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
, and the Nova Corps
The Nova Corps is a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman, the Corps first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #205 (April 1979). They have since appe ...
.
The Shi'ar end up in conflict with the Inhumans and the Kree. After the death of Lilandra and the presumed deaths of Vulcan and Black Bolt
Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appears in '' Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ...
, Gladiator assumes the throne and surrenders to the Inhumans and the Kree when the damage to the Shi'ar military is too much.
Infinity
During the "Infinity
Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol .
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions amo ...
" storyline, it is revealed that at some point, the Shi'ar managed to take control of their own empire back from the Kree as Gladiator appears as a member of the Galactic Council representing the Shi'ar Empire.
Time Runs Out
When the Shi'ar found out that the reason for the decay of the universe was on Earth, they decided to destroy the planet. However, the Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
managed to warn the Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
about the attack.
When approaching Earth, the Shi'ar alerted humanity about their destruction of Earth. However Sunspot
Sunspots are phenomena on the Sun's photosphere that appear as temporary spots that are darker than the surrounding areas. They are regions of reduced surface temperature caused by concentrations of magnetic flux that inhibit convection. Sun ...
and A.I.M. used a super weapon to retaliate against the Shi'ar, while S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
's Avengers used a Planetkiller to attack from behind. However, A.I.M.'s weapon exploded due to overheat, and the Planetkiller was destroyed by the Annihilation Wave
"Annihilation" is a 2006 Fictional crossover, crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, highlighting several outer space-related characters in the Marvel Universe. The central miniseries was written by Keith Giffen, with editor Andy Schmid ...
. The Avengers were ready to meet their end, but the Illuminati
The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...
intervened used the controller disk of a rogue planet that shared the same space with Earth, while Iron Man flew to the Sol's Hammer, and used it, successfully destroying the Shi'ar fleet, including the Imperial Guards.
All-New, All-Different Marvel
As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel
All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline "Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched w ...
," it was revealed that some Shi'ar that are living on Earth have established a Shi'ar corporation called Shi'ar Solutions Consolidations.[''The Mighty Thor'' vol. 2 #8. Marvel Comics.]
Asgard/Shi'ar War
During "The Asgard/Shi'ar War" storyline, the Shi'ar Gods Sharra and K'ythri do a "Challenge of the Gods" by bringing the Shi'ar fleet to Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
whilst threatening Earth with their Super Destroyers.[''The Mighty Thor'' vol. 2 #16. Marvel Comics.] An event which had been secretly instigated by Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
behind closed doors. In the Natural Disasters Round, Sharra and K'ythri use their power to cause a tidal wave in order to ferment greater worship in the survivors. Thor impedes their efforts by saving lives instead of claiming them, the round going to her as the living Shi'ar people are thankful for her mercy; much to her displeasure.[''The Mighty Thor'' vol. 2 #15. Marvel Comics.] Round after round where countless denizens of the Shi'ar are slaughtered in these inane divinity games weights heavily on Thor/Jane's conscience. Until finally after the Genesis Round, where the Shi'ar gods use dust to create Shi'ar Giants who indiscriminately murder more of their worshipers causes the female Thor to fight them. As the female Thor failed to create life, the Shi'ar won the Genesis Round.[''The Mighty Thor'' vol. 2 #17. Marvel Comics.] Having had enough of the murderous spectacles, Thor chose to directly challenge the Shi'ar gods; later receiving some unexpected help from the Asgardian Gods themselves. It was this act that tilted the Challenge of the Gods in her favor as none had ever brought so many divine under their banner to fight at their side before, causing the new Thor to be crowned winner of the Challenge. Greatly angered at such a turn of events Sharra and K'ythri order their Majestor to eviscerate her homeworld in retribution; but the Emperor of the Shi'ar rebel's against their gods after their wanton display. In their final fit of mindless ire, the Shi'ar gods summoned the Phoenix Force to eviscerate the galaxy spiting everyone who defied them. Later after a sorrowing battle following the appeasement of the Phoenix, the former gods of the empire are taken away to the dungeons of ''Omnipotence City'' for their crimes and reckless actions. All while Kid Omega
Quintavius Quirinius "Quentin" Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in those featuring the X-Men. Quire first appeared in ''New X-Men'' #134 (January, 2003). ...
, holder of a Phoenix Force shard, acts as a stand in for the divinity of the Shi'ar empire.
Infinity Countdown
During the search of the Infinity Stones, Razor reveals the true origin of the Tree of Shadows and the creation of the Fraternity of Raptors, according to Razor the Tree of Shadows was created eons ago by the Elder of the Universe
The Elders of the Universe are a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Collector was the first Elder to appear, and featured in '' The Avengers'' #28 (May 1966), but the idea that he was a member ...
known as The Gardener who tried to bring life to the Null Space and planted it in the Darkforce Dimension
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
. Eventually, Null Space and the Tree of Shadows were discovered by a more pre-historic version of the Shi'ar and the Skrulls, a find that ended in war erupting between the two alien races. The war ranged until one member of the Shi'ar was able to grasp one of the seeds of the Tree. His physiology, fear and belief's shaped the birth of the most vicious killing machine the universe had ever seen, the first Raptor and while the Skrulls, being shape-shifters, were still able to hold out against the Shi'ar, they eventually were nevertheless slaughtered by Raptor Prime, a creature of instinct and adaptation which quickly learnt to use their enemies shape-shifting abilities as well. It can be assumed that due to the incident with Rook'shir, the Shi'ar then intended to use the seeds of the Tree of Shadows to create an army to unleash Ratha'kon or the Dark Starhawk, a being who would be able to contain and act as a "predator" to the Phoenix Force, however, while the Fraternity of Raptors attempted to mimic the Cosmic entity, because of their mechanoid nature, they were unable to unlock much less ascertain the coveted true power of which within their ranks.[''Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk'' #3. Marvel Comics.] Which was why Gyre, a corrupted anathema of the Fraternity utilized the once Nova turned Raptor Robbie Rider; brother of Richard Rider and traitor to the Nova Corp and Earth. Sought to utilize the amulet of Christopher Powell as the conduit in which Talon-R would become host to the Dark Starhawk with intent to raze the planet Earth, but was destroyed by the possessed entity due to his reviled nature as a result.
Mr. & Mrs. X
Though largely prosperous for a time the Shi'ar still suffer from the occasional strife brought upon by the treacherous Deathbird. She and her rebel faction stand against the empire on the grounds that Kallark, head of the Imperial Guard and current Majestor of the Shi'ar, isn't a true Shi'ar and thus believe his rule to be illegitimate.[''Mr & Mrs X'' #3. (Nov. 2018). Marvel Comics.] To actualize their claim, the insurgents are in hot pursuit of an item pertaining critical importance to the Shi'ar Imperium, a glowing egg contain the next successor to monarchy and the throne. In truth the shell was only a telepathic mirage thrown up by its true contents, the prize in actuality being the genetically engineered daughter of Professor and Lilandra Neramani whom after having telepathically scanned the minds of X-Men newlyweds Rogue and Gambit, took the name of Xandra when modeling herself after her deceased parents. Kitty Pryde goes on to say that the reason she's such a sought after commodity across the spaceways is because she was sworn into the Shi'ar royal line by her mother on top of having inherited her father's vast psionic talents making her both an Omega Level Weapon not to mention a highly coveted political bargaining chip to the Shi'ar themselves.
First Blood Spilled
Since then Xandra has assumed the throne of the Shi'ar Empire and has been successfully running the vast galactic society, at least until the recent reveal that the Shi'ar Empire has hidden a secret about the first "ancient mutants" from everyone, even Majestrix Xandra herself. The Marauders and Xandra come into conflict with the Shi'ar's sect of secret-keepers the Crimson Kin, who eventually assassinate her to stop her from "betraying" their darkest secrets to Krakoa.
Eventually, Kate Pryde and her band of Marauders discover the greatest secret of the Shi'ar - an encounter with the inhabitants of Earth that occurred billions of years ago. The ancient Shi'ar, still possessing their avian traits, were a race of raiders allied with the Lupak, and on Earth they discovered a civilization capable of repelling them, a mutant society named Threshold. Incredibly, this mutant community existed billions of years before humans evolved. With their pride wounded, the Shi'ar prepared for a war, and tried to wipe out these ancient mutants only to lose again. Their defeat was so overwhelming that they hid it from the annals of history. But the truth remained as they used the Xorrian science to alter their evolution into the Shi'ar of the present day and when these early mutants were forced to flee Earth to avoid a cataclysmic events, the Shi'ar took the opportunity to wipe out most of the briefly vulnerable mutants as they attempted in other realities. Only a handful of mutants survived, placed outside of time by the Shi'ar, but even then they were seemingly executed by the Shi'ar years previously, cutting off Krakoa from that piece of their history.
Known Shi'ar
The following are members of the Shi'ar:
* Adam Neramani – The genetically engineered son of former Emperor D'Ken. Adam is a Shi'ar/Human hybrid, created by combining the DNA of D'Ken and Katherine Summers with the only purpose for D'Ken to introduce a hybrid with a specific genetic potential into the Shi'ar Monarchy and to rule the Shi'ar Empire. Adam Neramani is, therefore, half-brother of Scott and Alex Summers, however when the truth about his heritage was discovered, Adam requested that knowledge to be erased from his mind and his brothers so he could get on with his life.
* Araki[''X-Men'' #122. Marvel Comics.] – He was both the Prime Minister of the Shi'ar Imperium and the Lord Chancellor of the Empire's ruling emperor or empress. Noted for his wisdom and venerated among the Shi'ar for his political savvy and diplomacy, Araki had his own DNA sequence and consciousness copied and used as a form of cloned reincarnation with the intention of serving the Shi'ar Empire for generations. While the exact differences between the incarnations of Araki has not been clarified, one such version, Araki 6 is seen announcing to Professor Xavier the annulment of his marriage to Empress Lilandra. Araki was later cloned again, as a female, and served as adviser for the former Majestor Gladiator.
* Aroke – One of the Lords Chamberlain who informed the Majestix Lilandra of the Shi'ar's victory over the Kree.
* Alake – A Praetor in the Shi'ar military.
* Ava'Dara Naganandini – A member of the Shi'ar Warbirds.
* Avios[''Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet'' #1. Marvel Comics.] – A royal aid to the Neramani family.
* Atratus – An old man who hired Monark the Starstalker to kidnap Alex Summers
Havok (Alexander Summers) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. He first appears in ''The X-Men'' #54 (March 1969), and was created by writer Arnold Drake an ...
.
* Babob – A Praetor in the Shi'ar military.
* Baranka – A Shi'ar Royal Concierge that escorted Jubilee, Forge, Storm and Professor X from L’Deroh's transport ship to Luten, who saw that they were dressed for the ceremony Lilandra had summoned them to.
* Black Light[''X-Men: Spotlight on...Starjammers'' #2. Marvel Comics.] – A member of the Imperial Guards and twin brother of White Noise.
* Bloodwing – A member of the fanatical Crystal Claws, a Shi'ar group dedicated to returning D'Ken back to power. He sought to kill Legacy
In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property.
Legacy or legacies may refer ...
in order to allow his sister, Kaladar, to pass on to the next life.
* C'efn – A Commander in the Grand Jahr, a military fleet of ships with the sole purpose of bringing new planets into the Shi'ar Empire. He and his crew were all killed as their ship warped into a star.
* Cerise – Member of The Graces.
* Chakar[''Rom'' Annual #4. Marvel Comics.] – A Praetor in Shi'ar military. He was killed by the crazed Spaceknight
Rom the Space Knight is a superhero, originally a toy and then a magazine lead. Rom was created by Scott Dankman, Richard C. Levy, and Bryan L. McCoy for Parker Brothers and is now a Hasbro asset. After the toy was licensed to Marvel Comics, Rom ...
Plor.
* Davis Cameron[''X-Treme X-Men'' #6. Marvel Comics.] – A Human Mutant and Shi'ar hybrid.
* Dai'andral – A Shi'ar that befriended Gabriel Summers and brought him a book about mythology, which inspired him to name himself Vulcan.
* Dakari[ – A powerful Praetor of the Shi'ar military. He was killed by the ship medic who stole the armor of the Spaceknights Pulsar in order to free his race.
* D'Ken][''X-Men'' #97. Marvel Comics. February 1976.] – The former Majestor of the Shi'ar and the brother of Lilandra and Deathbird.
* D'Keth – The son of D'Kath, was a member of the Weather Council, an advisory body who counsel the entire Shi'ar.
* Deathbird
Deathbird (Cal'syee Neramani-Summers) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Dave Cockrum, she is usually depicted as a supervillain, an adversary of th ...
– The sister of Lilandra Neramani and D'Ken.
* Deathcry
Deathcry (Sharra Neramani) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a former honorary member of the Avengers (comics), Avengers and later revealed to be the niece of ...
– A Shi'ar commando who is the niece of Lilandra.
* D'rehn –
* D'Syndri – An imperial Pathfinder who was killed in Manhattan by a squad of Badoon
The Badoon are a fictional Reptilian humanoid, reptilian List of extraterrestrials in fiction, alien species appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Badoon Exfulgence are notable for living under strict Sex segregation, g ...
hunters.
* Dahrev[''War of Kings: Warriors'' #2. Marvel Comics.] – A instructor at the Chandilar Academy.
* Electron
The electron ( or ) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family,
and are generally thought to be elementary particles because they have no kn ...
[''X-Men'' #107. Marvel Comics.] – A Shi'ar who is a member of the Imperial Guard.
* Erik the Red – A Shi'ar spy who is a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Agency.
* Eluke[''X-Men'' #135. Marvel Comics.] – A crew member of a Shi'ar star-cruiser. He witnessed the Dark Phoenix destroy a star system and he with the crew were killed when their ship was caught in the explosion.
* Fath'raj[''Nova'' vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.] – A member of a team consisted of gladiators who tested the fighting capabilities of the Nova Corps
The Nova Corps is a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman, the Corps first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #205 (April 1979). They have since appe ...
men.
* Forunn[''New X-Men'' #122. Marvel Comics.] – A medic who was killed by Cassandra Nova.
* Freena[ – A student at the Chandilar Academy.
* Frr'dox] – A Shi'ar who is the Supreme Director of Interstellar Operations at Shi'ar Solutions Consolidations.
* Heather Cameron[ – A Human mutant and Shi'ar hybrid.
* Immundra][ – A Shi'ar driven insane by Cassandra Nova.
* Jorrsk][ – An officer who along with his crew were killed by Cassandra Nova.
* Juber][ – The commander of the Shi'ar Star-cruiser. He along with his crew were killed when caught in the explosion caused by the Dark Phoenix.
* K'illace][''X-Men Unlimited'' #13. Marvel Comics.] – A Shi'ar commander.
* K'renn –
* K'rin – A Shi'ar nursemaid.
* K'rk'N'Kazaii – A captain in the Shi’ar empire's fleet and one of best officers.
* K'Tor[''The Uncanny X-Men'' #478. Marvel Comics.] – He is the vice-chancellor to Lilandra.
* K'toth – A Praetor in the Shi'ar military.
* Ka'ardum – A major-general in the Shi'ar army.
* Kachil – The commander of the Shi'ar super destroyer Lamentations of the Enemy's Widow.
* Korvus
Korvus is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Korvus wields a weapon known as the Blade of the Phoenix and made his first appearance in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #478 on September 6, 2006.
Fictional c ...
– Wielder of The Blade of the Phoenix.
* K'ythri
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and firs ...
[''Starjammers'' #1] – One of the two chief deities of the Shi'ar. Husband of Sharra.
* L'Deroh - An envoy of royal commission stationed on the planet Kree-Kar, he was sent by Lilandra to Earth to retrieve the X-Men for the ceremony of the annexation of the Kree Empire to the Shi’ar territory. Once he reached Earth, L’Deroh beamed Professor X, Jubilee, Forge and Storm without explanation, and moved toward the Kree galaxy. He played a hologram of Lilandra ordering their presence and as they arrived, he turned them over to Baranka and Luten to prepare them for the ceremony.
* Lilandra Neramani
Lilandra Neramani () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. She is the Empress, or Majestrix, of the Shi'ar Empire and shares a lifelong bond with the le ...
– The former Majestrix of the Shi'ar and the sister of D'Ken and Deathbird.
* Luten – A Shi'ar Royal Concierge who saw that Jubilee, Forge, Storm and Professor X were dressed for the ceremony Lilandra had summoned them to.
* Lyth'ka – A Shi'ar Commander.
* M'korr – A Shi'ar commander who wanted to use the energy emitting from a Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
as an excuse to invade Earth as part of the Shi'ar Empire.
* Maelen – A chancellor of Lilandra.
* Magique – A Shi'ar who is a member of the Imperial Guard.
* Magique II – Replaced the previous one.
* Malick Tarcel – A Shi'ar that was promoted to the new Nova Prime.
* Milyann tec Hilyiani – A messenger who informed the Minister of Peace T'cahr that the Starjammers had destroyed a ship commanded by D'rehn.
* Mimoza – A Shi'ar soldier who attacked the Starjammers.
* Misa – A member of the Slaughter Squad, a group gathered by Mister Knife to do his biddings. She was later by the Black Vortex
"The Black Vortex" is a 2015 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics involving the All New X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Plot
Prologue
Star-Lord (Peter Quill) tries to avoid the Slaughter Lords and those hunting him for a bount ...
.
* Mylz-ob'ryn – A chief of operations.
* N'Ruto – A Shi'ar commander.
* Nassis[ – A former Shi'ar student turned Brood.
* Nightscream – A Shi'ar that tried to purchase ''Women's Magazine'' from Carol Danvers under the alias of Barbara Nelson.
* ]Oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
– A long-time member and warrior serving in the Royal Elite of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.
* Ou'zli[''Starblast'' #1. Marvel Comics.] – A Shi'ar Captain.
* P!rai – She approached Forge during the restoration ceremony of Empress Lilandra Neramani.
* P'kar[ –
* P'krrd – A Praetor in Shi'ar military.
* Peri – A member of the Pathfinders squad, gave his life to save Lilandra from D'Ken.
* Pupugli] – A Shi'ar soldier who attacked the Starjammers.
* Rugar – A Shi'ar scientist who created the Nega-Bomb.
* Raptor Prime – An ancestor of the more evolved Shi'ar and the one to give birth to the most vicious killing machine the universe had ever seen, the first Raptor, a creature of instinct and adaptation.
* Rook'shir – A Shi'ar who is the ancestor of Korvus and one of the hosts of the Phoenix Force.
* Samédàr – Lord Samédàr became Grand Admiral after Lilandra was made Shi'ar Empress.
* Sapt – He was tasked by Samedar to watch over Colossus and Kitty Pride.
* Sharra
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and firs ...
– One of the two chief deities of the Shi'ar. Wife of K'ythri.
* Shi'ar Giants - A race of Shi'ar who are giants that were created by K'ythri and Sharra.
* Shy'tarra[ – A member of a team consisted of gladiators who tested the fighting capabilities of the Nova Corpsmen.
* Si'ani] – A Shi'ar Astrogator.
* Sovel Redhand – Captain of a group of Salvagers of various races.
* Syth'kach – A communications officer on a Shi'ar warship which was destroyed by Supernova
A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when ...
.
* T'Cahar – A friend of D'Ken's before his fall and formerly the Minister of Peace for the Shi'ar.
* T'Korr[''War of Kings: Warriors'' #1. Marvel Comics.] – He was Majestor of the Shi'ar Empire centuries ago and the one who first assembled the Imperial Guard.
* T'kyll Alabar – He was the son of a lesser family who fought against the Mephitisoids and was promoted to a high position of power, commanding the first Shi'ar Imperial Fleet. He along with the Mephitisoids leader, Butcher, were put in stasis in order to prevent any further problem and after twelve-hundred years they crashlanded on Earth where he along with Avengers battled the Mephitisoids and Kree.
* Tiv – A Shi'ar monitor.
* Urizen Ul'var –
* Vitana – Former chancellor of the Shi'ar Empire.
* Vivali – A commander of a Shi'ar fleet that went after the Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
believing that he was involved in the destruction of the planet Zenn-La.
* Vyr'tal – He was the Emperor of the Shi'ar Empire, when they discovered the M'Kraan Crystal.
* Wiwarto – A praetor who attacked the Starjammers.
* White Noise[ – A member of the Imperial Guards and twin sister of Black Light.
* Xandra – The genetically engineered daughter of Lilandra and Charles Xavier and current Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire.
* Ya'lont – A Shi'ar Praetor and Admiral in the Shi'ar military.
* Yahnos Tr'morr – A commander in the Shi'ar military.
* Za'ken – A exile, he teamed up with ]Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
and Deathcry and attempt to return from exile.
Other versions
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
universe, the Shi'ar are not an alien race, but a religious group whose beliefs are said to have descended from alien knowledge. They worship the Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, believing it to be a god of not only destruction, but renewal. Their beliefs state that all of the Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
was originally a prison created by ancient alien civilizations to hold the Phoenix, but its presence at the core led to the creation of life on Earth, and the Phoenix's direct influence resulted in all major steps of evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
for man, and specifically, led to the creation of mutants
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
. The Ultimate version of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high-society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood's Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. Such clubs, ...
is an offshoot of the Shi'ar religion that believes the Phoenix only desires destruction.
Recently an alternate version of the Lilandra character has turned up in the Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
universe's Ultimate X-Men
''Ultimate X-Men'' is a superhero comic book series, which was published by Marvel Comics, from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The U ...
title. Ultimate Lilandra is not an alien, but the Majestrix of the Church of Shi'ar Enlightenment, and contacts Professor Xavier
Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...
with the offer of funding his school's immense budget, in exchange for the chance to see if Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...
is the human host for The Phoenix.
Age of Apocalypse
In the ''Age of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The ''Age of Apocalypse'' briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comic ...
'' reality, the Shi'ar Empire was almost decimated by the Brood. However, D'Ken remains as Majestor of the Imperium, while Lilandra has been executed and Deathbird leads the Starjammers.
MC2
In ''Last Planet Standing
''Last Planet Standing'' is a 5-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in 2006. The series was written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Pat Olliffe (who also co-plotted the series). It stars many characters from the MC2 Universe a ...
'', a limited series set in the alternate timeline known as MC2, the Shi'ar homeworld is destroyed by Galactus
Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of ...
.
2099
In ''Marvel 2099
Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that was originally one possible future of the Marvel Universe, but later revealed in a climax of ''Superior Spider-Man Goblin Nation arc'' and ''Amazing Spider-Man'' Vol. 3 #14 to be the ...
'', is mentioned that the encroaching twilight of the Shi'ar left a void of power.
Marvel Zombies
In ''Marvel Zombies Return
''Marvel Zombies Return'' is a weekly five-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in late 2009. It is part of the '' Marvel Zombies'' series of comic books.
Publication history
''Marvel Zombies Return'' is a weekly series of ...
'', led by Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
of another reality, the Shi'ar were defeated and killed by the zombified heroes of the Earth.[''Marvel Zombies Return'' #5. Marvel Comics.]
In other media
Television
* The Shi'ar Empire appears in the 1990s X-Men TV series, the first appearance being part of the Phoenix Saga, with other appearances later on including the Dark Phoenix Saga.
* The Shi'ar are briefly referenced in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' episode "Live Kree or Die." They appear as one of the Kree's enemy races.
* In the second season of ''Legion
Legion may refer to:
Military
* Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army
* Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army
* Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
'', Cary describes a piece of technology of "advanced", but "not Shi'ar."
Video games
* In X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
for the Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
, the X-Men visit the Shi'ar empire.
* The Shi'ar appear in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance''. The heroes travel to a Shi'ar warship to obtain a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
. Unfortunately, some of the Shi'ar soldiers and the Imperial Guard have sided with Deathbird in overthrowing Lilandra Neramani. The heroes had to fight Deathbird, the Imperial Guard members on her side, and an army of Shi'ar Soldiers, Shi'ar Soldier Commanders, Shi'ar Gunners, Shi'ar Gunnery Sergeants, and Shi'ar Trackers in order to restore Lilandra to the throne.
References
External links
*
Shi'ar
at Comic Vine
*
{{Marvel Cosmic
Fictional governments
X-Men
Characters created by Chris Claremont
Characters created by Dave Cockrum
Fictional humanoids
X-Men supporting characters
Avian humanoids