‘Secret Invasion’: Are Skrulls Good or Bad?

‘Secret Invasion‘ premiered with the first episode on Disney+, and the series is bound to be an exciting experience filled with paranoia and thrill. It was obvious even prior to the release of the first episode that Skrulls would be the main villains of the series, and despite the fact that they have been a constant in some of the comics storylines, especially the ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline that the series is based on; they are a relatively new addition to the MCU. Now that we’ve seen that Skrulls are capable of immense destruction let’s see what their true motivations are and whether they are good or bad in the MCU. 

Skrulls are generally regarded as bad in the Marvel Comics. However, in the MCU, they were presented in a more sympathetic light, with most notable Skrulls having noble intentions, for example, Talos, who generally wants only a safe place for his people. Even though it’s easy to understand the motives behind their villainous activities, it still doesn’t absolve them of guilt and justifies them in trying to take over Earth. In the MCU, the majority of Skrulls are bad, with only a few being regarded as good. 

Now that we’ve covered in general what Skrulls are about, it’s time to explain it in a bit more detail, especially with the release of ‘Secret Invasion’ and seeing what kind of chaos they are ready to cause. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!

Skrulls were introduced to the MCU as victims of the Kree-Skrull war and refugees 

Skrulls are humanoid shapeshifting aliens hailing from the planet of Skrullos. Following a long conflict with Kree, who aimed to expand their empire as far as the cosmic eyes could see, their homeworld was destroyed, and they were scattered all around the neighboring planets.

Their shapeshifting abilities helped them to infiltrate various societies, and this is something that Kree managed to use against them, as Kree spread dangerous propaganda that Skrulls aim to use their shapeshifting to take over planets and displace local population, as the most recent MCU events showed us, this “propaganda” wasn’t so far from the truth after all. 

Our first real taste of Skrulls in the MCU came during the ‘Captain Marvel’ movie. Her story is really tied with the story of Skrulls, and Danvers, in collaboration with Nick Fury, aimed to save as many Skrull refugees as possible while at the same time promising them to find them a new viable planet to live on.

By the events of ‘Secret Invasion,’ it’s been 30 years, and they still don’t have their own planet. It’s something that we can all deeply sympathize with, as all beings long for a home, even non-sentient ones, and it’s one of the most basic needs that, if left unchecked, leads us to become something we are not more ruthless and bitter versions of ourselves.  

And this is seemingly the primary reason why Skrulls decided to attack humans. 

Why did Skrulls turn on humanity? 

As we’ve mentioned before, Nick Fury and Danvers teamed up with Talos and promised to find a new home planet for Skrulls. Several decades have passed by, and both Fury and Danvers literally disappeared from the face of the Earth, leaving Skrulls to their own devices and means of survival. 

Skrulls lived among humans for quite some time, adapting and secretly infiltrating the general society.

The final “nail to the coffin” in the relationship between humans and Skrulls was when Nick Fury left the Earth to command the new space station, S.A.B.E.R., before finding a new planet for Skrulls. He was carrying too much trauma related to the Snap, and he felt like he needed to put some distance between himself and the Earth, admitting to Maria Hill that he started to lose faith. 

Skrulls have difficulties understanding what Fury feels like, which is not surprising given that their lives are complicated but in different ways. They believed that finding them a home planet trumps everything else, and in their eyes, Fury and Danvers abandoned them, and their cause has essentially fallen through. 

Talos was kicked off the Skrull council and replaced by Gravik, who felt betrayed by Fury the most. Gravik gathered around himself a group of Skrull Rebels with the intention of instigating a war between Americans and Russians. He was also behind several other past terrorist incidents. 

Gravik got G’iah, Talos’ daughter, to join their cause, and they are currently holed up in an abandoned nuclear complex in Russia. A new settlement has been formed called New Skrullos, a homage to their home planet. Strictly Skrulls inhabit New Skrullos, and all produce grown on the premises is Skrull in nature.

Skrull Rebels decided they were done with waiting for Fury and Danvers to deliver on their promises. They are simply going to take over the Earth. But are they justified in it? 

They are absolutely not. They could have used their influence, shapeshifting, and resources to kickstart a massive campaign far greater than Fury himself to find a different planet. Instead, they decided to wage war against humanity, a secret war, using the most dishonorable means possible. But, it will probably be revealed further down the line that something else is behind the conflict, and the issue with the home planet is simply used as a distraction. 

Skrulls might not be inherently bad, but ‘Secret Invasion’ certainly paints them in such light 

Most of the Skrulls in the MCU are currently bad and are working for their own interests. They are even ready to kill for it. However, this holds true for most species in the Universe, and no matter from which perspective you look at it, Skrulls started out as victims but evolved into bullies.

A few good Skrulls left, primarily Talos, aim to always use peaceful means to achieve their goals. Sadly, now that his wife Soren passed away, the number of good Skrulls in the MCU is even lower. 

What do you think? Are Skrulls good or bad in the MCU? Let us know in the comments below!

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