Did the Skrull’s Most Powerful Leader Just Make a Surprising Return?

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In simpler terms, after a significant gap since “Empyre” and “The Last Annihilation,” the Marvel Universe’s alien empires find themselves on the brink of war due to events in “Imperial.” This storyline began with the tragic death of Hulk’s son, Hiro-Kala, and has escalated further as more galactic powers are targeted by a mysterious adversary. The third issue of “Imperial” unravels much of the mystery, revealing Maximus and the Grandmaster as the forces behind the attacks, engaged in a game with high stakes. One intriguing aspect of this issue is the revelation of their schemes, which also brings back a familiar character, Veranke.

For those less familiar with Marvel lore, Veranke is a character known for an intriguing past. She held the title of Empress in the Skrull Empire and orchestrated one of their most triumphant assaults during Secret Invasion. This event promised significant upheavals within the cosmic Marvel Universe, and Veranke’s return could potentially impact Earth and beyond. However, there appears to be more than meets the eye, leading us to wonder about the Skrulls‘ current situation.

Veranke Made Fools of the Avengers

The Skrulls repeatedly attempted to dominate Earth as a strategic move against their age-old foe, the Kree. Despite these attempts, they were unsuccessful every time, but managed to persist through their conflicts with the Kree. However, in the grand scheme of things, the Skrulls ultimately suffered defeat due to Galactus. This cosmic entity destroyed the Skrulls’ homeworld, thereby diminishing the empire’s strength. The emperor of the Skrulls perished, but they managed to secure off-world technology that would enable them to harness the power of beings they mimic. This technology was brought to Queen Veranke, who had been cast out due to her radical religious convictions.

Veranke held faith in prophecies suggesting Earth as the future home for the Skrulls. With the annihilation of their homeland, she found an opportunity to persuade her fellow Skrulls that her beliefs were indeed valid.

Veranke initiated the deployment of Skrulls on Earth, setting up the foundation for an impending invasion. Initially, there were no signs of their schemes discernible to the superheroes until the riot at the Raft, masterminded by the Skrulls, occurred. This incident led the New Avengers to the Savage Land, where they discovered a renegade SHIELD faction was up to something hidden below. Unfortunately, before the team could delve into it, the site was obliterated by a Helicarrier attack. Subsequently, Veranke underwent an enhancement process and impersonated Spider-Woman, infiltrating the New Avengers to monitor potential threats to her covert operations.

As a passionate moviegoer recalling the epic tales of Marvel, I can’t help but reminisce about the gripping saga that followed Civil War. The New Avengers would soon uncover an unsettling truth: the Skrulls had been infiltrating our world, a revelation that set the stage for one of the most significant events of the ’00s – Secret Invasion.

Veranke and her forces skillfully exploited the rifts caused by Civil War, using chaos to deepen the divide between the New Avengers and Iron Man’s Initiative. Veranke orchestrated events to position both teams in the Savage Land during the true invasion, almost capitalizing on their distrust to defeat the remaining heroes outside of the Savage Land. However, a fragile truce was forged, leading to the confrontation between our heroes and Veranke’s army.

The battle was fierce, but the heroes managed to hold their ground against the Skrull. Tragically, Veranke fell in combat, only to be avenged by none other than Norman Osborn, who seized control of the Avengers and the Initiative for his actions. Veranke had been puppeteering the Avengers from the shadows for years, even managing to seize control of SHIELD without anyone noticing. Her machinations nearly brought about the downfall of the Avengers.

Veranke’s strategy demonstrated her cunning and resourcefulness, proving that with the right plan in place, she could achieve extraordinary success.

Will Veranke’s Return Doom the Kree/Skrull Alliance?

The Skrull have significantly transformed post-“Secret Invasion”. Young Avenger Hulkling, who was unveiled as the heir to both Kree and Skrull Empires, ascended to the thrones of both species, forging an alliance between them. Meanwhile, “Imperial” is causing chaos, with events connected to a contest between Maximus and Grandmaster. Grandmaster discloses his strategy to disrupt various cosmic powers, and the reappearance of Veranke being one of these moves. Interestingly, rather than reviving her, Grandmaster masterminded a covert invasion by dispatching a shapeshifter posing as the previous Skrull Empress.

Veranke’s plan is genuinely clever and innovative. As a devout believer in religion and prophecy, her resurrection would stir up her followers, demonstrating that she was favored by the Skrull gods. The Kree/Skrull alliance has managed to stay together longer than anyone imagined, but Veranke’s return – even if it’s a fake one – could potentially shatter the alliance for good.

Imperial #3 is on sale now.

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2025-08-24 02:10