Empyre
"Empyre" is a comic book story arc published in July 2020 by Marvel Comics. This storyline follows the events of Incoming! with the genre of superhero crossover.
Premise
The Avengers, the Fantastic Four and various other heroes of the Marvel universe come together to fight and prevent the incoming invasion of the Kree/Skrull armada being led by Hulkling, who has been crowned as "Dorrek VIII".Editorial history
The first comic of the story arc, Road to Empyre: The Kree–Skrull War, was announced in December 2019. The comic Road to Empyre was set for release in March 2020, but; it incorporated references to previous Marvel narratives, Kree–Skrull War and The Celestial Madonna from the 1970s, and the 2019 comic Meet the Skrulls. It had previously been set up in the Incoming! comic as well.Plot
Lead-up
is asked to become the ruler of the Kree-Skrull alliance at the cost of leaving his longtime lover Billy Kaplan. He adopts the mantle Dorrek VIII and begins preparing to invade Earth for "the final war".G'iah and her daughters locate a sample from the Cotati in a lab. G'iah tells her children how the Skrulls were peaceful during Emperor Dorrek I's rule. The Kree massacred the Cotati and the Skrulls after losing to the Cotati in a contest engineered by the Skrulls, starting the Kree–Skrull War. G'iah is attacked by a Kree, who suddenly receives a message on his Kree-tech cellphone from Dorrek VIII stating to all Kree and Skrull soldiers that the two species have united to face a common enemy.
Tony Stark begins having vivid nightmares thanks to a vision given to him by Immortus about the massacre of the Cotati by the Kree. Shortly after waking up, he receives a call from Captain Marvel about a psychic request sent from the Blue Area of the Moon. After arriving on the Moon, the Avengers learn that the Cotati have secretly lived there for some time. The Avengers later learn that the Kree and Skrulls have been united in their hatred towards the Cotati. Thanks to a rousing speech from Iron Man, the team all agreed to defend the Cotati.
At Casino Cosmico, a dimension dedicated entirely to gambling and gladiator fights, the Elder of the Universe known as the Profiteer reveals herself as the new owner of the place after having acquired it from her brother the Grandmaster. She re-enacted the Kree–Skrull War, pitting a Kree child named Jo-Venn against a Skrull child named N'Kalla for the pleasure of her patrons. Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards manage to break the bank and became the new owners of Casino Cosmico, but give ownership back to the Profiteer in exchange for Jo-Venn and N'Kalla's freedom.
Main plot
As the joint fleet of the Kree and the Skrulls approaches Earth, the Avengers prepare to defend the Cotati while the Fantastic Four send Franklin, Valeria, Jo-Venn and N'Kalla back to Earth while they make contact with Hulkling to establish the situation. The initial conflict is brief with Hulkling and his inner circle Super-Skrull, Captain Glory, and Tanalth the Pursuer, but it is soon established that the Cotati intend to establish themselves as a new empire.In Wakanda, Black Panther deduces that the Cotati seek Vibranium to grow the same Death Blossom that was used on the Kree/Skrull fleets. The pilot of the ship arrives and is revealed to be Mantis, who plans to reason with Quoi. On the Alliance ship, Captain Marvel, Human Torch, Hulkling, and the Alliance's inner circle discuss their plans to weaken the Cotati. As the Alliance disagrees with Hulkling, Tanalth has Super-Skrull bring up a previous incident where he destroyed several Skrull colonies that imitated Earth culture. Captain Glory speaks with Tanalth in private about how Ronan died standing with the Utopian faction and that his gene scan does not identify her as a Kree. Tanalth is revealed to be the thought-dead Skrull empress R'Kill in disguise.
At Avengers Mountain, Tony Stark is working on another Iron Man armor as Mister Fantastic informs him about the Pyre, a weapon which they plan to use on the Sun. In Wakanda, Black Panther is leading his allies and army in fighting the Cotati. At Lake Victoria, Quoi and the Swordsman Cotati hear that the battle is not over as She-Hulk, Invisible Woman, and the Thing arrive with Mantis to confront them. She-Hulk is revealed to have been possessed by the Cotati, while Wiccan suspects that Hulkling has been possessed as well. Mister Fantastic informs Tony Stark that there is a Death Blossom in Wakanda and with the Pyre triggered, they have nine minutes to save the world.
Hulkling tells Captain Marvel, Human Torch, and Wiccan to combine their abilities in order to prevent the Pyre. At Lake Victoria, Invisible Woman, Mantis, and Thing are locked in combat with the Cotati-possessed She-Hulk, but Jo-Venn and N'Kalla manage to free her. Back on the Kree-Skrull alliance's warship, Captain Glory exposes that the imposter Hulkling is R'Kill and states that he is done being part of her plan. Mur-G'nn is ordered by Hulking to take Captain Glory and the Super-Skrull to Wiccan in order to help him out while he deals with R'Kill. As the Swordsman Cotati informs Quoi that the Dark Harvest has failed, Black Panther recovers and engages the Swordsman Cotati while Mister Fantastic arrives to confront Qui. The Swordsman Cotati tries to use Quoi as a shield, only for Black Panther to destroy him and the Death Blossom. The other Cotati agree to surrender.
Subplot
Fantastic Four
The Thing and Human Torch break up an argument between Jo-Venn and N'Kalla as Franklin and Valeria Richards take them to Earth. At the temple of the High Priests of Pama, the head monk informs his fellow monks that the trees are speaking about the upcoming Dark Harvest.As the Fantastic Four are fighting the Cotati on the Alliance's command ship, Franklin scolds Wolverine for attacking N'Kalla. They are attacked by the Dark Harvest, the elite Priests of Pama who answer to the Cotati. Spider-Man and Wolverine fight the Dark Harvest while Alicia and Valeria work to heal N'Kalla. As the Dark Harvest raids the apartment, they encounter Franklin and Valeria and are forced to retreat.
The Kree and the Skrull are engaging the Cotati until Franklin, Valeria, Spider-Man and Wolverine arrive. As Spider-Man and Wolverine fight the Cotati, one of the Skrull soldiers directs Franklin and Valeria where the Dark Harvest went. Arriving at Alchemax, Franklin, Valeria, Spider-Man, and Wolverine learn from a security guard that the Dark Harvest stole something from them. The High Priests enter Jo-Venn's mind and learn the Kree and Skrull's history with the Cotati. N'Kalla poses as a disciple to free Jo-Venn, but is captured. Franklin and Valeria manage to rescue them both.
Empyre: Avengers
The Avengers, the Agents of Wakanda, and Mockingbird discuss their plans on a Helicarrier. In Manhattan, Vision and Doctor Nemesis meet with Luke Cage in Central Park. Black Knight states to Captain America that he has been focusing on becoming a hero again after fighting the giants and dark elves as Black Panther detects that there are Cotati in South America, China, Canada, and the Savage Land. As Ka-Zar is unable to reach Shanna the She-Devil, Black Panther instructs Brother Voodoo to take Ka-Zar, Zabu, Black Knight, and Scarlet Witch to investigate. They arrive to find a dead Tyrannosaurus as Scarlet Witch senses they are surrounded. The group is attacked by the Cotati, who unleash a mind-controlled Man-Thing.Somewhere underground in the Savage Land, Black Knight and Zabu find Ka-Zar's son Matthew. It is then shown that they are all prisoners of the Cotati. The Cotati take control of Shanna due to her containing the Savage Land's collective life force. Doctor Voodoo takes control of Man-Thing to free Matthew and Black Knight. Scarlet Witch brings Ka-Zar into Shanna's mind where he learns that some creatures in the Savage Land are dying, and trees are falling. As Matthew and Black Knight fight the Cotati, Man-Thing fights the Cotati's control and defeats the Cotati Ventri. When Ka-Zar frees Shanna from the Cotati's control, he is stabbed by a Cotati.
Shanna uses the same waters that empowered her to heal Ka-Zar. Ventri and the Cotati with him are entrapped by Doctor Voodoo as Man-Thing leaves. Scarlet Witch tries to contact Black Panther, only to be informed that Wakanda is under siege.
Empyre: X-Men
One month prior, Scarlet Witch attempts to resurrect the millions of mutants who were killed on Genosha. In the present, the Cotati have set up a base on Genosha in their planned invasion of Wakanda. Angel assembles M, Magik, and Jamie Madrox to confront the Cotati. They witness the Cotati running from the Genoshan mutants, who have been resurrected as zombies.Magik demands to the Cotati commander to gather his forces and leave Earth. The commander activates a seed pod-type weapon that will self-destruct. Magik recruits Exodus, Lady Mastermind, Mastermind, Mister Sinister, Quentin Quire, Shadow King, Selene, and the Stepford Cuckoos to deal with the pod.
When Magik and one of the Stepford Cuckoos enter the seed pod, Magik is entranced by power and transforms into a demon, declaring herself the Zombie Queen of Genosha. Jamie and M enter the seed pod and find a giant brain that the Genoshan zombies are feeding on. It is explained that the brain is part of the Cotatinaught that hatched from the seed pod.
In a flashback, Scarlet Witch learns that she was responsible for reviving the Genoshans as zombies. Doctor Strange states that it will take 30 days for the spell to be fully undone. 29 days into the present, the Cotatinaught is on a rampage. Explodey Boy flies into the Cotatinaught's mouth and explodes, destroying it. Scarlet Witch's spell expires, causing the zombies to die and Magik to regain control of herself.