The Kree Empire is far from the center of the Marvel Universe. It doesn't have a film, we haven't been flooded with Kree merchandise, and no one dresses as the Kree for Halloween. However, despite not being the center of attention, the Kree have managed to work their way into a fair amount of comic books, and as a result have quite an interesting and eventful history to their empire. A lot of information about them remains a mystery to most people, or is too far scattered between comics for readers to put two and two together.

It may take a lot of digging to find details about the Kree, but what you will find will entertain and fascinate you. Their colourful history is full of wars, genocide, evolution and everything in between. And luckily for you, we've found all the best gory details and put them all in one place for you. So without further ado, here are 15 Facts You Didn't Know About The Kree Empire.

15. Their race is over 6 million years old

Kree comics appearance

The Kree race dates back an impressive 6 million years. For anyone who isn't impressed by that, take into account how inferior you are to them in this respect. We mere humans in the real world have only been around for a lousy approximate 200,000 years in comparison. This isn't the only cool thing about their creation either. The Kree were allegedly spawned by none other than the Xorrians, who also spawned all humanoid species from their own DNA.

Interestingly, the Kree's history is not much known any further back than a million years or so, when they first encountered the Skrull. That's approximately five million years of Kree history left unaccounted for. And if their reputation is anything to go by there is bound to be plenty of interesting stories in that time. No doubt there were a few wars or conflicts at the bare minimum. Do any historians care to enlighten us?

14. There are pink and blue-skinned kree

Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy

For those who are beginners in Kreeology, here is an introductory lesson in the basics. There are two types of Kree, the pink-skinned Kree and the blue skinned Kree. It all seems straight forward so far, but the difference between the two is far from skin deep.

The blue Kree are often known as being "pure bred" Kree, and are considered to be a small but powerful minority. They have the same appearance as the original Kree, and so are highly regarded among the species. They are usually seen as best fit to govern the empire and take most of the positions of authority. The pink-skinned Kree, sometimes referred to as white-skinned, have a similar appearance to Caucasian humans.  They are the results of Kree breeding with other species in a set of experiments that attempted to kick-start their evolution. The pink-skinned Kree are generally more durable than their blue-skinned counterparts and make up the majority of the terrifying Kree army.

13. They created the inhumans

Kree Inhumans cartoon

The Kree are notorious for their desperate attempts to force their species to evolve. In their desperation, they seem to be willing to try absolutely anything to make it happen. For a period of time, they conducted a series of experiments with genetics and interbreeding in order to help counter the effects of their frozen evolution. Not only did these efforts create the pink-skinned Kree, but they also managed to unintentionally create the Inhumans along the way.

It was in fact their experiments on primitive humans that led to the Kree accidentally creating the species, hence why they're called the Inhumans. After being created by the Kree, the species began to find their feet and gain some independence. They separated themselves from the primitive humans, where they formed their own society and began to thrive. After their society grew and developed advanced technology, they became a species worthy of their own Marvel stories. In fact, with their first appearance in 1965, they managed to appear in a comic before the Kree did!

12. They’ve gone to war with the Skrulls more than once

Skrull vs Kree vs Avengers

If there is one thing the Kree love, it's having a war. If there's one thing they love more than having a war, it's having a war with the Skrulls. It seems like, ever since they managed to get off on the wrong foot a million years ago, the Kree have held a grudge. The two species have been in constant wars ever since. It looks like first impressions really do count!

The bad blood all began when the Skrulls first discovered the Kree, along with their neighbouring race Cotati. After giving the two races a challenge, the Skrulls deemed the Cotati the worthier race. Let's just say the Kree didn't take that too well, and the aftermath eventually lead to the Kree-Skrull war, which would last hundreds of thousands of years. Since this war, other wars between the two empires have been mentioned and it seems relations have never quite improved. The two races remain sworn enemies and are undoubtedly going to continue to get into more quarrels. Come on guys, just let it go already!

11. The kree were nearly wiped out by a nega-bomb

Kree warriors

In what is possibly one of the most epic stories in the Kree's history, the entire species was nearly wiped out entirely. In a war that had been engineered by the Skrull empire and the Supreme Intelligence, the Kree were fighting the Shi'ar Empire. When events of the war began to threaten the Earth's sun, the Avengers of Earth soon became involved to keep the planet safe. Their involvement unintentionally triggered a series of events that lead to the Nega-Bomb being detonated in Kree territory. The bomb caused an immensely powerful explosion and a radioactive reaction that destroyed the Kree Empire so severely that they were forced to surrender to the Shi'ar Empire.

The biggest twist came when it was revealed that one of the highest ranking Kree, the Supreme Intelligence, was responsible for the bomb's detonation and had been planning it all along. The reason for it all was to attempt to kick start the evolution of the Kree species, which had previously been frozen. So to put it simply, he killed most of the species in order to aid their survival. It all sounds perfectly logical, right?

10. They (briefly) evolved into the Ruul

Kree evolving into Ruul

It's no secret the Kree are constantly desperate for evolution, and that when their evolution was frozen they began going to extremes to try and kick start it. However it wasn't until the most extreme tactic was pulled by the Supreme Intelligence that any signs of the success began to emerge. After the Nega-Bomb had nearly wiped their entire species out, they seemed to become capable of evolving again.

And so, thanks to their near extinction, they finally got their wish of evolution and evolved into a race known as the Ruul. The Ruul began to emerge as antagonists, with an apparent re-established Kree empire. It looked like the Kree had finally advanced, and would begin to wreak even more havoc than before. But in typical Kree fashion, evolutionary luck was not on their side and they were soon returned back to their original form. So when it comes to evolution the Kree were left, as usual, back at square one. Better luck next time!

9. Marvel’s first Captain Marvel was actually a Kree soldier

Captain Marvel aka Mar-Vell

The Kree may be known for their wars, their dictatorships, and their ruthless empire, but you might be surprised to hear that not all of them are bad guys. On certain occasions, you will find a Kree being the hero of the story. A perfect example of this is the original Captain Marvel, AKA Mar-Vell, who plays the good guy in his comics. While he may appear to be a fairly standard hero, the famous masked marvel (pun intended) was in fact a pink-skinned Kree whose appearance allowed him to pass as a human.

Not only was he a Kree who defied the villain stereotype of the species, but he was also one of the earlier Krees to be mentioned in Marvel's comic books. The first Captain Marvel comic came pretty soon after the Kree's first appearance. The series premiered in 1968 - just a year after the Kree's first on panel appearance in Marvel comics. What a marvellous hero! Okay, we'll stop with the puns now.

8. Over 130 Kree have been mentioned by name in the marvel universe

Ronan the Accuser in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon

The Kree often take somewhat of a backseat in Marvel. Their stories rarely take center stage, but they are actually in the comics a lot more than you may have first thought. Throughout all Marvel comic books, over 130 individual Krees have been mentioned by name. While some of these names may just be mentioned in passing, it shows that the Kree may not get enough credit for their roles in the comics. This is made fairly evident by the fact that, while there are so many named Kree in the comics, their role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still very minor.

When you see a Kree's name, it is usually quite easy to spot. The Kree's names often follow a pattern of being only one or two syllables long, with the first name and surname separated with a hyphen. Examples of this include Yon-Rogg and Una-Rogg, who obviously share the same surname. Unfortunately we're still waiting on Marvel to name one of the Kree "Screen-Rant". The Kree's names don't always follow this pattern though, and occasionally stray from the formula. Some of the Kree names that break this pattern include Nenora, Sintaris, and Ultimus. Is anyone else curious to what their Kree name would be? Seriously, has no one made an app for that yet?

7. Krees can't breathe earth's air without some help

Kree in Agents of SHIELD

If you ever stumble across a Kree struggling to breathe, don't bother handing it your asthma inhaler. It'll need to need more help than that. It seems that for all their strengths, a major weakness takes the simple form of Earth's atmosphere. If you're waiting for the Kree to live among us, don't hold your breath. This poor alien species really struggles to breathe our air due to the different atmosphere on their planet.

Luckily for them, they have found assistance in the form of a breathing formula and other artificial life support. And it's not all bad news for the Kree when they head to Earth. Although the atmosphere may cause some difficulties, it has its advantages too. The Earth has a much lower gravity than their usual climate, and thanks to that they have much greater strength and speed on Earth than on their home planet. So for any Krees reading, Earth is a great holiday destination - just don't forget the breathing formula.

6. They first appeared in Fantastic Four #65 in 1967

Fantastic Four vs Kree

While they may have been around for six million years, the Kree had to wait until 1967 to get their first on-panel appearance in Marvel Comics. The first comic that they featured in was Fantastic Four #65, which was released in August of 1967. And of course, the creation of the Kree is down to none other than the awesome Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

In their debut comic book they play the role of villains, which sets up their reputation for being the war-hungry, empire-driven species that they are. In a telling introduction, the Fantastic Four defeated advanced Kree tech. Two of the Kree who appeared in the comic were Ronan the Accuser and the Supreme Intelligence, both of whom have become central Kree figures in their stories. After their creation, they went on to grow in prominence within Marvel comics, with comics like Captain Marvel Vol 1 featuring them more heavily. And the rest, as they say, is history.

5. The Kree Empire is ruled as a military dictatorship by the Supreme Intelligence

Kree ruler Supreme Intelligence

The Kree are not the sort of folk you'd want to get into a political debate with. Their political system is extreme to say the least. They live in a regimented dictatorship run by the Supreme Intelligence. Supreme Intelligence's authority as a dictator is so absolute that most of the Kree worship him as a religion. That's right, not only is he their leader but he is also considered to be their God.

George Orwell really would have a field day with them - their empire is imperialistic, militaristic, and nationalist. Their society is basically a dystopian nightmare and follows a strict regimen. They have an intense focus on keeping their species strong and pure and expanding their empire, leaving little room for anything else. All religious worship that isn't of the Supreme Intelligence is forbidden, and so the small minority of pacifist Kree who practice a Cotati religion are shunned.

Throughout their history they have pretty much always been ruled over, having had multiple dictatorships as well as a monarchy at one point. It seems that they struggle a bit with the concept of democracy. Votes for Kree!

4. Some Kree have been given comic book references as names

Kree warrior in comics

Marvel fans love to carefully analyze their comics, and so a trick like this was never going to get past them. Marvel used the Kree to plant some cheeky references into the comics, giving some of them very familiar names. While many of the Kree names may not stand out as anything special, a select few have been picked up on as being not-so-subtle comic book references. Perhaps the most obvious of these is Mar-Vell, a very obvious self-tribute by Marvel.

However, the name you might not expect as much would be Dea-Sea. This Kree's name gives a nod  to rival company DC, but there's little to further analyze. There don't appear to be any subtle digs or jokes at DC's expense, and this Kree doesn't have a very big role either. It seems to be more of a friendly tribute than anything else.

Other names that have been spotted as comic book references include Att-Las. Att-Las is in reference to Atlas Comics, the comic book company that had a big role in Marvel's history. The name Star-Lyn has also been spotted, which is likely to be in reference to Jim Starlin, the well-known comic book writer. Anyone else voting for the next Kree to be named Stan-Lee?

3. The Kree Empire extends across almost a thousand worlds

Kree in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

The Kree are constantly focused on expanding their empire and spreading their species, and it seems that sometimes their determination pays off. The Kree Empire may have had its ups and downs throughout history, but it has certainly had some impressive accomplishments too.  At its strongest, it is thought that the Kree Empire extended across almost a thousand worlds within the northwestern lobe of the Greater Magellanic cloud, and a few other scattered locations. While some of that may sound like gibberish to most people, its undeniable that an empire spanning across a thousand worlds is a force to be reckoned with.

However, at perhaps their lowest point, they were so small in numbers that they were taken over by the Shi'ar empire.  But, no matter how many times they're knocked down, the Kree have always remained focused on taking over as many planets as possible and creating a vast empire in which their species can thrive.

2. Kree women have special mind powers

Kree warrior Una-Rogg

In typical Marvel fashion, the Kree aren't just any alien species. The females of the Kree species are born with some pretty wacky powers. They have an innate ability to influence men through their mind powers. These powers give them influence by provoking intense feelings of desire which allowing them to control the men. Not only this, but some female Kree can drain the life force of others just by kissing them. Luckily, no such powers have been reported in human women.

Unsurprisingly, the male Kree were not too happy about these powers and they soon gained attention of the higher authorities. It was decided that the powers were dangerous to both individuals and a functioning society and thus a surgical procedure to remove the powers was made obligatory for women. As a result of the procedure, the pleasure center of the brain is destroyed, leading some to attempt to avoid the operation. One Kree who did escape the procedure is Una-Rogg.

1. Ronan the Accuser is one of the few Kree to appear in a Marvel film

Ronan the Accuser

Ronan the Accuser appeared in the first Marvel comic that featured the Kree and has remained a significant character ever since. It seemed fitting then that he was one of the first of his species to feature in a Marvel film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The film in question is of course Guardian's of the Galaxy, which was the Kree's big screen debut and featured both Ronan the Accuser and Korath the Pursuer. The Kree's role in the film certainly got them more attention from Marvel fans, but it's uncertain when their next Hollywood role will be. They were likely to appear in the planned Marvel film Inhumans, but with the release date for that removed from Marvel's schedule it's not looking promising. The TV series Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D has featured Kree, however, and so there is always a possibility they'll become more involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Do you know any Kree-py facts that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.