Agents of SHIELD Reveals The Confederacy

After almost a full season's worth of teasers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has finally revealed the cosmic Confederacy who are threatening the Earth. They were first introduced when S.H.I.E.L.D. stepped into a dystopian future, one where the Earth had shattered like an egg, and the Kree ruled over the last remnant of the human race. At first, it seemed the Confederacy was actually an alliance of Kree ruling houses; little by little, though, we've learned the truth.It seems the Confederacy is a thousand-year-old alliance between different groups, each representing a race who are brutally militaristic and steal resources from other worlds. While membership has changed a little over the course of the millennium, for the last few hundred years there have been six members of the Confederacy. The latest episode, "The One Who Will Save Us All," revealed all but one of these races.

These alien races all originate from the comics, although some are pretty deep cuts. What's more, many of them could prove to be a terrifying threat to Earth's defenders. Let's take a look at the alien races who are part of the Confederacy.

This Page: The Kree, The Remorath, and The Rajaks

The Kree

The Kree were the first members of the Confederacy to be introduced in season 5. It's worth noting, though, that the entire Kree Empire is not part of the Confederacy; rather, only the ancient ancestral House Kasius is. The first half-season implied that the rest of Kree society look on House Kasius with some level of disdain, perhaps even disapproving of the Confederacy. This is a smart way of differentiating S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Kree from the ones introduced in next year's Captain Marvel; any differences between the portrayals are simply the differences between House Kasius and general Kree society.

House Kasius seem to play an important role in the Confederacy, and it's likely they're the group who are particularly interested in Inhumans. The Inhumans were created by the Kree millennia ago to be front-line weapons and servants. Certainly it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that, in the future timeline visited by Coulson, it was House Kasius who took control of Earth and attempted to breed Inhumans.

The Remorath

The Remorath (or "Marauders") don't appear to have a direct comic book parallel. The Remorath enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and generate a bioelectrical field that shorts out electrical circuitry around them. They clearly have advanced senses, and use the darkness as lights go out to their advantage. Qovis is leader of the Remorath, and he seems particularly interested in Earth's Gravitonium deposits. It seems likely that the Remorath are typically a race of space-raiders, who attack cargo vessels or unprotected worlds and take their plunder. If that's the case, presumably the other members of the Confederacy are protected from these intergalactic Marauders as part of the treaties binding the group together.

It's possible Marvel Television named the Remorath after a Star Trek character, Morath, brother of the Klingon's venerated Kahless. If so, it's a reference both to the ferocity of their fighting spirit and to their untrustworthy nature; Morath was best known for dishonoring himself and his family by breaking his word.

The Rajaks

The Rajaks are quite a deep cut from the Marvel Comics universe, but this isn't the first time they've been mentioned in the MCU. In Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill made a throwaway reference to sleeping with "a smoking-hot Rajak girl."

Created by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, the Rajaks were introduced in Tales of Suspense #57, back in 1964. That issue's an important one in Marvel history, as the first story in it introduced Hawkeye - then imagined as a criminal who attacked Tony Stark. The Rajaks appeared in the secondary story, which saw a race of space pirates attack the Watcher's homeworld. They believed the Watcher would be sworn not to interfere, but were wrong; he was allowed to protect his home, and repelled the Rajaks with ease.

Talbot actually absorbs the Rajak leader into himself, which raises the disturbing possibility that he's now being influenced by their culture and ways. Meanwhile, the Rajaks are known to be brutal and vindictive, and are sure to seek retribution for Talbot's act.

The Kallusians

A far more honorable race than their compatriots, the Kallusians are nevertheless a desperate species. In the comics, this race was caught up in the war between two other alien empires. They were finally forced to flee their homeworld, and for a time lived as a nomadic race without a home of their own. Ultimately, the Kallusians found their way to Earth, and established an underground base at the North Pole. There they remained for years, hiding from the warring aliens who began to hunt them out.

The Kallusians only ever appeared in one comic, 1965's Avengers #14. That saw the aliens discovered, and briefly fought by, the Avengers; when the Kallusians learned their presence had been discovered by their enemies, they left Earth to do battle in the stars. The final page featured a cameo from the Watcher, who revealed that the war would have destroyed the entire planet had not the Kallusians honored their word.

Presumably the Kallusians in the Confederacy aren't based at the North Pole; they seem fairly disinterested in Earth. It seems more likely that the race has been reinvented as a space-based nomadic people, although given their allies, the MCU version may not be quite so honorable.

The Astrans

The final named race are the Astrans, and they're one of the better-known members of the Confederacy. In the comics, the Astrans are a race who are at a similar stage of technological development to Earth - with one notable exception. These aliens possess the power of "ferro-kinesis," and are able to manipulate metal in a similar way to the X-Men's Magneto. The Astrans typically use these powers for artistic purposes, but have also succeeded in creating powerful star-drives for interplanetary transport.

Probably the most well-known Astran is a Hulk villain named Molyb, who calls himself the Metal Master. An Astran criminal, the Metal Master sought to use his powers for conquest. He traveled to Earth, and used his powers to demonstrate his superiority; missiles were swept aside, tanks were melted away; every weapon humanity possessed was dismissed with a scornful wave of the Metal Master's hand. He's been a minor recurring villain ever since.

Depending on their MCU power-levels and abilities, the Astrans could well be the most dangerous members of the Confederacy. Their ability to manipulate metal on an atomic level would make them a terrifying potential threat.

One Final Unknown Race

Finally, and most curiously, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. stressed that there are six members of the Confederacy - and deliberately avoided naming the sixth race. There's likely a reason for that; either the sixth race will somehow be relevant to season 5's plot, or Marvel Television have plans to use the Confederacy beyond Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5. It's even possible this could be a rogue Skrull House, just as House Kasius has separate itself from the rest of the Kree. That would allow Marvel to link the Skrulls into their TV shows, while again not worrying too much if Marvel Television and Marvel Studios portrayed the race in a different way in next year's Captain Marvel.

The Confederacy are easily Marvel Television's greatest contribution to the cosmic side of the MCU to date. This alliance has lasted for over a thousand years, and built up its own dangerous traditions and rituals. Should Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. be renewed for a sixth season, Marvel may well choose to develop them as a terrifying threat for Coulson and his team. Even if they don't, though, the fact remains that this sixth race could easily be integrated into any of Marvel's TV shows.