Shi'ar

A Shi'ar "Galaxian" has stated that they have learned nearly every spoken language.[27]

The Shi'ar have multiple forms, including the High Shi'ar, used for formal events,[28] and Shi'ar Glorkon dialect.[29]

Mostly for tactical terms or insults, the Shi'ar insert words of their language into English sentences.

Traditionally, the Imperium has aggressively absorbed new cultures. Warren Ellis' 1995 Starjammers miniseries described the story of the Shi'ar deities Sharra and K'ythri as a parable which guides the Shi'ar expansionist philosophy to other worlds:

Sharra and K'ythri are the gods in marriage. The gods who didn't want to marry, but were forced into it. In marriage they found strength and in strength they found love. That's what the Shi'ar Imperium does. It marries other cultures. Shotgun weddings.

[30]

There are aggressive and violent ancient traditions, such as the Rite of Arin'nn Haelar, which is a battle to the death. This rite can be invoked to settle disagreements and their outcomes are accepted by the Imperium.[31] Their philosophy also impacts their court, as they do not recognize insanity.[32]

X-Men writer Ed Brubaker compared the Shi'ar to Star Trek's Romulans, saying they are "smart, aggressive, and mean".[33]

Though the empire has grown to include hundreds of thousands of different sentient species and worlds, the Shi'ar race controls and governs the empire. Its central base of power is located on the "throneworld" Chandilar, while the Shi'ar homeworld is called Aerie (it is unknown if the planet still exists). The leader of the empire is given the title Majestor (male) or Majestrix (female) and is a hereditary position, occupied by members of the royal family of the Shi'ar. Formerly, the Neramani family represented the royal bloodline.[34]

The Shi'ar Empire is one of the most advanced and expansive civilizations in the universe, spanning entire galaxies. It is mainly an economic co-operative, where trade with other galactic powers is its driving force. Not all races have the same rights in the Imperium, as the Shi'ar appear to have a disproportionate influence on its governance.

It is nominally ruled over by a high council, which has representatives from a large majority of the alien races that exist within the Imperium. However, in practice, the head of the council (the Majestor or Majestrix) exercises strong executive control and can institute policy virtually by decree.

The leader of the Shi'ar empire is protected by his or her own personal guard called the Imperial Guard, which is made up of the most powerful and elite soldiers from throughout the Empire with most of them being Shi'ar and others being from other alien races in the Shi'ar's jurisdiction.[35] The Imperial Guard is led by a praetor. The military itself (outside of the Imperial Guard) has been depicted as consisting almost exclusively of Shi'ar personnel, at least in most of the command positions.[34][36]

Though having warlike and militaristic ancestry, the Shi'ar Empire has largely occupied the role of peacekeepers in many interstellar affairs. Just to name a few, Empress Lilandra Neramani tried to broker peace between the Kree Empire and the Skrull Empire to help bring an end to their devastating war: she sought interstellar accord when deciding how to end the threat of Dark Phoenix, and attempted to avenge the destruction of Tarnax IV, the Skrull throneworld, by Galactus.

The Shi'ar consider artistic creativity to be a sign of insanity and deviance, as they lack the ability to dream. Shi'ar who have the ability to dream and create do all they can to suppress their impulses. In the past, execution was a common remedy to such 'infections'. A race called the Fianden had the ability to cause any Shi'ar to dream; this caused mass catatonia and insanity in most Shi'ar, although a small subset who already are able to dream recover after a brief delay. The Fianden were wiped out in a mass genocide. After they were used to destroy the Fianden, the Shi'ar executed all of the natural dreamers to purge the taint from their bloodlines. Nevertheless, the trait does still emerge periodically, to continued violent repression.[37][38]

D'Ken Neramani, a corrupt Shi'ar ruler, attempted to use the powerful M'Kraan Crystal to take over the universe. His younger sister Lilandra and her new allies, the X-Men, foiled his plans. He was rendered comatose by the crystal and Lilandra then took over as the Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire. The X-Men, as well as most of Earth's other superheroes, have had cordial if not friendly relations with the Shi'ar Empire ever since.[41]

The Shi'ar put Reed Richards on trial for the crimes of genocide. He was guilty of reviving Galactus after he was defeated on Earth. Shortly after his revival, Galactus proceeded to consume the Skrull throneworld, resulting in the death of billions. Uatu the Watcher, acting as his lawyer and with the help of Odin and Galactus himself, convinced the gathered tribunal that Galactus is a necessary force of betterment of the universe and is not a villain. This was done by summoning Eternity. The truth as shown by Eternity however, is so grand and overpowering that none of the tribunal's members can remember it fully, although the comprehension stays.[42]

In the 1980s, Lilandra and D'Ken's unstable exiled elder sibling Deathbird made several attempts to overthrow her sister from power. Deathbird even resorted to attacking Lilandra's Earth-based allies in order to achieve her goals. She is also responsible for initially directing the alien parasites known as the Brood towards the Earth and its heroes.[43] Deathbird was eventually deposed with the assistance of the X-Men.[44]

In the 1992 crossover "Operation: Galactic Storm," the Shi'ar annexed the Kree Empire at the end of the Kree-Shi'ar War and Deathbird was placed into a prominent position as viceroy of Hala, the Kree homeworld. However, Deathbird did not last long in this position and has since abandoned her responsibilities and it appears that the Kree Empire has, at least in some part, been re-established.

The Shi'ar have had recent contact with the Spartoi.[45]

The empire came under the threat of the "techno-organic" alien race known as the Phalanx after they infiltrated the Shi'ar Empire as the "Pure", killing tens of thousands before the X-Men fought them on the Shi'ar throneworld and separated the transmode virus from its hosts, killing most of those Phalanx.[46][47]

Professor X's evil twin sister Cassandra Nova single-handedly destroys a good portion of the Shi'ar Empire. Inhabiting the body of her brother, Nova asserts control of Empress Lilandra and causes a Shi'ar civil war. Jean Grey is instrumental in ending this threat.[48]

Despite the aid she gave them by eliminating the threat of Cassandra Nova, the Shi'ar still held a grudge against Jean Grey for the destruction she caused as Dark Phoenix. In the Phoenix Endsong series, a group of Shi'ar tried to eliminate both the Phoenix Force and Jean Grey. Jean, however, escaped their suicide bomb attack and returned to the White Hot Room to restore herself.[49] In the "End of Greys" story arc, the Shi'ar wanted to wipe out the Grey genome and Quentin Quire with the purpose of eliminating the possibility of a new Omega-level mutant becoming a host for the Phoenix Force. The Shi'ar Death Commandos murdered Jean Grey's father, niece, nephew, and other relatives in an alien invasion on Earth, thus inciting the wrath of Rachel Summers, the daughter of Jean Grey and Scott Summers from an alternate future, who has since declared vengeance on the entire Shi'ar Empire.[50] Recent events seem to indicate the Shi'ar Council was responsible for this, and that Lilandra is unaware of what has been done in her name.[51]

Another Shi'ar threat comes from an X-Men villain called Vulcan. During his tenure as majestor of the empire, D'Ken killed Vulcan's mother Katherine Summers (also mother to longtime X-Men Scott and Alex Summers) and made him a slave for most of his adolescent life. Bent on revenge against D'Ken, Vulcan attacks the Empire. Not only that, but within the empire, there is a coup to dethrone Lilandra and return D'Ken to power, with the aid of Deathbird. The X-Men once again team up with their space allies, the Starjammers, to stop both Vulcan and the plot to return rulership of the empire to D'Ken. In the end, Vulcan kills his father, Corsair, and D'Ken, and assumes the throne of the Shi'ar Empire for himself, with Deathbird as his queen; Lilandra and the Starjammers now lead a resistance against Vulcan's rule. This occurs in a 12 issue arc entitled "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire".[52]

The civil war between Vulcan's forces and those loyal to the dethroned Lilandra rages on. Led by Havok and the Starjammers, Lilandra's forces gradually whittle away at Vulcan's forces, which are plagued by defections. The Shi'ar, contrary to Vulcan's expectations, are not happy to have an outsider as their ruler. Vulcan is discouraged by this, but Deathbird convinces him that they will come to accept him.[21]

Warned in advance of a rebel raid on Feather's Edge, Vulcan and his fleet ambush the Starjammers. However, in the middle of the battle, his ship, the Hammer, is destroyed by the Scy'ar Tal (translates as "Death to the Shi'ar"). Vulcan and Gladiator (still the praetor of his Imperial Guard) attack the leader of the Scy'ar Tal and are easily defeated, whereupon they retreat deeper into Shi'ar space.[21]

Marvel Girl makes contact with the Eldest Scy'ar Tal and discovers their true origin. The Scy'ar Tal were originally called the M'Kraan. Early in their history, the Shi'ar attacked them, killed a great number of their people, making the rest flee for their lives. Eventually, the Shi'ar settled on their planet, took the M'Kraan Crystal as their own, and passed down the legend of the M'Kraan Crystal as a sacred gift from their deities, Sharra & K'ythri. The M'Kraan then changed their name to Scy'ar Tal and devoted their culture and society to the destruction of the Shi'ar Empire. With their first attack, they destroyed Feather's Edge by transporting a star to obliterate it. After which, Vulcan makes contact with the Starjammers to call a temporary ceasefire.[53]

Under the ceasefire, the Shi'ar and the Starjammers decide to take out the Finality, thus crippling the Scy'ar's biggest threat. Once Havok and Vulcan are in position to destroy Finality, the Eldest Scy'ar tries to stop them. Once Vulcan figures out how the Eldest is powered, he severs the connection Eldest has with his brothers, making him powerless. Once the connection is severed, the Scy'ar become disorganized, and the tide of the battle shifts to the Sh'ar. The Shi'ar then proceed to attack both the Scy'ar and the Starjammers. Meanwhile, Vulcan blasts Havok into a sun.

Vulcan decides to use Finality to destroy the Scy'ar by using the weapon to place a star in the middle of their fleet. Alex returns and, having absorbed enough power to burn him, decides to end things with Vulcan. While they battle, Rachel and Korvus try, but fail to stop the beacon that will initiate the attack by the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar Imperial Guard end Alex's battle with Vulcan by appearing with the Starjammers in captivity, threatening to kill them. Before surrendering, Alex destroys Finality. With Alex and the Starjammers in custody Vulcan declares that he will return the Shi'ar Empire to its former glory.[54]

Vulcan and the Shi'ar were featured prominently in the mini-series X-Men: Kingbreaker that revolved around Vulcan and the Starjammers following the conclusion of the mini-series Emperor Vulcan. This mini-series led to the War of Kings event and revealed that eons ago the Shi'ar, used dark sorcery to created and stored in Null Space the Tree of Shadows which is the repository for all of the Darkhawk amulets used to empower the Fraternity of Raptors to whom the Shi'ar intended to use to maintain the Shi'ar Empire as it evolved over the centuries. The Fraternity of Raptors refer to their mission to protect the long term interests of the empire as "The Great Purpose."[55] However, as the Shi'ar Empire aggressively expanded so to did the Fraternity of Raptors and eventually they grew too powerful for the Empire to control. Therefore, they all were sealed in patches of dark matter throughout Shi'ar territory and their history almost completely forgotten.[56]

The story revolved around the Starjammers, the Shi'ar, the Inhumans, the Kree, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Nova Corps.[57]

The Shi'ar end up in conflict with the Inhumans and the Kree. After the death of Lilandra and the presumed deaths of Vulcan and Black Bolt, Gladiator assumes the throne and surrenders to the Inhumans and the Kree when the damage to the Shi'ar military is too much.

During the "Infinity" storyline, it is revealed that at some point, the Shi'ar managed to take control of their own empire back from the Kree as Gladiator appears as a member of the Galactic Council representing the Shi'ar Empire.[58]

When the Shi'ar found out that the reason for the decay of the universe was on Earth, they decided to destroy the planet.[59] However, the Guardians of the Galaxy managed to warn the Avengers about the attack.[60]

When approaching Earth, the Shi'ar alerted humanity about their destruction of Earth. However Sunspot and A.I.M. used a super weapon to retaliate against the Shi'ar, while S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers used a Planetkiller to attack from behind. However, A.I.M.'s weapon exploded due to overheat, and the Planetkiller was destroyed by the Annihilation Wave. The Avengers were ready to meet their end, but the Illuminati intervened used the controller disk of a rogue planet that shared the same space with Earth, while Iron Man flew to the Sol's Hammer, and used it, successfully destroying the Shi'ar fleet, including the Imperial Guards.[61]

As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel," it was revealed that some Shi'ar that are living on Earth have established a Shi'ar corporation called Shi'ar Solutions Consolidations.[62]

During "The Asgard/Shi'ar War" storyline, the Shi'ar Gods Sharra and K'ythri do a "Challenge of the Gods" by bringing the Shi'ar fleet to Asgard whilst threatening Earth with their Super Destroyers.[63] An event which had been secretly instigated by Loki behind closed doors.[64] In the Natural Disasters Round, Sharra and K'ythri use their power to cause a tidal wave in order to ferment greater worship in the survivors. Thor impedes their efforts by saving lives instead of claiming them, the round going to her as the living Shi'ar people are thankful for her mercy; much to her displeasure.[65] Round after round where countless denizens of the Shi'ar are slaughtered in these inane divinity games weights heavily on Thor/Jane's conscience. Until finally after the Genesis Round, where the Shi'ar gods use dust to create Shi'ar Giants who indiscriminately murder more of their worshipers causes the female Thor to fight them. As the female Thor failed to create life, the Shi'ar won the Genesis Round.[64] Having had enough of the murderous spectacles, Thor chose to directly challenge the Shi'ar gods; later receiving some unexpected help from the Asgardian Gods themselves. It was this act that tilted the Challenge of the Gods in her favor as none had ever brought so many divine under their banner to fight at their side before, causing the new Thor to be crowned winner of the Challenge. Greatly angered at such a turn of events Sharra and K'ythri order their Majestor to eviscerate her homeworld in retribution; but the Emperor of the Shi'ar rebel's against their gods after their wanton display.[66] In their final fit of mindless ire, the Shi'ar gods summoned the Phoenix Force to eviscerate the galaxy spiting everyone who defied them. Later after a sorrowing battle following the appeasement of the Phoenix, the former gods of the empire are taken away to the dungeons of Omnipotence City for their crimes and reckless actions. All while Kid Omega, holder of a Phoenix Force shard, acts as a stand in for the divinity of the Shi'ar empire.[67]

During the search of the Infinity Stones, Razor reveals the true origin of the Tree of Shadows and the creation of the Fraternity of Raptors, according to Razor the Tree of Shadows was created eons ago by the Elder of the Universe known as The Gardener who tried to bring life to the Null Space and planted it in the Darkforce Dimension. Eventually, Null Space and the Tree of Shadows were discovered by a more pre-historic version of the Shi'ar and the Skrulls, a find that ended in war erupting between the two alien races. The war ranged until one member of the Shi'ar was able to grasp one of the seeds of the Tree. His physiology, fear and belief's shaped the birth of the most vicious killing machine the universe had ever seen, the first Raptor and while the Skrulls, being shape-shifters, were still able to hold out against the Shi'ar, they eventually were nevertheless slaughtered by Raptor Prime, a creature of instinct and adaptation which quickly learnt to use their enemies shape-shifting abilities as well. It can be assumed that due to the incident with Rook'shir, the Shi'ar then intended to use the seeds of the Tree of Shadows to create an army to unleash Ratha'kon or the Dark Starhawk, a being who would be able to contain and act as a "predator" to the Phoenix Force, however, while the Fraternity of Raptors attempted to mimic the Cosmic entity, because of their mechanoid nature, they were unable to unlock much less ascertain the coveted true power of which within their ranks.[68][69] Which was why Gyre, a corrupted anathema of the Fraternity utilized the once Nova turned Raptor Robbie Rider; brother of Richard Rider and traitor to the Nova Corp and Earth. Sought to utilize the amulet of Christopher Powell as the conduit in which Talon-R would become host to the Dark Starhawk with intent to raze the planet Earth, but was destroyed by the possessed entity due to his reviled nature as a result.[70]

Though largely prosperous for a time the Shi'ar still suffer from the occasional strife brought upon by the treacherous Deathbird. She and her rebel faction stand against the empire on the grounds that Kallark, head of the Imperial Guard and current Majestor of the Shi'ar, isn't a true Shi'ar and thus believe his rule to be illegitimate.[71] To actualize their claim, the insurgents are in hot pursuit of an item pertaining critical importance to the Shi'ar Imperium, a glowing egg contain the next successor to monarchy and the throne.[72] In truth the shell was only a telepathic mirage thrown up by its true contents, the prize in actuality being the genetically engineered daughter of Professor and Lilandra Neramani whom after having telepathically scanned the minds of X-Men newlyweds Rogue and Gambit, took the name of Xandra when modeling herself after her deceased parents. Kitty Pryde goes on to say that the reason she's such a sought after commodity across the spaceways is because she was sworn into the Shi'ar royal line by her mother on top of having inherited her father's vast psionic talents making her both an Omega Level Weapon not to mention a highly coveted political bargaining chip to the Shi'ar themselves.[71]

Since then Xandra has assumed the throne of the Shi'ar Empire and has been successfully running the vast galactic society, at least until the recent reveal that the Shi'ar Empire has hidden a secret about the first "ancient mutants" from everyone, even Majestrix Xandra herself. The Marauders and Xandra come into conflict with the Shi'ar's sect of secret-keepers the Crimson Kin, who eventually assassinate her to stop her from "betraying" their darkest secrets to Krakoa.[73]

Eventually, Kate Pryde and her band of Marauders discover the greatest secret of the Shi'ar - an encounter with the inhabitants of Earth that occurred billions of years ago. The ancient Shi'ar, still possessing their avian traits, were a race of raiders allied with the Lupak, and on Earth they discovered a civilization capable of repelling them, a mutant society named Threshold. Incredibly, this mutant community existed billions of years before humans evolved. With their pride wounded, the Shi'ar prepared for a war, and tried to wipe out these ancient mutants only to lose again. Their defeat was so overwhelming that they hid it from the annals of history. But the truth remained as they used the Xorrian science to alter their evolution into the Shi'ar of the present day and when these early mutants were forced to flee Earth to avoid a cataclysmic events, the Shi'ar took the opportunity to wipe out most of the briefly vulnerable mutants as they attempted in other realities. Only a handful of mutants survived, placed outside of time by the Shi'ar, but even then they were seemingly executed by the Shi'ar years previously, cutting off Krakoa from that piece of their history.[74]

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Shi'ar are not an alien race, but a religious group whose beliefs are said to have descended from alien knowledge. They worship the Phoenix, believing it to be a god of not only destruction, but renewal. Their beliefs state that all of the Earth was originally a prison created by ancient alien civilizations to hold the Phoenix, but its presence at the core led to the creation of life on Earth, and the Phoenix's direct influence resulted in all major steps of evolution for man, and specifically, led to the creation of mutants. The Ultimate version of the Hellfire Club is an offshoot of the Shi'ar religion that believes the Phoenix only desires destruction.[137]

Recently an alternate version of the Lilandra character has turned up in the Ultimate Marvel universe's Ultimate X-Men title. Ultimate Lilandra is not an alien, but the Majestrix of the Church of Shi'ar Enlightenment, and contacts Professor Xavier with the offer of funding his school's immense budget, in exchange for the chance to see if Jean Grey is the human host for The Phoenix.[138]

In the Age of Apocalypse reality, the Shi'ar Empire was almost decimated by the Brood. However, D'Ken remains as Majestor of the Imperium, while Lilandra has been executed and Deathbird leads the Starjammers.[139][140][141]

In Last Planet Standing, a limited series set in the alternate timeline known as MC2, the Shi'ar homeworld is destroyed by Galactus.

In Marvel 2099, is mentioned that the encroaching twilight of the Shi'ar left a void of power.[142]

In Marvel Zombies Return, led by Luke Cage of another reality, the Shi'ar were defeated and killed by the zombified heroes of the Earth.[143]

• The Shi'ar Empire appears in the 1990s X-Men TV series, the first appearance being part of the Phoenix Saga, with other appearances later on including the Dark Phoenix Saga.
• The Shi'ar are briefly referenced in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Live Kree or Die." They appear as one of the Kree's enemy races.
• In the second season of Legion, Cary describes a piece of technology of "advanced", but "not Shi'ar."

• In X-Men for the Sega Genesis, the X-Men visit the Shi'ar empire.
• The Shi'ar appear in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The heroes travel to a Shi'ar warship to obtain a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal. Unfortunately, some of the Shi'ar soldiers and the Imperial Guard have sided with Deathbird in overthrowing Lilandra Neramani. The heroes had to fight Deathbird, the Imperial Guard members on her side, and an army of Shi'ar Soldiers, Shi'ar Soldier Commanders, Shi'ar Gunners, Shi'ar Gunnery Sergeants, and Shi'ar Trackers in order to restore Lilandra to the throne.