It's hard to imagine anything more unnerving than a massive invasion by shape-shifting extraterrestrials like the Skrulls from Marvel's Secret Invasion. However, the idea of a real-life Skrull Kill Krew straight out of Marvel Comics would be even more outlandish. This unconventional group has a weird history dating back to an old Fantastic Four comic. The original Skrull Kill Krew series includes some of the most brutal and bizarre storylines, and includes cameos from more mainstream superheroes.
The members of the Skrull Kill Krew gained their extraordinary abilities through an alien virus. Interestingly, their destiny was determined when Reed Richards of The Fantastic Four used an unusual tactic to protect himself from a group of Skrull spies. The Kill Krew utilizes their newfound powers to locate and assassinate Skrull interlopers on Earth. The leader of the group trained his underlings to be ruthless killers, declaring the Skrulls were so worthless the Kill Krew could eliminate them without mercy or conscience.
This article discusses violent and sensitive topics that may be unsettling or triggering for some readers.
Tainted Beef From Skrull Cows Give the Skrull Kill Krew Their Powers
In Fantastic Four #2 (by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and George Klein), Reed Richards turns a group of Skrull spies into cows using mind control. The military-run Alien Activities Commission sends the Skrull cows to the slaughterhouse. The cows are then consumed by humans. Ryder, 3-D Man II, Riot (Heidi Slatkin), Catwalk, and Dice (Rob Fortune) all eat the meat and contract Skrullovoria-Induced Skrullophobia. This strange illness inspired by real-world Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis (Mad Cow Disease) is caused by the Skrull DNA present in the beef and causes damage to the humans' brain tissue. However, it also gives them the power to shape-shift like Skrulls, but with more unique forms. The Skrull Kill Krew is slowly dying of the meat-borne illness, but they vow to take out every Skrull they can before perishing.
The Skrull Kill Krew comprises five members, each possessing unique abilities. The team is led by Ryder, who can shape-shift and often transforms his dreadlocks into gorgon-like serpents. He also boasts teleportation abilities. Dice, a former surfer, can breathe underwater and morph his hands into various weapons. Riot has complex shape-shifting abilities and can take on the form of an armored insect. Catwalk, a former fashion model, enjoys a humanoid/feline form. 3-D Man II serves as the team's lead tracker, able to sense the Skrull's auras and communicate telepathically with his team members. To maintain Marvel's integrity, Moonstomp, a British neo-nazi skinhead who preferred a hammer for his weapon, wasn't included in later iterations of the Skrull Kill Krew.
Skrull Kill Krew Comics Are Full of Hard-Core Violence and Weird Weaponry
The Skrull Kill Krew, a five-issue series written by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar in 1995, portrays the Krew on motorcycles, attacking seemingly helpless humans who later reveal themselves to be shape-shifting Skrulls. Ryder adopts a "shoot first, ask questions later" approach. The comic includes excessively violent frames featuring seemingly innocent humans being murdered before they transform into their true alien forms. The team becomes entangled in a Hydra terrorist scheme, where they assist Captain America in confronting Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker’s henchmen. Regrettably, the group mistakenly attacks innocent individuals, who Dice beats with his strange metal "egg whisk" appendages. Ryder remains unfazed, reminding his Krew that they cannot afford to be squeamish. The Skrull Kill Krew return in later runs, including Dark Reign: Skrull Kill Krew (by Adam Felber and Mark Robinson). This series adds to the wild story by having Krew members’ bodies rot away, while Ryder and Riot preserve their heads in cryo-stasis, so they can kill Skrulls another day.
These five superheroes possess unique "shape-shifting stealth powers" that set them apart from any other characters in the comic book world. The original series is the most unusual and violent, featuring mainstream superhero appearances. Some scenes are incredibly graphic and may be triggering to some readers. The airport and school shootouts are particularly haunting when read today, and Ryder's tendency to show up at the homes of seemingly innocent families and assassinate them is unsettling. This is especially true since the Skrulls, who are depicted in a more cartoonish style than modern Marvel aliens, are the targets of these attacks.