Meet the Skrulls by Robbie Thompson, Niko Henrichon and Laurent Crossat introduced one of the most engaging groups of Skrulls in recent memory with the Warner family, a group of secret agents for the Skrull Empire operating in secret on Earth. Their miniseries ended with them on the run, setting up a wealth of possibilities for the family going forward.

In a post-Empyre world where the Kree and Skrull Empires are combined, the Warner family from Meet the Skrulls deserves a new storyline to explore how that changes the world.

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WHAT HAPPENED IN MEET THE SKRULLS?

Meet the Skrulls began after the destruction of the Skrull throneworld at the hands of Galactus, agents were spread across the galaxy to seed Skrull control and the beginnings of a potential new empire. Skrulls became handlers, such as Moloth, who then recruited Skrulls gifted in spycraft and combat to become infiltrator agents for the invasion. Klrr and G'iah are two such Skrulls, chosen for their compatibility and raising a family in secret on Earth. Having infiltrated humanity in the disguise of Carl and Madison Warner, the pair had three daughters: Madison, Ivy, and Alice, who also quickly grew to be skilled at deception and assisted their parents in their sabotage of human plans.

However, Ivy was seemingly killed while investigating the mysterious Project Blossom. Upon discovering the continued existence of Project Blossom -- which would reveal every Skrull hidden on the planet -- the family moves into position to bring it down, even contending with a Skrull hunter who had tracked down Alice after she used her powers in public. Upon discovering that Carl had been aware of the cybernetic agent hunting them, Madison becomes furious with her husband and decides to bring both daughters along for their next step of the plan to infiltrate Project Blossom and dismantle it. Madison and the girls discover that a captured Ivy has been used as a test subject for the Skrull hunting technology that has led to the deaths of most of the other agents around the world.

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Although Madison is able to save Ivy, Carl is assassinated by Moloth -- who has turned against the Skrull Empire and has been working with factions within Stark Industries (even hidden from Tony Stark) to bring down all the Skrulls around the world. He tries to capture the rest of the family in disguise as Carl, but is brought down by the family and killed. Moloth is able to frame the family for the crimes he's committed, meaning the remaining Warners are forced to go on the run.

The Warners soon unwittingly find themselves investigating the return of the Cotati and the Kree forces who are hunting them as part of the build-up to Empyre, even almost being assassinated by a Kree agent. Tracking the Kree agent down and blaming him for the ultimate death of her husband, Madison almost opens fire on him and his entire family, who are revealed to be secret Kree agents. Luckily, Madison's daughters are able to get through to her long enough for the Kree family to receive the proclamation of peace between the Kree and Skrulls announced by King Hulking.

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WHY DO WE NEED MORE MEET THE SKRULLS?

Meet the Skrulls was essentially The Americans set in the Marvel Universe, introducing a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of a classic stock Marvel villain: the alien shapeshifter. The Warners never fully turn on the Empire, and in fact, the ultimate antagonist of their miniseries is a Skrull who has completely abandoned his homeworld. The Warners are not redeemed or heroic, casually slaughtering rooms full of people when threatened. But their commitment to each other and the joy they find in being reunited with Ivy is real. It makes them among the more compelling Skrull characters introduced in recent years, especially in relation to their mixed feelings about Earth and place within human society.

With the Skrulls and Kree now nominally being out in the open and recognized as allies to the Earth, the Warners could go in many different story directions. They could remain loyal to the old ways, and try to keep their infiltration of Earth a secret. They could find themselves working more expressly with the Kree family, setting up a genuine character drama to play out over a look at the conflicts that have fueled their races to war for centuries. They could even just become new agents for Hulking and his Empyre. The post-Empyre Marvel Universe is the perfect place for the Warner family to find their real place in the universe, and it could make for some really exciting storylines that dive into how the Empyre works from the perspective of the people serving within it, not just ruling it.

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