Phase 5 Secretly Introduced A God-Tier Genius Villain Who Could Defeat The Avengers

Thanos might be dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Kang’s fate remains uncertain – however, the Phase 5 movie The Marvels offered a glimpse at a mighty foe who could truly overpower the Avengers. Continuing the events of Ms. Marvel, the 2023 superhero comedy-drama offered a deeper dive into the militaristic alien race known as Kree. Their arch nemeses, the shapeshifting aliens Skrulls were already given a sympathetic portrayal in Captain Marvel. These depictions become more nuanced in Secret Invasion, which also introduced rebel Skrulls on Earth. While the Secret Invasion villain Gravik posed a major threat, he still possessed superhuman strength intrinsic to all Skrulls.

Considering how the narrative of The Marvels unfolds on different planets and dimensions, the titular superheroines also unite at a Skrull refugee colony on Tarnax, a planet that Captain Marvel herself helped establish. True to every MCU movie, The Marvels also has its fair share of Easter Eggs. One such niche reference might have been noticed only by diehard comic book fans, as a specific Skrull seems to be influenced by an extremely powerful figure from the source material. This mystery character’s presence might be very limited in the MCU’s Phase 5 for now, but if his arc is fleshed out further, this Skrull carries a lot of future potential.

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How The Marvels Introduced A Huge Skrull Villain

As Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau encounter a colony of Skrull refugees on the planet Tarnax, they also cross paths with the refugees’ leader, Emperor Dro’ge. Played by Outlander actor Gary Lewis, the Emperor offers his people’s plea to be saved from an impending Kree attack by Dar-Benn, who has opened up a jump point to harness Tarnax’s breathable air and transfer it to the Kree planet Hala. Not much is known about Dro’ge’s background, and The Marvels marks his debut in the MCU. Dro’ge is one of the many Easter Eggs of The Marvels, as he has a much larger part in the original Secret Invasion comics.

Serving as the “Head Priest of the Sciences” in Skrull queen Veranke’s Imperial Court, Dro’ge Fenu Edu doesn’t just boast superhuman strength, but he is also gifted with genius intellect. The comic villain played a crucial role in creating a new race of genetically enhanced Skrulls, simply called Super Skrulls. Referred only by his first name in The Marvels, Dro’ge Fenu Edu’s origins and moral affiliations are changed in MCU Phase 5, as there was no mention of him in the Secret Invasion miniseries. The imperial scientist has been promoted to Emperor in the movie, with him seemingly not having to do anything with Super Skrulls.

Dr’oge’s Marvel Comics History Explained

Dr’oge’s comic book counterpart’s skills include knowledge of aerospace engineering, space travel, time travel, robotics, biochemistry, and many other areas of science. Typical of his species, Dr’oge Fenu Edu is also efficient at shapeshifting, even though it’s mostly his scientific advice for what’s sought after. Introduced in the 2008 comic New Avengers #40, he mostly faces off against the Illuminati, the superhero group that includes Avengers like Doctor Strange and Mr Fantastic. Dr’oge himself can be seen as the Skrull equivalent of Mr. Fantastic given his intellectual prowess. While the Illuminati members were attempting to take over the Skrull throneworld, Dr’oge captured them and downloaded their memories.

This is how Dr’oge could master his knowledge of time travel and inter-dimensional travel, as Mr. Fantastic was very well aware of such phenomena at the time of his capture. During this time, Dro’ge’s goal was to clone the superheroes. While his cloning experiments failed to bear fruit, he could still use their cell samples on other Skrulls to create a new race of Super Skrulls. So, even when the heroes of the Illuminati escaped the Skrulls’ clutches, Queen Veranke had a powerful legion of Super Skrulls at her disposal thanks to Dr’oge’s scientific breakthroughs. This subplot played a crucial role in the titular event in the Secret Invasion storyline.

Could Dr’oge Still Be A Villain In The MCU?

The cliffhanger ending of The Marvels can perhaps lead to a change in personality for Dr’oge, but for now, the character isn’t a villain but a benevolent ally. As the movie also hints at his journey to Earth with Valkyrie, a Skrull like him will likely get a negative reception on Earth due to the events of Secret Invasion, which have essentially served as a call to violence regarding any “off-world” inhabitants. As a leader of the Skrull refugees, he must broker Skrull-human relations before a war breaks out between the two species. If an imminent war does happen, then Dr’oge’s scientific powers might be handy to defend his community, which could well go as far as to see him serve as a major threat to the likes of the Avengers, even if The Marvels didn’t portray him as a traditional MCU villain.