Marvel's TRUE King of Space Has Returned in Empyre | Screen Rant
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Empyre #5
Marvel Comics' Empyre event is five issues in, revealing a historic alliance between the Kree and Skrull Empires, who had long been at war. Now, they stand united along with the heroes of Earth to defend the planet and fight back against the invading plant-based race known as the Cotati.
The Kree and Skrull also have their new leader who stands as someone who can unite the Kree and Skrull peoples as one: Hulking. Teddy Altman, or Dorrek VIII, is the chosen one foretold to unite both empires as the King of Space, with his mother a Skrull and his father a Kree. However, Empyre #5 reveals the arrival of the TRUE Space King.
Related: Marvel's Version of Jurassic World Has Never Been More Dangerous
Meanwhile, the Human Torch and Captain Marvel (a newly promoted Kree Accuser) have grown suspicious of Emperor Dorrek's recent actions, and as a result are banished from the Emperor's command ship. They soon find Wiccan, Hulkling's new husband, as the two of recently married before Teddy had to leave to become the Space King. Using a location spell, Wiccan transports himself, Captain Marvel, and the Torch to the true location of Hulkling, and sure enough: he's not on the command ship.
Just like Wiccan, Marvel, and the Torch suspected, the Dorrek that's on the throne is a Skrull imposter, as the true Space King had been secretly captured and put in prison. The imposter herself is the Kree leader Talnath, but even that is not her true identity. The third issue revealed that Tanalth has long been a secret Skrull, who always knew that the Kree and Skrulls were destined to unite under one banner. She's not just any Skrull though. She is R'Klll, the former Empress of the Skrulls and grandmother to Dorrek VIII, who sought to take his power and influence as her own.
While R'Klll's deception looks to be over, she may have gotten what she wanted already, activating the Pyre while posing as the Space King before being found out. The Pyre itself is a protocol which will overload a space systems's sun until it explodes, thereby destroying the Earth along with it. While this would no doubt get rid of the Cotati, it would also destroy countless lives and heroes along the way. As the issue ends, it's revealed that there's only 1o minutes left until the Cotati are successful in planting their death blossom in Wakanda, and only 9 until the sun explodes.
With odds like that, it's going to take something incredibly fantastic to save the day, and it looks like Iron Man and Reed Richards may have come up with the solution, but time will tell as Marvel's Empyre continues this summer.