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Skaar (character)

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For other uses, see Skaar.
Skaar
Variant cover to Skaar: Son of Hulk #1
by Carlo Pagulayan
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceWhat If? Planet Hulk #1 (Dec. 2007)
Created byGreg Pak (writer)
John Romita Jr. (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoSkaar Banner
SpeciesHuman/Sakaaran Hybrid
Place of originSakaar
Team affiliationsDark Avengers
S.M.A.S.H.
PartnershipsHulk
Hiro-Kala
Notable aliasesSon of the Hulk
Sakaarson
World Breaker
Killer of Killers
Santos
Abilities

Skaar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring his father, the Hulk, who conceived Skaar with the extraterrestrial Caiera during the 2006–2007 "Planet Hulk" storyline. Created by writer Greg Pak and artist John Romita Jr., the earliest version of the character appeared in a cameo in an alternate history story in What If? Planet Hulk #1 (cover-dated December 2007), in which the character was drawn by Rafa Sandoval. The Earth-616 version of the character appeared in World War Hulk #5 (Jan. 2008), by Pak and Romita, Jr.[1]

The character has been adapted into other media. He first appeared in animated form in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (2013–2015), and in live-action form in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022), in which he is played by Wil Deusner.

Publication history

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Skaar was created by writer Greg Pak and arist John Romita, Jr. The earliest incarnation of the character first appeared in What If Planet Hulk? #1 (Dec. 2007),[1] "Peaceful Planet", an alternate history story by Pak and artist Rafa Sandoval, which imagines the sequence of events that would have transpired had Hulk landed on the peaceful planet that the Illuminati had intended, rather than on Sakaar, as occurred in the "Planet Hulk" storyline.[2]

However, the Skaar of Earth-616 (the continuity in which most mainstream Marvel storylines takes place) first appeared canonically in World War Hulk #5 (Jan. 2008) a miniseries written by Pak, and illustrated by Romita, Jr.[1] He subsequently starred in his own ongoing series by Pak, Skaar: Son of Hulk, which ran for 12 issues from 2008[3] to 2009.[4][5][6]

Following the "Planet Skaar" story arc, which resulted in Skaar's arrival on Earth, the book's title changed with issue #13 to Son of Hulk, after which new writer Paul Jenkins focused on Hiro-Kala, another son of Bruce Banner. The series ran until issue #17.[7] The story of Hiro-Kala that begins in these issues continue in a miniseries that ties into the Realm of Kings event, Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk #1-4.[8]

When Greg Pak took over writing chores on The Incredible Hulk with issue #601, Skaar allied himself with a de-powered Bruce Banner.[9]

The character would then appear in the Skaar: King of the Savage Land miniseries by writer Rob Williams,[10] and later appearing as a regular character in the Dark Avengers series, beginning with Dark Avengers #175.

Fictional character biography

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Skaar is the son of the Hulk/Bruce Banner and Caiera, an extraterrestrial native of the planet Sakaar.[11] He was posthumously born via the Old Power after Sakaar was destroyed and Caiera killed, emerging from a cocoon on the planet's remains and rapidly aging into an adult.[12] To survive, Skaar learned the need to kill as part of his upbringing by the savage creatures of his home planet. He demonstrates himself to be a fierce and capable general, becoming the enemy of Axeman Bone and gaining the ability to harness the Old Power to manipulate the earth.[13]

Skaar was able to communicate with the spirit of his supposedly dead mother, Caiera. He fights a war against Axeman Bone, but this only delays his people's escape from the near-destruction of the planet by Galactus. Because the planet possesses enough energy to satiate Galactus' hunger for 100,000 years, Caiera takes the Old Power from Skaar as she tries to reason with him.[14] Skaar admits to Caiera that he wanted to clear the evil from the planet. However, the Silver Surfer restores Skaar's Old Power and shows him a vision of the death and destruction of Sakaar, leading Skaar to destroy the evacuation ships. He tells the Surfer that if he does not spare his planet, he will use the Old Power to increase Galactus' hunger and endanger more planets, including those already saved by the Surfer. After the Surfer informs the people of Sakaar that their safety would lead to the death of countless planets, he departs. Caiera denounces Skaar for his decision and absorbs his Old Power. She then exiles him from Sakaar and waits for Galactus to consume her.[15]

Skaar arrives on Earth with the sole desire to kill his father, the Hulk. After conflicts with the United States military, the Fantastic Four and the Warbound, he confronts the Hulk. Unbeknownst to Skaar, the Hulk has changed since his time on Sakaar. After the Hulk engages Skaar, he effortlessly beats him but their fight creates a fissure that endangers a nuclear power plant. Skaar ceases his attack when he realizes that this Hulk is not the "War Hulk" that conceived him, the one he desires to kill. He prevents the fissure from endangering the power plant and declares Earth to be his new home.[16]

Skaar later encounters Bruce Banner, who had been depowered by the Red Hulk. Skaar reiterates his desire to kill the Hulk, but he cannot accomplish this by killing him in Banner's form as they had separated into two distinct personas. Bruce offers to teach Skaar how to kill the Hulk should he ever return, but this is a ruse to allow Banner to monitor his "son", and impart fatherly wisdom in the hope of turning the savage warrior into a hero. Skaar demonstrates his ability to use both cunning and physical strength by hurling the villain Juggernaut into outer space.[17] Subsequent lessons by Banner include encounters with Wolverine, Wolverine's son, Daken, Victoria Hand, Moonstone, a mutated Marlo Chandler, Tyrannus, the Mole Man and his army of Moloids.[18][19][20][21]

After defeating the Moloids, Skaar is proclaimed a hero and a parade is held in his honor. Banner confronts the Red Hulk but grows angry. He then teleports to the country of Latveria, supposedly to transform in private but a battle breaks out between the Hulk and Latverian leader Doctor Doom. Skaar soon intervenes with the aid of his father's teleportation technology as he wants to prevent Doom from robbing him of the ability to kill the Hulk. Doom overpowers Skaar with magic, reverting him to his human form and revealing that this Hulk is a robot. Banner then arrives to rescue his son, seeing him in his human form for the first time. But Skaar rejects Banner's affection, believing that Banner cares only for his deceased wife. Skaar concludes that his discovery of the teleporter and trip to Latveria are part of another of Banner's "lessons", and reiterates his desire to someday kill him in his Hulk form.[22]

During the "Fall of the Hulks", "World War Hulks", and "Dark Son" storylines, Skaar comes to the aid of the Avengers by battling the Red She-Hulk in a story that involves the villainous group Intelligencia capturing Banner and turning people in Washington, D.C., into Hulks, including the genius Amadeus Cho.[23][24] Later in the story, Banner re-emerges as the Green Scar, prompting Skaar, who has finally been granted the confrontation he longs for, to attack him. As they fight, the Hulk rescues many innocent bystanders endangered by the battle. Skaar reacts to his father's compassion by ceasing his own assault and reverting to human form, but the Hulk continues fighting. His actions quickly remind him of Banner's abusive father Brian, reverting him back to his human form. Banner embraces his son, who is finally willing to accept his love.[25] Skaar then sets out on a journey with his father, sister, first cousin once removed Jennifer Walters, Rick Jones, and Betty Ross. Soon after, he senses his brother, Hiro-Kala, approaching Earth.[26]

During the "Chaos War" storyline, Skaar helps his father and his friends in their fight against the forces of Amatsu-Mikaboshi.[27] When it is discovered that Brian Banner has been brought back from the dead and has become a Guilt Hulk/Devil Hulk hybrid, Skaar helps his father fight his grandfather.[28]

Skaar accompanies the Hulk and the Warbound to the Savage Land when they are contacted by Ka-Zar regarding the death of some Sakaarians who were living there.[29] They discover that Miek is involved in a plot to use Sakaarian bodies to store his hatchlings.[30] When Skaar refuses to allow the Hulk to harm the hatchlings, Miek attempts to drug Skaar. Following Miek's apparent death, Skaar remains in the Savage Land to keep an eye on the remaining Sakaarians.[31]

Skaar is recruited by Norman Osborn to join the second incarnation of the Dark Avengers.[32] His first fight with the team goes against him when the New Avengers discover them.[33] After the Dark Avengers reveal that they have captured Captain America and are planning to capture the other Avengers to put on trial, Skaar turns on his teammates.[34] It is revealed at that point that Skaar is actually a double agent. He then frees Captain America while the New Avengers defeat the remaining Dark Avengers.[35]

Skaar later travels back to the Savage Land as it reminds him of his home planet. The Hulk in his Doc Green form tracks Skaar there to depower him as part of his plan to depower every gamma mutate on Earth. After a brief fight, Skaar is finally depowered. Doc Green teleports Skaar to Paris along with a backpack full of money so he can start a new and better life under the alias "Santos".[36]

The Abomination's company Green Spring later repowers Skaar. While working for Green Spring, Skaar is dispatched to retrieve the escaped gamma mutate Stockpile.[37] This puts Skaar into conflict with Gamma Flight, which comes to Stockpile's defense, and the U.S. Hulkbuster Force, which was formed to stop the threat of gamma mutates. Skaar easily defeats the U.S. Hulkbuster Force, but spares its members' lives.[38]

Powers and abilities

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Skaar possesses superhuman abilities derived from his parents, the Hulk/Bruce Banner and Caiera, an alien native of the planet Sakaar. Like his father, he possesses a dual form: That of an ordinary male with normal strength, and that of a towering green humanoid. He can revert to human form when calm or otherwise incapacitated.[12] The powers he inherited from his father are derived from Banner's exposure to gamma radiation.[11]

In his Hulk-like form, Skaar possesses immense superhuman strength, stamina, and resistance to injury,[11][39][40] His strength increases whenever enraged, and has been shown to be able to break off pieces of the armor worn by Juggernaut, who is otherwise unstoppable once he begins to charge forward.[40] His resistance to injury is such that being engulfed in flames causes no damage to him,[12] and he can easily shrug off an explosion from a rocket-propelled grenade.[41] Iron Fist, however, is able to stun him with a powerful chi-punch.[42]

Using the Old Power, Skaar can manipulate tectonic energy and the earth itself.[43] He must be in contact with the ground to use this ability.[40]

Skaar also has other powers, including the ability to rapidly heal after sustaining injuries, the ability to sense the life forces of other beings anywhere on the planet on which he is located, and the ability to transform into a Shadow form in which he can still access some of the Old Power, though he cannot use his gamma-induced powers in this form.[39]

Skaar carries a sword that he uses in combat.[39][40][44][45]

In other media

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Television

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Video games

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Collected editions

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The series the character has appeared in have been collected into individual volumes:

Title Material collected Year ISBN
Skaar: Son of Hulk Skaar: Son of Hulk #1-6, War of Kings: Savage World of Sakaar #1 and material from Hulk Family: Green Genes #1 April 2009 978-0785136675
Skaar: Son of Hulk - Planet Skaar Skaar: Son of Hulk #7-12, Planet Skaar: Prologue September 2009 0-7851-3986-9
Son of Hulk: Dark Son Rising Skaar: Son of Hulk #13-17 June 2010 978-0785140559
Skaar: Son of Hulk - The Complete Collection Skaar: Son of Hulk #1-12, War of Kings: Savage World of Sakaar #1 Skaar: Son Of Hulk Presents The Savage World Of Sakaar #1, Planet Skaar: Prologue, War Of Kings: Savage World of Sakaar and material from Hulk Family: Green Genes #1 July 2018 978-1302912475
Incredible Hulk Vol. 1: Son of Banner Incredible Hulk #601-605 June 2010 0-7851-4413-7
Skaar: King of the Savage Land Skaar: King of the Savage Land #1-5 December 2011 0-7851-5694-1

References

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  1. ^ a b c Romano, Evan (October 13, 2022). "The She-Hulk Finale Introduces Skaar—The Hulk's Otherworldly Son From Sakaar". Men's Health. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Pak, Greg (w), Kirk, Leonard (a). "What if the Hulk Died and Caiera Lived?" What If? Planet Hulk, no. 1 (December 2007). Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (June 10, 2008). "Ron Garney's Skaar - Inside the Son of Hulk's Art". Newsarama.
  4. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (March 18, 2008). "Greg Pak on Skaar: Son of Hulk". Newsarama.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Richards, Dave (June 10, 2008). "Hulk Slash! Pak talks 'Skaar: Son of Hulk'". Comic Book Resources.
  6. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (March 19, 2008). "Ron Garney: Drawing Son of Hulk". Newsarama.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Phegley, Kiel (November 24, 2009). "Jenkins Ends "Son of Hulk"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  8. ^ Smith, Zack (January 10, 2010). "The SON OF HULK Gets Puny in the Microverse". Newsarama. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  9. ^ Brady, Matt (May 19, 2009). "Incredible Again: Greg Pak on Incredible Hulk". Newsarama. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  10. ^ Mahadeo, Kevin (January 10, 2011). "Skaar: King of the Savage Land". Marvel.com. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c Schedeen, Jesse (October 13, 2022). "She-Hulk's Skaar Explained: The Tragic Story Behind Hulk's Son". IGN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Pak, Greg (w), Garney, Ron (a). "Cradle of Fire" Skaar: Son of Hulk, no. 1 (August 2008). Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Pak, Greg. Skaar: Son of Hulk #2-6. Marvel Comics. September 2008-February 2009
  14. ^ Pak, Greg. "Return of the Silver Savage" Skaar: Son of Hulk #7; Marvel Comics; March 2009
  15. ^ Pak, Greg. Skaar: Son of Hulk #10. Marvel Comics. June 2009
  16. ^ Pak, Greg. Skaar: Son of Hulk #12. Marvel Comics. August 2009
  17. ^ Pak, Greg. "Banner's Back" and "Play Date". Incredible Hulk #601-602. Marvel Comics. October - November 2009
  18. ^ Pak, Greg. "Smash Meets Snikt". Incredible Hulk #603. Marvel Comics. December 2009
  19. ^ Pak, Greg. Dark Reign: The List - Hulk Marvel Comics. December 2009
  20. ^ Pak, Greg. Incredible Hulk #604. Marvel Comics. June 2009
  21. ^ Pak, Greg. "Banner and Son". Incredible Hulk #605. Marvel Comics. February 2010
  22. ^ Pak, Greg. "Dark Son". Incredible Hulk #606. Marvel Comics. October 2010
  23. ^ Pak, Greg. "Unbound" Incredible Hulk #607; Marvel Comics; April 2010
  24. ^ Pak, Greg. "Endgame". Incredible Hulk #608. Marvel Comics. May 2010
  25. ^ Pak, Greg. "Dark Son". Incredible Hulk #611. Marvel Comics. March 2010.
  26. ^ Pak, Greg. "Dark Son". Incredible Hulk #611-613. Marvel Comics. October - December 2010
  27. ^ Incredible Hulk #618-619. Marvel Comics.
  28. ^ Incredible Hulk #620. Marvel Comics.
  29. ^ Incredible Hulk #622. Marvel Comics.
  30. ^ Incredible Hulk #623. Marvel Comics.
  31. ^ Incredible Hulk #625. Marvel Comics.
  32. ^ New Avengers vol. 2 #18. Marvel Comics
  33. ^ New Avengers vol. 2 #19. Marvel Comics.
  34. ^ New Avengers vol. 2 #22. Marvel Comics.
  35. ^ New Avengers vol. 2 #23. Marvel Comics.
  36. ^ Hulk vol. 3 #7. Marvel Comics.
  37. ^ Ewing, Al; Frasier, Crystal (w), Medina, Lan (a). "Someone Bigger" Gamma Flight, no. 1 (August 2021). Marvel Comics.
  38. ^ Ewing, Al; Frasier, Crystal (w), Medina, Lan (a). "Without Mercy" Gamma Flight, no. 2 (September 2021). Marvel Comics.
  39. ^ a b c "Skaar". Marvel Comics. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  40. ^ a b c d Pak, Greg (w), Olivetti, Ariel (a). "Playdate" The Incredible Hulk, no. 602 (November 2009). Marvel Comics.
  41. ^ Way, Daniel (w), Conrad, Will (a). "Reckoning: Part Two" Wolverine: Origins, no. 47 (June 2010). Marvel Comics.
  42. ^ The New Avengers vol. 2 #20. Marvel Comics.
  43. ^ Jenkins, Paul (w), Guinaldo, Andres (p), Cifuentes, Vicente (i). "Dangerous Tribe" Son of Hulk, no. 15 (November 2009). Marvel Comics.
  44. ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (August 19, 2023). "She-Hulk's Premiere May Tease the Introduction of Another Iconic Hulk". CBR.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  45. ^ Pak, Greg (w), Panosian, Dan (a). Planet Skaar Prologue, no. 1 (July 2009). Marvel Comics.
  46. ^ Goldman, Eric (April 17, 2012). "Eliza Dushku Will S.M.A.S.H. as She-Hulk". IGN.
  47. ^ Sands, Rich (July 2, 2012). "First Look". TV Guide. p. 8.
  48. ^ a b c "Skaar Voices (Hulk)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 18, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  49. ^ Miller, Leon (October 13, 2022). "She-Hulk Finale Welcomes an Unexpected Marvel Character to the MCU". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  50. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (October 17, 2022). "She-Hulk Head Writer Talks Cut MCU Digs, Introducing [Spoiler], Repealing the Sokovia Accords and More". TVLine. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  51. ^ "Characters". IGN. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  52. ^ "David Menkin | Creative Artists Management". cam.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  53. ^ "MARVEL SNAP - Dominate the Marvel Multiverse in High-Speed Card Battling Action". www.marvelsnap.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
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