Belligerents

The Shi’ar: A vast aristocracy with avian-descended humanoid royalty

• Current Leadership: Empress Xandra, the daughter of late Lilandra Neramani and Earth telepath, Pr. Charles Xavier

The Kree-Skrull Alliance: A recent union between the long warring factions the Kree and the Skrulls

• Current Leadership: Dorrek VIII (also known by the Earth names Teddy Altman and Hulkling), the son of Kree sentry, Mar-Vell, and Skrull princess, Anelle

The Spartoi: Homeworld of the space revolutionary, Star-Lord, aka Peter Quill.

• Current Leadership: Victoria, daughter of previous ruler J’Son and half-sibling of Peter Quill

Sakaar En Nevo: A violent planet of refugees from the original Sakaar

• Current Leadership: Hiro-Kala, bastard son of The Hulk

Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda: An extension of an Earth country founded by space-faring Wakandans that were affected by a temporal anomaly

• Current Leadership: T’Challa, whose authority is recognized as the current Black Panther

The Inhumans: The descendants of early humans experimented on by the Kree

• Current Leadership: Black Bolt, the long-standing king of the Inhumans

Causes and Motivations

The Blackagar brothers (Black Bolt and Maximus) team up with universe elder, The Grandmaster, to manipulate the politics of the struggling Galactic Council in order for the Inhumans to return to political relevancy. Over the course of a year, the three influenced two separate separatist movements, starting with the Shi’ar.

Electron, the ethnic Shi’ar member of the multiracial Imperial Guard, proved to be the bastard son of the late emperor, D’Ken. His belief that he was the rightful heir of the Shi’ar throne was leveraged to convince him to secretly build a coalition of separatists to turn on Empress Xandra. As a member of the Galactic Council, Xandra would have help from other empires at her disposal, so Electron needed to plot the end of the Council.

Using shapeshifting hobgoblins, Electron influenced a different separatist movement within the Kree-Skrull Alliance. A shapeshifter would pose as Veranke, the late Skrull queen and mastermind of the Secret Invasion of Earth, to secretly build a coalition against Hulkling. These Skrull separatists would develop a bioweapon from Kree and Skrull technologies to poison the heads of member nations. This included Hiro-Kala and Victoria of Spartax.

J’Son of Spartax managed to get Victoria into stasis where the effects of the poison were mitigated until they could find a cure. J’Son assumed the role of emperor and invited Peter to stand by his side. Peter was available due to the disbandment of the Guardians of the Galaxy, who were acting as peacekeepers in an official capacity under the Galactic Council. They called a meeting of the Galactic Council to share forensic findings on the multiple assassinations pointing to the Kree-Skrull Alliance. As he revealed that info, another shapeshifter, disguised as a Wakandan war dog, opened fire on the members. More heads of nation were killed, including J’Son, leaving Spartax to Peter.

The militaries of the remaining nations mobilized to Wakanda territory to counterstrike. The Skrull separatists used this opportunity to attack their own throne, ejecting Hulkling and his husband, Wiccan, into space. Once it is clear the Skrull separatists have revealed themselves, Electron mobilizes his own separatists. They dethrone Xandra, who manages to escape, and retreats the Shi’ar navy back through the jumpgate. As they leave, they sabotage the jumpgate, stranding most of the major imperial militaries in Wakandan space. Although, one ship is able to escape.

Peter committed to an independent investigation of the assassinations with the reluctant help of Nova Prime, Rich Rider. As such, they were assigned by the Shi'ar to POW interrogations. When the Shi'ar manage to apprehend Shuri, the three heroes determine that Wakanda has been framed. They sneak through the jumpgate before it is shut down and head for the ruins of Xandar to use the Worldmind supercomputer to calculate probabilities. The Worldmind determines that it was the Inhumans who have been pulling all the strings.

The trio broadcast their findings to try and stop the war, but the Skrulls are too committed to their own coup. War has come to the Galactic Council home base. With the help of The Hulk and Black Panther, Star-Lord, Nova, and Shuri are able to end the battle and send the Skrulls packing. In response, the former Galactic Council agrees to become the Galactic Union, with Inhumans taking control of the Kree throne.

Aftermath

• The Galactic Council becomes the Galactic Union. The Shi'ar reject the offer to join, and the Skrulls are prohibited from joining. The Inhumans are added, with all empires deciding to ignore the role they played in starting the Imperial War, much to displeasure of Nova.
• Black Panther takes a more active role in the leadership of the Wakandan Empire.
• Star-Lord remains on the throne of Spartax until his sister can be cured.
• She-Hulk remains on Sakaar for now as a favor to Hulk, who was fighting in the Imperial War.
• Xavier and a recently resurrected Lilandra rescue Xandra and psychically call help for potential champions to join their Exiles.
• Gladiator and the Imperial Guards ultimately choose to be loyal to the current official emperor of the Shi'ar, Electron.
• Gamora and Darkhawk, who were independently investigating using the supercomputer that links the raptor armors, were left for dead by the Cosmic Ghost Rider, hired as a mercenary for the Inhumans.
• Hulkling and Wiccan survived thanks to a force field spell and an emergency distress beacon to their teleporting friend, Ms. America, who returned them to Earth.
• Noh-Var has taken the role of messiah, spreading the good word of a bright possible future for the Kree.

Spin-Offs

• November 2025
  • Planet She-Hulk by Stephanie Phillips and Aaron Kuder
  • Nova: Centurian by Jed MacKay and Alvaro Lopez
• December 2025
  • Black Panther: Intergalactic by Victor LaValle and Stefano Nesi
• Winter 2026
  • The Exiles
  • Imperial Guardians