YIRBEK

Classification: Extraterrestrial

Location/Base of Operations: Planet Yirb (second from the sun), Bek star system, Andromeda galaxy;
    Yirb is a mostly tropical planet 81% covered in water, with 150% of Earth's gravity, and an atmosphere of 76% nitrogen and 23% oxygen
   also planet Kallu, Kallu-Kan star system, Andromeda Galaxy

Known Members: None identified, though they have an estimated population of 4.3 billion

Affiliations: Consortium, Skrulls

Enemies: Alpha Flight (Box/Madison Jeffries, Diamond Lil/Lillian Crawley, Guardian/Heather McNeil, Northstar/ Jean-Paul Beaubier, Puck/Eugene Judd, Sasquatch/Walter Langkowski, Vindicator/James Hudson, Windshear/Colin Hume), Avengers (Black Widow/Natasha Romanova, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Hercules, Quasar/Wendell Vaughn, Sersi, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Vision), J'Ridia Starduster (Her), Kallusians

First Appearance: Avengers I#14 (March, 1965)

Powers/Abilities: The Yirbek possess spaceships capable of warp flight (apparently involving "cobalt throttles"), and containing weaponry roughly similar to that of the Kallusians. Their ships can release advanced robotic detection equipment. Though their level of technology is allegedly inferior to the Skrulls, they have weaponry capable of destroying planets.

Traits: The Yirbek are governed by a military dictatorship under the overall rule of the Skrull Empire. Though obsessive in hatred towards their enemies, they are subservient to their masters, the Skrulls.

Type: Bilaterally symmetric reptilian bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; compound, red color seen)
Fingers: Five (including opposing thumb)
Toes: Five
Skin color: Green, scaled
Average height: 6'7"





History:
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#12 - Yirbek) - The Yirbek governed a small empire of planets in the Andromeda galaxy until they were defeated in a war by the Skrulls centuries ago. The Yirbek have served the Skrull empire ever since, acting as mercenaries in conflicts considered minor by galactic standards.

(Avengers I#14 (fb)) - The Yirbek fought a war with the Kallusians that lasted for several centuries, and ended with the Kallusians defeat. The Yirbek occupied Kallu, but some of the Kallusians escaped into exile.

 

(Avengers I#14 (fb)) - A vast fleet of Yirbek starships searched galaxies for the Kallusians, sending out "robot detector" probes that rocketed to every planet the fleet passed, seeking the hidden Kallusians.

(Avengers I#14) - A Yirbek detector probe located the surviving Kallusians on Earth. The detector then sent a "deltanoid" ray hurtling towards Earth's Arctic region, where the Kallusians had established a base beneath the ice. The powerful ray shattered the Kallusian monitoring station, preventing it from sounding an alarm, but one Kallusian, off on a mission of exploration, transmitted a message and instructed the others to sound the alarm. The Yirbek rushed to Earth's solar system, vowing the Kallu would not escape again, and that this time they would fight until one of their races no longer existed.

   To avoid a divided conflict, fighting both the Avengers and the Yirbek, the Kallusians swiftly transported their fleet to Sector 18-G, 1200 light years from Earth, where they intended to engage the Yirbek in a battle to the death. The Yirbek followed them there.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#12 - Yirbek) - The Yirbek eventually took over Kallu, massacring its population.

(Alpha Flight I#98 (fb) - BTS) - Some Yirbek became foot soldiers for the Consortium.

(Alpha Flight I#98) - The Consortium followed J'Ridia Starduster to Earth where they deployed their soldiers, including some Yirbek, to capture her in Toronto, Canada. They were opposed by Alpha Flight members Diamond Lil, Northstar and Sasquatch.

(Alpha Flight I#99) - The Yirbek working for the Consortium got into more trouble when the Avengers arrived to aid Alpha Flight against the Consortium. The Yirbek were taken down by Hercules and She-Hulk.

(Alpha Flight I#100 - BTS) - The Yirbek presumably returned to the Consortium's mothership before it was teleported to another dimension where Galactus fed on the planet powering the mothership.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Larry Ivie, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck.

Raksor assumed the form of a Yirbek in Fantastic Four Annual I#18.

I am pretty sure that at least one of the gods seen in Incredible Hercules#118-120 (August-October, 2008) during Secret Invasion was associated with the Yirbek.
--Markus Raymond

Thanks to Markus Raymond for adding the missed Alpha Flight appearances.

Profile by Prime Eternal; updated and expanded by Snood & Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Yirbek should not be confused with:

"robot detectors"

They could travel, within solar systems, and possibly interstellar distances. Extremely sensitive, they could detect the presence of their targets anywhere on a planet they approached. They could also send out powerful "deltanoid rays" able to destroy entire buildings before the enemy could detect their presence.

While the Kallusians hid on Earth, a vast fleet of Yirbek starships combed the galaxies for them; they sent out hyper-sensitive "robot detectors" that rocketed to every planet their fleet passed, seeking the hidden Kallusians. One such detector entered Earth's solar system, passing icy Pluto and eventually passing over Earth's moon, at which point its incredibly sensitive detection mechanisms picked up the first faint trace of Kallusians. The detector sent a "deltanoid" ray hurtling towards Earth's Arctic region, where the Kallusians had established a base beneath the ice. The powerful ray shattered the Kallusian monitoring station, preventing it from sounding an alarm, but one Kallusian, off on a mission of exploration, transmitted a message and instructed the others to sound the alarm.

--Avengers I#14

spaceships

Yirbek ships are capable of warp speed flight (apparently involving "cobalt throttles") and intergalactic travel, and they carried advanced, though unspecified, weaponry.

While the Kallusians hid out on Earth, a vast fleet of Yirbek starships combed the galaxies for them. The Yirbek sent out hyper-sensitive "robot detectors" that rocketed to every planet the fleet passed, seeking the hidden Kallusians and eventually finding them on Earth. To avoid a divided conflict, fighting both the Avengers and the Yirbek, the Kallusians swiftly transported their fleet to Sector 18-G, 1200 light-years from Earth, where they intended to engage the Yirbek in a battle to the death; the Yirbek followed them there.

--Avengers I#14

images: (without ads)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#15, page 64 - Yirbek
Avengers I#14, p18, pan4 (Yirbeks in spaceship)
Avengers I#14, p15, pan5 (robot detectors)
Avengers I#14, p15, pan3 (Yirbek spaceships)

Appearances:
Avengers I#14 (March, 1965) - Stan Lee (plot/editor), Larry Ivie & Larry Lieber (script), Jack Kirby (layouts), Don Heck (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Sam Rosen (letters)
Alpha Flight I#98-99 (July-August, 1991) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Michael Bair (pencils), Chris Ivy (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)

First Posted: 01/10/2005
Last updated: 12/03/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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