SKARD SKARD
Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Planet Skardon (star system and galaxy undefined)
Known Members: None identified;
I don't think the Announcer as actually one of the Skard (see his sub-profile)
Affiliations: Beta Ray Bill, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Gladiator (Kallark), Magistrati, Pip the Troll, Recorder RT-Z9, She-Hulk (Jen Walters), Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd), Southpaw (Sasha Martin; begrudgingly), Adam Warlock;
formerly the Champion (Tryco Slatterus) - they loved him when he won
fights, but otherwise hated his tyrannical rule
Enemies: Champion
First Appearance: She-Hulk I#7 (November, 2004)
Powers/Abilities: The Skard did not demonstrate any superhuman abilities. Generally stout, they have sharp teeth and sharp points or talons on their digits.
Though readily willing to fight, they tend to brawl and don't demonstrate specific fighting skills; they are prone to smashing chairs over each other's heads.
Traits: The Skard are a bellicose society; though they appear most happy to watch powerful brawls, they swiftly turn to fighting amongst themselves if lacking sufficient distraction/leadership. They govern by the principal that might makes right, and they accept the rule of whoever can defeat their previous ruler; such combat has two major rules: Official fights must take place with their arena; and fights allow only hand-to-hand combat (weapons are strictly prohibited).
They typically wear top hats along with bow-ties and suits; when watching others brawl, they enjoy glasses of brew.
They appear to have a hard time grasping concepts not involving combat or not taking what they want from others.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric semi-humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two
(on head; dark to black iris color seen; as they were only seen from a
distance, it cannot be clearly determined whether they have dark
irises, or just larger pupils without visible irides)
Fingers: Three (plus opposing thumb); pointed/clawed
Toes: Unrevealed (see the shadowed image in the comments section; I count three clawed digits)
Skin color: Orange-brown
Average height: Approximately 4'8"?
History:
(She-Hulk
I#8 (fb) - BTS) - Planet Skardon is a fierce world where the rule is
trial by combat: The strength of one's case is measured by the strength
of one's blows, and all law is founded on the principle that might
makes right.
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - Wielding the Infinity Power Gem, the Champion (Tryco Slatterus) came to Skardon and defeated its toughest fighters in a series of boxing matches, which by their rules made him Skardon's ruler, until someone else could take him down.
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking someone who could challenge him, the Champion started running things into the ground on purpose, after which he spread it around the quadrant that he was going to continue to make the Skard suffer until a worthy challenger showed up to dethrone him.
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb)) - A pair of Skard shared this information with Adam Warlock, who traveled to Skardon and incapacitated the Champion with a blast from his Soul Gem.
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - As the fight had not taken place in the ring or by strict Skardian rules, the Skard refused to accept the outcome. They carried the Champion off and nursed him back to health
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - Adam directed Pip to transport himself and Gamora around the universe, looking for the biggest, baddest, cosmic strongmen they could find.
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - The Champion defeated Drax and all other challengers.
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - The Champion defeated Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd).
(She-Hulk
I#7) - From the capital city of Skardon, the Skard cheered as their
announcer presented the fight between Beta Ray Bill and the Power
Gem-wearing Champion, and then clanged the bell to announce round one.
Though the crowd yelled, "Destroy the tyrant!" and "Death to
Champion!", the Champion made short work of Beta Ray Bill.
As Beta Ray Bill was knocked out, the announcer noted "This could be it, folks!" After the Magistrati completed the ten count and declared the Champion the victor, the crowd booed the Champion, who demanded another challenger, or he would make Skardon suffer like never before.
Shortly
therafter, Pip transported the Gladiator (Kallark) to the ring, and the
Skard watched with excitement as the Champion knocked him back with his
first punch.
When Champion knocked Gladiator out and into the crowd, one Skard wondered if he was dead, and another noted that he lived, though barely; a third Skard stated that he wanted Gladiator's boots.
Champion then demanded another challenger, and, having no one else, Adam Warlock stepped into the ring.
(She-Hulk I#7 (fb) - BTS) - A short time later, Gamora threw in the towel to save Warlock from being beaten to death. amidst boos and hisses, the Magistrati announced Champion to be the winner by forfeit.
(She-Hulk I#7) - As there were no further challengers, the Magistrati asked Pip if they would like the Magistrati to supply them with a court-appointed advocate to adjudicate on their behalf.
(She-Hulk I#7 (fb) - BTS) - Pip accepted their offer.
(She-Hulk I#8 - BTS) - Recorder RTZ9 gave She-Hulk the boxing attire appropriate for a Magistrati to wear as an advocate on Skardon.
(She-Hulk I#8) - Pip transported She-Hulk and Southpaw (Sasha Martin) to Skardon.
(She-Hulk I#8) - After hearing of the Champion's activities, She-Hulk traveled to the arena to confront the Champion; the Skard cheered the impending fight and then booed when the Champion initially refused to fight a woman. Ultimately, however, the Champion accepted that he must fight or forfeit, and he swiftly pummeled until the Magistrati called the fight to save her life.
When She-Hulk argued that she could still go on, the Magistrati granted her an appeal, noting that they would reconvene in 3 months for a rematch.
(She-Hulk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - Recalling that her strength as She-Hulk was exponentially increased from her strength as Jen Walters, she spent that time strength and boxing training as Jen Walters under Gamora.
(She-Hulk I#8 - BTS) - The day before the match, the Champion informed Southpaw that weapons weren't allowed in the ring.
(She-Hulk
I#8) - Hearing Southpaw complain of this, She-Hulk realized that the
Power Gem the Champion held should also be considered a foreign object,
and she insisted he remove it before the fight.
As She-Hulk battered Champion, the Skard cheered her name. She swiftly defeated him, releasing the Skard from his control, and the Skard jeered him as a bum.
When She-Hulk prepared to depart, the Skard begged her to stay as their queen since she had won the contest, but she told the Skard that she was leaving them in the hands of Adam Warlock, and with his help they could find a way to rule themselves through wisdom and understanding. She further explained that what they saw wasn't about might making right, it was about finding a way to win, using strength of mind, not body...and that strength of mind was what they should revere.
Taking this instruction to heart but failing to really get it, the Skard then fought to rule based on who had the biggest head (which would hold the biggest brain) or the biggest hat (which would contain the deepest thoughts). Another Skard smashed the big hat guy over the head with a chair, telling him that he now had a smaller brain. As a massive fight ensued, another argued that he would take one of the others' brains, and then he would have two brains.
Comments: Created by Dan Slott, Juan Bobillo, and Marcelo Sosa.
There were a bunch of floating mat-things on Skardon...some of them
just floated randomly, and some of them wore hats...what was that about?
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Skard have no known connections to:
Announcing the official fights for leadership on Skardon, he used dramatic phrasing to excite the crowd.
He does not look to be Skard to me, although he could some mutation or other variety. Most notably, the other Skard lacked the fin on the back of their heads/necks, and had a markedly different oral (mouth) structure.
He announced She-Hulk as "...the cutie, the beauty, sworn to do her duty! The latest recruit from the Living Tribunal's lethal legal legion..." and "...taking us to school! Busting out a rule! Layin' down the law!"
He announced Champion as "the cosmic deity with no gaiety..."
And he announced a fight as "...the showdown! The throw-down! The combuster in the outer-cluster!"
--She-Hulk I#7
images: (without ads)
She-Hulk I#7, pg. 1, panel 1-2 (announcer and boxing arena);
pg. 13, panel 3 (around fallen Gladiator);
Appearances:
She-Hulk I#7-8 (November-December, 2004) - Dan Slott (writer), Juan Bobillo (penciler),
Marcelo Sosa (inker), Molly Lazer, Andy Schmidt, & Nicole Wiley (assistant
editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 06/23/2016
Last updated: 06/23/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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