CAPTAIN TAR-RELL
Real Name: Tar-Rell
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Kree) humanoid
Occupation: Captain in the Kree military, spy
Group Membership: Primary Espionage Unit of the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree Empire
Affiliations: Kree Supreme Intelligence (Supremor),
Colonel, Medic Eine
(while disguised) Skrull motorist
Enemies: Skrulls, especially those serving the would-be Emperor Kylor (like these security agents)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Unrevealed
Base of Operations: Last seen on the planet Tarakar in the Andromeda galaxy, the homeworld of the would-be Skrull Emperor Kylor
First Appearance: (Mentioned) Silver Surfer III#4 (October, 1987);
(full) Silver Surfer III#5 (November, 1987)
Powers/Abilities: Tar-Rell is a Blue Kree who possesses all of the standard capabilities and weaknesses of a normal member of his species. Specifically, Tar-Rell has enhanced strength, durability, endurance and speed (as compared to a male human of his size and age) but he requires an atmosphere with a higher nitrogen content (similar to that of Hala) in order to breathe comfortably. Tar-Rell would need a special chemical or apparatus to breathe in Earth's atmosphere, just as he needed a breathing potion on Tarakar.
As a member of the Supremor's primary espionage unit, Tar-Rell is well-trained in the arts of disguising himself as a Skrull and has extensive knowledge of Skrull culture (presumably this included their language). Tar-Rell had been specially trained to resist Skrullian torture techniques (but apparently it wasn`t enough).
Additionally, when he undertook his mission on Tarakar, Tar-Rell was unaware of the fact that the Skrulls had recently developed the biobeam, a scanner that was able to remotely detect the presence of non-Skrullian lifeforms at a specific location.
Equipment: Tar-Rell wore a battle suit that was equipped with an air-jet belt which enabled him to fly or to leap safely down to a planet's surface from a low-flying starship.
Tar-Rell brought with him a standard Kree carry-all cylinder that contained typical Skrullian clothing and a disguise kit containing various prosthetic appliances and other make-up which he could use to make himself look like a Skrull. It's possible that this cylinder (like the one carried by Mar-Vell on Earth) was equipped with a miniature nuclear bomb as a failsafe against tampering.
Transportation: On his final mission, Tar-Rell was transported to the Skrull planet of Tarakar by a Kree starship.
Height: 6' (estimated)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Dark blue
Skin: Light blue
History: Almost nothing is known of Tar-Rell's life prior to his final mission. However, the fact that he was a member of the Supreme Intelligence's Primary Espionage Unit strongly suggests that he was a skilled and capable spy.
(Silver Surfer III#5 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in his career as a spy, Tar-Rell was specially trained to resist Skrullian tortures.
(Silver Surfer III#4) - After analyzing reports of puzzling behavior among the Skrulls, the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree deduced that the Skrulls had lost their shape-changing powers and that they were working from weakness and hoping the SI wouldn't realize it. Deciding that the Skrulls would be probed so the Kree could learn more, the Supremor ordered an aide to get him Captain Tar-Rell of the Primary Espionage Unit!
At about that time, the Celestial known as Jemiah the Analyzer appeared on the Skrull planet of Tarakar, near the capitol where Kylor, one of the five would-be emperors of the Skrull Empire, was based.
(Silver Surfer III#5) - Some (unspecified) time later, after the failure of Kylor's attempt to converse with Jemiah had led to an equally-unsuccessful attack on the Celestial, the starship carrying Captain Tar-Rell prepared for landing on Tarakar. The colonel ordered Tar-Rell into his battle suit and told Medic Eine to administer the breathing potion. When Eine asked about the rest of the landing party, Tar-Rell informed her that there would be no landing party because it would take but one Kree to spy upon the accursed Skrulls and confirm the Supremor's deduction that they had lost their power.
Later, as dusk fell near the capitol, the starship's Aura of Negativism cloaked both the ship and Tar-Rell as he leapt from it. After using his suit's air-jet belt to land safely, Tar-Rell opened his cylinder and began using its contents to disguise himself as a male Skrull.
Once he was fully disguised, Tar-Rell walked to a nearby roadway and flagged down a passing motorist. When the driver asked his Skrull-brother what he was doing there, Tar-Rell replied that he had been on a hunting trip but his speeder had broken down and he needed transportation to the capital. The friendly motorist said that was easily done and asked if he wanted to witness the Celestial that was there. Tar-Rell hid his surprise at that news and replied that that might be amusing but he would rather eat a thick nagatyl and get some sleep. As they set off towards the capitol, the motorist told Tar-Rell that he was is luck because his brother ran a nagatyl house with the best home-brewed wallo he would ever taste.
Later, as their vehicle entered the outskirts of the capital, the friendly motorist informed his passenger that they had made good time and that his brother's place was just a short sked away from their current location. The motorist then revealed that he had a cousin who owned a sleepery just a few blocks away. Tar-Rell's reply was cut short when he experienced a painful sensation over his whole body. To his shock, he then heard an artificial voice state that the biobeam had detected a non-Skrullian lifeform in his vehicle. Surprised by something of which Kree Intelligence had never had any reports, Tar-Rell quickly exited the vehicle and attempted to escape, but a second, more powerful burst of pain caused him to collapse onto the ground. Tar-Rell was then confronted by two Skrull security officers, one of whom stated that they had been expecting someone of his race and that the emperor needed him to reveal just how much his accursed commander knew about them. Tar-Rell defiantly stated that he would tell the "Skrull slime" nothing because he had been specially trained to resist their tortures, but the security agent disagreed, stating that they needed his information quickly and promised that he would talk...as he activated an energy weapon and held it right in front of Tar-Rell's face.
(Silver Surfer III#5 - BTS) - Later, as "Emperor" Kylor led his fleet of warships from Tarakar, he addressed his troops, informing them that the Kree prisoner had provided firm intelligence that the Kree planned to attack the Skrulls. Stating that, with the Celestials having returned to judge them, the Skrulls must show what they were made of, Kylor announced, "Let the Second Kree-Skrull War begin!"
The fate of Captain Tar-Rell has never been revealed. As a captured spy he may have been executed by the Skrulls. Alternatively, they could have held him prisoner until the Kree/Skrull War ended, and then returned him to his people, possibly as part of a prisoner exchange which included Talos. Of course, if Tar-Rell had been returned to the Kree, then the fact that he broke under torture would probably have resulted in the end of his career (and possibly his life).
Comments: Created by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers and Josef Rubinstein.
Homage?
The first six lines of dialogue between the colonel, Medic Eine and Captain Tar-Rell are, except for the names, almost exactly the same as the first six lines of dialogue spoken by Colonel Yon-Rogg, Medic Una and Captain Mar-Vell in the very first Captain Marvel story ever published. Furthermore, the thoughts of Captain Tar-Rell when he landed on the planet Tarakar are also almost identical to those of Captain Mar-Vell when he first landed on the planet Earth.
Also, the names of the two medics have identical meanings but in different languages: "una" is the Spanish feminine noun meaning one and "eine" is the German feminine noun meaning one.
Uniform glitches
The name and rank of the Kree officer in charge of the mission is never spoken, and his uniform provides contradictory information. His uniform is pink-on-white with a pink sun encircled by a yellow ring as the chest insignia. However, according to the depictions of Kree Militia Uniforms provided by the Official Handbook, this is a mash-up of the uniforms worn by colonels and generals. Colonels wear blue-on-white uniforms with a blue sun encircled by a blue ring as a chest emblem while generals wear pink-on-white uniforms with a pink sun encircled by three intersecting yellow rings as their insignia. So, if we go by color, then the mission commander was a general but if we go by the chest symbol then he was a colonel. It's worth noting that Colonel Yon-Rogg's uniform was always depicted as blue-on-white but with a yellow sun encircled by a yellow ring, so maybe the Official Handbook's data has never been completely accurate?
Captain Tar-Rell's uniform is green-on-white and has a green planet encircled by a green ring on its chest, which are the colors and insignia of a Kree captain. However, there are also two small round green shapes associated with the planet symbol which are not part of the standard uniform. Perhaps they are meant to be military decorations, the Kree equivalent of the medals and ribbons used on Terran uniforms?
Finally, Medic Eine's uniform is yellow-on-white and has a yellow rectangle running vertically over her chest and abdomen. It is unlike any other Kree uniform I've ever seen. Then again, Medic Una's uniform was different from those of her crewmates as well, so maybe Kree medics have always worn non-military uniforms?
Kree Militia Uniforms
| Rank | Color (on white) | Chest emblem |
| Private | Purple | None |
| Lieutenant | Brown (grey) | Brown (grey) planet |
| Captain | Green | Green ringed planet |
| Major | Orange | Orange sun |
| Colonel | Blue | Blue ringed sun |
| General | Pink (red) | Pink (red) sun with three intersecting yellow rings |
Skrullian glossary
| meaning | |
| Skrull-brother | A term used to address a male Skrull who is a stranger to the Skrull who is speaking |
| speeder | A vehicle, possibly designed for one-person |
| nagatyl | A type of solid food, possibly some sort of meat (like steak) that is often served in thick slices |
| nagatyl house | A restaurant that specializes in serving nagatyl (like a steak house) |
| wallo | A drink, probably alcoholic, which can be home-brewed |
| sked | A trip in a vehicle (like a drive) |
| sleepery | A business which rents room for sleeping (like a motel) |
Profile by Donald Campbell.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Captain Tar-Rell has no known connections to
Medic Eine has no known connections to
The biobeam is a form of sensor technology developed by Skrullian scientists which can detect the presence of non-Skrullian lifeforms that are in the vicinity of the equipment. Exactly how it functions and the range over which it can detect such lifeforms have not been revealed. This technology was apparently developed sometime after the destruction of the Skrull Throneworld (Tarnax IV) by Galactus and during the resulting civil war.
The biobeam could be mounted on individual security vehicles which could then scan nearby lifeforms. Once a non-Skrullian lifeform was detected, the device would emit an audio warning of its findings while simultaneously causing the lifeform to emit a pale green glow and experience a burst of pain. Further incidences of glowing and pain could be triggered by the biobeam operator. Presumably the biobeam could also be set to a stealth mode in which the detection scans were performed and the operator was advised of any positive results without alerting the target lifeforms.
The Kree first learned of the existence of this technology during Captain Tar-Rell's infiltration of the Skrullworld Tarakar. Tar-Rell was taken completely by surprise when he experienced the glowing effect and the pain at the same time as the biobeam announced his non-Skrullian presence in vehicle 487GP+3H. His attempt to escape was thwarted when he experienced a second glowing affect accompanied by a more intense pain.
Note: This profile assumes that the biobeam was mounted on the security vehicle which was nearby when Tar-Rell was identified but this is not stated in the story. An alternative explanation is that there is a network of biobeam detectors that are situated at various fixed locations within the capitol, and that any positive findings are relayed to the nearest security vehicle so that they can deal with the target.
--Silver Surfer III#5
The colonel and Medic Eine were two members of the crew of the Kree starship that transported Captain Tar-Rell to the Skrull planet Tarakar. It was not revealed if they, like Tar-Rell, were part of the Primary Espionage Unit or if they were just part of the crew of the starship that happened to have been chosen to transport Tar-Rell. It was also not revealed it they had known Tar-Rell prior to his mission to Tarakar.
The colonel was a male Pink Kree whose white hair may (or may not) have been an indication that he was older than Eine and Tar-Rell. His name was never mentioned and it was not revealed if he was the commander of the starship or of the mission to Tarakar. Medic Eine was a female Blue Kree with magenta hair who appeared to be younger than the colonel.
As the starship approached the planet Tarakar, the colonel ordered Captain Tar-Rell to don his battle suit and prepare for landing. He then stated that Medic Eine would administer the breathing potion.
Medic Eine responded by questioning her superior as why only Captain Tar-Rell was to receive the breathing potion and asked about the rest of the landing party.
Captain Tar-Rell answered the medic's question by stating that there would be no landing party because it would take but one Kree to spy upon the accursed Skrulls and confirm the Supremor's deduction that they had lost their power.
What happened to the colonel, Medic Eine and the rest of the crew aboard the Kree starship after Tar-Rell captured by the Skrulls has not been revealed. They may have been captured as well or destroyed or escaped.
--Silver Surfer III#5
The vessel which transported Captain Tar-Rell to the Skrull planet of Tarakar. After activating its Aura of Negativism to cloak its arrival, the starship descended towards the planet's surface until it was close enough for Captain Tar-Rell to leap out using an air-jet belt to land safely. It is unclear if the starship itself then landed as well (to wait for Tar-Rell to complete his mission) or if it returned to orbit (to await Tar-Rell's signal to be picked up). What happened to this starship and its crew after Tar-Rell was exposed and captured has not been revealed but Kylor's later mention of "the Kree prisoner" suggests that they weren't captured.
The name of this starship has never been revealed but, except for the fact that its hull appears to be yellow(ish) instead of dark blue, it resembles the Helion, the starship which first brought Captain Mar-Vell to Earth. If so, then this vessel would also be classified as a "survey craft."
This starship is equipped with the mechanism that can generate an Aura of Negativism around the vessel that makes it invisible to onlookers and electronic forms of detection. This electronic aura can be extended some distance from the ship so as to enable a stealth operative to disembark without being seen.
This starship has an inter-galactic range, capable of traveling between the Kree Empire (in the Large Magellanic Cloud) and the Skrull Empire (in the Andromeda Galaxy) and back again. However, it's uncertain how far this starship had to transport Tar-Rell in order to deliver him to the planet Tarakar. If Tar-Rell received his briefing for his final mission from the Supreme Intelligence on Hala then he would have had to travel over 2.5 million light-years to reach Tarakar. On the other hand, if Tar-Rell was briefed remotely when he was aboard the starship that was already stationed just outside the Skrull Empire, then his journey to Tarakar would have been much shorter.
Like the Helion, this starship almost certainly possessed some means of instantaneous communication across even inter-galactic distances (possibly an Omni-Wave Projector) but this capability was not demonstrated.
This starship's crew complement has not been revealed. Aside from Captain Tar-Rell, the colonel and Medic Eine, only a private was seen on the bridge but there must have been a number of technicians and other support personnel. Also, Medic Eine's surprise that Captain Tar-Rell would be operating alone instead of as part of a landing party indicates that there must have been a number of Kree soldiers aboard as well.
--Silver Surfer III#5
An adult male Skrull who lived on the planet Tarakar and whose name has never been revealed. Although some of his relatives are known to be employed in service industries, his own occupation has not been revealed. This Skrull owns a small, two-person hovercar that travels along roadways while being held off the ground by a red energy field (possibly a repulsor field).
This Skrull happened to be driving his hovercar along a roadway towards the capital soon after sunset when he spotted another Skrull standing by the side of the roadway. The motorist stopped and asked his "Skrull-brother" what he was doing there and the stranger claimed that he had been on a hunting trip when his speeder broke down and all he needed was transportation to the capital. The motorist said that was easily done and asked his new passenger if he wished to witness the Celestial that was now at the capital. The stranger said that that might be amusing but that he would rather eat a thick nagatyl and get some sleep. The motorist revealed that the passenger was in luck because his brother ran a nagatyl house which served the best home-brewed wallo he would ever taste.
Later, as their vehicle entered the outskirts of the capital, the motorist informed his passenger that they had made good time and that his brother's place was just a short sked away from their current location. The motorist then revealed that he had a cousin who owned a sleepery just a few blocks away. His passenger's reply was cut short when he began to emit a faint green glow and an artificial voice stated that the biobeam indicated a non-Skrullian lifeform in vehicle 487GP+3H. His passenger reacted by immediately jumping out of the vehicle and trying to escape but was brought down within seconds and captured by two security agents.
What happened to this friendly motorist after his passenger was exposed as a Kree spy and captured has not been revealed. One can only hope that the authorities on Tarakar chose to treat him as an innocent dupe of the Kree spy and not as a traitor who was willingly working with an enemy alien.
--Silver Surfer III#5
Two Skrull security agents from the planet Tarakar who were based in the capital. Their uniforms have badges on their chests and they patrolled the capital in a two-seater hovercar with a single flashing red light on its roof.
Following the destruction of the Imperial Throneworld by Galactus and the civil war that shattered the Skrull Empire, all Skrulls feared the day when their mortal enemies, the Kree, would eventually learn of their subsequent loss of their natural shape-changing ability. On Tarakar, the homeworld of one of the five would-be emperors, Kylor, that fear increased when the Celestial known as Jemiah the Analyzer arrived near the capital, and Skrull agents began to expect that the Kree would soon send a spy.
These two security agents were patrolling in their vehicle when the biobeam identified a non-Skrullian lifeform in nearby vehicle 487GP+3H, and it caused the target to emit a pale green glow and experience a burst of pain. As the disguised Kree attempted to escape, a second glow and burst of pain caused him to fall to the ground in front of the agents' vehicle. While the driver remained inside, the other agent exited their patrol craft and told the fallen spy that they had been expecting a "Kree scum" like him. The agent then stated that the emperor needed the spy to tell him just how much the spy's "accursed commander" knew about them. Tar-Rell defiantly said that he'd tell the "Skrull slime" nothing and that he had been specially trained to resist their tortures. However, the agent corrected him, stating that they not only needed his information, they needed it quickly. As he drew his energy weapon, the agent said: The emperor is nervous - - we all feel squeezed - - YOU'LL TALK - - as he activated his weapon's energy blade mere inches from Tar-Rell's face
Note: Although I've identified these two Skrulls as security agents, it's possible that (considering their vehicle) they are actually members of the capital's police force. However, given their reference to the emperor, I'm going with the idea that they were Skrull intelligence operatives.
--Silver Surfer III#5
images: (without ads)
Silver Surfer III#5, page 16, panel 2 (main image)
page 10, panel 1 (head shot)
page 16, panel 3 (disguising himself)
page 17, panel 8 (threatened by a Skrull)
page 17, panel 9 (threatened with injury)
page 17, panel 3 (biobeam in action)
page 10, panel 1 (the colonel)
page 10, panel 1 (Medic Eine)
page 16, panel 1 (starship)
page 16, panel 4 (Skrull motorist and hitchhiker)
page 17, panel 6 (Skrull motorist and passenger)
page 17, panel 6 (Skrull security vehicle)
page 17, panel 7 (Skrull security agent)
Only Appearance:
Silver Surfer III#5 (November, 1987) - Steve Engelhart (story), Marshall Rogers
(pencils/colors), Josef Rubinstein (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
First Posted: 09/25/2016
Last updated: 09/25/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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