Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Marvels.

The Big Picture

In The Marvels, Hala, the homeworld of the Kree, had been left devastated by war, with polluted air, a weakened sun, and depleted water resources. Accuser Dar-Benn tries to restore Hala’s resources by taking energy from Earth’s sun but is stopped by Danvers, Rambeau, and Khan. Danvers reignites Hala’s orbiting star, reviving the planet and potentially setting the stage for a Kree/Skrull alliance in the MCU.

Our introduction to the planet Hala in the MCU came courtesy of Captain Marvel in 2019, the homeworld of the Kree, the planet to which Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is abducted from Earth six years prior by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). Most of the film takes place on Earth, leaving Hala with a bit role in that film. Hala plays a much larger, more significant role in The Marvels, where we learn that the planet had been left devastated by decades of war: the air was polluted, its sun weakened, and its water resources depleted. With Hala dying, Accuser Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) takes it upon herself to restore Hala’s resources by taking them from other planets. Her plan to siphon energy from Earth’s Sun, however, is thwarted by Danvers, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). Danvers then reignites Hala’s orbiting star, giving new life – and a restored presence in the MCU – to Hala. The MCU has only really skimmed Hala’s deep history in the pages of Marvel Comics, however, and it’s a history worth recalling.

The Marvels Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe. Release Date November 10, 2023 Director Nia DaCosta Cast Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Zawe Ashton, Iman Vellani Rating PG-13 Runtime 105 minutes Genres Superhero, Action, Adventure

Marvel Comics Introduced Planet Hala in 1968
The planet Hala was introduced in the pages of 1968’s Captain Marvel from Marvel Comics, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud and circling Pama, the star. Hala was home to two native species: the Kree, a blue-skinned, warlike group of barbarians, and the Cotati, a peaceful race of plant-like beings. Both had adapted to Hala’s unique environment, which, in comparison to Earth, has higher gravity and more nitrogen in the air. Thousands of years ago, Skrulls arrived on Hala, promising to share their technology and wisdom with the race that passed a test. 17 Cotati and 17 Kree were dropped on an unspecified planet and on Earth’s moon, in order. Whichever race accomplished the most in the course of a year won. After the year, the Cotati had grown a lush garden, while the Kree built a city. The Skrull deemed the Cotati’s accomplishment worthier, leading to the Kree, led by Morag, killing the Cotati on Hala, the first major bloodshed on the planet.

The Kree then stole the Skrull’s technology, reverse-engineering it for their own purposes, and starting the infamous Kree-Skrull War that lasted for centuries. Meanwhile, having largely slain the Cotati (they planted seed pods before their deaths, ensuring they would live on), had conquered Hala, and now they turned their eyes towards other planets, conquering them and creating the Kree Empire in the process. Hala became the center of the empire, and over the years the Kree built several city-states on the planet’s surface, with Kree-Lar as its capital. The planet was governed for centuries by the Supreme Intelligence (played by Annette Bening in Captain Marvel), ruler of the Kree Empire.

In Marvel Comics, Hala Is Decimated and Then Reborn

Another war, this time between the Kree and the Shi-ar, would have grave consequences for the Kree after Lilandra, the Shi’ar ruler, gave the order to detonate a Nega-Bomb, wiping out 98% of the Kree galaxy-wide, and destroying Hala in the process. It was a cold, calculated action… and the Supreme Intelligence was behind it. It sought to evolve the Kree into a stronger race, theorizing that any Kree that survived would ultimately give rise to a more powerful race. Instead, Hala was now in the hands of the Shi’ar, with the Shi’ar mutant Cal’syee Neramani, aka Deathbird, appointed as viceroy. Their occupation of Hala would ultimately fall, with Lilandra ultimately unable to control both the Shi’ar Empire and the Kree annexation.

The end of Hala would come over a battle for the possession of the Black Vortex, a powerful artifact created by the Celestial Godhead in the pages of Legendary Star-Lord #5. The Black Vortex shows those who use it what they would look like with their powers elevated to unparalleled levels, and grants those powers to those who say, “I submit to the Black Vortex.” The Kree sought to destroy it, with the Supreme Intelligence sending the Accuser Corps, led by Ronan (brought to life by Lee Pace in Guardians of the Galaxy), to retrieve it from Gamora, Beast, and Angel. The three didn’t take kindly to the Vortex being taken from them, and having been cosmically enhanced by it they launched an attack on Hala, one that the Accuser Corps could not stop. Ronan, directly disobeying the Supreme Intelligence, used the Black Vortex’s power to enhance himself and repel their attackers. The Kree would again try to destroy the Black Vortex and again would be attacked by a group aiming to retrieve it, this time Mister Knife and the Slaughter Lords. Seeing just how frail Hala was, Mister Knife hit the planet with overwhelming firepower, destroying the planet and the Supreme Intelligence with it (not the Black Vortex, though – it’s indestructible).

But you can’t keep a good planet down, and the sacred ruins of Hala would become ground zero for an alliance between the Kree Imperium and the Skrull Empire. Now renamed Throneworld II (in the pages of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 6, #13), the capital planet of the new empire. As far as the MCU is concerned, the events of The Marvels and Secret Invasion somewhat connect at this juncture, specifically with the finale of Secret Invasion alluding to a possible peace treaty between the Kree and the Skrulls, facilitated by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). The road to get there is significantly different between the two mediums, of course, so at present it’s unknown if Hala, given new life by Captain Marvel, will serve as a home for a Kree/Skrull alliance in the MCU, although it seems like a logical next step as the MCU moves forward.

‘The Marvels’ is playing in theaters in the U.S. Watch Captain Marvel and more Marvel movies streaming on Disney+.

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