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This article, Dorrek VIII (Earth-61615), is property of MarvelousMarty. |
Sl'gur't (ancestor; deceased),
Emperor Dorrek VII (genetic maternal grandfather; deceased),
R'Klll (genetic maternal grandmother),
Dezan (genetic maternal grand uncle; estranged),
Talos (maternal grand uncle; deceased),
Soren (maternal grand aunt; deceased),
G'iah (first cousin, once removed);
Mary-Jo Altman (foster mother),
Mar-Vell (father; deceased),
Veranke (biological mother; deceased),
Princess Anelle (genetic mother),
Genis-Vell (paternal half-brother),
Phyla-Vell (paternal half-sister);
Billy Kaplan (fiancé)
Young Avengers Vol 1 1
History
Having seen and experienced enough the best and worst of both worlds of my heritage, all I have to say is that the best darn reasonable solution to reconsider right now, is for us to become united... And then, and only then we can finally figure out how we can get through this mess, together...
- — Hulkling
- — Hulkling
Early Years
As the Kree-Skrull War wages on the even until the modern era (starting with the 2000s in Earth years), the heroic Kree soldier Major Mar-Vell became momentarily reunited with his old flame that was the Skrull Princess Anelle, though in actuality she was the religious fanatic Veranke, the last descendant of the late deity-like rulers and founders of the Skrull Empire: Kly'bn and Sl'gur't, in disguise. However, Mar-Vell was unaware of this deception that his state of infatuation was merely a essential for a disguised Veranke to take advantage of him after she sired a child with him while Mar-Vell was intoxicated during a passionate night, hoping that their child would be the key to outlive the Kree-Skrull War as Veranke herself morbidly believed that as long as the war wages on, the Kree and the Skrulls' fate were destined to drive each other into extinction.
The pregnant Veranke feared how the Skrull Royal Family and the Kree Empire would react the moment they discover her child with Mar-Vell, and on the day she had given birth to her child, she knew she and her followers would be attacked by the covert Kree armed forces, seeing the child as an abomination due to his hybrid nature. As a result, Veranke instead had the child secretly smuggled off and hidden on Earth, where the defected follower who had took him to safety had posed under the human identity of Mary-Jo Altman. There, young Dorrek VIII was raised to believe he was a human by the legal name of Theodore "Teddy" Rufus Altman, unaware of his true heritage for years, until he would get the chance to meet them on separate occasions once he reaches his teenage years.
On Earth, the early adolescent yet introverted Teddy, believing he was a mutant at the time, used his powers mainly in an effort to fit in with his high school classmates, particularly the class president and basketball team captain, Greg Norris. Fitting in for Teddy included using his shapeshifting to provide access to New York City high life by impersonating various superheroes and celebrities to gain profit, something which disapproved his mother the moment she caught him in his carefree and mischievous lifestyle, but nevertheless remained patient and understanding with Teddy since she knew things would escalate for the worst if she would bring up his true heritage and identity at a young age.
Young Avengers
One day, when Greg coerced him into breaking into the ruins of Avengers Tower after the Ultron Offensive, Teddy decided that some things were more important than fitting in, and rather than let Greg loot the mansion, he ended the friendship but had to let him off the hook. Shortly after leaving the building and breaking off his friendship with Greg, however, a gigantic android who would eventually be called the Growing Man had unleashed its destruction throughout the streets and alleyways of the city, instinctively driving the altruistic side within Teddy to transform and use his powers to good use. Together with the rest of enhanced and superpowered teenagers whom Teddy had coincidentally encountered, they collectively assembled in the right place and the right time to use their might and power to stop the emerging threat.
The Avengers were even compelled to investigate the scene, but they were already late since the battle was revealed to be over thanks to the actions of the newly-formed juvenile superhero team. The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. as well, then honored the youngsters and expressed their gratitude for helping them in fighting the fights against the forces of evil, as they would later name their new team as the Young Avengers, and gave them a place into the Avengers Tower, whenever they need to reassemble again. Upon joining the Young Avengers, Teddy adopted the superhero identity of the Hulkling. He found mutual affection and someone to relate to with teammate Billy Kaplan, the mystical hero known as Wiccan and the reincarnated son of the Avenger Scarlet Witch. It took a full year of their constantly flourishing relationship to mature until the two confessed to each other the irrepressible romantic feelings which they initially tried hiding but grew to accept the moment they gained a welcoming support from the rest of their teammates, mentors, and eventually their respective families.
Truth Uncovered
Teddy's life changed again by spring 2015 during Ultimate War when the shape-shifting extraterrestrials known as the Skrull, led by its commander Super-Skrull, showed up on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar once they had landed on the Moon, claiming that Teddy was a Skrull. The Super-Skrull was surprised to learn that Teddy had super strength and wondered whether the rumors about his father are true.
The Super-Skrull followed the Young Avengers to the home of Wiccan, where Teddy's mother was waiting for him. The Super-Skrull released a device designed to turn Teddy into his true form, trying to prove to him his Skrull heritage. But the device didn't change Teddy's physical appearance. Instead Ms. Altman, who was also caught in the device's beam, turned into a Skrull. When the Super-Skrull accused her of being a traitor to her race, she responded by saying that the Empress ordered her to protect Teddy. Before she could say much else, the Super-Skrull incapacitated her, almost killing her after he striking her a projectile which permanently got rid of her natural shapeshifting ability which reverted her appearance into her original form as Super-Skrull's way of waking her up and realizing her "true allegiance". The Skrull then kidnapped Teddy as far as to prove his true nature.
The Super-Skrull broadcasted to all remaining Skrull worlds that he had located Dorrek VIII, though Teddy insisted that he's not a Skrull, he's a mutant. Kl'rt insists that he was, and revealed the truth about his past as the supposed lost son of Princess Anelle. He insists that he must return to his people so that they may reunite the Skrull Empire. Kree soldiers then arrived to help Teddy, stating that the Kree looked after their own. A battle then erupted between S.H.I.E.L.D., along with the Inhuman Royal Family, and the Skrull agents, both claiming Teddy as their own. The only solution that Teddy saw to end the war was surrender. It was settled that Teddy would spend half an Earth-year with the Kree by living with the Inhuman Royal Family's New Attilan (located in an island on Earth) and the other half with the Skrull, at which time he would declare his ultimate allegiance, while also being able to make scheduled visits to Earth.
However "Teddy" was the Super-Skrull disguised as him, therefore the real Teddy stayed on Earth with his friends and family, wherein Teddy and his adoptive mother had an emotional moment to clear the air, ending with the forgiving Teddy being grateful and feeling more loved for his mother's patience and care towards him throughout his years of growing up. Knowing her shape shifting abilities have permanently diminished, Mrs. Altman was gracefully offered protection and sanctuary by the Inhuman Royal Family in the island of New Attilan as her new home, without having any worry about its residents discriminate her and race appearance since they have mostly transcended the old and prejudicial ways of their ancestors, the Kree.
Mixed Destinies
Family Reunions
Shortly before the Skrull Empire triggered their secret invasion of Earth later 2017, Teddy met with his father, the now Major Mar-Vell, for the very first time to explain their biological relationship as they saw his arrival with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Mar-Vell was shocked by the news as he never knew a child was conceived during his and Anelle's secret union, recalling that Anelle was barren to able to conceived a child and the tragic realization that she had passed away, shortly before its new empress had taken over. Mar-Vell needed to process this new information as the two discussed the Captain and Anelle's brief yet passionate courtship and his success in recently stopping the Kree-Skrull War with the Guardians. Before separating, Mar-Vell told Teddy that he was proud of him for having become a warrior and the two agreed to meet again, though Teddy never knew it would be the last he again saw him alive the when they finally parted ways in fighting the incoming waves of Skrull fleet, both on Earth and from orbit.
Later on, Hulkling joined the Young Avengers on the frontlines of the climactic battle. Knowing he was of Skrull royalty, Hulkling attempted to speak with the Skrulls leaders. The Skrulls initially ignored him and swiftly took him out, only to be extremely bewildered after confirming through the Super-Skrull that Teddy still remained as the heir and intended successor of their queen, his birth mother Veranke. As a result, the Skrulls reluctantly accepted Teddy's request to meet up with his own mother, much to the latter's genuine delight when she finally came to meet her son as they had a heart-to-heart moment, something Teddy and his teammates would eventually find out was a mere excuse for the queen to try and lure her son by her side and turn him against Earth.
Revealing her truest of plans and intentions for the future of Earth as the new throneworld of the Skrull Empire and his true origin, Teddy was greatly devastated, especially after finding out that his father Mar-Vell was willing to sacrifice himself to destroy the Skrulls' most powerful weapon from the Earth's orbit, its terraforming engine. Knowing how little his true mother had cared for anything but executing her extremist vision for the Skrull Empire at the expense of his second home and the lives of his loved ones, Teddy was disgusted by the vision of his mother's empire had and renounced his designated destiny as Dorrek VIII, being Veranke's successor.
A battle ensued at the queen command ship in the Earth's orbit which ended with Hulkling damaging to escape the planet and retreat after the Empire was on the verge of inevitable defeat. Veranke was able to escape in a pod during their attempt to retreat, but the destruction of most of their fleet only sent the now damaged pod crashing back to Earth, unarmed and wounded. Despite knowing how horrid and deluded his mother has become with her views, Teddy couldn't help but feel disheartened when he witnessed her demise at the hands of Norman Osborn which was broadcasted on live television, ending the Secret Invasion.
A Better Pathway
Hulkling and Wiccan passionately embracing
While Teddy was strongly opposed to the late Queen Veranke's vengeful stance, ultimate goal, and fundamentalist & radical methods in leading the Skrull Empire against the rest of the civilized galaxies, he nevertheless empathized with her painfully truthful sentiment on the generalized prejudice and oppression which the Skrull people (affecting even those who are innocent) have experienced, mostly due to the war which the empire's wars against the Kree among other opposing systems for countless millennia.
The eye-opening words of Veranke, as well as the noble sacrifice of his late father Mar-Vell and endless support of his friends and adoptive mother, had only given the inspiration and motivation to keep on fighting for both his heritage, as a son of Kree and Skrull, without igniting and waging more conflicts, leaving the old ways of his people, but rather start appeasing a newer path, through a more diplomatic initiative once he's given the chance. While continuing his heroic pursuit on Earth in the following, Hulkling and Young Avengers would later helped the Ultimates rescue the fallen from Asgard during Norman Osborn's Siege which effectively ended his Dark Reign, thus practically avenging his mother's needlessly violent death.
Leading Towards Unity
Eventually realizing that the Hulkling also had to keep living his normal life as Teddy Altman after finally graduating high school, shortly in the aftermath of Thanos' defeat in the end of Infinity War, Teddy had to make some fairly manageable adjustments by retiring from their heroic career (for a while) as he went on to pursue his passion in reading and writing by enrolling at Columbia University as a literature major with his boyfriend Billy Kaplan, mostly maintaining their civilian lives for the next four or so years as he kept in touch with their friends and teammates despite each and everyone of them going their separate ways, and were only obliged to call into action as superheroes when the threat was deemed grave. In his time at college, Teddy underwent through a phase of development which helped him muster a great deal of courage and confidence to speak out and mold his personality for the better, enough that he eventually ran for the position of vice president in his college department and subsequently won the presidency in his last years due to how effective, influential, and compassionate he was for his fellow students when know one else had the brevity to bring up what needs to be dealt with and improve upon.
Despite the truth of reality that not everyone would be accepting of who he was, it was his ideal goal of uniting his people, the Kree and Skrull, supported by the unconditional support of his allies and loved ones which gave him the impetus to become more mature as a person and a protector of his adoptive home. Upon graduating college around the 2020s in his early twenties, Teddy was bewildered to be approached by Skrull prince and diplomat Xavin along with Inhuman Royal Family advisor Karnak and the cosmically powered Kree-human hybrid & Avenger Captain Marvel (successor and close friend of the late Mar-Vell), who agreed to recruit him personally. Their mutual decision to invite Teddy was due to how they know how vocal he was towards ending the conflict of his heritage and the fact that he had successfully united his own department during his time, that he came to meet with the secret council consisting of Kree and other Skrull who were willing to reform both of their race and systems through a peaceful union and join the recently-reoriented Galactic Council. Accepting the first hand offer of his newfound allies who believed in his hopeful yet realistic vision in the present rather than remain stuck with their historical grudges and historical conflict with each other, Teddy and his new council were the first ones to set their differences aside as they, assisted by the reassembled Young Avengers, would go on to help unite the Skrull and Kree Empires to form a new solidified and harmonious alliance.
During its foundation, Dorrek VIII was initially frowned upon by the Skrull royal family for being the son of a fanatical tyrant, only to meet his genetic mother, former Princess Anelle, revealing herself to have survived the takeover of Veranke years ago before Secret Invasion and has only come out of hiding when her safety was ensured with the fall of Veranke's reign. While their first meeting was awkward knowing Anelle wasn't really Teddy's true mother, the two nevertheless hit it off since the former princess had a change of perspective while she was in hiding, conclusively believing that the people of the Skrull deserves a better leader who isn't at all a warmongering tyrant most like her forefathers and Veranke. With it, Anelle saw her ideal emperor in Dorrek, melting his heart with appreciation that the very woman whom he was once led to believe was his mother had believed in a vision as same as his. To make moment more heartwarming, Anelle confessed that she was strangely thankful to the late Veranke for having her take her form and sired a wonderful child with her former flame Mar-Vell since she's infertile, and meeting Dorrek VIII in front of her eyes was the closest thing she'll ever get into having a son. The two would tearfully embrace, with Teddy realizing that despite still being rejected by some of the royalty for being perceived as some sort of "abomination", he was welcomed by his father's beloved — his own genetic mother — and it was enough for him for a start as the Kree-Skrull Alliance, named the Skreell Empyre, was officially founded in the name of unity between the once historically conflicting empires.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Kree-Skrull Hybrid Physiology: Teddy is a hybrid of both Kree and Skrull. As a result, Hulkling has inherited powers and abilities from each race, though some are more potent due to his hybrid nature. Hulkling's alien physiology also protects him from being manipulated by pheromone based powers, such as those of Daken. As a part-Skrull, Hulkling is a shapeshifter of remarkable ability. While he most commonly shifts into a teenaged version of the Hulk, he has also been known to impersonate well known superheroes. In the heat of battle — or of the moment — he has evidenced a less refined style of shapeshifting: growing claws, extending his reach and growing wings in a protoplasmic manner.
- Superhuman Strength
- Superhuman Durability
- Superhuman Stamina
- Shapeshifting
- Flight
- Subconscious Metamorphic Adaptation
- Regenerative Healing Factor
Abilities
- Diplomacy
- Multilingual
- Leadership
- Persuasion Expert
- Literature Expert
Strength level
Class 15+
Weaknesses
None known.
Paraphernalia
Equipment: None known.
Transportation:
- Flight
Weapons:
- Various Skrull-forged weapons
- Royal Kree-Skrull Sword: Excelsior
- Royal Kree-Skrull Sword: Excelsior
Notes
- No special notes.
Trivia
- Teddy was born around April 2001, making him the youngest child of Mar-Vell.
- As of late 2027, Teddy and Billy Kaplan are engaged and were planning to get married in the following years after the former was officially crowned as a co-founder and the first emperor of the Kree-Skrull Alliance.
- Hulkling chose the codename Hulking because he was part Hulk (having green skin and super strength) and part changeling (shapeshifter).
- When his powers first manifested, Teddy assumed he was a mutant and was confident by the assumption for a few years before finding out his true heritage as a Kree-Skrull hybrid.
- His favorite milkshake flavor is strawberry.
- Teddy was a fan of the Japanese video game franchise Pokémon, having owned thousands of dollars worth of product and merchandise such as toys and video games over the years.
- Being an avid reader of literature, Teddy is a fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice book series, as well as its TV series adaptation Game of Thrones, and Tyrion Lannister is his favorite character. While he admitted that the final season was poorly-written and executed, he was someone open-minded about the ending of the series.
- Teddy grew up as a devout Episcopalian, having attended an Episcopal school for six years and has memorized several Bible verses which he would often remember on his worst days as a way to keep himself from being discouraged or giving up when he's alone.
See Also
- Appearances of Dorrek VIII (Earth-61615)
- Character Gallery: Dorrek VIII (Earth-61615)
- Quotations by Dorrek VIII (Earth-61615)
Discover and Discuss
- Search News for: Hulkling ·
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Theodore Rufus "Teddy" Altman (Earth name) · Dorrek VIII (Earth-61615)
Links and References
- None.