Can Skrulls Copy Powers & Memories? (MCU vs. Comics)

The events of ‘Secret Invasion’ introduced the Skrulls as the next big threat to the entire planet even though they once lived on Earth on peaceful terms with humanity. Of course, what makes the Skrulls so dangerous is that they can mimic a person’s appearance. But we saw in ‘Secret Invasion’ that they could also mimic other things. So, can Skrulls copy a person’s powers and memories?

The Skrulls can copy memories but have to do so using special techniques. We saw that in ‘Secret Invasion’ when a Skrull had to be in contact with a person to copy his memories. However, Skrulls can’t copy powers that don’t rely on “physical looks.”

In a way, there are limits to the abilities of a Skrull, even though the Skrulls are known to be great at mimicking a person’s appearance almost perfectly. As such, Skrulls are great at infiltrating, but not to the point that they could copy a person’s powers and absorb their memories. That said, let’s look at whether or not Skrulls can copy powers and memories.

Can Skrulls copy powers?

The Skrulls have always been some of the most unique alien species in the world of Marvel. Of course, while the Skrulls were portrayed as villains in the comics, they aren’t evil in the MCU, as they are only a group of people trying to survive and find a home after being forced out of their home by the Kree Empire. Of course, the one thing that makes Skrulls unique is the ability to copy a person’s appearance at any moment.

It is the very fact that Skrulls can copy a person’s identity that makes them so dangerous. In the comics, the Skrulls were secretly on Earth the entire time and could mimic the appearances of certain Marvel characters before revealing that they were Skrulls during the Secret Invasion storyline. In the MCU, the Skrulls have been on Earth for decades after escaping their home planet of Skrullos.

Ever since moving to Earth, the Skrulls have kept a low profile because of the peaceful terms between them and humanity.

Nevertheless, the Skrulls became a threat in the MCU when a group rebelled and tried to start a war on Earth during the events of the ‘Secret Invasion’ series. As such, the Skrulls became dangerous enough that Nick Fury returned to Earth after being away from the planet for a very long time. We know that Skrulls can be dangerous because they can copy a person’s appearance. But are they strong enough to mimic a person’s powers?

Skrulls aren’t absolute in terms of what they can do whenever they copy people. That means that they can’t copy a person’s powers if they have special abilities. But there are some instances wherein they can copy powers both in the comics and in the MCU. 

For example, a Skrull cannot copy Captain Marvel’s powers. However, a Skrull can copy the powers of someone like Wolverine, who can extend claws from his body. This means that Skrulls cannot copy powers in a normal sense but are capable of copying powers based on a person’s appearance. In Wolverine’s case, it is only his ability to produce claws from his body that a Skrull can copy because a Skrull can’t copy his regenerative healing factor.

In the comics, we’ve seen Skrulls with superpowers. These are Super-Skrulls that were genetically enhanced at a molecular level. Some Super-Skrulls were given copies of a superhero’s powers, which explains why certain Skrulls could copy superheroes in the Secret Invasion storyline in the comics.

But the ability of a Super-Skrull to copy a person’s powers isn’t something they can do instantly. In most cases, Super-Skrulls could copy a person’s powers through technology. But other Super-Skrulls needed genetically modified to obtain a person’s powers. In other words, a Super-Skrull doesn’t obtain a person’s powers when they copy the person’s identity as the Super-Skrull has to undergo certain procedures and modifications first.

In all other cases, Skrulls cannot copy powers. As such, we believe this would carry over to the MCU as Skrulls are yet to be shown with the ability to copy the powers of some of the most notable superheroes on Earth.

Can Skrulls copy memories?

Of course, we know that Skrulls can copy a person’s appearance. This allows them to be great at blending in with their surroundings. Skrulls are also excellent at infiltration because they can almost perfectly replicate a person’s appearance. But what about a person’s memories?

Skrulls can replicate a person’s most recent memories in the MCU and the comics. But that doesn’t allow Skrull to completely obtain the person’s memories. In ‘Secret Invasion,’ Gravik orders one of his men to steal a person’s memories. Skrull touched the person and used some sort of ability to obtain the person’s memories.

This was done through the use of a mind probe, which is a device that’s similar to the ones used in the ‘Captain Marvel’ movie. As such, the Skrulls normally aren’t capable of stealing all of a person’s memories without using a mind probe. But in most cases, Skrulls can copy a person’s recent memories. We don’t know how recent the memories are, which means that the Skrull terrorists need to use a mind probe to steal memories.

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