Hulkling declares war - and slays some heroes - in Empyre #1 trailer

Marvel Comics has released a trailer for its upcoming intergalactic, universe-spanning event Empyre, which pits the combined Kree/Skrull empire led by former Young Avenger Hulkling against Marvel's superheroes, led by the Avengers and Fantastic Four – and the trailer wastes no time in showing just how brutal Empyre will be.

Kicking off with a voiceover from an unnamed actor as Hulkling declaring war on the Avengers and Fantastic Four, the Empyre trailer moves into a series of rapid-fire images from the series, including what could be the apparent deaths – or at least serious injuries – of Thing (cut in half by Hulkling, as seen in previously previews of Empyre #1), Captain Marvel (stabbed by Hulkling), and Captain America, who appears skeletonized with an atomic blast in the background.

“The Kree/Skrull war is one of the deepest cuts in the Marvel cosmos. And whether you’re new to the Marvel Universe or have been a fan since the very beginning, Empyre will touch on a part of this conflict you care about,” teases co-writer Dan Slott in a statement released alongside the trailer.

“The two star-spanning empires have kept each other in check for generations, keeping each other from getting too strong, so both of them aligning together after all this time is probably bad news,” adds co-writer Al Ewing. “Some of the twists and turns we’ve got waiting for readers will be genuinely shocking.”

The trailer also mentions a hero's betrayal – something hinted at in the solicitation for Empyre #4, and alluded to in Marvel's announcement of Empyre: Avengers – Aftermath #1.

Empyre #1 is scheduled for release on July 15.

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011, and now I'm the Entertainment Writer at GamesRadar+. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)