MARSHALL DROTH

Real Name: Droth (see comments)

Identity/Class: Extradimensional/alternate reality (Reality-700089) extra-terrestrial (Skrull)

Occupation: Scientist

Group Membership: Skrull Empire

Affiliations: Skrull Emperor, Super-Skrull (see comments)

Enemies: Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Girl/Sue Storm, Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Skrull homeworld in the "fifth quadrant"

First Appearance: Fantastic Four Episode#5 "The Invasion of the Super-Skrulls" (September 30th 1967)

Powers/Abilities: As a Skrull the Marshall would be able to shapeshift into a variety of forms at will. He was presumably at least competent with Skrull weapons and equipment. 

Height: 5';
   variable
Weight: Variable
Eyes: Unrevealed (hidden behind red glasses);
   probably green;
   variable
Hair: None;
   variable

History:
(Fantastic Four Episode#5 "The Invasion of the Super-Skrulls" (fb) - BTS) - Marshall Droth served the Skrull Emperor, and had been tasked by his liege with finding means to destroy Earth's Fantastic Four so the Skrulls could conquer their planet. The Skrulls devised an intergalactic disintegrator theoretically capable to destroying targets galaxies away, but as a back-up Droth also arranged for one of the servile Skrull class to be transformed into a Super-Skrull, possessing all of the same powers that the Four had, but to a greater degree, though they needed to be charged by ultrasonic power rays that had to be constantly beamed to the Super-Skrull. Informing the Emperor of the disintegrator, but keeping the Super-Skrull a secret in case the disintegrator failed and the Emperor needed to be placated, Droth operated an intergalactic viewing screen, so that the ruler could observe the Fantastic Four and witness their destruction.

(Fantastic Four Episode#5 "The Invasion of the Super-Skrulls") - The Emperor ordered Droth to activate the intergalactic disintegrator to destroy the Four, but after Droth threw the switch, loudly pronouncing the task had been done, they watched as the beam began to take effect only for the briefest moment before the Invisible Girl subconsciously blocked the attack with an invisible forcefield. The blocked energy beam caused a power feedback so that the disintegrator destroyed itself. The Emperor angrily berated Droth for having failed (again - see comments). The Emperor warned Droth that one more failure to eliminate the human heroes would be his last. Droth protested, insisting the Emperor's moment of triumph was at hand, and with a flourish he waved open a doorway to reveal the towering Super-Skrull. Unimpressed, the Emperor dismissed the new arrival as a mere servile Skrull, but Droth insisted the Super-Skrull was more than a match for the Fantastic Four, and had him demonstrate his powers for the doubting ruler, who became increasingly jubilant as each new ability was revealed, now praising Droth instead of denigrating him. Droth then watched as the satisfied Emperor dispatched the Super-Skrull to Earth to destroy the Fantastic Four.

   Watching from the Skrull homeworld on the viewscreen as the Super-Skrull landed in Times Square and claimed Earth on behalf of the Skrull Empire. Droth declared that all was going well, but the Emperor reminded him the real test was how their warrior fared against the Fantastic Four. Even as he said this, the two Skrulls witnessed via the screen as the Four began arriving.

(Fantastic Four Episode#5 "The Invasion of the Super-Skrulls" - BTS) - They watched the FF lose their first battle with the Super-Skrull, but the heroes escaped, and challenged their alien foe to a rematch on a deserted island.

(Fantastic Four Episode#5 "The Invasion of the Super-Skrulls") - Watching as the Super-Skrull arrived on the island to confront the FF, the Emperor ordered Droth to increase the ultrasonic power rays to full intensity, but Droth informed him that they already were, and insisted nothing could stop the Super-Skrull now. However, during the FF's respite Mr. Fantastic had run scans on their foe and detected the power rays, which the FF now blocked, suddenly depriving the Super-Skrull of his enhanced abilities. Back on the Skrull homeworld Droth declared in consternation that something was stopping the power ray from making contact, jamming it at the Earth end. Angrily declaring that the FF had outwitted Droth, the Emperor vowed his underling would suffer for this failure.

Comments: Created by Phil Hahn and Jack Hanrahan for the Hanna Barbera 1967 Fantastic Four cartoon, based on a character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

   I'm not certain of the character's name. The Skrull Emperor uses his name while giving him an order, and it sounds to me like Droth or Drawth. I've seen other sites online say it is Drom or Droth, and it's certainly not impossible the former of those is correct, but it does sound closer to the latter to me. The actor voicing him isn't credited in the episode (presumably he's voiced by one of the actors who mainly voices another character), which means the credits are no help either. And the comics are no help either; this episode of the cartoon is based off of Fantastic Four I#18, but the Marshall's counterpart there doesn't get any sort of name, not even a job description; it was left to the Fantastic Four Index#2 to at least identify him by his role in the Emperor's court, calling him the Emperor's Vizier. 

   Talking of names, the Emperor and Super-Skrull are presumably Dorrek VII and Kl'rt, just as in Reality-616, the mainstream Marvel universe. However, since neither of those names was revealed in the comics until over a decade later, they aren't used in the cartoon, and so it's feasible they have different names in this reality.

   When the disintegrator fails to kill the Four, the Emperor berates Droth for having "failed again," but when the FF encounter the Super-Skrull their dialogue confirms the heroes haven't met Skrulls before (or are at least unaware of doing so). So either the Emperor is being unreasonable, or the Skrulls have fought the Four before but not revealed what they were, or the Emperor is talking about failures against other foes.

   This profile was completed on 08/19/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Loki.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Marshall Droth has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four Episode#5 "The Invasion of the Super-Skrulls" (main)
Fantastic Four I#18, p5, pan1 (Droth's 616 counterpart)

Appearances:
Fantastic Four Episode#5 "The Invasion of the Super-Skrulls" (September 30th 1967)

First Posted: 09/03/2021
Last updated: 08/19/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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