Zarek Non-Villain Antagonist
Real Name: Zarek (full given name unknown).
Occupation: Politician, Imperial Prime Minister.
Identity: Zarek's identity as the Prime Minister of the Kree Empire is publicly known to the greater galaxy; his existence is unknown to the general populace of Earth.
Legal Status: Citizen of the Kree Empire.
Other Aliases: None.
Place of Birth: Imperial City, Hala, Pama system, Kree Empire.
Marital Status: Married.
Known Relatives: Wife (name unrevealed).
Group Affiliation: Kree Empire.
Base of Operations: Imperial City, Hala, Pama system, Kree Empire.
First Post-Reboot Appearance: CAPTAIN MARVEL #1.
History: Prime Minister Zarek's full past life is currently unrevealed, but the following can be inferred from conversations he has had with both the Kree Supreme Intelligence and Ronan the Accuser. Zarek comes from a family whose members have served at various levels in the Imperial government for at least fifty generations (roughly thirteen hundred years). Zarek is not the first of his family to become Prime Minister, which is the highest position any Kree can achieve in the Empire (only the Supreme Intelligence, the artificial ruler of the Empire, outranks him), but he is poised to become one of the most notorious. It is believed that Zarek served several terms in the Imperial Parliament before being selected as the Prime Minister.
As Prime Minister, Zarek has led the Kree Empire on the political front against their millennia-long enemies, the Skrull Empire. However, Zarek's ambition outstrips his current rank: he wants nothing less than to rule over not just the Kree Empire but the Skrull Empire, Shi'ar Empire, Charter Confederation, and all the known smaller polities, unifying the entire known universe under his rule. To this end, he has entered into an alliance with Ronan the Accuser, the most powerful person in the Empire after himself, to overthrow the Supreme Intelligence.
As part of his scheme, Zarek personally selected a White Kree war hero from the Imperial Army, Captain Mar-Vell, as a spy to an otherwise insignificant planet that lays at a hyperspace crossroads between the various interstellar empires and which had in the past repelled an invasion by the Skrulls. He assigned Vell to a cloaked espionage vessel, the Helion, and ordered the ship's science officer, Minn-Erva, to grant Vell the ability to blend into the superhuman population, intending to set Vell up as a traitor to either Earth or to the Kree Empire. Zarek planned to use the publicity surrounding Vell's treason to speak out against the Supreme Intelligence, who had instituted several policies the blue elite disagreed with.
When Vell was finally caught disobeying a direct order from the ship's commanding officer, Colonel Yon-Rogg, Zarek was certain his scheme was proceeding as planned, if a bit ahead of schedule. While Mar-Vell's escape from imprisonment prior to the trial was unexpected, Zarek has confided to Ronan that the action could still work in their favor.
Most recently, Zarek met with Emperor D'ken of the Shi'ar Empire, Emperor Dorrek VII of the Skrull Empire, and Chancellor Whitemane of the Charter Confederation in regards to the spy programs in place around Earth and concerns about the planet's superhuman population. Zarek was tight-lipped about Kree efforts, saying only that the Kree were being more discreet than the Skrulls about their efforts, citing multiple instances where Skrulls had come into conflict with Earth's superhuman adventurers.
Age: 47 (Earth equivalent).
Height: 6' 2".
Weight: 250 lbs.
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Bald, black facial hair.
Skin: Blue.
Uniform: Kree Imperial Parliamentary garb.
Strength Level: Zarek possesses the normal strength of a Kree man his age, height, and build who engages in little exercise. Due to the differences between Kree and Human physiology this roughly the same as a Human of the same age, height, and build who engages in regular exercise.
Known Superhuman Powers: None.
Other Abilities: Zarek is a skilled administrator and politician, but most notably he is a long-range political schemer.
447 points
Attributes: ST 12 [-20*]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 12 [-12*]; Basic Speed 5.25 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Dodge 8.
Languages: Kree (Native) (Native Language) [0].
Cultural Familiarities: Kree Empire (Native) [0].
Advantages: Administrative Rank 10 [50]; Business Acumen 4 [40]; Blue Kree [67]; Charisma 2 [10]; Extra Life 1 (Copy, -20%; Requires Body, -20%) [15]; Foresight 3 [30]; Smooth Operator 4 [60]; Status 7 [5†]; Versatile [5]; Wealth (Multimillionaire 2) [100].
Disadvantages: Compulsive Rhetoric (9) [-7]; Dependent (Wife; No More than 25% Point Value; Loved One) (6) [-10]; Duty to Kree Empire (9) [-5]; Intolerance (Total) [-5‡]; Overconfidence (9) [-7]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]; Selfish (12) [-5].
Quirks: Ambitious [-1]; Consummate Schemer [-1]; Horrible Hangovers [-1]; Proud [-1].
Skills: Administration (A) IQ+3 [1] – 15§; Body Language (Kree) (A) Per+2 [8] – 14; Current Affairs/TL11 (High Culture) (E) IQ+1 [1] – 13#; Current Affairs/TL11 (Politics) (E) IQ+1 [1] – 13#; Diplomacy (H) IQ+3 [4] – 16¥; Economics (H) IQ+2 [1] – 14§; Intelligence Analysis/TL11 (H) IQ+4 [20] – 16; Law (Kree Imperial) (H) IQ+0 [4] – 12; Leadership (A) IQ+5 [1] – 17¥¶; Market Analysis (H) IQ+6 [12] – 18§; Observation (A) Per+0 [2] – 12; Politics (A) IQ+4 [2] – 16¥; Propaganda/TL11 (A) IQ+6 [8] – 18§; Psychology (Kree) (H) IQ+2 [12] – 14; Public Speaking (A) IQ+5 [1] – 17¥¶; Research/TL11 (A) IQ+4 [16] – 16; Savoir-Faire (High Society) (E) IQ+4 [1] – 16¥.
Starting Spending Money: $40,000,000 (20% of Starting Wealth).
* Includes +4 to ST and +5 to FP from Blue Kree.
† Includes +3 from Administrative Rank and +3 from Wealth (Multimillionaire).
‡ Upgraded from Intolerance (Skrulls) from Blue Kree.
§ Includes +4 from Business Acumen.
# Defaulted from Research.
¥ Includes +4 from Smooth Operator.
¶ Includes +2 from Charisma.
Role-Playing Notes:
Zarek is a political schemer on the level of Emperor Palpatine (of Star Wars) and David Xanatos (of Disney's Gargoyles), particularly in his ability to plot out every possible outcome and maneuver situations so that he cannot fail outright, only have varying levels of success (a Xanatos Gambit), and adapt quickly to new factors he could not account for to turn them to his advantage (Xanatos Speed Chess). He is also a consummate politician, convinced that the political machine and bureaucracy exist to serve his needs, not the Empire.
In addition to all this, Zarek is a racist, believing wholeheartedly in the idea that the blue-skinned Kree are superior to the pink-skinned White Kree, not to mention all other species in the known universe.
Note that it takes a very special kind of player to pull off a Xanatos Gambit from start to finish; it's easier for a GM to pull off, as the GM has more leeway to add details to the plan retroactively (it's not really cheating, per se). More players are better at Speed Chess, adapting to changing situations. The Foresight advantage certainly helps maintain the illusion of both.
Design Notes:
1. This build, and the High TL trait in the Blue Kree racial package, assumes a campaign TL of 8, as would be encountered on modern-day Earth. In any cosmic campaign, the campaign would be considered a TL 11 setting, reducing his point cost by 15 points and increasing his Starting Spending Money to $150,000,000 (20% of his Starting Wealth).