The Dire Wraiths are a genetic offshoot equivalent to the Deviants of Earth of the Skrull race with a similar Celestial origin.
They first appeared in Rom #1 – Arrival! (September 4, 1979).
The Dire Wraiths are an evolutionary offshoot of the Skrulls from the Andromeda Galaxy. Like the Skrulls, the Wraiths are shape-shifters, able to take the forms of other creatures. At some point in their history, female Dire Wraiths began to study evil magic. This caused a rift with their parent race, the Skrulls, and they were driven out of the Andromeda Galaxy by the Skrulls. Using starships powered by a combination of magic and technology, the Wraiths entered a region of space called the “Dark Nebula” where they found a planet that orbited a black sun. Finding that this planet allowed them to tap that sun’s energies to use in their magical spells, the Wraiths settled there and named it “Wraithworld”. Two hundred years ago, an emissary fleet from the planet Galador entered the Dark Nebula, only to be attacked by the Dire Wraiths.
The Galadorians were extremely accomplished in science and culture and were attempting to spread benevolent enlightenment throughout their galaxy. In particular, Galadorian science had allowed them to access energy sources such as the Living Light, an energy force similar to, but the opposite polarity of, the darkforce. After this military success against the expedition, the Dire Wraiths launched an offensive on the Golden Galaxy which contained Galador. Their motivation seemed to be elimination of a culture they felt to be their antithesis.
A huge fleet of Dire Wraith starships attacked the inhabited planets in that galaxy, and were heading towards the Galadorian home world, which was inhabited by human-like beings. However, upon arriving at Galador they found out that hundreds of young Galadorians had been transformed into cyborg warriors called Spaceknights. Although fewer in number, the Spaceknights proved powerful enough to repel the attack. The Dire Wraiths returned to Wraithworld, only to have Rom, the greatest of the Spaceknights, follow them there, intent on wiping their evil from the universe, mainly by means of his weapon, the Neutralizer, which could banish Wraiths into Limbo. Realizing that other Spaceknights would soon follow, the Wraiths decided to abandon Wraithworld, and scattered across the universe.
