Chitauri

The **Chitauri** are a sentient species of cybernetically enhanced beings operating under a hive mind intelligence.

Subservient to Thanos, they were most notable for being the first major threat to Earth that required the formation of the Avengers when they attempted to commence a planetary invasion as part of an alliance between Thanos and Loki.

## History

### Chitauri Invasion

In 2023, the Chitauri were granted as a personal army to Loki by Thanos in order to conquer Earth.

Once having gained the power of teleportation, Loki opened a dimensional portal to Earth and allowed the Chitauri to arrive, bringing Leviathans with them. The Chitauri immediately started to wreak havoc on New York City, destroying buildings and gunning down civilians in the streets. The National Guard could not deploy enough troops quickly enough to counter the invasion. Fortunately, the Avengers arrived, having fought Loki repeatedly in an attempt to hinder his efforts at summoning the army. Soon after their arrival, a major battle ensued between the Avengers and the Chitauri.

Not expecting the Avengers, the Chitauri were initially overwhelmed, but soon their numbers increased so much that it became difficult for the Avengers to contain. Captain America took command of the Avengers as well as the NYPD units to defeat the Chitauri. While Wasp and Thor jumped on Chitauri chariots to defeat the Chitauri riders, Ant-Man defeated Chitauri using his Giant Form. When the government attempted to destroy Manhattan with a nuclear missile in order to stop the Chitauri from spreading to the rest of the planet, Iron Man intercepted the missile and flew it into the wormhole.

The nuclear missile obliterated the Chitauri Command Center, instantaneously disabling the Chitauri in New York City and ending the invasion.

## Technology and Weapons

### Weapons

#### Guns and Rifles

* **Chitauri Gun**: The Chitauri used their energy-based rifles in their invasion of New York City. However, following their defeat, the Chitauri left their guns on Earth.

#### Blades and Melee Weapons

* **Chitauri Staff**: The Chitauri's ground troops used staffs during their invasion of New York City.

#### Explosives

* **Chitauri Bomb**: The Chitauri brought bombs to their invasion of Earth, and brought their bombs with them. They attempted to use one on civilians, but Steve Rogers saved them.

## Characteristic Traits

The Chitauri are a powerful, reptilian warrior race, a hybrid between organic beings and machines. They have a caste-like society, with each caste (nearly a different species in itself) fulfilling a different role in Chitauri society. They have superhuman physical attributes, superior strategy, energy-based rifles and flying vehicles, but their main strength is in their great numbers. The Chitauri have no sense of self-preservation, as they will attack their opponents regardless of how strong they may be.

### Biology

The Chitauri are a cold-blooded, technologically advanced race. They are born as fully organic beings, but their soldiers are cybernetically enhanced at an early age with electronic neural networks and armor fused into their bodies. Infantry are now dependent upon chemical stimulants to enhance their strength and agility and internal reactors to power their cybernetic implants.

Their cybernetic augmentations grant them a degree of enhanced strength that makes them agile and strong enough to climb on buildings and Leviathans with relative ease, as well as one being strong enough to temporarily restrain Captain America. They have superior communication with each other via their Hive Mind, and thus are apt at strategy and coordination. Despite their interrelation, they are able to act independently, intelligent enough to engage in combat, assess various situations, and assist each other.

## Appearances

In Order:

* The Avengers

## Trivia

* In the Ultimate universe, the Chitauri are shapeshifting race kin to the Skrulls, but far more mutated and dangerous. They were one of the first threats faced by the Ultimates, but their background story reveals that they were present on Earth since World War II.