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I feel like Marvel’s best comic book event doesn’t get enough credit. I’m not usually one to use such a superfluous adjective like “best” as such a definitive statement, especially when stories are so subjective. Everyone reading this and everyone writing about comics has their own favorite Marvel storyline they consider the best. Each answer would be different, but equally valid.
However, I’ll make the exception here because I think that an argument can be made for Annihilation being Marvel’s best crossover, not necessarily because it has the best story, but because it has the most important story in Marvel’s library. After all, stories themselves are subjective, and if we talk about the best-written story from Marvel, we’ll be here all day just arguing with each other.
That being said, it’s far more interesting to me to argue for what is the most significant story in Marvel’s catalog. I think Annihilation makes a strong case for itself.
What Is Marvel’s Annihilation, Marvel’s Best Crossover Event?
The Core Annihilation Miniseries Is by Keith Giffen, Andrea Di Vito, Laura Villari, and Cory Petit
Marvel kicks Annihilation off with the superhuman space prison, Kyln, being destroyed by a fleet of spaceships led by Annihilus. Annihilus is the one cosmic villain who even Thanos admits has a greater mind than him. He is, essentially, the king of the Negative Zone and a staple of the Fantastic Four’s rogues gallery before he kicks off the event by exiting the Zone with an army in tow. Annihilus’ goal is simple: destroy Earth-616 and its universe at large, as its continued existence and growth threaten his control over the Negative Zone.
Simultaneously, the Annihilation Wave commences, wiping out the planet Xander and its nearby Nova Corps, save for Nova himself, Richard Rider, one of the lead protagonists of this event. Drax the Destroyer (who had just died and been reincarnated) is also one of the survivors, as the Annihilation Wave continues with no end in sight. Together, they form alliances with Peter “Star Lord” Quill, Gamora, Ronan the Accuser, and the Super Skrull in hopes of finding a way to stop this Wave that continues to affect every corner of the universe.
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How Marvel’s Annihilation Event Kickstarted Modern Comic Crossovers
Annihilation came out in 2006 and it was a story of unprecedented scope and scale that completely changed the definition of Marvel events.
Nova forms a United Front against Annihilus, who starts to target Heralds of Galactus, which introduces Silver Surfer into the mix. He allies with Thanos, but the Mad Titan is killed by Drax. Drax releases Annihilus’ prisoner, Silver Surfer, who then releases another prisoner in Galactus. The Devourer of Worlds proceeds to unleash what’s best known as “the Galactus event,“ a wave of energy powerful enough to eradicate most of the Annihilation Wave, along with a Watcher and three-star systems. Nova then kills Annihilus.
Why Is Annihilation Important in Marvel’s History?
The Event Shifted the Cosmic Scale Forever
The Annihilation event focuses on characters and concepts that, admittedly, no one cared about at the time. Everyone loves the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy now, for example, after their MCU appearances, but no one really gave a second thought to them in 2007. Even someone like Annihilus, the villain at the center of this story, was seriously overlooked. In 2007, he would have been considered an obscure Marvel rogue. Even Nova didn’t have the popularity or fan interest he does now, often relegated to being a tertiary character at best. He certainly didn’t get the lead spotlight – until Annihilation.
Such themes were foreign to fans at the time and weren’t as interesting as actual household names within Marvel’s roster.
Annihilation was a breakout moment for characters like Nova and Peter Quill, among others who would become essential characters in Marvel stories moving forward. The same can be said about the idea of cosmic power levels and cosmic godhood. Such themes were foreign to fans at the time and weren’t as interesting as actual household names within Marvel’s roster. With those themes taking precedent in this arc, it’s easy for me to see why it didn’t connect with audiences. Such themes revolving around cosmic entities hadn’t become as prevalent or as appealing to audiences until more contemporary Marvel stories.
Why Is Annihilation Overlooked, Even by Marvel’s Biggest Fans?
Overshadowed by a Bigger Storyline
You would think that a book of this magnitude would be more widely known among casual audiences, but on top of the disinterest I expressed that was significant at the time, Annihilation’s reputation was stifled by another comic event that happened around the same time and grew a bigger reputation: Civil War. I think the timing of its release hurt Annihilation’s legacy in the long run. A story revolving around obscure characters and obscure concepts was always going to be overshadowed by Marvel’s biggest superstars, Iron Man and Captain America, going to war with each other.
Thankfully, Annihilation can now reach a new audience. The characters who were once obscure in 2007 have now become superstars in their own right, and the concepts that readers weren’t willing to give the time of day two decades ago are all the rage now.Annihilation’s impact today is resounding, as the story holds up in an even stronger with contemporary eyes. If there was ever a time to revisit one of Marvel’s biggest and most overlooked crossover events – and one that I think is the company’s best – the time is now.
Annihilation: The Complete Collection is available now from Marvel Comics.
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