At a time when Marvel was all about its Civil War, another massive event took place. This 2006 cosmic crossover storyline was written by Keith Giffen, Dan Abnett, Simon Furman, Javier Grillo-Marxuach & Andy Lanning, with art by Renato Arlem, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Andrea Di Vito, Scott Kolins, Jorge Lucas, Mike McKone, Gregory Titus, and Kev Walker. It was the beginning of the modern Marvel Cosmic saga.
Here is the official synopsis: Annihilus, lord of the Negative Zone, has declared war! And as his unstoppable Annihilation Wave swarms into the Marvel Universe, demolishing all in its path, only a handful of heroes can resist the destruction! As Nova learns the ways of war from Drax the Destroyer, the Silver Surfer seeks out his former master Galactus for aid, the Super-Skrull fights for his son’s life and Ronan the Accuser faces Gamora and her woman warriors! Nova and Quasar’s army leads the charge, but as heroes fall and Annihilus rises, the universe’s one remaining hope may be Thanos, the Mad Titan.
What to read before Annihilation?
Most of the Annihilation prelude miniseries are considered part of the event, but one is often not treated as such:
- Thanos: Redemption
Collects Thanos (2003) #1-12.
Annihilation Reading Order: Collected Editions
- Annihilation Omnibus (or the previous edition)
Collects Drax The Destroyer #1-4, Annihilation: Prologue, Annihilation: Nova #1-4, Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1-4, Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1-4, Annihilation: Ronan #1-4, Annihilation #1-6, Annihilation: Heralds Of Galactus #1-2, And Annihilation: Nova Corps Files.
Or, in paperbacks:
- Annihilation: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
Collects Drax The Destroyer #1-4, Annihilation Prologue, Annihilation: Nova #1-4, Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1-4, and Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1-4. - Annihilation: The Complete Collection Vol. 2
Collects Annihilation: Ronan #1-4, Annihilation #1-6, Annihilation: Heralds Of Galactus #1-2, and Annihilation: The Nova Corps Files.
Annihilation Reading Order: Issue by Issue
- Drax the Destroyer: Earthfall #1-4
- Annihilation: Prologue
- Annihilation: Nova #1-4
- Annihilation: Ronan #1-4
- Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1-4
- Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1-4
- Annihilation #1-6
- Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus #1-2
After Annihilation
The end of Annihilation was just the beginning of the brand “Annihilation.” What came next? First, a new Nova ongoing series from Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning led, after three issues, to another similar event, the first sequel: Annihilation Conquest, part of Marvel Cosmic.
- Annihilation: Conquest Omnibus
Collects Nova (2007) #1-12, Nova Annual (2007) #1, Annhilation: Conquest Prologue (2007) #1, Annihilation: Conquest – Starlord (2007) #1-4, Annihilation: Conquest – Quasar (2007) #1-4, Annihilation: Conquest – Wraith (2007) #1-4, Annihilation: Conquest (2007) #1-6, Annihilation Saga (2007).
Last Updated on August 3, 2022.