WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Fantastic Four #41, available now from Marvel.
The cosmos have long been home to some of Marvel’s most terrifying threats, and the Reckoning has quickly become the worst of them all. In the chaos that has followed the Reckoning’s return, a host of other cosmic villains have taken the opportunity to launch their own vicious campaigns. Unsurprisingly, the latest of them to take advantage of the situation has been none other than Annihilus. What is certainly shocking, however, is the lengths that Johnny Storm has gone to in ensuring that the Fantastic Four’s longtime nemesis won’t be posing a threat again anytime soon.
The planet Spyre has fallen under attack of an Annihilation Wave in the pages of Fantastic Four #41, by Dan Slott, Rachael Stott, Erick Arciniega and VC’s Joe Caramagna. Thankfully, Johnny Storm just so happens to have a very personal connection to this world, and he immediately makes the long journey from Earth. Upon his arrival, Johnny spots his former soul mate Sky under direct attack from Annihilus himself, sending the Human Torch into an unusually hot rage. Not only does the blazing hero turn back the tide of the Annihilation Wave singlehandedly, he does so by stripping Annihilus of his greatest asset. It’s a stunning display of Johnny’s power, and could prove to be a moment that alters the course of everything to come in the near future. Unfortunately, humiliating his family’s greatest nemesis so grievously may have also created the Fantastic Four’s next biggest problem once the dust has settled.
First introduced in 1968’s Fantastic Four #6 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the insectile Annihilus evolved from alien life spores in the Negative Zone, where he quickly amassed both knowledge and power in a bid to protect himself from any threats. Apart from preemptively destroying or conquering any worlds that could in any way prove harmful to him, Annihilus has long employed the use of the Cosmic Control Rod. This ancient artifact not only imbued Annihilus with the means to control cosmic energy, it also allowed him to extend what would otherwise be a devastatingly short lifespan. Now that the Human Torch has taken that from him, it is only a matter of time before Annihilus either succumbs to his insectile nature or steals back his former glory.
Considering the stakes at hand upon their most recent meeting, not to mention the fact that Annihilus had him killed and resurrected multiple times in the Negative Zone, it is no wonder that Johnny Storm went as far as he did. Still, taking the Cosmic Control Rod from Annihilus and giving it to the heroes of Spyre has only set them up for another attack down the line, if not worse. The Cosmic Control Rod may not be in Annihilus’ grasp anymore, but those who have exposed themselves to it for enough time have been known to be reborn through it after their demise. Even if Annihilus doesn’t get a shot at revenge in this lifetime, his current state might ensure that he is resurrected right under Spyre’s nose before very long, putting him in prime position to take back control of the power that was once his and launch another invasion from within.
On the other hand, all of that would hinge on things going spectacularly well for Annihilus under some astoundingly bad circumstances. It would also require Marvel’s many cosmic heroes to make a whole host of errors along the way. If nothing else, Annihilus is certainly a resilient enough enemy to try and make some desperate play for power before his time is up. Should he succeed, the Marvel Universe might be looking at the worst Annihilation event yet once the Reckoning has been defeated. That is, assuming Reed Richards and his allies can stop it before reality as they know it is completely destroyed.
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