Negative Zone

The Negative Zone is an antimatter universe.

Characteristics

The Negative Zone is a universe parallel to Earth's. While the universes are similar in many respects they are different in that: all matter in the Negative Zone is negatively charged; the Negative Zone is entirely filled with a pressurized, breathable atmosphere; and near the center of the Negative Zone is a deadly vortex of unspeakable power. Since the Negative Zone is largely uninhabited, several would-be conquerors have attempted to bridge the gap to Earth and take over its population - such as Annihilus.

Production Background

The Negative Zone was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 (June 1966).

The earliest origins of the Negative Zone and its culture have not been revealed, but estimates place its height of science and art over 1.5 million years ago, nearly coinciding with the rise of the Skrull and Kree races. It is believed that around that time the Negative Zone ceased expanding and began its "Big Crunch", contracting toward a central nexus. Some of the most powerful and influential races thereby faced destruction and sought to preserve their lives, including the Tyannans. During this time, Blastaar and Annihilus rose to power.

While searching for a way to travel through sub-space, Reed Richards discovered a gateway to the Negative Zone. He spent a fair amount of time studying it through probes, and determined that it was largely unpopulated. He—and others—used the Negative Zone on several occasions to get rid of difficult enemies, such as the Super-Adaptoid and Galactus. Reed and the Fantastic Four have since done more detailed explorations of the Zone and no longer use it to dispose of villains.

See Also

• Negative Zone at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia