Annihilus
Annihilus is a warlord from the Negative Zone and an enemy of the Fantastic Four.
History
Annihilus made contact with the father-and-son supervillains Gargoyle and Gremlin, as well as the ensouled robot Coldsteel, and struck a bargain. In exchange for delivering the Dragon Man to him – so that he could conquer the Negative Zone and eventually Earth – Annihilus would supply them with ores common in the Negative Zone but rare on Earth, allowing them to manufacture adamantium to upgrade the Titanium Man armor and reinforce Coldsteel’s frame.
When Lockjaw teleported into the Negative Zone alongside Elisa Maza, Katana, and the Invisible Woman – who were searching for Gnash, Franklin Richards, and Valeria Richards – Annihilus immediately attacked. The Invisible Woman held his assault at bay with her forcefield, deflecting Gremlin's blasts back into Annihilus himself. The warlord warned the human to take care, but Elisa located the missing children, and the group escaped the Negative Zone with the Dragon Man. Gremlin was left behind to face Annihilus's wrath. ("Clan and Family...")
Characteristics
Annihilus is capable of self-propelled flight and can withstand the vacuum of space. He possesses an insectoid exoskeleton with armored components that grants him resistance to most forms of injury. He has superhuman physical abilities. He is able to breathe in the vacuum of empty space, and can fly at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour. Annihilus wields the Cosmic Control Rod, which slows his aging process and enables him to manipulate energy and matter.
Appearances
Production Background
The character first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #6 (1968), and was created by Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.
Annihilus first encountered the Fantastic Four when they entered the Negative Zone seeking anti-particles needed to treat Sue's cosmic ray-related pregnancy complications. Annihilus's minions captured the heroes, but they escaped and temporarily stole his Cosmic Control Rod to harness its antimatter particles. Annihilus then became a recurring enemy of the Fantastic Four.
See Also
- Annihilus at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
