C'mon, You Knew I'd Have To Talk About This

Annihilation #2. I'm only surprised it took this long.

- I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the resurrection of the Super-Skrull during this mini-series. I just don't believe that the panel of his coffin being smashed open by the Mad Thinker robot, and Kl'rt falling to ground was a coincidence. After all, at the end of Super-Skrull #4, Praxagora was talking about how he died and saved everyone, but she was doing so on Annihilation Day 7200, which would be several years after the events of this comic.

- I haven't decided whether his return would disappoint me or not. He had such an awesome death, if he does come back, and then dies again during Annihilation, it feels like it would weaken the series somehow. But, Giffen and the Annihilation crew have earned my faith, so I'll they've got the benefit of the doubt from me.

- Question: On the final page, as the Centurions have arrived, there's a reddish guy with yellowish eyes at the bottom of the page, near Gamora. Does he look familiar to anyone? I think he may just be getting drawn similarly to the Firelord, and that's why I'm confused, but I could swear I've seen him somewhere before.

- I love the fact that in the Nova Corps Files, we learn these Centurions aren't fighting because Annihilus is threatening them, but because he's convinced them the Marvel Universe threatens their existence. They're fighting to preserve their lives, and the lives of their loved ones and other innocents. Just like Nova's crew. I actually have some empathy for them now.

- Who do you predict will show up to turn the tide back in the Nova Squad's favor in #3 (or #4, or #5, whenever it is things turn in their favor)? I don't expect the Shi'ar will make an appearance, they're too busy with the relatively minor problem of Vulcan looking for the dead Emperor D'Ken (although, as Len pointed out, if Vulcan's search leads him to free D'Ken from the M'Krann Crystal, and D'Ken has all the power that goes with it, that would be a much bigger problem than even Aegis and Tenebrous).

- I'm expecting/hoping for Beta Ray Bill. And I'd imagine Peter is going to have to assume his "Starlord" identity at some point, as part of a 'triumphing over his fears/doubts' story. Phyla's already there, so she's a pretty safe bet, for whatever good she can do. Beyond that, I don't know enough people in Cosmic Marvel.

- Has there been a group of Centurions in Marvel previously? I know about Sunturion an old Iron Man foe, and I seem to remember a cartoon called Centurions, but I don't know if that was anything from the Marvelverse. Little help?

- But the thing I liked the best, was Thanos telling us that he's the one who spread the rumor that teleportation is an imprecise science. That's exactly the kind of long-term planning I was talking about here.

It's a perfect example of long-term planning. Thanos knows it will take time for the rumors to grow strong enough to scare people away from teleportation as an accessible science, but eventually he'll be the only one with that capability. So by convincing everyone else that teleportation is just as likely to materialize you inside a building, as it is get you where you want to go, he keeps an effective monopoly on the technology. It gives him a tactical advantage, as we see when first Ravenous, and then the Centurions both land right in the middle of Nova's encampment, with no advance warning whatsoever.

And there's no way for Nova's group to respond in kind. No else uses the technology, so they can't stage a similar sneak attack on Annihilus' forces. It's a nice safety buffer to have. Even if you use that stargate technology, it still takes time to open a gate, and they can probably only be so close to any planetary or celestial body, and it's kind of hard for the person you're going to attack to miss something like that. Good work Thanos.