Tuesday, September 19, 2006

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.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Google comes up blank on any past Centurions, outside of a mention that it was a nickname of Nova's...

Oh, and about Super Skrull? Yeeeah. Thank the December solicits on Newsarama for jumping the gun on that one, though... can't say I'm surprised.

thekelvingreen said...

I'd hoped that the Super-Skrull wasn't coming back, as he had a fitting death, and we've got umpteen other Super, Power, and Mega Skrulls knocking about that one could fill the conceptual gap without undermining the particulaar character. Oh well.

I don't have the comic in front of me, so I don't know about the red guy, but I remember there was a craggy fellow in there who looked just like Tempus, Immortus' lackey. Not sure if it is him though, as it's bit out of his way.

I don't know who the cavalry will be, although Rom's Spaceknights are supposed to be appearing at some point (without Rom, obviously). I'd guess we're going to geet some villains popping up to help out; Blastarr was in the Encyclopedia, which implies a future appearance, and he hates Annihilus, so...

And since Civil Bore is idiotically ignoring Doctor Doom, it would be fun to see him turn up here instead. Since Reed Richards is happily ignoring a threat to the entire universe from one of his own rogues' gallery, it's a perfect opportunity for Doom to get one up on The Accursed Richards. Similarly, Kang won't want Annihilus stomping all over the past.

Beta Ray Bill is a possibility, and I definitely see a suicidal mission (Starlord getting it, most likely, but after he's rediscovered himself as you suggest) to free Galactus ending with a very pissed off Devourer going ape all over Annihilus' base.

Oh, and as I recall, the Centurions were those guys who had suits where you could plug stuff into them so they could act as armour, or submarines, or plnes, etc. They had a toy line, a cartoon, and a Marvel tie-in comic, but I don't think they were ever denizens of the MU.

CalvinPitt said...

carla: Oh yeah, that right. "Centurion" is the term for a member of the Nova Corps with Nova's (normal) power level. They mentioned that in the Prologue's Nova Files.

And he'll be back by December? *crosses his fingers that it's worthwhile*

kelvin: Dr. Doom showing up would be completely awesome, plus it would let us use that old Walt Simonson explanation and say the Dr. Doom Black Panther beat was actually a Doom-bot, and Doom was off in space at the time.

I think those TV guys must be the Centurions I'm remembering. They had ads for them in some of my older Marvel Comics.

thekelvingreen said...

Wikipedia to the rescue!

Anonymous said...

Not Bill. He's become a Donald Blake/Thor mold now and is based on earth pretty much permanently.

So unless Marvel ignores there own seires I don--

Never mind.

I'd enjoy seeing the Venisians ala Marvel Boy. It could tie into the aftermath of Agents of Atlas. You know two non promoted great Marvel series getting together?

And hey Marvel Boy can get back his Bands. Quasar isn't using them after all.

CalvinPitt said...

kelvin: Danke

mallet: Bill's on Earth now? I figured he was space bound after that "Stormbreaker" mini-series.

I guess I wouldn't be against Marvel Boy showing up, although those panels you showed creeped the hell out of me.

Plus I kind of thought the bands got absorbed by Annihilus' cosmic control rod, along with Quasar.

I better go read Nova #4 again.

thekelvingreen said...

Well, Quasar's getting a new series off the back of this, so he's not all dead.

What I want to know is what happened to Ego, the Living Planet. Last I knew, Quasar absorbed Ego into his own body so that Ego wouldn't absorb the Earth. Subsequently, Quasar couldn't step foot on Earth, or Ego would re-emerge.

Then Bendis had Quasar turn up outside Avengers Mansion, so grud knows what happened to Ego.