The greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe have more to worry about than just Doctor Doom, as Annihilus threatens to destroy the present and the future. Doctor Doom’s rise to power was always temporary, and the Superior Avengers’ promise to improve on the Avengers formula was similarly set on weak foundations. The Superior Avengers always had the odds stacked against them. Betrayal was within arm’s reach from the start.
The long-awaited moment comes in Superior Avengers #5, where Killmonger stabs Kristoff von Doom and the Superior Avengers prepare to return to their timelines. However, future Annihilus comes out of Abomination’s body, turning the team’s plans upside down. Now, in Superior Avengers #6, the titular anti-heroes find themselves rushing to escape the monstrous creature before it chases them back home.
Kristoff von Doom cries among the dead in Superior Avengers #6
The outlook is dire, and Superior Avengers #6 suggests the end of this short-lived Avengers replacement team won’t be pretty for anyone involved.
A Monstrous Annihilus Now Surpasses Doctor Doom’s Threat Level
Superior Avengers #6; Written by Steve Foxe; Art by Kyle Hotz, Luca Maresca, Mattia Iacono, & Rachelle Rosenberg
The Superior Avengers have fought Annihilus multiple times before, and they’ve even defeated the original monster in the present day. However, the future dragon-like Annihilus from their timeline is a being so powerful that he vastly exceeds the impact of Doctor Doom’s extended reign on Earth. Future Doctor Doom’s death is overshadowed by Annihilus’ presence in the Superior Avengers’ home timeline.
Just like a Xenomorph from the Aliens universe and the shapeshifting creature from The Thing, Annihilus is able to wipe out entire teams of survivors by infiltrating one of their members. As Killmonger and Malekith note, it’s ironic that Abomination ends up betraying them not because of his loyalty to Doom but because he had been hiding Annihilus within him all along. Now, present-day Earth is on Annihilus’ menu.
Annihilus Is The Very Defnition Of Unstoppable
Annihilus Can’t Be Reasoned With
Annihilus in Marvel Comics
Annihilus can’t be manipulated. Annihilus only knows conquest. Driven exclusively by survival, he feels no remorse or fear as he destroys everything and everyone in his wake, backed by the overwhelming swarm of the Annihilation Wave. This makes him even more dangerous than villains like Doctor Doom and Thanos, who are driven by emotion.
When unleashed, Annihilus has repeatedly proven just how devastating he can be. In the now-iconic Annihilation storyline, Annihilus nearly succeeded in consuming the Marvel Universe. Heroes like Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy were forced into desperate alliances just to slow him down.
If Annihilus became a cosmic-level threat in his base form, then a monstrous, future version of Annihilus should be the very definition of unstoppable. And if the Superior Avengers can’t contain him in the future, then the present-day Avengers might not have a chance in the present day either. After Doctor Doom’s impending defeat, a new Annihilation may be inevitable.
Superior Avengers #6 is available from Marvel Comics.