As a dedicated Marvel fan and a lover of beat ‘em up games, I’mbeyond hyped forMARVEL Cosmic Invasion- not least because it finally gives a major, Thanos-tier villain their turn to shine. While the MCU has inexplicably left this godlike big-bad on the table, it’s long past their time to shine, and their comic history makes them theperfectvillain for Marvel’s new game.
Recently,Dotemureleased a trailer forMARVEL Cosmic Invasion- a retro-style brawler from the creators of the critically belovedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. The game sees heroes including Captain America, Wolverine, Storm and Captain America take on the hordes of Annihilus
As a comic fan, it’s amazing to see Annihilus finally get the spotlight as a world-ending threat. The villain’s army of insectoid soldiers makes him the perfect antagonist for a beat ‘em up, and it’s long past time that Annihilus’ profile was raised.
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion Finally Unleashes Annihilus
The Game Is an Awesome Nod to Marvel’s Most Beloved Event
Debuting in 1968’sFantastic Four Annual #6by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby,Annihilus is the ruler of the Negative Zone- a parallel, anti-matter dimension far older than Earth. The Negative Zone is so old that reality has begun to contract, leading to a broiling civil war between its denizens as resources and territories are eroded. Out of that conflict,Annihilus has become the unkillable, godlike ruler of the vast majority of the Negative Zone, partly thanks to his endless legion of followers, who blanket countless planets.
One of Annihilus’ most terrifying powers is that no matter how he’s killed, he will always resurrect, causing his followers to see him more as a god than a dictator.
Even Thanos Admits One Cosmic Villain Has a More Powerful Mind
While Thanos may be an iconic powerhouse of Marvel’s cosmic landscape, even he struggles to comprehend the mind of Annihilus.
Annihilus Is One of Marvel’s Biggest Threats of All Time - Perhaps Worse Than Thanos
Annihilus Is Exactly the Kind of Villain You Need a Whole Game to Tackle
While Annihilus has threatened the Earth many times -and is a huge physical threat thanks to his Cosmic Control Rod, which bends energy to his will- he’s most famous for Marvel’s epic 2006 crossoverAnnihilation. The story saw Annihilus open a portal from the Negative Zone, allowing an endless army of bugs to attack the Marvel Universe. Known as the Annihilation Wave, this bug army razed millions of worlds, totally rewriting the landscape of Marvel’s cosmos. Despite being followed by hits likeCivil WarandSecret Invasion,Annihilationis nevertheless still celebratedasperhaps Marvel’s single best comic event.
While most of Earth’s heroes weren’t involved inAnnihilation, the game includes Phyla-Vell’s Martyr and the cosmic hero Nova, who both helped save the universe from Annihilus… at least, as much of the universe as the Annihilation Wave left standing.
The story affected all Marvel’s cosmic characters - with Thanos, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, Nova and Star-Lord forming various factions and alliances - andresulted in the formation of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy, with the mission that such a devastating attack would never be allowed again. However, Annihilus isn’t a one-trick pony - other highlights fron his long career in comics includekilling Fantastic Four’s Human Torchand coming within a hair’s breadth of godhood, only failing because Thanos and Adam Warlock sabotaged his plans. One of Annihilus' most terrifying powers is that no matter how he’s killed, he will always resurrect, causing his followers to see him more as a god than a dictator.
Annihilus is one of the biggest threats in the Marvel Universe, and has killed more innocents than perhaps any other. Whilehe definitely deserves Thanos-level treatment from the MCU, becoming the big bad of what’s sure to be a beloved videogame is the next best thing, especially because he’s being treated as the true threat he actually is. WhenAnnihilusis involved, Marvel’s heroes know they’re up against an entire dimension - a premise which it’s clearMARVEL Cosmic Invasionwill live up to in the coolest way possible.
