Annihilation: Ronan (2006 series) #1

For most of Marvel history the Kree have been ruled by the Supreme Intelligence, and 1 of his main supporters was (usually) Ronan The Accuser. But in the Annihilation: Prologue 1-shot we saw Ronan being arrested for treason. He claimed to be expecting it and handed over his Universal Weapon.

But now it's Annihilation Day + 88 on the planet Bwokk in Kree System 217 and he's walking free with the Weapon. 2 angry clans face each other. It was supposed to be a day of reconciliation but Nonna of the Lo-Kala accuses Metz of the Qa-Kabar of killing her daughter. But he slaps her away and calls her daughter a whore. Ronan intervenes to dispense Kree justice. The crowd seems to think he no longer has any authority because he's been outlawed after his conviction for treason, and anyway they don't want Kree laws here. Metz presents his defence in the shape of a sword but the Universal Weapon shatters it, and the Accuser KO's him and declares "The defence rests".

Then he drags the body and takes the accusing woman to an amphitheatre where he'll hold court. Nonna says that her daughter was pledged to Metz in order to bring peace to the 2 tribes but he killed her. She's about to say more but Ronan cuts her off and asks the reviving Metz for his side of the story. Metz denies his authority here but Ronan replies that wherever a (blue) Kree stands so does Kree law. Metz admits to killing Homma but refuses to explain why to *him*. So Ronan sentences him to trial by combat. There are 3 'dinosaurs' in cages and the Kree sets them free. Metz has a big axe but the dinos make a meal of him.

Nonna rails at him and says she never wanted *this*. But Ronan leaves her, satisfied that justice has been done.

He goes to the person he came to this planet to see named Tullk. But before they get down to business Tullk explains the reality of the case he's just 'tried'. Metz found Homma cheating on him and local law gave him the right to execute her and her lover. Now with Metz dead all hell will be let loose. Ronan ignores this and asks about his own business. Tullk tells him that the witness, the Rigellian Tana Nile, that he seeks left Bwokk 3 days ago and he has the flight plan she filed, but pretends to have difficulty finding it. Ronan hands over info about the tactical deployment of Beta District Sentries which Tullk describes as very useful, and gives him the flight plan. But on the way out the Accuser contacts the Beta District watchtower and informs them that their Sentry deployment has been compromised.

Meanwhile all-out war has broken out, even at the central spaceport which is Ronan's next destination. His UW protects him from being hit by either side until he reaches his spaceship and leaves the planet to follow Tana Nile's trail. En route he remembers her testifying at his trial (A-Day + 29) that she was undercover on Skrull planet Ak'sklo where she overheard Ronan conspiring with Warlord Baron S'Bak to overthrow House Fiyero, the current Kree rulers, and replace them with himself and in return he would hand over some Kree worlds to the Skrulls. But now he sees a large number of spacecraft all heading in a particular direction and he asks his computer where they're going. The AI tells him it's the planet Godthab Omega. He asks for information about the place and if there are any Kree currently on it. And on impulse he decides to go there.

When he lands on the planet he uses the Weapon to scan for Kree in nearby buildings. There are several armed chars detected and 1 of them emerges to greet him - it's an old comrade Korath The Pursuer who confirms that they've all been exiled like him. Over a drink he explains that they are all part of what was the Kree Starforce, and after the Kree Empire was defeated by the Nega-Bomb (at the end of the Kree/Shi'ar war that we know of as Operation Galactic Storm) the Starforce was taken over by the Shi'ar. But when the Nu-Elite restored the Kree Empire the Starforce were branded defectors, and they've come here to hide on this backwater planet.

But he adds that they are under threat by foes called the Graces, and he asks for Ronan's aid. And as luck would have it 2 of the female Graces, Nebula and Stellaris, choose this moment to attack the place with blasts that bring the building down. But the Accuser emerges unscathed and does the neck-cracking cliche before slamming the Universal Weapon down to cause earth-tremors that knock the assailants off their feet.

And in the Graces' base castle on Mount Virago, seated on a throne of skulls, Gamora prepares to face him.