Annihilation (2006 series) #1

Nova (Richard Rider)'s log recording reviews the history of the Annihilation Wave so far. On Annihilation Day the Wave came through the Crunch at the edge of the expanding universe and destroyed the Kyln prison there. On A-Day+7 they destroyed the Nova Corps homeworld Xandar and he was the only survivor of the Corps. A-Day+15-79 they destroyed (the fragments of) the Skrull Empire. The Wave is led by Annihilus, ruler of the Negative Zone, because our universe is expanding by taking territory from his universe.

Now on Daedalus 5 on the periphery of the Kree System Nova is leading some sort of United Front in defence of the planet. His log tells us they've been fighting the Wave for 6 months and retreating but they've learned enough to hold the line here. If they lose here then it's all over. His log also tells us that his 2nd-in-command is Peter Quill (ex-Star-Lord but he won't explain why) who joined them after the Tartarus Minor 'debacle'.

Peter tells 'Richie' it's not going well and recommends they fall back to the secondary perimeter. Nova asks if Gamora agrees and Quill says she's busy running her guerilla fighter teams and always favours attack over retreat. Then some forcefields fail on the right flank and Quill predicts more will blow.

The Kree battalions there are getting decimated. Ronan appears to aid the defence but recommends an orderly retreat. Nova's log tells us that since House Fiyero took control of the central world Hala (from the Supreme Intelligence) the army is in disarray. And that Ronan The ex-Accuser has been banished as a traitor. Now the Kree Commander refuses to take orders from a traitor so Ronan kills him and takes over. The soldiers are willing to follow him and he organises the retreat with minimal casualties.

Nova handles the general fall-back and his log tells us that at Tartarus Minor they lost because they were fighting a ground war but the enemy killed them from orbit. Now we've got cleverer.

In orbit over the planet we see Firelord, Red Shift and Stardust, all ex-Heralds Of Galactus, taking out the Wave's spaceships. Nova's log tells us the rumour that Annihilus has ordered such Heralds be taken alive, but the firepower being sent against them suggests that this is no longer the case. Possibly he's already captured some other Heralds. We learn also that the Heralds had been waging their own hit-and-run war against the Wave but Quill somehow convinced Firelord that it would be better for them to join *this* fight.

Rider tells Peter to stop calling him Richie. But then he dons his Nova Corps helmet (to gain his full power) to hold off advancing insectoid hordes while his command staff retreat. Drax The Destroyer stays to help while a Kree soldier picks up his pre-teen female Terran sidekick Cammi to join the retreat. Camille Benally protests leaving her friend and warns the Kree to watch where he puts his hands. Nova's log reminds us how Drax helped him survive after the fall of the Nova Corps and taught him hard lessons of warfare (in the Annihilation: Nova mini-series and unrecorded later). The Destroyer gets overwhelmed by attackers but flying Nova lifts him from the fray. Drax tells him that the Wave has overrun the wounded and if the main force stops to help them they will all die. So Rider (literally) drops Drax behind the secondary perimeter and then heads back to the advancing insects and the wounded. He calls down a heavy barrage centred on him, which kills both sides and possibly himself.

Nova's log tells us that Drax came back and got him out barely alive. The medics had to grow him a new leg. Meanwhile Firelord attacked the flagship of this Annihilation Wave fleet. His power was nearly depleted when he reached the insect-queen Extirpia. He used the last of his power against her. And proved the theory that each fleet was a a hive-mind centred on their queen. Without her they stopped fighting in disarray.

In his own flagship at the Kree system Rhianda 9 Annihilus isn't happy at the news that Exterpia has fallen to 1 of the Heralds he'd ordered killed. Thanos, with little Skreet on his shoulder, points out via videolink that the insect lord had ordered them captured, not killed, which was more difficult. He also reminds the lord that he'd agreed to find a biological application of the Heralds' Power Cosmic as long as Annihilus left him alone to do it his own way. And they now have the resources to proceed with the plan, which Nova's United Front know nothing of. The Living Death That Walks hates being stood up to but angrily tells him to get on with it.

And then he turns to his lieutenant Ravenous who leads the Seekers who *have* been charged with capturing the Heralds. With respect the minion points out that knowing they're wanted alive encourages the Heralds to fight without fear. Annihilus' 2 other queen-wives, Eradica and Extermina, are also on separate videolinks and they demand to be allowed to claim revenge for their sister Extirpia. The boss tells them to shut up but he also tells Ravenous that now that Thanos has his 'resources' the other ex-Heralds aren't required so they *can* be killed.

On A-Day+206 on Daedalus 5 the fighting's over and it's downtime. We learn that Richard Rider and Gamora are an item by finding them in bed together. Rider leaves her, glances at a photo of his parents and goes to find Peter Quill. Peter comments that Gamora never stopped until everyone was accounted for. He figures she's trying to live up to her 'most dangerous woman in the galaxy' rep. Rich thinks Peter should be living up to his Star-Lord rep. Peter says that when the insectoids lost their hive-mother he should have gone on an all-out attack while Rich was in hospital, but he didn't want to push his luck because the last time he did that it went badly. He tells us the that Red Shift (and the kangaroo guy?) brought Firelord's body back and their new guest who they've got hidden behind psi-baffles. He also mentions that the Shi'ar are still not ready to  commit to either side, and the Badoon are in hiding.

We see Drax honing his knife while Cammi complains of boredom as usual. She suggests that the only reason he's in this war is because it might get him a shot at Thanos. Drax admits she's right. (Killing Thanos is the only reason he was created back in Iron Man #55.)

Rider and Quill visit the hospital bed where Firelord lies being examined by a Rigellian doctor who declares him both dead and alive. She can't make sense of the altered body that Galactus gave him as a Herald. Now they go to see the captive insectoid queen Extirpia. She claims that they've already lost the war but they don't know it. While they were busy fighting the Annihilation Wave Annihilus struck against Galactus and Silver Surfer who had agreed to become G's Herald again, with more power than any ex-Herald, even himself, had. Thanos knew of the ancient gods Aegis Of All Sorrows and Tenebrous Of The Darkness who Galactus had imprisoned in the Kyln when the universe was young. When the passing Annihilation Wave destroyed it they were released for revenge, and Thanos found them. That was all in the Silver Surfer mini-series, but now we learn that Thanos led them to Galactus for Annihilus, and Big G and his Herald fell under their assault. And these are Thanos' resources.