Annihilation (2006 series) #2

It's Annihilation Day+212 on Daedalus 5, ie 6 days after the United Front defeated 1 arm of the Annihilation Wave by capturing and sedating its hive-queen Extirpia. They're thankful for the respite.

We see Cammi find Drax who keeps trying to lose the annoying Terran pre-teen but he can't shake her. He's busy roasting a leg of 1 of the insectoid foe. Then someone else finds him too. It's Phyla-Vell, sometimes Captain Marvel, who's made her way here to tell him that Thanos has taken his daughter Heather Douglas, better known to us as Moondragon. When he's calmed her down by slapping her she explains what happened They were on Titan visiting the graves of her father (Mar-Vell) and brother (Genis-Vell). She'd tried to take on their mantle of Captain Marvel, Protector Of The Universe, but had found herself not yet worthy. Then they were interrupted by the arrival of Thanos with his current Chaos Sprite companion Skreet on his shoulder who blurted out that they'd come for MD. The female duo made a preemptive strike but the Mad Titan put Phyla down and Skreet 'clobbed' Moonie. Then Thanos rippped off 1 of Heather's ears and gave it to Phyla as a message for Drax.

Now Drax gets the message of the ear with 1 of Moondragon's large golden disc earrings attached. Cammi is confused because Drax always told her that his daughter was dead. Drax says *Heather* died. Now he believes this is a warning for him to keep away but he won't. Phyla pleads with him to let her try to rescue Heather before he attacks. But the Destroyer points out that he was created to kill Thanos, and the fate of his daughter can't stand in the way. He leaves and tactless Cammi asks Phyla if she can keep the ear.

Elsewhere in the base Nova (Richard Rider), Peter Quill (ex-Star-Lord) and Ronan (the ex-Accuser) have a meeting with the 3 House Fiyero-appointed military leaders. Ronan declares that Kree troops are being sent to their deaths in the war against the Annihilation Wave, and new tactics are needed. The leaders refuse to treat with him because he is a convicted traitor against the Kree. Ronan counters that they are merchants who know nothing of war and treat the soldiers as commodities to be used up. He asks what the Supreme Intelligence has to say about it, and they say that the SI is irrelevant and House Fiyero now rules the Kree Empire. They mention the outstanding arrest warrant for him but Quill dismisses *that* as irrelevant out here. They threaten to withdraw the Kree forces from the United Front (despite the fact that it's the Kree Empire that's currently being defended). UF leader Nova says they support Ronan. The 3 generals pull guns on the Accuser but he blasts them to death with his Universal Weapon, and suggests raising seasoned warriors from the ranks to replace them. Rider worries about the Kree army being recalled. Ronan suggests they lend him a battalion to topple House Fiyero, but Nova points out there are no men to spare.

The discussion is curtailed by Gamora who says they have different visitors. It's robotic Praxagora with the body of Super-Skrull. She describes the ending of the Annihilation: Super-Skrull mini-series where she was about to self-destruct, taking as many of the Annihilation Wave as she could with her when Kl'rt kissed her and absorbed all her heat so that he would die instead of her. He died a hero. Ronan can't believe that of this major foe of the Kree and he spits on his coffin. Gamora is suspicious because Praxagora is from the Negative Zone like Annihilus and the Wave.

The meeting is interrupted by the teleporting in of a new force led by Ravenous with some leashed Currs (all from the Ann: Silver Surfer mini-series). With him are a large android originally created by the Mad Thinker, Skrull Paibok, ex-Galactus Herald Terrax and another alien who we'll learn is called the Delinquent. The last 2 appear to be infested with small insects. Gamora recognises the teleportation signature as that of Thanos. Peter Quill sends a signal to bring down from orbit their 2 ex-Heralds Red Shift and Stardust, and battle commences.

But we look away to Thanos' starship in Skrull territory. Annihilus demands instant results but Thanos reminds him of what he's already done for him:- Given him teleportation tech. Made a bargain with Aegis and Tenebrous which resulted in the capture of Galactus and Silver Surfer who we now see (along with the corpse of ex-Herald Morg). Which in turn will lead to their prime goal, the biological application of the Power Cosmic. But of course Annihilus is used to his lackeys doing what he wants immediately and can't abide the independent attitude of his Titanian ally.

Back on Daedalus 5 Ravenous deploys his troops. He sends Terrax to kill Gamora, Paibok to take out some snipers and Delinquent and the robot to deal with the regular troops while he and his Currs go after Nova. But Ronan stands in his way. Nova gets an infodump from the Xandarian Worldmind in his head/helmet (see the Ann: Nova mini-series). Terrax seems to be asking Gamora to kill *him*. The Thinker's robot is spraying a deadly mist while robotic Praxagora fails to restrain him. Delinquent is using his Elanian mental powers as Red Shift and Stardust join the fight. Drax also joins in and slashes Delinquent with his knives releasing a horde of little insects from his body.

And then another teleportation event unleashes a whole new group of aliens that Ravenous declares are Annihilus' elite the Centurions.