The Annihilation Gambit!

This story takes place concurrently with the events of Fantastic Four #256…

Captain Marvel has returned to New York City ahead of Thor and Starfox, following their battle with Plant-Man. As she travels across the city she strikes an invisible barrier that deflects her energy form. Surprised by this, Marvel tries to pierce it by assuming different forms of energy. The only type that has some kind of give are gamma rays, but no matter how hard she tries, nothing can breach the barrier, which is slowly growing larger. When she returns to Avengers Mansion to report her finding, the Wasp is already well aware of what’s going on and is trying to determine the field’s origins. When she finally figures out where it came from she is horrified by what she discovers.

Moment later, in Brooklyn, Steve Rogers paces his apartment as he tries to think about what to do about Tony Stark’s current spiral into alcoholism.[1] His girlfriend, Bernie Rosenthal, tries to get Steve to talk about it but he can’t due to the classified nature of the problem. He then gets a distress call from the Wasp, who tells him the energy field is coming from the Baxter Building headquartesr of the Fantastic Four. He quickly changes into Captain America and heads off on his motorcycle to join his teammates in facing this current crisis.

Little does anyone know that this invisible force field is the work of Annihilus, who has taken over the Baxter Building. He has also taken the Fantastic Four’s ally, Alicia Masters, prisoner and has been torturing her since the team has been off exploring the Negative Zone.[2] The creature explains to Alicia that it is dying after his Cosmic Control rod was stolen.[3] Unwilling to die alone, Annihilus has created the field so he can cause a matter/anti-matter chain reaction that will destroy both Earth’s dimension and the Negative Zone, extinguishing all life on both. He then watches with amusement as the Avengers try in vein to stop the barrier from expanding further.

She-Hulk has been trying to hold back the barrier with her strength, but it continues to expand, pushing her forward as she strains. Not even Captain America’s indestructible shield can stop the field from growing. When Thor tries throwing Mjolnir at it, the hammer passes through it. Unfortunately, it cancels out the enchantment that makes the Mjolnir return whenever it is thrown. With sixty seconds until he reverts back to his mortal form of Donald Blake, Thor quickly races off to a nearby alley in order to preserve his secret identity. Trapped in his mortal form, Don Blake can now only watch by the sidelines, fearing that there is nothing he can do.

Meanwhile, at Cross Technological Enterprises, Hawkeye is trying to come up with a way to continue fighting crime even though he has a broken leg.[4] He has one of the designers at the company come up with something he can use to overcome his current handicap. That’s when he overhears a radio report about the Avengers current crisis and becomes anxious to help out.

Back in the city, while the rest of the team is trying to come up with a new strategy, Starfox decides to pass the time by charming a female doctor who is watching from the sidelines. Meanwhile, the Vision and the Scarlet Witch arrive — having been called out of their leave of absence to help in this crisis.[5] When the Vision uses his phasing powers to try and breach the barrier, he suddenly collapses to the ground on the other side. Fearing for her husband’s safety, Wanda tries using her hex powers to breach the barrier, but this also does not work.[6] By this point, Annihilus has had enough amusement and decides to activate a second barrier — this one made of anti-matter — that will also expand out from the Baxter Building. Once the one barrier touches the other, it will cause a chain reaction that will destroy everything.

Outside, Starfox continues to charm the female nurse until he notices that the Baxter Building is beginning to glow. Instantly recognizing what is going on, Eros rushes to warn his teammates of the danger.[6] When Captain Marvel reveals that she got some give while trying to attack the barrier in her gamma energy form, Starfox quickly comes up with a way for his teammate to pierce the barrier. While Monica flies into space, Annihilus projects his image outside the Baxter Building and explains his mad scheme to annihilate all life on Earth. With time running out, Captain Marvel loops around the sun in her energy form picking up momentum on her way back to Earth. She then rams into the barrier from above in her gamma energy form and pierces the barrier. Upon contact with the Baxter Building, there is a blinding flash of light and the barrier suddenly vanishes.

While the authorities are dealing with the mob of spectators, Don Blake uses the confusion to recover Mjolnir and change back into Thor. The Scarlet Witch also checks on her husband who is still alive but unresponsive. Since the Baxter Building is closer, the group races inside to get the Vision immediate medical attention. When they arrive in the Fantastic Four’s lab, they discover that the team has returned from their sojourn in the Negative Zone.[8] Reed assures them that the threat of Annihilus is now over and gets to work on examining the Vision. He discovers that there is not in any danger and concludes that the Vision’s repair systems have kicked in.[9] However, before Reed can get to work on speeding up these repairs the Invisible Girl comes rushing in with their son, Franklin Richards, in her arms. Franklin was seriously injured by Annihilus and needs to be taken to the hospital right away.[10] Mister Fantastic then races off with his wife, leaving Wanda to wonder what will become of her husband.[11]

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Wasp, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Vision, She-Hulk, Starfox, Captain Marvel), Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, Invisible Girl), Annihilus, Alicia Masters, Franklin Richards, Bernie Rosenthal, Jorge Letham

Continuity Notes

1. After months of sobriety following the events of Iron Man #128, Tony fell off the wagon again in issue #167 of that series. Captain America learned about it just last issue.

2. For more on the FF’s trip into the Negative Zone and how Annihilus took over the Baxter Building, see Fantastic Four #251-255.

3. The Cosmic Control Rod was stolen by Blastaar in Marvel Two-In-One #75.

4. Hawkeye busted his leg while the Avengers liberated a SHIELD facility from Plant-Man’s simuloids in Avengers #231.

5. Wanda and the Vision resigned from the Avengers in issue #211 so they could focus on their personal lives.

6. Wanda’s powers are referred to as a mutant ability here. However, this is not actually the case. Later, in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #5, it’s revealed that Wanda was experimented upon by the High Evolutionary as a child. To cover up his work, he made it so any genetic tests done on her would register her as a mutant.

7. Here the Wasp wishes that the Hulk accepted their offer to rejoin the Avengers. This happened in Incredible Hulk #285.

8. Captain America notes that the Fantastic Four are wearing different uniforms. Reed explains that the color scheme of their costumes was affected by crossing over from the Negative Zone to Earth in Fantastic Four #256.

9. Annihilus survives his defeat in Fantastic Four #256 and will return in issue #289-290 of that series.

10. Here, Thor states that he is going to miss his flight back to Chicago. Thor’s alter ego, Don Blake, recently relocated to that city in Thor #319. Franklin’s fate is revealed in Fantastic Four #257 & Thing #2. He’ll be fine.

11. The Vision will remain in a coma state until he is linked up with the Titan world-computer ISAAC in Avengers #238 and regain his mobility in issue #242.