Question about Annihilus:

[Baltho08]

Considering he is called the "Death that Walks" and therefore knows Death Intimately, could it be that he is the Negative Zone's equivalent to Galactus? It's been stated that Ravenous and his hounds are the carriers of the Negative Zone's equivalent to the Power Cosmic; they serve Annihilus. That said, wouldn't Annihilus be the Negative Zone's version of Galactus? Or, is there another, as yet unnamed being who is Galactus's equivalent?
Peace.

[Expletive Deleted]

I think the "Death that Walks" thing is just an epithet, but there has been some speculation about cosmic beings in the Negative Zone and Annihilus's connection to them.

Ravenous and company have something called "the Opposing Force" which is a lot like the Power Cosmic, so there might be something there.

[DABegley]

I believe the quote is "The living death that walks.". Implies that he is a living being as opposed to a cosmic force. He also has a history of being born as a normal being and gaining power through normal (well, normal in the MU) means, theft of technology and mutation. Doesn't seem that he would fit the bill of the equivalent of a cosmic being. Besides the opposite being to Galactus is the in-betweener as shown in the SS series.

[gorthon616]

I believe the quote is "The living death that walks.". Implies that he is a living being as opposed to a cosmic force. He also has a history of being born as a normal being and gaining power through normal (well, normal in the MU) means, theft of technology and mutation. Doesn't seem that he would fit the bill of the equivalent of a cosmic being. Besides the opposite being to Galactus is the in-betweener as shown in the SS series.

How exactly are galactus and the in-betweener opposites?

[XPac]

How exactly are galactus and the in-betweener opposites?

It's kind of that Galactis is to Eternity and Death what the In Betweener is to Chaos and Order. One is from a univese that exists ruled by life and death while the other is from a dimension ruled by chaos and order.

Or something like that.

[Baltho08]

Then wouldn't Ravenous and co. be stealing the In-betweener's power merely by existing? Shouldn't HE be making an attempt to get his power back? Hmmmm...interesting stuff; I didn't think In-betweener was from the Negative Zone though. If anything, I would think that In-betweener is the opposite to Galactus in the 616 universe, though in the Negative universe, there would be an opposite to both Galactus AND the In-betweener. Oh well.
Peace.

[Soundrave]

Besides the opposite being to Galactus is the in-betweener as shown in the SS series.

He's not really his opposite but instead another being just like him who serves as balancer between two opposing forces.

And it's from Fantastic Four, not SS (although SS did guest star in those issues).

[JoeCool]

No, it is in Silver Surfer's series that the story in question took place. The FF4 consisted of Doom leading the remainders (with Susan, Reed and Son with the Surfer) over to meet the Beyonder and his buddies.

And to be a bit more precise, the in-betweener states something to the effect that he is ALL opposites, which makes him Galactus' opposite. And that is why he could not summon an 'anti-galactus' force with which to kill him with.

Joe

[Arilou]

Didn't Galactus (when he beat In-Betweener to a pulp) specifically say that he has *no* opposites? Seem to recall that from the scans.

[Jeff-E]

I'm not sure if Big G has an opposite or not, but I don't think it's Anni. While Anni is really powerful his threat lies more in sheer volume of space ships and militant force than his direct cosmic power. Sure he can take down a squad or two of his own forces but than again so could others. I think if the Wave turned on him he'd be just as F.U.B.A.R.'d as the rest. He killed Quasar so quick because 1) He was able to absorb the Quantum energy via control rod... that's basically what that thing does, manipulates and absorbs energy and 2) Wendell is Human, while the bands did make him a bad mo'fo if he wanted to be, he was still just a human underneath, and even a human with S.H.I.E.L.D. training hasn't got a prayer against Anni. Sum it up and make a long story short (TOO LATE) Anni's power and threat in my humble opinion comes more from the armada he leads and their unwaivering loyalty to him and not so much from Anni himself, even though he is a bad mother.... shut yo mouth. What, I'm just talkin' bout Annhilius?

[Soundrave]

No, it is in Silver Surfer's series that the story in question took place. The FF4 consisted of Doom leading the remainders (with Susan, Reed and Son with the Surfer) over to meet the Beyonder and his buddies.


Is that the story where In-Betweener double-crosses and kills the Elders? I could've sworn it was an FF issue where SS guest-starred, but I guess it could've been the other way around.

[Cthulhudrew]

It was a SS issue with two members of the FF starring (Reed and Sue had temporarily retired), but as both titles were being written by Englehart at the time, it's not too difficult to imagine why you might get them confused. (They even crossed over at one point, with the Thing-led FF- Thing, Human Torch, She-Thing, and Crystal- along with Doom, seeing them in passing as they slipped through the dimension of Chaos and Order.

As for the In-Betweener opposites thing, the In-Betweener just supposed he must be Galactus' opposite, as he couldn't summon a counterpart/counteragent for Galactus, and given his role as the third part of the Chaos/Order division. (Englehart was doing a cosmic riff explaining the role of all the entities in the multiverse, and comparing Galactus, with his unique relationship with Eternity and Death, with the In-Betweener).

The relationship wasn't completely apt, though, as Galactus preceded everything in this universe, and though he has a unique relationship with Eternity and Death, it is a relationship more of a siblinghood (all three of them came into their current state of existence at the same time), while the In-Betweener was created by Order and Chaos in order to further their own dynamic relationship.

The Living Tribunal later notes that Galactus really doesn't have an opposite or equal himself, and is unique in the universe, though his heralds are the closest he comes to having an opposite.

In any event, the whole thing was quite confusing and not necessarily apt. The LT even notes that the Stranger could have been his fourth face, thus setting them apart as opposites, which elevates the Stranger to a whole different level of power, and that seems to have largely been ignored.

It also doesn't take into account other cosmic entities, such as Infinity and Oblivion, who don't have a "third" (though, I guess you could argue, since they are aspects of Eternity and Death, that Galactus still fills that role), or Master Hate and Mistress Love (who have no one, though I've often speculated on who might fill that role, and I don't think they were actually created at the time anyway).

[Baltho08]

Well, check this scan:

http://www.comicboards.com/surfer/attachments/061021072054/FF-%20V3-044-16.jpg

If the cosmic control rod is a funnel to the core of the negative zone's universe, wouldn't that just make it the same as the Power Cosmic (which is basically the same thing in the 616 universe?) If Annihilus himself is not the equivalent of Galactus, his Cosmic Control Rod must be. The fact he can command beings such as Ravenous and his hounds, who possess the Opposing Force, destroy/absorb Quasar then beat Nova w/ ease, seems to intimate the fact that if he himself is not the Negative Zone's Galactus, he at least his representative of the opposite of Galactus via his control of the Cosmic Control Rod.
Peace.