The past is DEAD. The present, Annihilus, is WAR. 

—Thanos

Appearing in "The Culling"

Featured Characters:

• Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)

Supporting Characters:

• Tarq Maru (First appearance)
• Red Shift
• Firelord (Pyreus Kril)
• Galactus
• Stardust (Lambda-Zero)

Antagonists:

• Annihilation Wave
  • Annihilus
• Seekers
  • Ravenous
  • Currs
• Thanos
• Skreet

Other Characters:

• Terrax the Tamer (Tyros)
• Air-Walker (Mentioned)

Races and Species:

• Landlaks
• Zenn-Lavians
• Skrulls (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
• Titanians
• Chaos Sprites
• Arthrosians
• Xandarians
• Taa-ans
• Ethereals

Locations:

• Skrull Empire
  • The Eudorian Reach
  • Tercera Prime
• Titan (Mentioned)
• Negative Zone (Mentioned)
• Xandar (Mentioned)

Items:

• Terrax's Axe
• Silver Surfer's Surfboard
• Cosmic Control Rod
• Red Shift's Swords
• Firelord's Staff
• Stardust's Halberd

Synopsis for "The Culling"

19 days after Annihilation Day. On the Eudorian Reach in the Skrull Empire, the Annihilation wave is scavenging through debris, turning everything it can into energized crystalline matter and recovering all remaining combustible fossil fuels. Suddenly an intruder alert is trigger and Terrax the Tamer, former herald to Galactus, arrives and is engaged by Seekers.

Seven light-years away in the peripheral system Tercera Prime, the Silver Surfer is going through more and more destruction left behind from the genocide. A being by the name of Tarq Maru calls out to him from the rubble. He informs Surfer that he is the sole survivor and the skrulls never knew what hit them. He asks Surfer to take him to the destruction on the planet so that he can see it for himself. In awe of the scale of death he sees, Tarq tells Surfer that he can leave now. Not wanting to leave him by himself in the middle of space, Surfer reasons with Tarq that he won't leave him. Nearby, several Seekers are closing in on the Surfer's position. Their Currs have been tracking him even through hyperspace.

In the secondary system Yarvan 7, Thanos is about to meet with Annihilus. Skreet does not seem comfortable. Ravenous tells Thanos that his reputation precedes him and he does not approach Annihilus on his knees. Annihilus tells Thanos he granted the meeting to recognize his past glory. After Thanos tells him that he knows why he wages this war and more, Annihilus commands everyone else to leave. Annihilus reasons that he wages this war because this universe is expanding. And it expands into the Negative Zone and into his realm. He is merely taking back what is his. Thanos tells him that his coming was foretold by one he honors... death.

Back in Tercera Prime, the Seekers are attacking Silver Surfer. Tarq is trying to avoid the fight as Surfer explains that they are after the power cosmic. Surfer destroys their Currs that attack him. He points out that previously, Ravenous had opted to talk once his Curr had been killed until a new one had regenerated. This shows that the opposing force, the Essence, does not reside in the Seekers, but in the Currs. However, Surfer does not desire to kill the Seekers, even when vulnerable. As the Seekers charge again, they are suddenly engulfed in fire and destroyed. Surfer turns around to see Red Shift and Firelord floating above him.

Thanks to Surfer figuring out how the Currs were the source of power connected to the Seekers, Red Shift and Firelord were able to kill them much easier. Surfer did not want to kill them, but the other two claim that this is war and they brought it on themselves. Red Shift tells Surfer that if it were not for Firelord he would've been captured by Seekers. Firelord makes the claim that individually they are formidable, but together they are near invincible. Surfer tells them of Gabriel the Air Walker's death, and none of them know where Terrax or Stardust are. They wonder if they Annihilation wave would dare threaten Galactus himself.

In the Obada'an system of the Badoon Hegemony, Stardust is returning to Galactus. Galactus tells Stardust that the balance has been undone.

Firelord tells of a refugee caravan a few systems away. They decide to take Tarq there first, and then they will decide what to do against Annihilus.

Back in the Eudorian Reach, Terrax has been captured by Seekers.

In Yarvan 7, Skreet is uncomfortable in the presence of the bugs. Thanos tells her that they will remain allied with Annihilus until he decides otherwise. When asked what that depends on, Thanos retorts that it depends on the extent of his tolerance.

Solicit Synopsis

Notes

Trivia

See Also

• 7 image(s) from Annihilation: Silver Surfer Vol 1 2
• 3 reprint(s) of Annihilation: Silver Surfer Vol 1 2

Links and References

References