Annihilation: Conquest #2
Annihilation: Conquest #2 is a pivotal chapter in the mid-series convergence of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's cosmic reconstruction of the Marvel Universe, drawing together the scattered resistance threads — Phyla-Vell's quest, Ronan's Wraith-powered faction, Star-Lord's ragtag squad, and Adam Warlock's re-emergence — into a single escalating confrontation with Ultron's Phalanx. The issue is also notable as the first appearance in the main series of the 'I Am Groot' speech pattern, marking the early stages of the character's transformation from a loquacious alien into the iconic limited-vocabulary figure the world knows today. The full cast assembled here — Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Mantis, Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, Moondragon — collectively represent the proto-Guardians of the Galaxy, and this series directly spawned the 2008 ongoing team title that inspired the 2014 film franchise.
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The six-issue main Annihilation: Conquest series was written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, who had been invited by editor Andy Schmidt to pilot the event after their well-received work on the Nova tie-in to the original Annihilation. Bill Rosemann served as editor on the main series, with Tom Raney on pencils, Scott Hanna on inks, Frank D'Armata on colors, and Aleksi Briclot providing the covers. The issue went on sale December 5, 2007 with a February 2008 cover date, slotting into the broader event structure of three tie-in mini-series (Star-Lord, Quasar, and Wraith) plus Nova issues, all feeding into the six-issue main series.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; pencils by Tom Raney; inks by Scott Hanna; colors by Frank D'Armata; cover by Aleksi Briclot; edited by Bill Rosemann.
- On sale December 5, 2007; cover-dated February 2008; part of the six-issue Annihilation: Conquest main series.
- According to the Marvel Database, this is the first issue in the main Annihilation: Conquest series where Groot speaks exclusively in his 'I Am Groot' pattern — a shift from the Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord tie-in mini, where he spoke normally.
- Featured characters confirmed by the Marvel Database include Quasar (Phyla-Vell), Moondragon (Heather Douglas), Adam Warlock, Ronan the Accuser, Super-Skrull (Kl'rt), Wraith (Zak-Del), Star-Lord (Peter Quill), Blastaar, High Evolutionary (Herbert Edgar Wyndham), Bug, Rocket Raccoon, Mantis, Groot, Captain Universe (Lt. Gabriel Vargas), Ra-Venn, and Praxagora, with Ultron and the Phalanx as antagonists.
- The assembled cast — Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Mantis, Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, and Moondragon — forms the direct nucleus of the new Guardians of the Galaxy, who made their team debut in Annihilation: Conquest #6 and launched into their own ongoing series the same year.
- The overall Annihilation: Conquest event marked the return of Adam Warlock to active Marvel continuity, with his re-emergence from a regenerative cocoon driven (and damaged) by the Phalanx's Super-Adaptoid in earlier issues — a plot thread that runs through this issue.
- The issue has been collected in the Annihilation: Conquest Omnibus (Marvel, 2015), and reprinted internationally by Panini Brasil and Panini France.
- Wraith (Zak-Del), a supporting character in this issue, was created by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Kyle Hotz and debuted in his own tie-in mini-series (Annihilation: Conquest – Wraith #1, July 2007); his role in the main series here consolidates his importance to the Ronan-led resistance strand.
Cast · 37 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Adam Warlock, Quasar, and Moondragon seek the help of the High Evolutionary in their war against Ultron and the Phalanx.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).