Negative Zone (Marvel)
The Negative Zone is an alternate universe that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
The Negative Zone was an alternate universe that was an broken malformed bad continuum that existed within the wider structure of the Multiverse. (Secret Avengers v1 #18) It was said to be a failed pocket universe that resided in an existing one. (Avengers v5 #21)
Reed Richards came to discover the existence of the Negative Zone after developing a portal that went through dimensions leading to him into that area of subspace. However, he became lost but it was the actions of Ricardo Jones disguised as the Thing who ultimately saved Mr. Fantastic though Jones himself died in the process. (Fantastic Four v1 #51)
Blastaar later assembled his army that began to conquer parts of the Negative Zone through a weapon able to rip through the space/time continuum. The Imperial forces intended to use this to tear through the Distortion Field and invade other dimensions. Their efforts were opposed by a masked warrior known as Dusk though he failed at stopping Blastaar. These events led to a tear in reality that brought Spider-Man into the Negative Zone along with some innocent bystanders where he took on the identity of Dusk to fight Blastaar along with his forces. (Spider-Man v1 #90)
It was eventually determined that the positive-matter universe as it was expanding came to do so in the Negative Zone causing its contraction. This act of cosmic balance was seen as an intrusion by Annihilus who decided that this meant the other universe was his by right of conquest and thus gathered his Annihilation Wave in order to invade it. (Annihilation: Silver Surfer v1 #2) Years ago, Annihilus began to conquer and unite hundreds of worlds under his rile as part of this common goal. (Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1 #3) When the time came, the Wave went forth from the Negative Zone leading to them breaking through the Crunch and the Kyln prison. (Annihilation: Prologue v1 #1) As the Wave devastated space, the Super-Skrull journeyed into the Negative Zone through the portal at the Baxter Building in order to find a means to destroy the Harvester of Sorrows superweapon before it could destroy the Skrull world of Zaragz'na. (Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1 #1)
Blastaar then sought to consolidate control over the scattered Negative Zone forces under his command. With them under his rule, he attacked his homeworld of Baluur and conquered it by murdering his father Grondaar. He then set his home planet as his base of operations as he sought to continue his campaign of conquest. (War of Kings: Warrior v1 #1)
The various warlords of the Negative Zone later gathered in open revolt against Johnny Storm’s rule where they marshalled their forces behind the walls of Sub-City Murr. Storm decided to confront them outside the city where they offered a parley and had demands as the wanted a free election on their ruler. Johnny Storm allowed the election and ultimately lost with the inhabitants of the Negative Zone putting in a write in candidate as the majority voted for Annihilus. (FF v1 #18)
During the Builder War, the Alliance of races lost several fronts against the invaders and in desperation they decided to use linked-Stargates to open a doorway into the Negative Zone. This allowed the Annihilation Wave under the command of Annihilus to emerge in order to overwhelm a Builder fleet. (Avengers v5 #21)
In the search for Sam Alexander's father, the Avengers accidently ended up in the Negative Zone where a number of them were captured by Annihilus who was using the Nega-Bands in an attempt to destroy the positive-matter universe. (All-New, All-Different Avengers v1 #11)
Due the chaotic events affecting it, a group of inhabitants of the Zone decided to form a peacekeeping group called the Negative Force. (Spider-Man/Deadpool v1 #44)
Sometime later, the Sentry sought to free himself from the Void and was convinced by Reed Richards that the unique properties of the Negative Zone offered him a possible solution. Upon arriving there, he attempted to strip the Void from himself but this act separated him into two people. One being the powerless Bob Reynolds and the other was the Void who had the full power of the Void. This separation caused a tear in reality that bridged the Negative Zone to the Cancerverse that was the home of the Many-Angled Ones. (Annihilation - Scourge: Silver Surfer v1 #1) Thus, the Void helped lead the undying forces of the Cancerverse in infecting the Negative Zone with the goal of spreading into the positive-matter universe. This invasion caused Annihilus and Blastaar to set aside their hostilities in order to work together to stop this onslaught. Despite their efforts, they were unable to stop the invaders and Annihilus journeyed into the positive-matter universe to recruit allies. (Annihilation: Scourge Alpha v1 #1) The Fantastic Four and Beta Ray Bill responded where they journeyed into the Negative Zone to stop the attackers. The heroes gathered at Prison 42 which was shielded by the Invisible Woman to serve as a safe haven for refugees and a place for a final stand against the invaders. The positive-matter universe's various heroes travelled to the Negative Zone to battle the invaders with Bob Reynolds re-merging with the Void to become the Sentry. Though the threat posed by the Void ended, the Cancerverse entities continued their onslaught as they sought out Richard Rider to reabsorb him into their own. Ultimately, he decided to sacrifice himself and seemingly perished as a result to stop the Many-Angled Ones with the heroes mourning his loss. However, Annihilus had used his technology to restore Rider to life for his efforts in saving the Negative Zone. (Annihilation: Scourge Omega v1 #1)
Overview
It was described as being a form of subspace where all matter was negative and the opposite of Earth's positive matter. (Fantastic Four v1 #51) According to a Builder, it was an adrift dying universe that was connected to many others and was a tumor in space. (Infinity v1 #4) The very infrastructure of the Negative Zone was by its nature unstable and thus breaking it open could lead to the normal positive matter universe being shred apart. (Fantastic Four v3 #40)
Locations within the Zone included:
- Annihilation Area : a large vortex that drew matter into it where everything trapped inside was obliterated. It was also the location of Tyanna that was home to the advanced Tyannans. (Fantastic Four Unlimited v1 #3)
- Distortion Area:
- Nexus of Igoa :
- Tyanna :
- Baluur :
- Kestor :
- Ataraxia :
- Dartayus : home to a native humanoid race that formed the Dartayus Union with Mutants being born on this world. (X-Men: Gold v2 #12)
- Annihilation City : the capital city for the ruler of the Negative Zone. (FF v1 #18)
- Sub-City Murr : a settlement in the Negative Zone that gathered in open revolt against Johnny Storm after he claimed leadership of Annihilus’s forces. (FF v1 #18)
- Prison 42 :
There were a number of species native to the Zone that included:
- Crystal Spiders : sentient lifeforms that spun crystalline webs. (Fantastic Four v3 #19)
- Borers : fearsome green skinned living entities able to consume rock, ore and metal with ease allowing them to be used as unstoppable engines of destruction. (Fantastic Four Annual v1 #6)
- Scavengers : winged humanoid insectoids that were servants of Annihilus and acted as his scouts. (Generations: Captain Marvel & Captain Mar-Vell v1 #1)
Inhabitants
- Annihilus :
- Blastaar :
- Praxagora : a female humanoid living machine powered by a fusion core who lived on a world that lived in peace until its conquest by the Annihilation Wave leading to her being taken prisoner. She became the last of her kind where she was tortured by the Annihilation Wave scientist Hawal until she was freed in an attack by the Super-Skrull. At first, she fought the Super-Skrull in order to kill Hawal but Klr't defeated her leading to her swearing her loyalty to him. (Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1 #3)
- Preak : a four limed being who had the ability to duplicate his body upon physical attacks made to his person. (Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1 #3)
- Tanjaar :
- Grondaar : male Baluurian King and father of the renegade Blastaar. (War of Kings: Warriors v1 #1)
- Dusk : a black garbed warrior from a world in the Negative Zone who opposed Blastaar until his demise with numerous people taking on the identity. (Spider-Man v1 #90)
- Kologoth : a green-skinned reptilian inhabitant from Dartayus who attempted to conquer his world but failed leading to his banishment to Earth. (X-Men: Gold v2 #12)
- Koly : (Spider-Man/Deadpool v1 #43)
- Jannor : (Spider-Man/Deadpool v1 #43)
Notes
- The Negative Zone was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where it made its first appearance in Fantastic Four v1 #51 (June, 1966).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In Fantastic Four, the Negative Zone made an appearance in the 1994 animated series in the episode "Behold the Negative Zone". It was an anti-matter based dimension with laws of physics completely different from normal such as planets orbiting black holes and gravity operating differently. It was home to a number of alien races with the warlords Annihilus and Blastaar battling one another for supremacy. Mister Fantastic discovered it but an accident created a tear through which Annihilus and Blastaar emerged on Earth. The Fantastic Four were later able to send the two villains back to the Negative Zone before their prolonged contact became harmful to the planet.
- In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest heroes, the Negative Zone made a number of appearances in the animated series. It was first mentioned in "Some Assembly Required" by Iron Man who said he was working with Reed Richards on building a prison situated in the Negative Zone for super-villains that had escaped. In "The Man Who Stole Tomorrow", it made its first appearance when Thor, Ant-Man Hank Pym and Wasp took the captive Blizzard to Prison 42 in the Negative Zone.
Video games
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, the Negative Zone appeared in the setting of the video game as being the location of Prison 42.
Appearances
- Fantastic Four v1: (1966)
- Fantastic Four v3:
- Spider-Man v1:
- Annihilation: Super-Skrull v1:
- FF v1:
- Avengers v5:
- All-New, All-Different Avengers v1:
- Spider-Man/Deadpool v1:
- Annihilation: Scourge Alpha v1:
External Link
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