Marvel’s Cosmic Heroes Team Up For ‘The Last Annihilation’ This July

Annihilation was the event that put Marvel’s cosmic heroes on the map for me. It was a dynamite crossover that spawned a few sequels and redefined characters like Nova, Star-Lord, and even Darkhawk. This July, Marvel prepares to to it again with The Last Annihilation, a crossover beginning in Guardians of the Galaxy #16 and S.W.O.R.D. #7.

First, in Guardians of the Galaxy #16 from writer Al Ewing and artist Juan Frigeri, the entire galaxy is under attack. We haven’t seen anything like this since Annihilus first waged war. Someone has awakened with a new vision for the universe, backed by an army to make it a reality. After five different planets fall under siege, the new super heroes of the stars leap into action.

Then, in S.W.O.R.D. #7, penned by Ewing and illustrated by Valerio Schiti, the Last Annihilation hits in earnest just after the Hellfire Gala. Victor Von Doom stays for dinner after the event where he catches up with an old friend.

“Guardians and S.W.O.R.D. have been building their own unique gravity for a while now, and in space, when two objects have gravity, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll crash into each other – or get sucked into the orbit of something even bigger,” Ewing said. “Marvel Space these days is a fragile coalition of worlds that chose peace over war, a little bubble of hope in a cruel void – but there’s an enemy nobody ever suspected readying an attack that’ll either cement all those frail alliances or tear them to pieces.”

Guardians of the Galaxy #16 features a main cover by Brett Booth and is set for release on July 21st, 2021. S.W.O.R.D. #7 comes the following week and features a main cover by Schiti.