Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #2

[Col_Fury]

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ANNUAL #2 (1992)
By Jim Valentino & Herb Trimpe

APPEARANCES:
Galactic Guardians: Firelord (also in fb), Hollywood, Main Frame, Martinex, Phoenix, Replica, Spirit of Vengeance; Intimidators: Brahl, Dumog, Grott, Mr. Teju, Tork; Phoenix Force, Krugarr, Korvac, Keeper (in fb), Eon (in fb)

FLASHBACKS:
Firelord and Keeper say goodbye while Eon watches (new, following GOTG 25). Maxwell Edward Mummford creates the Ultra-Max virus (Punisher Annual #5). Deathlok fails to stop the virus (Daredevil Annual #8). Wonder Man shoots the virus into space (Wonder Man Annual #1) (see NOTE).
SYNOPSIS:
The Spirit of Vengeance and Firelord respond to a distress signal sent by Martinex. When they arrive on Main Frame’s world they find the place falling apart. Firelord stops some Universal Church of Truth ships and discovers they were chasing Replica. As Hollywood and the Spirit save people on Main Frame’s world, Main Frame tells Martinex that he has a virus and that’s what’s causing things to fall apart. On the other side of Main Frame’s world, the Intimidators resurrect Michael Korvac. Krugarr ignores Martinex’s distress call. Hollywood tells Martinex that the Intimidators are one the planet, so they all attack the Intimidators. When Korvac joins the fight he overloads the planet’s power systems, which releases Phoenix from his holding cell. Phoenix quickly defeats Korvac by transporting him to a different reality. Apparently, the Intimidators escape. Later, Martinex inducts everyone into his new Galactic Guardians group.

NOTE:
Krugarr is revealed to be from the planet Lem.

The Minions of Menace are calling themselves the “Intimidators” now.

I’m a little torn on the recap flashbacks. Obviously, Punisher Annual #5, Daredevil Annual #8 and Wonder Man Annual #1 happen on Earth-616. The latest possible divergence point between Earth-616 and Earth-691 is M/TIO 69, which happens LONG before these Annuals do. So really, these Annuals couldn’t have happened in Earth-691’s past because they happened on Earth-616 after the divergence point. And yet, the virus had to come from somewhere on Earth-691.

I’m leaning toward including these flashbacks as new material for Earth-691, even though they’re recaps.

2nd Story:
By Jim Valentino, Steve Carr & Deryl Skelton

APPEARANCES:
Replica, Protégé, Malevolence

SYNOPSIS:
Malevolence tells the Protégé that Replica posed as him and called off the search for Starhawk. The Protégé is upset so Replica poses as Jiltrin and steals a spaceship. Malevolence sends ships after Replica with orders to shoot to kill.

NOTE:
This story takes place before the first story.

3rd Story:
By Jim Valentino & Matthew Jorgensen

APPEARANCES:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Capt. Charlie-27, Major Victory, Nikki, Aleta Ogord, Starhawk, Yondu; Talon, Hawk-God

SYNOPSIS:
Yondu gets his hand re-grown (with science!) and announces that he’s going to stay with the Centaurians as their priest. The other Guardians wish him luck and say goodbye.

NOTE:
No new clues on the Starhawk mess yet.

4th Story:
By Jim Valentino

APPEARANCES:
Nikki, Talon

SYNOPSIS:
Nikki tells Talon who the Guardians’ TOP TEN VILLAINS are, then Talon asks about the Guardians’ secret origin.

NOTE:
Nikki tells Talon the Guardians’ secret origin in GOTG 26.

Chronology placements, all on the Killraven page:

ALETA/ALETA OGORD | 31ST CENTURY [ARCTURAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2/3
See Starhawk II

BRAHL | 31ST CENTURY [ACHERNONIAN]
…
GOTG 23
*GOTG@ 2

CHARLIE-27, CAPT. | 31ST CENTURY [JOVIAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2/3
IW 5
…

DEATHLOK/MICHAEL COLLINS
GOTG@ 2-FB

DUMOG | 31ST CENTURY [FOMALHAUTI]
…
GOTG 23
*GOTG@ 2

EON | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2-FB

FIRELORD/PYREUS KRIL | 31ST CENTURY [XANDARIAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2-FB
*GOTG@ 2

GROTT | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 23
*GOTG@ 2

HOLLYWOOD/SIMON WILLIAMS | 31ST CENTURY
*GOTG@ 2-FB
{GOTG 17}
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2
NW 68

KEEPER/NORRIN RADD | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2-FB

KORVAC, MICHAEL | 31ST CENTURY
…
SS@ 4
GOTG@ 1/2
*GOTG@ 2
CA3 1
…

KRUGARR | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 20
*GOTG@ 2

MAIN FRAME/VISION | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 25-BTS
*GOTG@ 2

MAJOR VICTORY/MAJ. VANCE ASTRO (nee ASTROVIK) | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2/3
IW 5
…

MALEVOLENCE | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 22
*GOTG@ 2/2

MARTINEX/DR. MARTINEX T'NAGA | 31ST CENTURY [PLUVIAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2
NW 68

MAX E. MUMM/MAXWELL EDWARD MUMMFORD
GOTG@ 2-FB

MR. TEJU | 31ST CENTURY [REPTOID]
…
GOTG 23
*GOTG@ 2

NIKKI/NICHOLETTE GOLD | 31ST CENTURY [MERCURIAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2/3
*GOTG@ 2/4
IW 5
…

PHOENIX/GIRAUD | 31ST CENTURY [HAVENITE]
…
GOTG 12
*GOTG@ 2

PHOENIX FORCE | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 12-BTS
*GOTG@ 2

PROTÉGÉ | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 17
*GOTG@ 2/2

REPLICA | 31ST CENTURY [SKRULL]
…
GOTG 22
*GOTG@ 2/2
*GOTG@ 2

SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE/WILEAYDUS AUTOLYCUS | 31ST CENTURY [SARKAN]
…
GOTG 14
*GOTG@ 2

STARHAWK/STAKAR OGORD | 31ST CENTURY [ARCTURAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2/3

TALON | 31ST CENTURY [INHUMAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2/3
*GOTG@ 2/4

TORK | 31ST CENTURY
…
GOTG 23
*GOTG@ 2

ULTRA-MAX
GOTG@ 2-FB
GOTG@ 2

WONDER MAN/SIMON WILLIAMS
See Hollywood | 31st century

YONDU/YONDU UDONTA | 31ST CENTURY [CENTAURIAN]
…
GOTG 25
*GOTG@ 2/3
NW 68

[DonCampbell]

Just three comments.

1. In the first story, Krugarr does not ignore Martinex's distress call, it's just that he has to deal with a crisis in the Dark Dimension that will prevent him from going to Main Frame's world to help out personally. However, he was able to send a psychic message to Hollywood that alerted them to where the source of the power drain was located (which turned out to be the Intimidators).

2. In the second story, Replica leaves because she received Martinex's distress signal on her star-communicator and responded despite the fact that the Protégé is upset with her, not because of it. Also, the Protégé, when he later realizes that Replica really has left him, orders Malevolence to call the battle cruiser back and let Replica go. Apparently, Malevolence either didn't obey or she did obey but not in time to prevent the cruiser's destruction by Firelord.

3. As for that whole "the Ultra-Max virus shouldn't be in Reality-691 because it was created in Reality-616 after the timelines diverged" problem, I agree that it could mean that events occurred on Earth-691 that were similar to what happened on Earth-616 (as depicted in Punisher Annual #5, Daredevil Annual #8 and Wonder Man Annual #1). However, another possibility is that, sometime after the rocket containing the Ultra-Max virus was launched into space from Earth-616, something happened that caused it to travel between dimensions into Reality-691. What that something could be, I have no idea, but it wouldn't be unprecedented in the Marvel Multiverse.

Hey, here's a thought: Maybe the rocket passed through one of those tears in the space/time continuum that were caused by the Age of Ultron LS. You never know.

Don Campbell