MattBrady
11-01-2007, 05:11 PM
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/Annhilation.jpg" border="0" align="right">Marvel’s <i>quieter</I> crossover event of 2008 is entering its home stretch – the final issue of the <b>Annihilation Conquest: Quasar</b> miniseries hit this week, revealing the surprise character who will play a major role in the coming <b>Annihilation Conquest</b> miniseries which launches next week.
For those coming in late, <b>Annihilation Conquest</b> was the sequel to 2006’s <b>Annihilation</b> event which saw (among other things) longtime Fantastic Four villain Annihilus invade a large portion of the greater Marvel Universe – think Kree, Skrull, etc; destroying star systems, decimating empires, and basically, just messing things up big time before he was stopped. Basically then, <b>Conquest</b> was just that – while the systems and empires were slowly pulling themselves back together (although some never would again) the Phalanx invaded, infecting countless billions with its techno-organic virus and turning them into little more than drones doing the will of the larger collective. From the Kree homeworld, the Phalanx was setting its sights on the entire universe…and even now, it’s looking pretty good that they may achieve their goal.
Like <b>Annihilation</b> before it, <b>Conquest</b> has told a sweeping story over a year’s time, starting with a <b>Prologue</b> issue, the storylines of which split in four directions: tie in issues in the ongoing <b>Nova</b> series, a <b>Quasar</b> miniseries, a <b>Star-Lord</b> miniseries (issue #4 hits next week too), and a <b>Wraith</b> miniseries. Next week, the four storylines come back together as the six issue <b>Conquest</b> miniseries kicks off, where the story will see its final build-up and battles…along with more revelations of enemies and major players.
As mentioned, <b>Conquest</b> has been <i>huge</I> in scope, but if you ask the readers who were with it from the start – it’s been worth it. While Marvel’s other crossover events that have been going on this year (<b>Civil War</b> and <b>World War Hulk</b> to name names) have been controversial with fans for any number of reasons, <b>Conquest</b> fans have been largely praising the work of the various creative teams. <b>Conquest</b> is sci fi action writ large – and well.
With the miniseries drawing to a close, and <b>Conquest</b> about to begin, we sat down with <b>Annihilation: Conquest</b> editor Bill Rosemann to look back at the event to date, and get some hints as to what the final miniseries holds.
<b>Spoiler warning – this interview discusses up to and including the reveal in this week’s reveal from Quasar #4</b>
<b>Newsarama</b>: Bill, take us back to the start on <b>Annihilation Conquest</b>. Now that the larger picture is known, let's go back to the beginning. When a story like this comes down the pike, how do you start planning for it? I mean, bare bones...physically - a big table, several sheets of paper, a dry-erase board, and interns bringing endless coffee? How do you start the organization?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/Annih_StrLd3.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>Bill Rosemann</b>: I could talk about pages of story ideas, multiple creator wish-lists, numerous character hunts through <b>Marvel Handbooks</b>, brainstorming sessions with assistant editor Alejandro Arbona and original <b>Annihilation</b> editor Andy Schmidt, daily discussions with Exec. Editor Tom Brevoort (the secret weapon behind both <b>Annihilation</b> events), and hours of and phone calls and emails with the mad Englishmen known as Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.
Like I said, I <i>could</I> talk about that…but Newsarama readers deserve to be let in on a little secret: the Supreme Intelligence lives in a huge tank in the middle of the Marvel Bullpen…and one afternoon he telepathically beamed the plans for the whole shebang right into our brains! Thanks, Supremor!
<b>NRAMA</b>: We're not letting you of that easy - c'mon - take us inside a little...we've heard stories before of walls being commandeered for flow-charts of events, desks linked up to spread out the story flow...how did you work it all out?
<b>BR</b>: Hate to disappoint, but there was no wall commandeering or desk stacking. Just lots o’ outlines, emails and discussions. Many of the beats were written down, but there was also a fair amount of mental diagrams of possible directions as well. We didn’t want to tie Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (DnA) down too tightly to a blueprint. They mapped out the big moments and overall story structure (the beginning, the middle the end), but we wanted to give them (and all of the writers of all the minis) enough room to strut their stuff, improvise, and get inspired. You have to allow for inspiration and unexpected directions, both in plot and character interaction. Otherwise you can end up with a checklist of events, but not a real living, breathing story.
<b>NRAMA</b>: That said, who plotted out the overall story, from A to Z, and how much detail was in that first run-through?
As pilots of this star destroyer, DnA laid out the event beat sheet based upon the key story idea: The first <b>Annihilation</b> was about trying to stop an invading army…this time, let's explore what happens once your land has already been conquered and occupied.
The Phalanx sneak attack, the main players, the big twists, the finale…while new ideas and opportunities popped up as the months went by, DnA planned the surprises that readers are (hopefully) enjoying now about 1 year ago.
<b>NRAMA</b>: For lack of a better term, what "units" did you use in the initial plotting and organization?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/Nova_4.jpg" border="0" align="right"><b>BR</b>: Once the story and theme was nailed down, everything grew from that. Who would be our main characters? What type of adventure (fantasy quest, war, etc.) would they best fit with? Which creators (from writers to interior artists to cover artists) would best bring those stories to life? As for how we physically organized this info, good old-fashioned lists and outlines written on many documents divided into multiple files. Then, once scripts and artwork began to flow in, I cleared a wall above my desk, divided the space into individual columns for each series, and began to pin up the cover art. When a people stopped by and asked, "Hey, who drew that?" I knew we might be on to something.
<b>NRAMA</b>: Speaking of the characters, when, why and how were they chosen? When we initially talked about the overall project, you even admitted it was a pretty disparate group. Now that we've seen them all in action, and can drop some spoilers, what was the rhyme and reason for the bigger guns being in there - the title characters of the miniseries, for example?
<b>BR</b>: Early in the process, while planning to use the basic genre ingredients and as much of the successful elements of the first story, we knew we wanted to offer readers a different experience. Since that story featured so many colossal characters (like Galactus, the Silver Surfer, Thanos, etc.) who reached huge milestones, we thought it might be best to give them some time off to let those moments sink in. And we knew it would be fun to utilize "smaller" characters whose stories hadn't yet been told. Again, it all goes back to the story: In a tale about individuals fighting back against overwhelming odds, it's always more dramatic -- and somewhat of a Marvel tradition -- to spotlight more "human" and less "all-powerful" heroes. Characters with flaws that either fall or rise to the occasion when tested by conflict.
<b>NRAMA</b>: So break it on down…
<b>BR</b>: Both Star-Lord and Quasar had good supporting roles at Nova's side in the first <b>Annihilation</b>, so -- looking at their relatable motivations (both with great potential yet suffering from guilt and self-doubt) -- they were natural choices from the start to step up to the plate as Rich Rider did before them. But we also wanted to take the <b>Annihilation</b> tradition of "dusting off" characters one step further by adding a new toy to the playground, which eventually led to the creation of Wraith, a darker contrast to the traditional "bright & shiny" cosmic hero. And in all three cases, each character had personal ties to the main problem (the conquest of the Kree), which you always want in your protagonists.
Basically, the Star-Lord series is a good symbol of what we're shooting for. You look at this collection of misfits and think, "Wait…so they're supposed to save the galaxy?" Then the fun is in watching great creators make these characters shine and reach their potential.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/ANNCONWRTH004.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>NRAMA</b>: You mentioned it there - the creation of someone new - in this case, Wraith. What brought that about? Obviously, looking at the miniseries as a whole now, he served a purpose, with the end result being that Ronan was freed, and a possible way to win against the Phalanx was revealed. But why do this with a new character instead of an established one?
<b>BR</b>: Again, it was just an attempt to take a strength of the first <b>Annihilation</b>, dusting off cool characters, and take it a step further by trying to <i>create</I> a cool character. It was much more risky and probably more difficult than telling a fresh story with an existing character, but we thought it would be an enjoyable challenge to try and add a give back to Marvel's cosmic arena.
We also wanted a character who was fighting alongside our heroes for a different reason other than "it's the right thing to do." Yes, if you've read the <b>Wraith</b> mini you know he's carrying the Supreme Intelligence's "soul" within him, but he's also fighting the Phalanx because if he does and the heroes win, they'll help him find the murderer of his parents when the war is over. Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach did an awesome job of developing my simple idea ("Let's bring in a dark & grim warrior…") into a three-dimensional character and artist Marko Djurdjevic took Javier's sketch and created an iconic look. So Wraith's motivations, physicality and attitude are a nice contrast to that of the more pure and "bright and shiny" heroes you often see in cosmic stories.
Bottom line, we were just trying to offer something a character created now to see how they'd stand beside Marvel's great sci-fi heroes created in past decades. Time will tell how readers react to him, but hey, maybe 20 years from now the next generation of creators will say, "Hey, remember that guy Wraith? What if we brought him back and did this…?"
<b>NRAMA</b>: Expanding on that point to the other miniseries - did each of them have a clearly defined "A to Z" function that they had to serve in the course of the larger story? Can you run 'em down here to make sure we're all on the same page, and educate the newcomers?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/Annihil_Quasar.jpg" border="0" align="right"><b>BR</b>: DnA selected Quasar and Star-Lord to be the eyes and ears for the reader in the <b>Prologue</b>. Two very "human" characters (even though Phyla is half Kree) to provide a view of the very alien threat of the Phalanx. Then we discussed where the characters would begin their individual minis and where they wanted them for the opening of the <b>Conquest</b> mini.
Quasar would be our Joan of Arc hero -- a woman warrior chosen by a "higher power" to help liberate her people. In this case, she was sent on a quest by a voice, revealed to be the spirit of the Supreme Power, to find "the savior", revealed to be the newly awakened Adam Warlock. So she and her companion Moondragon would start out on their own, in a desperate race filled with doubt and danger, and end up bringing the possible key to victory into the game.
Wraith had a few missions. One was to stop the Phalanx from turning the Supreme Intelligence's corpse (how cool was it seeing his huge zombie head?) into a super weapon that would instantly enslave the entire Kree Empire. Another roll he played was to bring Annihilation favorites Super-Skrull, Praxagora and Ronan into the adventure and help define each of their motivations and personalities. And he also functioned as introducing a reluctant secret weapon -- he really wants no part of the war, but his powers offer a natural defense against the Phalanx. He wants to be on his own, to stay away from his Kree history, but ironically he now contains the summation of Kree culture (the Supreme Intelligence) within him. So a large part of his roll is to offer a contrast, a different personality and a different reason for fighting the bad guys.
Finally, Star-Lord went on a journey of self-acceptance and of embracing his responsibility. As a result of some tough decisions he had to make in his past -- and because of the guilt he now feels over accidentally helping the Phalanx sneak attack in the Prologue -- he's a guy running away from the man he once was. But his mini showed him that the galaxy still needs a Star-Lord…that he still has the ability to be a hero and inspire others to fight back. Plus he brought characters like Groot, Bug and Rocket Raccoon back, so what's not to like?
But if you didn't read any of those minis, fear not! Everything is laid out clearly for you in <b>Conquest #1</b>. Who, what, where, why and how is all covered in what we hope is a clear and entertaining way.
<b>NRAMA</b>: All of that said, the miniseries had their larger plots; but where did the writers come in? Did you have the miniseries plotlines figured out so, say, you approached Keith and said that you needed a Star-Lord miniseries (and then waited for him to stop laughing) where he, along with other prisoners of the Kree went on a suicide mission to stop a Phalanx production facility, or was Keith involved before that?
<b>BR</b>: In each case, I basically approached all the writers and said, okay, we'd like the character to start here and end up here. Whatever you want to do along the journey is up to you…have fun! The overall plots were very vague -- like a one sentence description -- so the goal was to give the creators enough room to come up with all sorts of swerves and additions so that they could make each story their own.
In Keith Giffen's case, while I knew we wanted Star-Lord and his squad on a suicide mission, he's the one that came up with what the actual mission was (to destroy a Phalanx production facility) and all the twists and turns (the friendly-fire death of Deathcry, the apparent death of Groot, the miniaturization of the production facility, etc.). Likewise with Javier and <b>Quasar</b> writer Christos Gage. They were asked to go from this starting point to that finish line, but they're the ones who came up with all the road blocks, speed bumps and zig-zags along the way.
<b>NRAMA</b>: And how much latitude did they have? All four of the storylines have different tones and approaches, clearly...what were some of the additions to the plots that you can point out?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/ANNCONSTR002.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>BR</b>: Given the boundaries that go with events like this, we still tried to give the creators as much freedom as they wanted. As you say, each story did have a different tone -- we wanted to offer something unique with each mini (a fantasy quest vs. a crazy war story vs. a dark western) -- but everything else was the creators.
Okay, one thing I'll cop to: if you hate that Moondragon is now an actual dragon, you can blame me for that. I've always dug dragons and thought it would be something cool to do with her character and would fit nicely with the whole "knight on a quest" adventure. And if you dig her transformation…I'm glad you do!
<b>NRAMA</b>: Let's talk about Nova's role in this - he did his part, and basically...ran. <b>Nova #7</b> took him off the table, effectively. Editorially speaking, and not anything to do with the character, why not keep him around for the big wrap up?
<b>BR</b>: Ran? More like he went to get help. He tried to end it all and bring down the Babel Spire by himself…and quickly learned that the Phalanx could kick his butt. But in so doing he learned the key to stopping them…and that's what he's searching for now.
<b>NRAMA</b>: One man's narrow escape is another man's fleeing in terror, but I see your point…
<b>BR</b>: Having Nova get thrown to the edge of known space does allow other heroes to step into his spotlight and fight on in their own way, but who's to say that Nova is completely off the table? Repercussions from his four-issue <b>Conquest</b> story will continue to effect him for months to come -- and let's not forget that Drax and Gamora are now hunting him for the Phalanx -- so Rich Rider's roll in <b>Conquest</b> is anything but over.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/nova7.jpg" border="0" align="right"><b>NRAMA</b>: Over to Quasar's story...whose idea was it to bring in the Super-Adaptoid? Interesting earth-touch with that...
<b>BR</b>: That, my friends, is just another example of how skillfully writer Christos Gage can use continuity to help, rather than hinder, a story. Here's a villain who left Earth and humanity to embrace the cold logic of the Phalanx, who provides a connection to her father, and who also gives traditional Earth-based hero fans a touchstone to relate to this crazy cosmic epic. Pretty smart, that Christos…
<b>NRAMA</b>: And now - into <b>heavy spoiler territory</b> - the reveal this week - Adam Warlock? Wha-huh? First off, explain a little for the new folks who he is and why this is a big deal (or at least a bigger deal than a nekkid guy coming out of a cocoon)...
<b>BR</b>: Ever since the first Annihilation began, readers were asking where Adam Warlock -- who enjoyed a good bit of success in the '90s -- was. I'm not sure why he wasn't used in the first story, but we thought storywise -- as the perfect human -- he fit in quite nicely as an opponent for the Phalanx, the perfect robotic enemy.
For those who are unfamiliar with Adam, he was the result of some scientists attempting to create the ultimate man. He gained various powers throughout his adventures, but we're focusing on the "Warlock" portion of his name and then looking back at his original Gil Kane design. He has the potential to be an unbeatable fighting spell-caster, the most powerful warrior wizard the universe has ever seen. But he seems to have been awakened from his healing cocoon slumber a bit early…so he looks a bit younger…and his fate as "the savior" is anything but certain.
<b>NRAMA</b>: He was in it all from the beginning? There was some weirdness with Keith Giffen saying that he was off limits...
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/annconq.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>BR</b>: Oh yeah, I remember when Tom Brevoort and I first sat down with Joe Quesada over lunch and pitched him on what the <b>Annihilation</b> sequel could be and who we wanted to star in the story…and Adam Warlock was a big part of that discussion. We knew Joe was a longtime fan of the character, so, knowing Adam fit well in the over-all story, we thought involving Adam might help us get the entire event greenlighted. Plus we were really interested in bringing Adam back to his roots and presenting a modern look at his original uniform. Just wait until you see the final character design that Marko Djurdjovic has cooked up!
Ever since the summer conventions, people have been asking me about the possible return on Warlock, and I kept saying the "right story" would have to come along that would be right for a character as big as him. Guess what, True Believers…this is it! For the last year, Warlock was definitely "off-limits" to the rest of editorial while <b>Conquest</b> was percolating. So maybe that's what Keith was commenting on.
<b>NRAMA</b>: Let's round this out with a look ahead - first off, with Adam - when did we see him last, and does he know who he is?
<b>BR</b>: As far as I know, the last major appearance by Adam was back in two minis in 1999. There was also the mini by Greg Pak and Charles Adlard, but apparently that wasn't the true Adam Warlock. So we have some wiggle-room as to what he's been up to in last few years. DnA came up with the great idea that the initial destructive arrival of the Annihilus Wave sent an avalanche of souls into the head of Adam Warlock, who due to the actions of the Illuminati, was now without his Soul Gem. This essentially drove him mad and into another one of his creepy cocoons which have a history of evolving him into his next roll in the Marvel Universe.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/anncon2.jpg" border="0" align="right">
But if you read <b>Quasar #4</b>, you know that he was awakened before he was done baking, so his physical and mental status are indeed less than ideal. In <b>Conquest #1</b> you'll see just how unstable he is…heh, some savior he's turning out to be!
<b>NRAMA</b>: So - going into <b>Conquest</b> - since we've been talking editorially, lay it out on the table - what needs to be fixed here? What are the storylines that will be kicking off?
<b>BR</b>: The hyper-aggressive techno organic race known as the Phalanx has successfully taken over the Kree Empire via a swift and violent sneak attack on their capital planet Hala. They have erected an energy shield that has shunted the entire Kree galaxy out of phase and locked off from the rest of the Universe. They're also slaughtering thousands of Kree to power their Babel Spire, which powers the energy field. The Phalanx are now moving from planet to planet, infecting more Kree and binding them to their ever-increasing matrix. They also appear to be searching for something, but what that could be remains a mystery. Why have they taken over the Kree Empire? What are they hunting for? Will they stop there, or are other galaxies next? And how in the world can a <img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/t_ANNCON002001_col.jpg" border="0" align="left">motley crew of separated and vastly out-numbered and out-gunned heroes possibly stop them? Stay tuned, True Believers!
<b>NRAMA</b>: We saw it with Ronan, but can the Kree who've been infected be saved?
<b>BR</b>: Right - as you said there, if you read <b>Wraith #4</b>, you saw how Wraith, under great effort was able to shut down a squadron of Phalanx and actually undue the Select process (a special infection of key powered agents) on Ronan. Also, Nova managed to drive back (but not completely cure his own infection) in <b>Nova #7</b>. Also, the Phalanx infect different organic individuals in different ways, giving the Phalanx more latitude to carry out their mission. But does that also open up a slight window of opportunity for the reversal of the techno-infection? Or are millions of Kree citizens beyond all hope? That remains to be seen as the adventure progresses?
<b>NRAMA</b>: Historically, you've been pretty vague when questions about tying the <b>Annihilation</b> elements back to earth are brought up - will <b>Conquest</b> answer things in a clearer manner in regards to this conflict eventually spreading to earth?
<b>BR</b>: Let's talk again when everyone reads the last page of <b>Conquest #1</b> on November 7th.
Man, aren't I a stinker?
<i>Newsarama Note: Check back next week for a conversation with Abnett, Lanning, and Rosemann about <b>Conquest</b> and who's on that last page.</i>
<center> <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/ANNCON002008scol.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/t_ANNCON002008scol.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/ANNCON002010_col.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/t_ANNCON002010_col.jpg" hspace="3" border="0"></a></center>
For those coming in late, <b>Annihilation Conquest</b> was the sequel to 2006’s <b>Annihilation</b> event which saw (among other things) longtime Fantastic Four villain Annihilus invade a large portion of the greater Marvel Universe – think Kree, Skrull, etc; destroying star systems, decimating empires, and basically, just messing things up big time before he was stopped. Basically then, <b>Conquest</b> was just that – while the systems and empires were slowly pulling themselves back together (although some never would again) the Phalanx invaded, infecting countless billions with its techno-organic virus and turning them into little more than drones doing the will of the larger collective. From the Kree homeworld, the Phalanx was setting its sights on the entire universe…and even now, it’s looking pretty good that they may achieve their goal.
Like <b>Annihilation</b> before it, <b>Conquest</b> has told a sweeping story over a year’s time, starting with a <b>Prologue</b> issue, the storylines of which split in four directions: tie in issues in the ongoing <b>Nova</b> series, a <b>Quasar</b> miniseries, a <b>Star-Lord</b> miniseries (issue #4 hits next week too), and a <b>Wraith</b> miniseries. Next week, the four storylines come back together as the six issue <b>Conquest</b> miniseries kicks off, where the story will see its final build-up and battles…along with more revelations of enemies and major players.
As mentioned, <b>Conquest</b> has been <i>huge</I> in scope, but if you ask the readers who were with it from the start – it’s been worth it. While Marvel’s other crossover events that have been going on this year (<b>Civil War</b> and <b>World War Hulk</b> to name names) have been controversial with fans for any number of reasons, <b>Conquest</b> fans have been largely praising the work of the various creative teams. <b>Conquest</b> is sci fi action writ large – and well.
With the miniseries drawing to a close, and <b>Conquest</b> about to begin, we sat down with <b>Annihilation: Conquest</b> editor Bill Rosemann to look back at the event to date, and get some hints as to what the final miniseries holds.
<b>Spoiler warning – this interview discusses up to and including the reveal in this week’s reveal from Quasar #4</b>
<b>Newsarama</b>: Bill, take us back to the start on <b>Annihilation Conquest</b>. Now that the larger picture is known, let's go back to the beginning. When a story like this comes down the pike, how do you start planning for it? I mean, bare bones...physically - a big table, several sheets of paper, a dry-erase board, and interns bringing endless coffee? How do you start the organization?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/Annih_StrLd3.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>Bill Rosemann</b>: I could talk about pages of story ideas, multiple creator wish-lists, numerous character hunts through <b>Marvel Handbooks</b>, brainstorming sessions with assistant editor Alejandro Arbona and original <b>Annihilation</b> editor Andy Schmidt, daily discussions with Exec. Editor Tom Brevoort (the secret weapon behind both <b>Annihilation</b> events), and hours of and phone calls and emails with the mad Englishmen known as Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.
Like I said, I <i>could</I> talk about that…but Newsarama readers deserve to be let in on a little secret: the Supreme Intelligence lives in a huge tank in the middle of the Marvel Bullpen…and one afternoon he telepathically beamed the plans for the whole shebang right into our brains! Thanks, Supremor!
<b>NRAMA</b>: We're not letting you of that easy - c'mon - take us inside a little...we've heard stories before of walls being commandeered for flow-charts of events, desks linked up to spread out the story flow...how did you work it all out?
<b>BR</b>: Hate to disappoint, but there was no wall commandeering or desk stacking. Just lots o’ outlines, emails and discussions. Many of the beats were written down, but there was also a fair amount of mental diagrams of possible directions as well. We didn’t want to tie Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (DnA) down too tightly to a blueprint. They mapped out the big moments and overall story structure (the beginning, the middle the end), but we wanted to give them (and all of the writers of all the minis) enough room to strut their stuff, improvise, and get inspired. You have to allow for inspiration and unexpected directions, both in plot and character interaction. Otherwise you can end up with a checklist of events, but not a real living, breathing story.
<b>NRAMA</b>: That said, who plotted out the overall story, from A to Z, and how much detail was in that first run-through?
As pilots of this star destroyer, DnA laid out the event beat sheet based upon the key story idea: The first <b>Annihilation</b> was about trying to stop an invading army…this time, let's explore what happens once your land has already been conquered and occupied.
The Phalanx sneak attack, the main players, the big twists, the finale…while new ideas and opportunities popped up as the months went by, DnA planned the surprises that readers are (hopefully) enjoying now about 1 year ago.
<b>NRAMA</b>: For lack of a better term, what "units" did you use in the initial plotting and organization?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/Nova_4.jpg" border="0" align="right"><b>BR</b>: Once the story and theme was nailed down, everything grew from that. Who would be our main characters? What type of adventure (fantasy quest, war, etc.) would they best fit with? Which creators (from writers to interior artists to cover artists) would best bring those stories to life? As for how we physically organized this info, good old-fashioned lists and outlines written on many documents divided into multiple files. Then, once scripts and artwork began to flow in, I cleared a wall above my desk, divided the space into individual columns for each series, and began to pin up the cover art. When a people stopped by and asked, "Hey, who drew that?" I knew we might be on to something.
<b>NRAMA</b>: Speaking of the characters, when, why and how were they chosen? When we initially talked about the overall project, you even admitted it was a pretty disparate group. Now that we've seen them all in action, and can drop some spoilers, what was the rhyme and reason for the bigger guns being in there - the title characters of the miniseries, for example?
<b>BR</b>: Early in the process, while planning to use the basic genre ingredients and as much of the successful elements of the first story, we knew we wanted to offer readers a different experience. Since that story featured so many colossal characters (like Galactus, the Silver Surfer, Thanos, etc.) who reached huge milestones, we thought it might be best to give them some time off to let those moments sink in. And we knew it would be fun to utilize "smaller" characters whose stories hadn't yet been told. Again, it all goes back to the story: In a tale about individuals fighting back against overwhelming odds, it's always more dramatic -- and somewhat of a Marvel tradition -- to spotlight more "human" and less "all-powerful" heroes. Characters with flaws that either fall or rise to the occasion when tested by conflict.
<b>NRAMA</b>: So break it on down…
<b>BR</b>: Both Star-Lord and Quasar had good supporting roles at Nova's side in the first <b>Annihilation</b>, so -- looking at their relatable motivations (both with great potential yet suffering from guilt and self-doubt) -- they were natural choices from the start to step up to the plate as Rich Rider did before them. But we also wanted to take the <b>Annihilation</b> tradition of "dusting off" characters one step further by adding a new toy to the playground, which eventually led to the creation of Wraith, a darker contrast to the traditional "bright & shiny" cosmic hero. And in all three cases, each character had personal ties to the main problem (the conquest of the Kree), which you always want in your protagonists.
Basically, the Star-Lord series is a good symbol of what we're shooting for. You look at this collection of misfits and think, "Wait…so they're supposed to save the galaxy?" Then the fun is in watching great creators make these characters shine and reach their potential.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/ANNCONWRTH004.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>NRAMA</b>: You mentioned it there - the creation of someone new - in this case, Wraith. What brought that about? Obviously, looking at the miniseries as a whole now, he served a purpose, with the end result being that Ronan was freed, and a possible way to win against the Phalanx was revealed. But why do this with a new character instead of an established one?
<b>BR</b>: Again, it was just an attempt to take a strength of the first <b>Annihilation</b>, dusting off cool characters, and take it a step further by trying to <i>create</I> a cool character. It was much more risky and probably more difficult than telling a fresh story with an existing character, but we thought it would be an enjoyable challenge to try and add a give back to Marvel's cosmic arena.
We also wanted a character who was fighting alongside our heroes for a different reason other than "it's the right thing to do." Yes, if you've read the <b>Wraith</b> mini you know he's carrying the Supreme Intelligence's "soul" within him, but he's also fighting the Phalanx because if he does and the heroes win, they'll help him find the murderer of his parents when the war is over. Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach did an awesome job of developing my simple idea ("Let's bring in a dark & grim warrior…") into a three-dimensional character and artist Marko Djurdjevic took Javier's sketch and created an iconic look. So Wraith's motivations, physicality and attitude are a nice contrast to that of the more pure and "bright and shiny" heroes you often see in cosmic stories.
Bottom line, we were just trying to offer something a character created now to see how they'd stand beside Marvel's great sci-fi heroes created in past decades. Time will tell how readers react to him, but hey, maybe 20 years from now the next generation of creators will say, "Hey, remember that guy Wraith? What if we brought him back and did this…?"
<b>NRAMA</b>: Expanding on that point to the other miniseries - did each of them have a clearly defined "A to Z" function that they had to serve in the course of the larger story? Can you run 'em down here to make sure we're all on the same page, and educate the newcomers?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/Annihil_Quasar.jpg" border="0" align="right"><b>BR</b>: DnA selected Quasar and Star-Lord to be the eyes and ears for the reader in the <b>Prologue</b>. Two very "human" characters (even though Phyla is half Kree) to provide a view of the very alien threat of the Phalanx. Then we discussed where the characters would begin their individual minis and where they wanted them for the opening of the <b>Conquest</b> mini.
Quasar would be our Joan of Arc hero -- a woman warrior chosen by a "higher power" to help liberate her people. In this case, she was sent on a quest by a voice, revealed to be the spirit of the Supreme Power, to find "the savior", revealed to be the newly awakened Adam Warlock. So she and her companion Moondragon would start out on their own, in a desperate race filled with doubt and danger, and end up bringing the possible key to victory into the game.
Wraith had a few missions. One was to stop the Phalanx from turning the Supreme Intelligence's corpse (how cool was it seeing his huge zombie head?) into a super weapon that would instantly enslave the entire Kree Empire. Another roll he played was to bring Annihilation favorites Super-Skrull, Praxagora and Ronan into the adventure and help define each of their motivations and personalities. And he also functioned as introducing a reluctant secret weapon -- he really wants no part of the war, but his powers offer a natural defense against the Phalanx. He wants to be on his own, to stay away from his Kree history, but ironically he now contains the summation of Kree culture (the Supreme Intelligence) within him. So a large part of his roll is to offer a contrast, a different personality and a different reason for fighting the bad guys.
Finally, Star-Lord went on a journey of self-acceptance and of embracing his responsibility. As a result of some tough decisions he had to make in his past -- and because of the guilt he now feels over accidentally helping the Phalanx sneak attack in the Prologue -- he's a guy running away from the man he once was. But his mini showed him that the galaxy still needs a Star-Lord…that he still has the ability to be a hero and inspire others to fight back. Plus he brought characters like Groot, Bug and Rocket Raccoon back, so what's not to like?
But if you didn't read any of those minis, fear not! Everything is laid out clearly for you in <b>Conquest #1</b>. Who, what, where, why and how is all covered in what we hope is a clear and entertaining way.
<b>NRAMA</b>: All of that said, the miniseries had their larger plots; but where did the writers come in? Did you have the miniseries plotlines figured out so, say, you approached Keith and said that you needed a Star-Lord miniseries (and then waited for him to stop laughing) where he, along with other prisoners of the Kree went on a suicide mission to stop a Phalanx production facility, or was Keith involved before that?
<b>BR</b>: In each case, I basically approached all the writers and said, okay, we'd like the character to start here and end up here. Whatever you want to do along the journey is up to you…have fun! The overall plots were very vague -- like a one sentence description -- so the goal was to give the creators enough room to come up with all sorts of swerves and additions so that they could make each story their own.
In Keith Giffen's case, while I knew we wanted Star-Lord and his squad on a suicide mission, he's the one that came up with what the actual mission was (to destroy a Phalanx production facility) and all the twists and turns (the friendly-fire death of Deathcry, the apparent death of Groot, the miniaturization of the production facility, etc.). Likewise with Javier and <b>Quasar</b> writer Christos Gage. They were asked to go from this starting point to that finish line, but they're the ones who came up with all the road blocks, speed bumps and zig-zags along the way.
<b>NRAMA</b>: And how much latitude did they have? All four of the storylines have different tones and approaches, clearly...what were some of the additions to the plots that you can point out?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/ANNCONSTR002.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>BR</b>: Given the boundaries that go with events like this, we still tried to give the creators as much freedom as they wanted. As you say, each story did have a different tone -- we wanted to offer something unique with each mini (a fantasy quest vs. a crazy war story vs. a dark western) -- but everything else was the creators.
Okay, one thing I'll cop to: if you hate that Moondragon is now an actual dragon, you can blame me for that. I've always dug dragons and thought it would be something cool to do with her character and would fit nicely with the whole "knight on a quest" adventure. And if you dig her transformation…I'm glad you do!
<b>NRAMA</b>: Let's talk about Nova's role in this - he did his part, and basically...ran. <b>Nova #7</b> took him off the table, effectively. Editorially speaking, and not anything to do with the character, why not keep him around for the big wrap up?
<b>BR</b>: Ran? More like he went to get help. He tried to end it all and bring down the Babel Spire by himself…and quickly learned that the Phalanx could kick his butt. But in so doing he learned the key to stopping them…and that's what he's searching for now.
<b>NRAMA</b>: One man's narrow escape is another man's fleeing in terror, but I see your point…
<b>BR</b>: Having Nova get thrown to the edge of known space does allow other heroes to step into his spotlight and fight on in their own way, but who's to say that Nova is completely off the table? Repercussions from his four-issue <b>Conquest</b> story will continue to effect him for months to come -- and let's not forget that Drax and Gamora are now hunting him for the Phalanx -- so Rich Rider's roll in <b>Conquest</b> is anything but over.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/nova7.jpg" border="0" align="right"><b>NRAMA</b>: Over to Quasar's story...whose idea was it to bring in the Super-Adaptoid? Interesting earth-touch with that...
<b>BR</b>: That, my friends, is just another example of how skillfully writer Christos Gage can use continuity to help, rather than hinder, a story. Here's a villain who left Earth and humanity to embrace the cold logic of the Phalanx, who provides a connection to her father, and who also gives traditional Earth-based hero fans a touchstone to relate to this crazy cosmic epic. Pretty smart, that Christos…
<b>NRAMA</b>: And now - into <b>heavy spoiler territory</b> - the reveal this week - Adam Warlock? Wha-huh? First off, explain a little for the new folks who he is and why this is a big deal (or at least a bigger deal than a nekkid guy coming out of a cocoon)...
<b>BR</b>: Ever since the first Annihilation began, readers were asking where Adam Warlock -- who enjoyed a good bit of success in the '90s -- was. I'm not sure why he wasn't used in the first story, but we thought storywise -- as the perfect human -- he fit in quite nicely as an opponent for the Phalanx, the perfect robotic enemy.
For those who are unfamiliar with Adam, he was the result of some scientists attempting to create the ultimate man. He gained various powers throughout his adventures, but we're focusing on the "Warlock" portion of his name and then looking back at his original Gil Kane design. He has the potential to be an unbeatable fighting spell-caster, the most powerful warrior wizard the universe has ever seen. But he seems to have been awakened from his healing cocoon slumber a bit early…so he looks a bit younger…and his fate as "the savior" is anything but certain.
<b>NRAMA</b>: He was in it all from the beginning? There was some weirdness with Keith Giffen saying that he was off limits...
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/annconq.jpg" border="0" align="left"><b>BR</b>: Oh yeah, I remember when Tom Brevoort and I first sat down with Joe Quesada over lunch and pitched him on what the <b>Annihilation</b> sequel could be and who we wanted to star in the story…and Adam Warlock was a big part of that discussion. We knew Joe was a longtime fan of the character, so, knowing Adam fit well in the over-all story, we thought involving Adam might help us get the entire event greenlighted. Plus we were really interested in bringing Adam back to his roots and presenting a modern look at his original uniform. Just wait until you see the final character design that Marko Djurdjovic has cooked up!
Ever since the summer conventions, people have been asking me about the possible return on Warlock, and I kept saying the "right story" would have to come along that would be right for a character as big as him. Guess what, True Believers…this is it! For the last year, Warlock was definitely "off-limits" to the rest of editorial while <b>Conquest</b> was percolating. So maybe that's what Keith was commenting on.
<b>NRAMA</b>: Let's round this out with a look ahead - first off, with Adam - when did we see him last, and does he know who he is?
<b>BR</b>: As far as I know, the last major appearance by Adam was back in two minis in 1999. There was also the mini by Greg Pak and Charles Adlard, but apparently that wasn't the true Adam Warlock. So we have some wiggle-room as to what he's been up to in last few years. DnA came up with the great idea that the initial destructive arrival of the Annihilus Wave sent an avalanche of souls into the head of Adam Warlock, who due to the actions of the Illuminati, was now without his Soul Gem. This essentially drove him mad and into another one of his creepy cocoons which have a history of evolving him into his next roll in the Marvel Universe.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/anncon2.jpg" border="0" align="right">
But if you read <b>Quasar #4</b>, you know that he was awakened before he was done baking, so his physical and mental status are indeed less than ideal. In <b>Conquest #1</b> you'll see just how unstable he is…heh, some savior he's turning out to be!
<b>NRAMA</b>: So - going into <b>Conquest</b> - since we've been talking editorially, lay it out on the table - what needs to be fixed here? What are the storylines that will be kicking off?
<b>BR</b>: The hyper-aggressive techno organic race known as the Phalanx has successfully taken over the Kree Empire via a swift and violent sneak attack on their capital planet Hala. They have erected an energy shield that has shunted the entire Kree galaxy out of phase and locked off from the rest of the Universe. They're also slaughtering thousands of Kree to power their Babel Spire, which powers the energy field. The Phalanx are now moving from planet to planet, infecting more Kree and binding them to their ever-increasing matrix. They also appear to be searching for something, but what that could be remains a mystery. Why have they taken over the Kree Empire? What are they hunting for? Will they stop there, or are other galaxies next? And how in the world can a <img src="http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/annihilation/Rosemann/t_ANNCON002001_col.jpg" border="0" align="left">motley crew of separated and vastly out-numbered and out-gunned heroes possibly stop them? Stay tuned, True Believers!
<b>NRAMA</b>: We saw it with Ronan, but can the Kree who've been infected be saved?
<b>BR</b>: Right - as you said there, if you read <b>Wraith #4</b>, you saw how Wraith, under great effort was able to shut down a squadron of Phalanx and actually undue the Select process (a special infection of key powered agents) on Ronan. Also, Nova managed to drive back (but not completely cure his own infection) in <b>Nova #7</b>. Also, the Phalanx infect different organic individuals in different ways, giving the Phalanx more latitude to carry out their mission. But does that also open up a slight window of opportunity for the reversal of the techno-infection? Or are millions of Kree citizens beyond all hope? That remains to be seen as the adventure progresses?
<b>NRAMA</b>: Historically, you've been pretty vague when questions about tying the <b>Annihilation</b> elements back to earth are brought up - will <b>Conquest</b> answer things in a clearer manner in regards to this conflict eventually spreading to earth?
<b>BR</b>: Let's talk again when everyone reads the last page of <b>Conquest #1</b> on November 7th.
Man, aren't I a stinker?
<i>Newsarama Note: Check back next week for a conversation with Abnett, Lanning, and Rosemann about <b>Conquest</b> and who's on that last page.</i>
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