It isn't a good day when someone from the Negative Zone decides to pay a visit to the Marvel Universe. It's even worse when it's a super powered, power-hungry despot ready to conquer new territory. Annihilus fits the billing as this feared creature has set out to destroy any other living being he views as a possible threat to his existence. The power of Annihilus is great as first seen in Wizkids' inaugural HeroClix set—Infinity Challenge. Now he is reissued in the new Marvel HeroClix: Universe set for those that haven't had the pleasure of using this tyrannical maniac.

Veteran Annihilus is actually quite an impressive individual especially in those early HeroClix days. He doesn't have many abilities but he really makes the most of what he has in his arsenal. Running Shot for the first three clicks really show his aggressive nature. In essence, that means he moves at half speed (only 4 instead of the full 8) and target his opponents. I say opponents because he has the opportunity to target three different opponents at once. It makes it even more satisfying to know that he also starts off with a natural 3 damage. Basically, Annihilus has many choices to make. He can use Running Shot and target a single opponent to deliver a full 3 damage. He can switch that up and target three different targets; however, he needs to split that 3 damage among three different opponents reducing his damage output to only 1 damage on each target. It really depends on when you need to use that offensive strategy in the game.

But it almost seems like a guarantee that Annihilus will succeed in his attack. With an attack value of 11, it would be hard for him to mess it up unless he rolls the dreaded double 1's on the dice. His attack consistently decreases by 1 for the full nine clicks of his life so it's best to take care of business while he's a full peak, if possible.

He also has a good three clicks of Invulnerability to start off his defensive stats before changing to Toughness for another three clicks. After that he is defenseless though he still manages to have a decent numerical stat to keep him alive.

As stated earlier, his 3 damage for the first two clicks will definitely help on his offensive and slice through enemies quickly. He reduces to a decent 2 damage for four clicks before he does a dismal 1 damage. Surprisingly, I would have expected some sort of Ranged Combat Expert thrown into the mix for at least a click or two, but I guess the designers didn't think it was necessary. Even Energy Explosion of Pulse Wave near the end of his attack stats would have helped in some manner.

What really makes Veteran Annihilus attractive to use, besides the targeting three targets at once, is the Minions of Doom team ability. This is one of the most coveted team abilities in the game as it grants the user the ability to mimic other team abilities that are on the board. In other words, they are the wild cards making them quite unpredictable as they can suddenly use any team ability to their advantage. And with a powerhouse like Annihilus, it can be even deadlier than expected.

I actually like the sculpt used on the figure though he could have been portrayed in a more menacing and action-oriented pose. One thing that really bugs me is trying to keep Annihilus on the base. He seems to pop off all the time. But I'm glad that uses the new base making it easier to turn his clicks than it was in the past.

Veteran Annihilus was a powerhouse in his heyday but time hasn't been too kind to this figure. That can be forgiven since he was part of the very first wave of HeroClix figures ever to be made for this game. I consider him to be a guinea pig in the grand scheme of things. He's a very effective guinea pig, but a guinea pig nonetheless. Regardless, he still makes his presence from the Negative Zone well known whenever he is in action.


Product Details
Set: Marvel HeroClix: Universe
Rank: Veteran
Point Value: 129
Collector's Number: 090
Rarity: Uncommon
Team Affiliation: Minions of Doom


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Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1.00
Type of Toy: Game
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens