Marvel Announces Guardians of the Galaxy, SWORD Crossover The Last Annihilation

The new Guardians of the Galaxy will meet the new SWORD in the upcoming Marvel Comics crossover "The Last Annihilation." The series is the culmination of everything Al Ewing, writer of both Guardians of the Galaxy and SWORD, has been building towards since co-writing last year's Avengers and Fantastic Four crossover, Empyre, and launching both new versions of these teams into Marvel's new space age. The event kicks of in July in the pages of Guardians of the Galaxy #16 and SWORD #7. For the Guardians of the Galaxy, this is a callback to the series of Annihilation events that first gave birth to the modern Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel's press release describes Guardians of the Galaxy #16 as introducing a new threat like the Guardians haven't seen since they went up against Annihilus. Now another cosmic being has awakened with grand plans for the galaxy and an army to turn those plans into reality.

Meanwhile, SWORD #7 takes place immediately after the Hellfire Gala. Following the big party, SWORD finds Doctor Doom has come calling as "The Last Annihilation" begins.

"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 says in a press release. "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."

Ewing's new Guardians of the Galaxy team assembled in Guardians of the Galaxy #13. ComicBook.com's Adam Barnhardt gave the book a solid review, writing, "At the very least, Guardians of the Galaxy #13 serves as an exciting debut for what appears to be one of the biggest cosmic stories told at Marvel Comics recently. Ewing's track record speaks for itself at this point, so it's just a matter of time before things coalesce. In the meantime, just look at Frigeri's beautiful cosmic art and have a jolly ol' time."

June's Guardians of the Galaxy #15 will reveal this new threat's identity. The even begins in earnest on July 21st in Guardians of the Galaxy #16.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #16

• Written by AL EWING
• Art by JUAN FRIGERI
• Cover by BRETT BOOTH
• On Sale 7/21

S.W.O.R.D. #7

• Written by AL EWING
• Art and Cover by VALERIO SCHITI
• On Sale 7/28