10 Comics You Must Read Before Avengers: Infinity War

3. Annihilation

Although both Infinity tales hold a degree of notoriety in the Marvel canon, Annihilation remains the freshest in the minds of True Believers.

Devised as a means of bringing Marvel's cosmic elements back into the limelight, the event saw everyone from that side of the universe - including the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Nova Corps and Silver Surfer - come together to avert a very literal Annihilation Wave. Instigated by Annihilus, the comic saw the death of Thanos (a second time, at the hands of Drax the Destroyer), and a whole bunch of other cosmic critters too. Undoubtedly its biggest addition to the lore, however, has to be Richard Rider, the sole survivor of the Nova Corps massacre and a hero instrumental in bringing the event to an end.

He's bound to feature in the MCU at some point, especially with the introduction of Adam Warlock inching ever closer, and while there's little chance we'll be seeing Annihilus or his ilk in the MCU anytime soon, the cosmic ballet goes on.

It's a decidedly gruesome dance, mind. But when the scale is this big, surely it's a price worth paying?