Elsewhere on the ship, Drax and Moondragon are teleported to safety by Galactus to another world in the Kree Empire. Having fulfilled his promise to Drax, Galactus releases his blind fury in an explosion of pure cosmic force! The energy blast released by Galactus's fury spreads across three star systems destroying hundreds of Annihilation Wave battleships and Annihilus himself is hit by the full force of the blast.

Nearby, Nova, Peter Quill and Phyla teleport into one of the Wave's battleships on the perimeter of the fleet. Unfortunately, they finish their teleport just as Galactus's energy blast hits the ship! Meanwhile on the Kree homeworld of Hala, one of Annihilus's warlords, Ravenous, learns that the Annihilation Wave has been decimated and his forces begin to panic. The ruler of the Kree, Ronan, also senses the shift in power and uses it to his advantage. The Kree mount a gigantic attack by rocketing buildings full of soldiers towards Ravenous and his forces and engage their enemy!

Back at the ruins of the Annihilation Wave's fleet, Annihilus has survived Galactus's attack but has been severly drained of his energies. Despite his weakened state, the creature from the Negative Zone swears that he will rebuild his forces and renew his invasion. Annihilus turns as he hears Nova tell him that this ends now. Nova, Peter and Phyla also survived Galactus's energy blast inside an energy bubble created by Nova's use of the Nova Force.

Annihilus agrees with Nova and the two begin a fierce battle for the fate of the universe! Nova and his foe exchange furious punches and incredible energy blasts as both combatants inflict damage on each other! Ultimately Annihilus, with the Quantum Bands and his remaining cosmic power, begin to prove too much for Nova. As the grotesque insectoid prepares to kill Nova, Phyla breaks free of the protective bubble and grabs Annihilus by his wrists. Her enemy easily shrugs Phyla away with an energy blast.

However by making contact with the Quantum Bands, Phyla has given the bands the opportunity they needed to escape their evil possessor. Sensing her nobility, the Quantum Bands leave Annihilus and come to rest on the wrists of Phyla! Phyla immediately gives Annihilus a taste of the Quantum Band's power with a force blast! Annihilus responds by blasting Phyla back with his own energy beam.

Although bleeding and severly injured, Nova gathers all his energy for one final attack! The young hero forces open Annihilus's jaw and thrusts his arm inside his foe's throat. Yelling that he is doing this in the name of all those killed in the war, Nova rips out Annihilus's organs in a display of pure power and vengeance!

With his enemy dead, Nova collapses as his friends run over to him. Barely alive, the victorious hero looks up to see the spirits of Thanos and his companion Death. Nova tells them "Better luck next time" and falls unconscious.

(Annihilation Day +268/Armistice Day) On the planet Tantus 4, the remaining Annihilation Wave forces and surviving Kree sign a peace treaty ending the war. The Kree agree to give the Annihilation Wave a number of worlds taken during the invasion including the former capital world of Kree-Lar. The current homeworld of Hala remains the capital world of the Kree with Ronan leading the new Kree Empire.

(Armistice Day +9) On Kree-Lar, the new capital of the Ceded Territories, Ravenous is witness to the birth of a new threat to the universe. He watches in horror as the last of Annihilus's queens dies in childbirth. He takes the insectoid child and presents to the gathered masses the reborn Annihilus!