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Annihilator

The Annihilator ready for battle.

"Heartless, indestructible, and ready to feed on mankind's misery and rage – per your specifications."
Hephaestus[1]

The Annihilator was an automated battlesuit created by the Greek god Hephaestus for Ares.

History[]

Ares commissioned the creation of the Annihilator for the purpose of exacerbating the civil war in Kaznia. Offering it free-of-charge to Nardoc, the leader of the hard-pressed Northern tribes, Ares touted it as the perfect aid to their cause. Nardoc put it to good use early on, using it to spearhead a counterattack against the Southern forces that successfully drove them away. The Annihilator tore through several units of the Southern army. It even proved too strong for a Justice League team composed of Wonder Woman, Hawk, and Dove.

Recognizing Hephaestus's mark on the machine's breastplate, Wonder Woman confronted him. He confessed that all of his creations contained a weakness, but he wouldn't tell her what the Annihilator's was. However, he gave her a hint that she figured out in the midst of the next battle between the Kaznians: the Annihilator was indestructible, but required aggression to power it. As it approached the Southerners' camp, Dove convinced the guards to lower their weapons. Deprived of its fuel, the Annihilator shut down.[1]

The inert Annihilator was stored aboard the Watchtower until it was stolen by Task Force X on behalf of Cadmus.[2] Tala experimented on the armor, trying to find a way to remove its weakness. When she was unsuccessful, her mentor, Felix Faust, then existing only as a disembodied soul, tricked her into speaking an incantation that released him from his confinement and allowed him to possess the Annihilator. It became Faust's new body, with which he immediately traveled to Themyscira and defeated the Amazons, stormed into Tartarus, and overcame Hades, thus making himself master of the underworld.

Faust was shortly confronted by Diana and Shayera Hol, along with Hades himself. Although Faust managed to remove the Annihilator's weakness, it was still vulnerable to Shayera's Nth metal mace, which disrupted magic and made it vulnerable to damage. After Shayera struck the initial blow, Diana took up the mace and destroyed the armor, leaving a small portion of Faust's soul drifting loose.[3]

Powers and abilities[]

The Annihilator was indestructible and self-powered. It wasn't equipped with any weapons or devices, only its bare hands and bulky frame. However, its body possessed limitless strength and indestructibility to the point that it could overpower exceptionally powerful beings such as Ares, Hades, and Wonder Woman with ease.

Any attack by an enemy only increased its strength and speed.[2] However, in the absence of such aggression, it could not move and remained inert.[1] When Felix Faust possessed the Annihilator, he removed its vulnerability-presumably because he was animating it with his soul. He was also able to cast his magic spells and project energy blasts with its hands.[3]

Background information[]

The Annihilator is reminiscent of the Greek myth of Talos, a metal statue that came to life and acted as a guardian. It can be considered to be the mythological forerunner of the robot.

Appearances[]

Justice League Unlimited

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Zimmerman, Ron (story) & Goodman, Robert (teleplay) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (August 21, 2004). "Hawk and Dove". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 4 (airdate). Episode 3 (production). Cartoon Network.
  2. 2.0 2.1 McDuffie, Dwayne (story) & Cooke, Darwyn (teleplay) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (May 21, 2005). "Task Force X". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 17 (airdate). Episode 17 (production). Cartoon Network.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Berkowitz, Stan (story) & McDuffie, Dwayne (teleplay) & Riba, Dan (director) (May 28, 2005). "The Balance". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 18 (airdate). Episode 18 (production). Cartoon Network.
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