—Mister Fantastic[source]I’ve done it!! I'm drifting into a world of limitless dimensions!! It’s the Crossroads of Infinity - the junction to everywhere!!
The Negative Zone is a parallel dimension in which matter is negatively charged instead of positively charged. It is also already beginning to contract and will eventually implode, and at it's centre is a vortex of immense power feared by its residents.
The Negative Zone obeys a different set of physical laws than the Positive Zone, allowing for phenomena unique to it. Its atmosphere is entirely breathable and pressurised, though very few types of life are able to survive its harsh environment.
A majority of the Negative Zone is ruled by Annihilus, but he faces constant competition from rival warlord Blastaar. Due to the barren nature of their reality, both have repeatedly attempted to invade the Positive Zone and other dimensions.
History
Origin[]
According to the Builders, the Negative Zone formed as a failed pocket universe resting inside an existing one, like a tumour.[6]
The only known natural lifeforms to evolve in the Negative Zone, the Tyannans, decided to populate the dimension with life themselves by delivering spores to terraform planets. This operation is known to have originated Annihilus on the planet Arthros and the Baluurians on the planet Baluur, among others.[7][8]
Discovery: The FF and the Zone[]
Dr. Reed Richards , the ingenious scientist of the Fantastic Four, discovered the Negative Zone and built the first inter-universal portal. Testing his invention, Reed, accompanied by Ricardo Jones who was pretending to be the Thing at the time, ventured into the anti-matter realm. When the tether broke, revealing the impostor's true nature, he sacrificed himself to save Reed. Reed returned safely, while his brave companion perished at the energy barrier separating the universes.[1] Later Reed and Ben conducted a experiment using a device enabling Reed to remotely monitor the Negative Zone from the safety of their lab. Their experiment is interrupted when they come under attack by the newly empowered Ulysses Klaw, seeking revenge.[9]
During the Sandman's attack on the Baxter Building, he revealed a new ability of his costume, creating a poisonous gas. To save their lives, Reed opened a portal to the Negative Zone, but he got sucked in just before it closed, risking his life at the convergence point of positive and anti-matter.[10] Crystal of the Inhumans arrived at their headquarters with her dog Lockjaw, offering a solution and teleported away to seek help. Meanwhile, within the Negative Zone, alien beings drop off a dangerous criminal in a special containment suit on an asteroid headed for destruction. Unaware of the danger, Reed observed as the aliens departed. Crystal asked Triton for assistance in rescuing Reed from the Zero-Gravity dimension. Triton swiftly swims through the portal, rescued Reed, and brings him back. However, the containment suit exploded, releasing Blastaar. Unbeknownst to them, Blastaar has followed, teaming up with Sandman to plot the destruction of the Fantastic Four and world domination.[11] The Fantastic Four are ambushed by Blastaar and Sandman and Triton joined the fight but was incapacitated by Sandman. The battle spilled onto the streets, attracting police attention. Sandman questioned his allegiance to Blastaar's power-hungry ways. The Thing subdued Sandman at the docks, while Reed and Sue devise a plan to stop Blastaar. Ultimately, Reed's invention neutralized Blastaar, sending him home.[12] When the Mad Thinker's Android attacked the Fantastic Four, Reed lured the machine into his space-time laboratory and sent it hurtling into the open portal into the Negative Zone.[13]
With Sue Storm's life on the line due to imminent childbirth, Reed must procure Element X from the sole source in the Negative Zone to counter the threat posed by cosmic rays within her body. Venturing into the Negative Zone with Ben and Johnny, they confront Annihilus, who possessed the coveted Cosmic Control Rod containing Element X. Despite Annihilus's refusal to relinquish it, Reed stole the rod, triggering a perilous chase. Trapped on a drifting rock, Reed sacrificed the rod to save their lives but managed to extract some Element X. Returning home, they rush to the hospital where Sue safely gives birth to a healthy baby boy named Franklin.[14]
X-Men[]
Deep in the Negative Zone, Blastaar sought to return to Earth so that he could find a realm worthy of plundering and scourging. Furious over his past defeats, he traveled onward, vowing to get revenge on those who had defeated him. While on Earth, at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Jean Grey attempted to use a device left behind by the late Charles Xavier that could convert her thoughts into radio waves. Despite being cautioned by Beast and Cyclops to be careful, Jean continued to use the device, causing it to malfunction and transported Blastaar from the Negative Zone into the mansion. In the ensuing chaos, Blastaar attacked, injuring Beast before Cyclops called for reinforcements. With Jean and Hank in the infirmary, the team devised a plan using ice statues animated by Jean's powers to defeat Blastaar. The plan succeeded, leading to Blastaar's demise. Though remorseful, Jean found solace in Cyclops's assurance that Blastaar's evil warranted their actions.[15]
Captain Mar-Vell[]
After Captain Mar-Vell ventured into space, he was unexpectedly thrust into the Negative Zone by electromagnetic radiation. The Supreme Intelligence facilitated a telepathic connection between Mar-Vell and Rick Jones, a friend of the Hulk. Guided by Mar-Vell's image disguised as Captain America, Jones donned the Nega-Bands, causing them to swap places: Mar-Vell to Earth and Jones to the Negative Zone. The bands allowed them to maintain telepathic contact, fulfilling the Supreme Intelligence's objective. Mar-Vell could briefly visit Earth before automatically swapping back with Jones.[16][17]
Nega-Man[]
The Nega-Man clashed with the Fantastic Four and developed a module to harness anti-matter energy. Seeking to increase his power, he ventured into the Negative Zone but was swiftly defeated by its ruler, Annihilus. Janus, realizing his defeat, offered to guide Annihilus back to Earth, despite knowing the disastrous consequences. Allowed aboard one of Annihilus's ships to absorb negative energy, Janus was confronted by the Fantastic Four's male members seeking to stop him. Despite achieving his goal, Janus was betrayed by Annihilus's crew and ejected from the ship. Despite Reed Richards' attempts to save him, Janus seemingly perished when pulled into an anti-matter interface.[18]
Frightful Four[]
The Frightful Four, led by the Wizard, came together for revenge on the Fantastic Four. They hypnotized Spider-Man and use him to incapacitate the Human Torch, seizing control of the Baxter Building. While tampering with Reed Richard's devices, the Wizard inadvertently empowered Annihilus by opening the Negative Zone portal wider. Annihilus aimed to invade the positive matter universe, with only the Wizard to stop him. However, the Torch broke free, releasing Spider-Man from the trance. Together, they defeated the Frightful Four and halted the Negative Zone machine, sending Annihilus back.[19]
Later Visits[]
On an extended trip there, however, they encountered several of the other denizens. They discovered Ootah, a world half-covered by a city, where the control systems had driven out the citizens.[20] Another world, Kestor, imploded when it was drawn into the center of the Zone.[21]
Recently, Reed has returned to the idea of using the Zone as a prison, this time with an actual facility built for the purpose.[22]
During the Secret Invasion, Lyja opened a portal and transferred the entire Baxter Building to the Negative Zone.[4]
Other Heroes in the Zone[]
Spider-Man has also visited the Negative Zone. He became involved in a rebellion against Blastaar on the world of Tarsuu and acquired the costume now used by Dusk.[23][24]
The realm of Asgard once drifted into the Zone. Odin drove Annihilus back when he tried to invade.[25]
A section of the Negative Zone was under the protection of Allene Green, who turned it into the utopia for her Squirrel Avengers Initiative.[26]
Alternate Universe Versions[]
Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)[]
In this universe, the N-Zone is another, much older and dying, universe with a corrosive atmosphere and an insectoid villain named Nihil.[27]
Humorverse (Earth-9047)[]
Negatory Zone
In this universe, the Negative Zone is called Negatory Zone. It is a labyrinth that the Fantastical Four went through, trying to avoid dangerous inhabitants including Annihilator and Blastarr.[28]
Earth-X (Earth-9997)[]
After killing Death, Captain Marvel created a new afterlife called Paradise at the centre of the Negative Zone. It began to expand over time, encompassing various worlds.[29]
In the face of this threat to their dimension, Annihilus and Blastaar allied to travel to the Positive Zone and seek the help of Reed Richards.[30] He led a group of surviving superheroes into the Negative Zone to confront Captain Marvel[31]
Paradise soon grew to encompass the entirety of the Negative Zone, but as it turned out it was not destroying the planets at all, and instead served as a wall protecting them from the Celestials, the Elders of the Universe, and any other cosmic threats.[32]
Battlerealm (Earth-15513)[]
After the destruction of the Multiverse caused by incursions,[33] Doctor Doom with the power of the Beyonders was able to create Battleworld in a new reality.[34] The Negative Zone served as the planet's core.
Heroes Reborn (2021) (Earth-21798)[]
In this reality, the Negative Zone is used by the Squadron Supreme of America to place Earth's most dangerous villains after capture. When some of them escaped from Negative Zone, Dr. Reed Richards warned Hyperion of the dangers of using it as a prison, but Hyperion ignored his warnings.[35][36]
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (Earth-135263)[]
The Negative Zone is inhabited by various serpent and insect like creatures. The zone is alleged to be a nexus to all other universes. Unlike its Earth-616 counterpart, this Negative zone was not discovered by Reed Richards; Dr. Doom alleges he discovered it years before. Also, this Zone does not appear to be composed of anti-matter, as Johnny Storm and his girlfriend were seen entering this Zone with no protection or preparations and, were it anti-matter, they surely would have been annihilated.[37]
Original 61st Century of Earth-6160 (Earth-TRN1510)[]
This universe was the original 61st Century of Earth-6160. America Chavez and Captain Marvel of the Guardians of the Galaxy worked together to generate enough cosmic energy to convert contraction to expansion, transforming the Negative Zone into the Positive Zone, bringing an era of abundance, peace and growth. However, the Positive Zone, along with Earth-TRN1510, were destroyed after the Maker of Earth-1610 reshaped the history of the 20th and 21st centuries through the Immortus Engine.[5]Points of Interest
Notes
- In the space-time continuum of the Negative Zone, time passes at the same rate as it does here: one second per second. When compared to each other, though, the rates differ. While one day passes in our universe, eleven months go by in the Negative Zone. Conversely, while one day passes in the Zone, only 25.7 seconds go by in our universe. This phenomenon offers amazing opportunities for research in such fields as astronomy and cosmology. So far, the difficulties of getting to the Zone and staying alive there have discouraged such research.[citation needed]
See Also
- 357 appearance(s) of Negative Zone
- 8 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Negative Zone
- 28 minor appearance(s) of Negative Zone
- 291 mention(s) of Negative Zone
- 21 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Negative Zone
- 74 image(s) of Negative Zone
- 32 article(s) related to Negative Zone
- 116 citizen(s) of Negative Zone
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fantastic Four #51
- ↑ Fantastic Four: Full Circle #1
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #3
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #1
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ultimates (Vol. 3) #8
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 5) #21
- ↑ Fantastic Four #140
- ↑ Fantastic Four Unlimited #3
- ↑ Fantastic Four #56
- ↑ Fantastic Four #61
- ↑ Fantastic Four #62
- ↑ Fantastic Four #63
- ↑ Fantastic Four #71
- ↑ Fantastic Four Annual #6
- ↑ X-Men #53
- ↑ Captain Marvel #16–21
- ↑ Avengers #72
- ↑ Fantastic Four #107–110
- ↑ Marvel Team-Up #2
- ↑ Fantastic Four #252
- ↑ Fantastic Four #253
- ↑ Fantastic Four: Foes #3
- ↑ Spider-Man #90
- ↑ Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man #13–14
- ↑ Thor #406
- ↑ Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Vol. 2) #43
- ↑ Ultimate Fantastic Four #15–18
- ↑ What The--?! #7
- ↑ Paradise X #0
- ↑ Paradise X #6
- ↑ Paradise X #7–10
- ↑ Paradise X: X #1
- ↑ Secret Wars #1
- ↑ Secret Wars #2
- ↑ Heroes Reborn (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ Heroes Reborn (Vol. 2) #2
- ↑ Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes S1E12