Ultimate Nullifier
Encyclopedia
The Ultimate Nullifier is a device of immense power in the Marvel Universe
. The device made its first appearance in Fantastic Four
volume 1, issue #50 (May 1966), in which Johnny Storm
retrieves it from the home of Galactus—as directed by Uatu
the Watcher—for the Fantastic Four to employ against the threat of Galactus
himself. The Nullifier appears as a small, hand-held metallic device with no apparent functionality. When first introduced in 1966 it was described as the only known weapon in the universe capable of inspiring fear in Galactus.
threatens the use of the Ultimate Nullifier as a last ditch effort to stop Galactus from destroying Earth as Human Torch
recovered it from the base of Galactus with the help of Uatu
the Watcher. Faced with the prospect of dying by Richards' activation of the Nullifier, Galactus withdraws.
The Nullifier later appears in the Infinity War
. Quasar
tries to use it in an attempt to destroy the Magus
, who had acquired the collective power of five cosmic cube
s and a gauntlet containing 5 of the 6 Infinity Gems. The Reality Gem was replaced in this instance with a duplicate created by Thanos
. Although Quasar tried to use the weapon on Magus, Quasar's attack gets redirected by the incomplete Infinity Gauntlet
, temporarily nullifying Quasar in the process.
The Ultimate Nullifier is generally kept within Galactus' Worldship, Taa II, though at times Galactus has been known to carry it aboard his spherical starship. In the rare instances that the Nullifier gets stolen or kept in other locales, such as the Fantastic Four's headquarters, the Nullifier inevitably returns to Galactus' possession. In the Abraxas
saga Galactus demonstrates his ability to recall the Nullifier to himself at will. In conjunction, he stated it to be "as much a part of me as my heart itself." In the 2006 edition of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
, Marvel Comics included a profile of the 'Ultimate Nullifier' which, using technobabble
, described the device to be of "unknown origins" within the context of the fictional Marvel Universe."
's Big Bang
at Gah-Lak-Tus, destroying 20% of its mass and driving it off. This weapon is referred to as the Nevada Gun, and is activated by triggering a Big Bang in an infant universe, and channeling that energy into a giant beam of destruction.
crossover
(published between Sep 2003 - Mar 2004), the JLA
and the Avengers
go after twelve items of power, six from each universe. The Grandmaster
approaches the League and tells them the Ultimate Nullifier is one of the great six items of power of the Marvel Universe
, along with the Infinity Gems
, the Casket of Ancient Winters, the Wand of Watoomb
, the Evil Eye of Avalon
and the Cosmic Cube
. The first item the League collects is the Ultimate Nullifier. The Martian Manhunter
examines it, but it threatens to overwhelm his mind, and he starts to lose control of his shape due to the immense power felt probing the Nullifier, stating the item alone could destroy an entire universe.
trilogy, Universe X in particular, the Ultimate Nullifier is one of the cosmic objects Captain Marvel, resurrected as a child, gathers to create Paradise. Later, it is used against Death
after Marvel's spiritual counterpart, Mar-Vell, reveals to Thanos
how Death has manipulated him in the past and gives the Ultimate Nullifier to him. Thanos annihilates Death and removes her from power, paving the way for the new paradise. However, as an unforeseen consequence, it leaves those still living unable to die, forcing the remaining heroes on Earth to resurrect Jude The Entropic Man
as a means for dying.
theorizes that the Nullifier doesn't actually destroy things, or it would be called an "Ultimate Annihilator." He believes that it instead alters the laws of probability, changing the universe so that "everything has an equal likelihood of effecting everything else." The theory turns out to be right when Spider-Man activates the Nullifier in an attempt to stop Galactus.
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The device made its first appearance in Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
volume 1, issue #50 (May 1966), in which Johnny Storm
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
retrieves it from the home of Galactus—as directed by Uatu
Uatu
Uatu, often simply known as The Watcher, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 ....
the Watcher—for the Fantastic Four to employ against the threat of Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
himself. The Nullifier appears as a small, hand-held metallic device with no apparent functionality. When first introduced in 1966 it was described as the only known weapon in the universe capable of inspiring fear in Galactus.
Bio
In its first appearance, Reed RichardsMister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
threatens the use of the Ultimate Nullifier as a last ditch effort to stop Galactus from destroying Earth as Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
recovered it from the base of Galactus with the help of Uatu
Uatu
Uatu, often simply known as The Watcher, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 ....
the Watcher. Faced with the prospect of dying by Richards' activation of the Nullifier, Galactus withdraws.
The Nullifier later appears in the Infinity War
Infinity War
The Infinity War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1992. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom, Jack Morelli and Christie Scheele....
. Quasar
Quasar (comics)
Quasar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the . He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions...
tries to use it in an attempt to destroy the Magus
Magus (comics)
The Magus is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. He is an evil version of the hero Adam Warlock.-Publication history:The Magus was created by Jim Starlin, and appears as an image in Strange Tales vol...
, who had acquired the collective power of five cosmic cube
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
s and a gauntlet containing 5 of the 6 Infinity Gems. The Reality Gem was replaced in this instance with a duplicate created by Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
. Although Quasar tried to use the weapon on Magus, Quasar's attack gets redirected by the incomplete Infinity Gauntlet
Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
, temporarily nullifying Quasar in the process.
The Ultimate Nullifier is generally kept within Galactus' Worldship, Taa II, though at times Galactus has been known to carry it aboard his spherical starship. In the rare instances that the Nullifier gets stolen or kept in other locales, such as the Fantastic Four's headquarters, the Nullifier inevitably returns to Galactus' possession. In the Abraxas
Abraxas (comics)
Abraxas, sometimes called the Dark Man, is a fictional cosmic entity in the Marvel Multiverse. He first appeared in Fantastic Four 2001...
saga Galactus demonstrates his ability to recall the Nullifier to himself at will. In conjunction, he stated it to be "as much a part of me as my heart itself." In the 2006 edition of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
, Marvel Comics included a profile of the 'Ultimate Nullifier' which, using technobabble
Technobabble
Technobabble , also called technospeak, is a form of prose using jargon, buzzwords, esoteric language, specialized technical terms, or technical slang that is incomprehensible to the listener...
, described the device to be of "unknown origins" within the context of the fictional Marvel Universe."
Powers and abilities
The Ultimate Nullifier has been described as "the universe's most devastating weapon." As such, the Ultimate Nullifier has the ability to completely eliminate any target the wielder chooses, along with the user if his or her mind is not focused enough. In the hands of a being with an extremely powerful mind the Ultimate Nullifier can destroy (or in conjunction recreate) entire time-lines from beginning to end.Ultimate Ultimate Nullifier
During Ultimate Extinction, Reed Richards created a massively up-sized, towering version of the very same portal device that he had previously designed on two other occasions to connect to the N-Zone. This weapon unleashed the tremendous energies of an alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
's Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
at Gah-Lak-Tus, destroying 20% of its mass and driving it off. This weapon is referred to as the Nevada Gun, and is activated by triggering a Big Bang in an infant universe, and channeling that energy into a giant beam of destruction.
JLA/Avengers
During the JLA/AvengersJLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to May 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with art by George Pérez...
crossover
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
(published between Sep 2003 - Mar 2004), the JLA
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
and the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
go after twelve items of power, six from each universe. The Grandmaster
Grandmaster (comics)
The Grandmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. who first appeared in The Avengers #69. He is one of the ageless Elders of the Universe and has mastered most civilizations' games of skill and chance.-Fictional character biography:...
approaches the League and tells them the Ultimate Nullifier is one of the great six items of power of the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, along with the Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
, the Casket of Ancient Winters, the Wand of Watoomb
Wand of Watoomb
The Wand of Watoomb is a fictional artifact that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The Wand first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.-Publication history:...
, the Evil Eye of Avalon
Evil Eye of Avalon
The Evil Eye of Avalon is a fictional potent mystical magical artifact in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
and the Cosmic Cube
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
. The first item the League collects is the Ultimate Nullifier. The Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
examines it, but it threatens to overwhelm his mind, and he starts to lose control of his shape due to the immense power felt probing the Nullifier, stating the item alone could destroy an entire universe.
Earth X
In the Earth XEarth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
trilogy, Universe X in particular, the Ultimate Nullifier is one of the cosmic objects Captain Marvel, resurrected as a child, gathers to create Paradise. Later, it is used against Death
Death (Marvel Comics)
Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional...
after Marvel's spiritual counterpart, Mar-Vell, reveals to Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
how Death has manipulated him in the past and gives the Ultimate Nullifier to him. Thanos annihilates Death and removes her from power, paving the way for the new paradise. However, as an unforeseen consequence, it leaves those still living unable to die, forcing the remaining heroes on Earth to resurrect Jude The Entropic Man
Jude the Entropic Man
Jude the Entropic Man is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Jude the Entropic Man appeared in Marvel Two-In-One #42-43 , and was created by Ralph Macchio and Sal Buscema....
as a means for dying.
Marvel Adventures
In Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #26, Spider-ManSpider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
theorizes that the Nullifier doesn't actually destroy things, or it would be called an "Ultimate Annihilator." He believes that it instead alters the laws of probability, changing the universe so that "everything has an equal likelihood of effecting everything else." The theory turns out to be right when Spider-Man activates the Nullifier in an attempt to stop Galactus.
Television
- In the 1994 Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
TV series episode "Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus", Uatu the Watcher takes the Human Torch to Galactus' world to obtain the Ultimate Nullifier in order to stop Galactus. This version of the Nullifier differs greatly in shape from the original, looking more like a two-handed gun.
Video games
- In Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
, CrystalCrystal (comics)Crystal is a fictional character, a superhero in the . She is a member of the Inhumans and the younger sister of Medusa....
mentions to the heroes that MedusaMedusa (comics)Medusa is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Medusa first appeared in Fantastic Four #36 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
left for Earth to search for the Ultimate Nullifier to be used against Doctor DoomDoctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
. It is mentioned that the Ultimate Nullifier was in the possession of the Fantastic Four, then S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
, then with Dr. Moira MacTaggertMoira MacTaggertDr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
on Muir Island. Medusa ends up running into Doctor Doom and becomes corrupted, knowing someone would use the Ultimate Nullifier against him. One of the side missions involves finding the damaged Ultimate Nullifier in a laboratory at Castle Doom (it can also help in defeating Doctor Doom by using it alongside the M'Kraan CrystalM'Kraan CrystalIn the fictional Marvel Comics Universe, the M'Kraan Crystal is a gigantic crystalline artifact that lies at the nexus of all realities. The Crystal contains a negative galaxy, a source of near limitless power, which pulls and traps all matter inside. The Crystal plays a prominent role in several...
and the Muonic Inducer). If the player successfully finds the damaged Ultimate Nullifier, Mister Fantastic will repair it and use it one day to prevent MephistoMephisto (comics)Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
from invading Earth before all is lost. If the damaged Ultimate Nullifier isn't found, the team of heroes will be forced to band together once again to fight Mephisto with the resulting battle causing a tremendous amount of destruction.