I’d like to read through the story of Adam Warlock in the comics, inspired by his role in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3. I made it through about 15 years of his history, at which point he seemed to be dead, so I stopped there.
We’ll also check in on some characters inexorably intertwined with his story, including High Evolutionary, Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, Captain Marvel, and Moondragon. As well as Six Gems that seem quite powerful.
High Evolutionary
Thor #134-135 [Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Vince Colletta, 1966]
Hidden within Wundagore Mountain, High Evolutionary performs genetic experiments to create a race of evolved animals called the New Men. An accident evolves a wolf to the ultimate end of evolution, creating the evil Man-Beast, who in turn creates his own evil New Men. High Evolutionary sees no choice but to launch Wundagore into space to find a safe home for the New Men.
In Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, High Evolutionary is portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuji.
Tales to Astonish #94-96 [Stan Lee, Marie Severin, and Herb Trimpe, 1967]
High Evolutionary and his New Men found a world to build a utopia, but it failed. The New Men grew too savage and bestial. Mortally wounded in battle, High Evolutionary ends up forced to evolve himself into the ultimate destiny of mankind. He reverts the New Men to their animal forms and becomes one with the cosmos.
Him
Fantastic Four #66-67 [Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Joe Sinnott, 1967]
Three scientists have retreated to the Citadel of Science– the “Beehive”– to create the perfect human. They may have succeeded, but their creation emits a brilliant glow making them unable to look upon him. He seems to be supremely powerful. But really he was not yet even born, still within his cocoon. When he emerges, he has no use for the (possibly evil) scientists who created him and kills them and departs our world.
In Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, this to-be-named perfect human is portrayed by Will Poulter.
Thor #163-166 [Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Vince Colletta, 1969]
The being has somehow returned to Earth and again finds himself within a cocoon. He emerges and declares his name to be simply Him. Him decides that Sif will be his mate. After a defeat by Thor, Him again retreats into his cocoon and again launches into space.
Warlock
Marvel Premiere #1-2 [Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, and Dan Adkins, 1972]
The loneliness of the infinite led High Evolutionary to resume his mortal shell. His new great experiment is to create Counter-Earth on the far side of the sun, a new world, a new humanity, this time free from aggression and evil. But the act of creation tires High Evolutionary, and while he slumbers, Man-Beast comes across his machinery and introduces evil and war into this new world. He then proceeds to the world to conquer it and make it his own.
From his cocoon, Him observes all this and decides to emerge. High Evolutionary sees no choice but to destroy his creation Counter-Earth, but Him thinks he may yet defeat Man-Beast and guide this new humanity down a better path. High Evolutionary had come to think of Him like a son, and fears he sends him to his death on Counter-Earth. He gives Him his first proper name: Warlock. High Evolutionary also gifts Warlock with an emerald to aid him.
On Counter-Earth, he meets a group of youngsters who suggest his first name should be Adam and become his followers. Man-Beast sends an agent to kill him, but Adam Warlock wins the day with the help of his Soul Jewel.
Warlock #1-2 [Roy Thomas, Mike Friedrich, Gil Kane, John Buscema, and Tom Sutton, 1972]
High Evolutionary grows increasingly certain that Counter-Earth must be destroyed, but he respects his vow to Warlock to give Counter-Earth a chance to be saved. Warlock seeks out the Man-Beast and finds him in the guise of a prophet.
Incredible Hulk #157-158 [Archie Goodwin, Steve Gerber, Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe, and Sal Trapani, 1972]
Hulk journeys to Counter-Earth, and finds himself in the middle of a battle between two factions of New Men.
Warlock #3-8 [Mike Friedrich, Ron Goulart, Gil Kane, Bob Brown, and Tom Sutton, 1972-73]
Warlock aids Counter-Earth against a series of menaces. When one of his followers is killed, Warlock retreats into his cocoon again. He emerges to find himself declared a public enemy by the president of the United States. Soon, mobs are forming sides, for or against Warlock. He has to stop his own supporters from committing violence in his name. Ultimately, it’s revealed the President had been possessed by the spirit of the Man-Beast.
Thanos
Iron Man #54 [Mike Friedrich, Bill Everett, George Tuska, and Vince Colletta, 1972]
Madame MacEvil is studying hybrids and has taken a particular interest in Namor.
Iron Man #55 [Mike Friedrich, Jim Starlin, and Mike Esposito, 1972]
Titan, moon of Saturn, is home to the Titans, a paradise run by a gargantuan computer named ISAAC (Integral Synaptic Anti-/Anionic Computer), which was ruled by Mentor, along with his sons Eros and Thanos. But Thanos betrayed the planet’s ideals, was sent into exile, and returned with a horde of interstellar malcontents to attack.
Mentor reached out to Titan’s god Kronos for support, and Kronos created from the rubble Drax, the Destroyer, a being created solely to destroy Thanos.
Here’s Dave Bautista as Drax up against Josh Brolin as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
Eros of Titan is portrayed by Harry Styles in The Eternals.
Captain Marvel #25-30 [Jim Starlin, Mike Friedrich, et al, 1973]
Thanos has conquered Titan and now seeks to conquer Earth as his next step toward galactic domination. A silent hooded figure is always by his side, who turns out to be Death. Thanos seeks the Cosmic Cube. On Titan, Mentor and Eros seek to overthrow Thanos. Eros describes himself as a man of love and adventure, and the subject of some Earth legends. They both end up as prisoners of Thanos. Drax and Thanos clash in a reality-altering psychedelic battle.
In ancient times, in the home of the original Titans, Uranus ruled, but was challenged by Titans who wished for a more peaceful order, including Chronos. Uranus was exiled to the planet that bears his name, and Chronos shattered his sword and dedicated himself to peace. The offspring of Chronos included Zeus, who became a warrior, and A’Lars who became a scholar who pursued peace. A powerful explosion almost killed Chronos, but instead he became one with the cosmos, a bodiless but powerful force. Zeus took control of Olympia and A’Lars settled on Titan, becoming known as Mentor.
Since the dawn of Olympus, Eon has waited for the coming of Captain Marvel as foretold by his creator Kronos. He has waited 8 billion years to lead Captain Marvel on a spiritual journey to bury the warrior he has been and become instead a protector. To defeat the threat of Thanos, Captain Marvel must learn that it is war itself that is the true enemy, and that in war the only true victor is Death himself. With this change, Captain Marvel gains Cosmic Awareness.
Marvel’s original Captain Marvel is the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, portrayed by Annette Bening in Captain Marvel.
Daredevil #97-108 [Steve Gerber, Jim Starlin, Gene Colan, Don Heck, Bob Brown, et al, 1972-73]
Madame MacEvil self-describes as a philosopher, warrior, scientist, lover, and Priestess of Titan. Thanos is her enemy. She prefers to go by the name Moondragon.
When her parents died in a car crash, she was taken by Emlot to Titan. Mentor described her as a casualty of a missionary expedition from Titan. Mentor’s wife Kazantra noted they could not raise her, given the difficulties they are having raising Thanos, so they have Emlot take her to the Shao-Lom Monastery. Notice Moondragon and Thanos were thus children at the same time. At Shao-Lom, she studied and became Titan’s foremost woman athlete and master of genetics, while also finding serenity. But the monastery was too closed off, blissfully unaware as Thanos conquered Titan, until he destroyed the monastery. So she followed Thanos to Earth seeking vengeance. Daredevil notes she is more arrogant than wise.
Captain Marvel #31-33 [Jim Starlin, Dan Green, Klaus Janson, and Al Milgron, 1974]
Thanos’ plans of conquest have a single motivation: love– love for the woman that is Death herself. As a token of his affection, he seeks to give her all life on Earth.
With the power of the Cosmic Cube, Thanos has defeated Kronos himself.
Thanos uses the Cosmic Cube to make himself a god, one with the entire universe. He kills the Destroyer, but Drax resurrects; he is not truly mortal– he was created to kill Thanos and cannot rest until he does. The heroes’ only hope lies in Thanos’ mind failing to adjust to godhood, and so not truly reaching his potential. Captain Marvel recognizes Thanos’ true weakness is ego.
Along the way, we learn the true origins of Drax and Moondragon. Art Douglas had been driving from an Elvis concert in Vegas back to Los Angeles with his wife Yvette and daughter Heather. Thanos was on a scouting mission on Earth and couldn’t be seen, so he caused their car to crash. Heather survived and was taken to Titan to become Moondragon. Art died, but his soul was taken by Kronos and imbued into the being he created from soil, Drax the Destroyer. This is a little confusing, because we’d learned earlier Thanos was still a child when Moondragon was taken to Titan.
In the end, Captain Marvel destroys the Cosmic Cube, the source of Thanos’ godhood, which ends Thanos’ godhood– and his life.
This is one of the greatest stories in Marvel’s history.
Incredible Hulk #176-178 [Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Tony Isabella, Herb Trimpe, and Jack Abel, 1974]
Warlock is a prisoner of the Man-Beast, who is unable to break his will. A Recorder breaks Warlock free with the help of the Hulk, and they join with the good New Men for a last supper.
Imprisoned upon a cross, the president possessed by the Man-Beast asks the crowd what Warlock’s fate should be. They choose death, and he proclaims his hands are clean. Warlock cries out to the High Evolutionary to ask why he has been forsaken, and then dies on the cross.
Adam’s body returns to a cocoon, which Hulk takes to a cave with his followers. On the third day, Adam rises again, and devolves the Man-Beast and his New Men to their original forms. He warns the population they will return unless mankind learns to confront the evil within themselves. He then rises into the heavens to seek out other worlds in need of his salvation.
Captain Marvel #34 [Jim Starlin, Steve Englehart, and Jack Abel, 1974]
Titan begins to be restored to its former glory. Eros seeks pleasure in the company of women. Moondragon returns to her monastery.
Captain Marvel is exposed to Compound 13.
Magus
Strange Tales #178-181 [Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom, and Alan Weiss, 1975]
A woman has sought out Warlock to save a thousand worlds from the Universal Church of Truth, which worships the Magus. He fails to save her from the Grand Inquisitors. His Soul Gem draws strength from the sinister chaotic ends of Infinity and he uses it to reanimate the dead woman to get answers. The Magus has been around for 5000 years and preaches of peace, but only for those who join the Church. All others are purified. The Magus commands the fabrics of time, space, the mind, and the soul. Upon confronting Magus, Warlock realizes he and the Magus are the same being.
Imprisoned by Captain Autolycus of the Church with non-humanoid aliens destined for extermination, Warlock meets Pip the Troll.
Warlock leads a rebellion of the prisoners and battles Autolycus. When Autolycus is about to win, Warlock’s Soul Gem comes to life and sucks out the Captain’s soul, revealing all he is and was to Warlock, and leaving a soulless husk behind.
On the Homeworld of the Church, Warlock defeats more Black Knights, and the Soul Gem again seeks to claim their souls, but Warlock resists it, though his control is weakening. The Soul Gem has been slowly sucking Warlock’s soul into itself, so that he cannot be rid of it, as without it, he is but a husk. Warlock learns Magus is his future self, and finds himself in the mockery of justice that is the Court of Kray-Tor. In the end, Warlock shows his contempt for the Court and commands the Soul Gem to steal Kray-Tor’s soul. In doing so, he realizes that Kray-Tor was a true believer, doing what he thought was right; he truly believed Warlock to be a villain, and in stealing his soul into himself, Adam proved him right.
Pip meets Gamora, the deadliest woman in the galaxy, and they learn Adam is being held in the Pit for reconditioning, and fight to free him. Warlock breaks free only by embracing the madness with himself, becoming possibly insane, and one step closer to becoming the Magus.
Pip is portrayed via CGI by Patton Oswalt in The Eternals.
Gamora is portrayed by Zoe Saldana, and was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Warlock #9-11 [Jim Starlin and Steve Leialoha, 1974-75]
Warlock confronts the Magus, who remembers this entire confrontation playing out. Except that he does not recall Gamora’s presence and so is unable to even see her. Magus explains what is about to happen. He will summon the In-Betweener, a cosmic being whose realm is that space between fact and fantasy. Warlock will be transported to his domain and float for centuries, while the powers of Chaos and Order whisper dark secrets to him, until he accepts that there is no right or wrong, only purpose or death. He will return to his cocoon once more and emerge as the Magus. He will emerge 5000 years in the past, where he will conquer Homeworld and become its god. This is Warlock’s destiny.
Gamora’s mysterious master had commanded her to strike just as Magus was summoning the In-Betweener, but Magus was able to perceive her in time and halted her attack. Her master decides he must intervene directly. His name is Thanos. Captain Marvel had believed Thanos dead when the Cosmic Cube was shattered, but he had merely returned to his mortal form and was left floating somewhere in the cosmos.
Thanos brings his allies to his space ark named Sanctuary. Thanos plans to reconquer Titan. He’ll need his time machine and Warlock’s Soul Gem.
Thanos had rescued Gamora as a child from Zen Whoberis in the future, a peaceful religious society that was exterminated by the Magus’ Grand Inquisitors. He molded her into a weapon that could kill the Magus and hoped her own time travel would create enough of a rift in the Magus’ perception of reality to allow her to surprise and assassinate him, but she failed.
Magus and his hordes attack Sanctuary, and Warlock responds by wiping out most of Magus’ forces with his Soul Gem. Warlock then enters Thanos’ time probe to commit cosmic suicide. Thanos, a creature of Death, battles Magus, a creature of Life.
Warlock confronts the In-Betweener, who must take Warlock into his realm, as his masters, Chaos and Order, have bid. The In-Betweener reveals the purpose to Warlock’s destiny. For the Magus is the champion that Life will need to battle Thanos. Thanos had hoped to prevent the Magus’ birth so that he may slay the less powerful Warlock at his leisure.
Warlock confronts his future self. It turns out to be only months in the future. But for the future Warlock that time has been an eternity in which everything had fallen into ruin and everyone he loved had died. He welcomes the end of his failed life. Warlock allows his Gem to feast upon his future soul.
With the Magus and his Church erased from existence across all time, Thanos’ plans of total stellar genocide will be unopposed.
This is one of the greatest stories in Marvel’s history.
Warlock #12 [Jim Starlin and Steve Leialoha, 1976]
We learn Pip’s origin. He’d been a human Prince on some world, but then partied too long with Trolls. And when you party with Trolls, you become a Troll.
He is tricked into freeing a woman from bondage so that she can reunite with her love, Eros of Titan.
Warlock #13-14 [Jim Starlin and Steve Leialoha, 1976]
On Earth lies a man unable to move or access any of his 5 senses. But he lives, and his mind has grown impossibly powerful. He has mental control over his own nurse, and has decided to start destroying stars one by one. Some stars which vanished had inhabited worlds orbiting them, now frozen. Adam Warlock learns of this and travels to Earth. Distracted by Warlock, this Star-Thief loses his hold on his nurse, who knows what he’s done and kills him in his hospital bed. The nurse is arrested for murder. None know he saved the universe.
Warlock returns to Earth to find himself out of sync with it due to the expanding universe. He can never return home.
Warlock #15 [Jim Starlin, 1976]
Warlock struggles for control with the Soul Gem, which reveals itself to be one of Six.
Marvel Team-Up #55 [Bill Mantlo, John Byrne, and David Hunt, 1976]
It’s not obvious to me that Warlock’s growing in size relative to Earth made sense. But I’m sure his sudden reversion to normal size doesn’t. The Stranger attacks Warlock, seeking his Soul Gem. The Stranger possesses another and wants Warlock’s as well. They battle on the Blue Area of the Moon, where the Gardener has used a third Gem to build a beautiful garden. But once used as a weapon against the Stranger, it was corrupted and no longer able to maintain the garden. So the Gardener left it behind and went to find a new garden to tend.
The Final Threat
Avengers Annual 7 [Jim Starlin and Joe Rubinstein, 1977]
After his defeat by Captain Marvel, Death abandoned Thanos. He sought to prove his love to her, and decided wiping out all the stars in the galaxy was the way to do so. He began gathering the Six Gems like the one Warlock wears. He stole one from the Stranger; he found one on the moon where the Gardener abandoned it, and three others here and there. Unwilling to risk direct confrontation with Warlock, Thanos had used their recent alliance to secretly siphon the power from his Gem into Thanos’ synthetic soul gem, which now has the power of all Six Gems.
When Gamora learns of Thanos’ plans, she tries to kill him and so he kills her. Before she dies, Warlock absorbs her soul into his Gem. Warlock teams up with Captain Marvel and the Avengers to face off against Thanos’ horde of starships that has invaded our solar system.
On Thanos’ ship, Warlock finds the body of his friend Pip, and absorbs his soul into the Gem. In doing so, he learns of the boasting Pip had overheard and knows where he must go to find Thanos. He notes it isn’t the first time Thanos had supplied the means to his own defeat.
Despite being Life’s champion, Warlock is easily bested by Thanos. But he bought enough time for the Avengers to find Thanos and destroy his Star Gem, ending his plans of stellar genocide.
Lying near death, Warlock is visited by his past self, here to commit cosmic suicide and complete the circle.
In death, Warlock finds the peace he never knew in life. In the world of the Soul Gem every soul it ever absorbed lives in a oneness that breeds understanding and love. Warlock is reunited with Pip and Gamora, as well as Kra-Tor and Autolycus, and at last at peace.
This might be the greatest single issue in Marvel’s history.
Marvel Two-in-One Annual 2 [Jim Starlin and Joe Rubinstein, 1977]
Thanos’ plans of total stellar genocide are thwarted, but he still can use Warlock’s Soul Gem to destroy our sun. Lord Order and Master Chaos watch on as the Avengers battle Thanos, but in the end, it is Warlock who must save the day, his spirit reaching out from the Soul Gem to end Thanos’ life once and for all.
Her
Incredible Hulk Annual 6 [David Anthony Kraft, Len Wein, Herb Trimpe, and Mike Esposito, 1977]
The scientists from the Beehive survived and are trying their experiment again. They create a new perfect being named Paragon, but again lose control. Paragon destroys the new Beehive and returns to the cocoon, which sinks to the bottom of the sea, awaiting transformation again.
Captain Marvel #58-62 [Doug Moench, Patrick Broderick, Bruce Patterson, and Bob McLeod, 1978]
Drax learns Thanos is dead and is angry with Captain Marvel that his revenge was robbed from him. Before his death, Thanos had preprogrammed ISAAC to take control of Titan. Drax decides to stay his wrath against Captain Marvel long enough to deal with some after-effects of Thanos’ madness.
Marvel Two-in-One #61-63 [Mark Gruenwald, Jerry Bingham, and Gene Day, 1980]
Paragon emerges transformed from the cocoon into Her, believing her purpose is to mate with Him. But Moondragon informs Her that Him is dead. They travel to find his corpse on Counter-Earth because Her thinks she can revive Him, but find Counter-Earth missing. Her and Moondragon are able to revive High Evolutionary. The Planet Movers had been hired by the Beyonders to move Counter-Earth and were behind many manipulations of Warlock. Her is unable to revive Adam Warlock. She can restore his body, but his soul is lost, for it exists within the Soul Gem.
Her is portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 and vol. 3.
Incredible Hulk #248 [Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, 1980]
The Gardener is an Elder from who came to our universe in the wake of Creation. He has a brother who likes to study and another who engages in endless sport. He sought to recreate the garden paradise he came from. After Warlock’s death, the Gardener took the Soul Gem from his grave, the Gem in which Warlock’s soul resides, and brought it to his new garden paradise for safekeeping, on the subatomic world of K’ai. Hulk buries his fallen love Jarella in the garden, and sends the Soul Gem to the center of K’ai, making the entire world a paradise.
Death of Captain Marvel
Marvel Graphic Novel #1 [Jim Starlin, 1982]
Captain Marvel succumbs to cancer, brought on by his exposure to Compound 13. He dies in a hospital bed, but in his dreams, he battles as a warrior once more against Thanos, before accepting Death’s embrace.
It’s one of the greatest stories in Marvel’s history.
Avengers #219-220 [Jim Shooter, Bob Hall, Dan Green, et al, 1982]
Moondragon helped Drax find new purpose in helping the war-torn world of Bal-Bani. But she went too far and conquered the entire world to bring it peace, declaring herself its goddess, and also enslaved her father’s mind. She seeks to extend this peace to the entire universe. Drax rebels against her and she kills him, her own father. Thor brings her to Asgard to face Odin’s judgment.
Defenders #125 [J.M. DeMatteis, Don Perlin, and Kim DeMulder, 1983]
Odin judges that Moondragon deserves another chance, and assigns Valkyrie to watch over her. They join the New Defenders.
Defenders #138 [Peter Gillis, Don Perlin, and Kim DeMulder, 1984]
In her training on Titan, Heather fought against the ancient and powerful Dragon of the Moon. She contained the creature, but took its name, gained powers, and its influence has been with her ever since.
New Defenders #143-144 [Peter Gillis, Don Perlin, and Kim DeMulder, 1985]
Moondragon remembers her time on Titan, after choosing her name, and meeting the Runner.
She is possessed by the Dragon of the Moon that is her namesake and turns against her teammates. Odin knows of this Dragon and had foreseen this and warned Valkyrie. Moondragon resists, but is corrupted by the experience.
New Defenders #151-152 [Peter Gillis, Don Perlin, and Dell Barras, 1985]
Moondragon in the thrall of the Dragon attacks again. The battle costs her her life, and she crumbles into dust.
Well, Warlock is dead. Thanos is dead. Gamora is dead. Pip is dead. Captain Marvel is dead. Drax the Destroyer is dead. Moondragon is dead. The Soul Gem is held in the core of a subatomic world. The Magus never existed. Seems like the story is over.
On the off chance any of these characters turn out to have appeared again, we’ll consider a follow-up post.
I guess Warlock had already died before and just been resurrected in his cocoon, but this time seems final somehow…
Works Cited
