The Life Of Adam Warlock Reviewed By Adam Warlock

[shaxper]

Thor issues of Mr Kirby's have been the one spot I have enjoyed his art.

Wow. Not a fan of Kirby?

But I wonder if it is Mr Colletta's inks that have helped me enjoy his art more.

Triple wow. Colletta's pretty much the most hated inker I'm aware of in comicdom.

Interestingly, there is a letter on the letter pages submitted by a man that lives in the same town I do. Same zipcode, but google maps cannot find the street name or address. I guess in the 42 years since then the street name may have changed, or just doesn't exist anymore.

Pretty cool. I'm always fascinated by this kind of stuff.

[shaxper]

I liked the issue alright, but I think it's the anxiousness of wanting to see just what this creature is. I wonder if there was the connection made by readers from FF #66, 67 to these Thor issues when it was two years since the FF issues. Anyone here read these issues when they came out? Did you think of the FF issues when you did?

What an odd choice to have scattered Adam's slow immersion into the MU in this fashion. I wonder why it was done in this way? It reminds me a bit of how Jean Grey's return in the 1980s was slowly spread out across the pages of The Avengers and the Fantastic Four before we really understood what it was. It made sense there because it was an established character that fans would be excited to "discover" again, but I don't see the point in doing that with a new character unless there was some kind of groundswell of fan demand to see more of him at this early stage.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Wow. Not a fan of Kirby?

I don't find his work distracting ... I find it brutish? Monsters, Mutates, gods, Eternals, and dragons, classic Mr Kirby work. But I find his humans, Reed, Sue, Johnny, to site recent examples ... well brutish. I don't know how else to describe it. Especially in the face. They almost look neanderthal like.

Triple wow. Colletta's pretty much the most hated inker I'm aware of in comicdom.

Is it his actual work, or was he a silver aged Liefield? I don't find anything distracting about his work, but I look at art pretty subjectively, since I am not an artist of any kind.

What an odd choice to have scattered Adam's slow immersion into the MU in this fashion. I wonder why it was done in this way? It reminds me a bit of how Jean Grey's return in the 1980s was slowly spread out across the pages of The Avengers and the Fantastic Four before we really understood what it was. It made sense there because it was an established character that fans would be excited to "discover" again, but I don't see the point in doing that with a new character unless there was some kind of groundswell of fan demand to see more of him at this early stage.

Perhaps in those days, MUCH unlike today if Marvel wanted to bring back Him and do a story with Thor they would actually do it in Thor. Instead of bringing him back to FF and then over to Thor. Maybe sell a couple of filler of Him on FF and then get to the story they were going to do anyway in Thor.

Either that or was Thor possibly selling better at the time than FF, and they figured more people would see Him in Thor than if they did it again in FF? I was always under the impression FF was a solid best selling comic in those days over almost any Marvel title.

[matt levin]

As a reader at the time, with no insider insight (then...or now!), I got the impression no one really knew what Him (or Her--there was a Her, IIRC) would turn into across the next few years. An enemy for Thor. No, more than that-- and then, well, he became Adam.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Thor #165
June 1969

Writer -- Stan Lee
Pencils -- Jack Kirby
Inks -- Vince Colletta
Letters -- Artie Simek

"Him!"

After celebrating their conquest of Pluto and the Mutates, Thor intends to find out who or what is within the Atomic Research Center. He recalls that Pluto himself was even apprehensive of the power that this creature held.

Meanwhile, the Queen of Norns (this being an exception case of Mr Kirby's women) conspires to get Balder back for herself in answer to him spurning her advances. Since Odin has blocked her ability to take Balder for herself, she summons her seeress Haag to do her dirty work.

Now we see our heroes; Thor, Sif and Balder, come face to face with the nameless being inside who birthed himself from his protective cocoon. Upon being questioned he recalls his birth and escape recounted in Fantastic Four #66 and #67. He has no name and is to be known as Him.

Though he does not know how he returned to Earth after leaving it, to avoid all contact with humanity, the reader gets to sit in on the story of how that did indeed happen. The Watcher sent him back to Earth after Him ended being harmed in an experiment that he had going to study asteroids.

Him immediately claims Sif as his. He plans to leave Earth again, but this time not alone. He claims Sif as a suitable mate. Of course Thor objects and Him shows him the power that he posses. Laying Thor flat on his ass, he snatched up Sif and disappears in a solar vortex.

Of course with the help of Mjolnir Thor is easily able to follow Him to some nameless planet in pursuit. As the battle for Sif begins, Him once again shows Thor the power he posses with a strike whilst Thor doth try and reason with Him.

We are interrupted by the hand of Haag as she reaches through dimensions and grabbing a hold of Balder. Thor intervenes. But to no avail. He is unable to break the grip of Haag's hand. Thor tells Balder to avert his eyes as he unleashes power like that of nothing he has unleashed before. When the smoke clears, Balder is released. But Him has escaped again with Sif. Thor vows vengence. "Vengeance such as none who live have ever known."

A

A good story. Well drawn my Mr Kirby and Mr Colletta. While I realize that there the melodrama is to be expected, it seemed particularly thick. I do like that at the one time Sif was able to tell Thor of Him, she said that he was like an infant that didn't understand. Which knowing nothing about him was quite an astute observation on her part.

I really like the cover of his issue. The third person view from over Thor's shoulder and the grasp that Him has on Sif, despite her strength at battle prowess, hand to have captured the eyes of regular readers of Thor.

I really would have liked to see Mr Kirby do more Him or Warlock. I especially would have liked to see his art on the unfolding of Him to Adam. Granted I so love Gil Kane's work on Warlock too. But it seemed before he had a name, there was something in the way Mr Kirby drew Him that really was unlike any other. His body reflected the power that he possessed.

Next -- Thor #166 "A God Berserk!"

[adam_warlock_2099]

Thor #166
July 1969

Writer -- Stan Lee
Pencils -- Jack Kirby
Inks -- Vince Colletta
Letters -- Sammy Rosen

"A God Berserk!"

We left Thor and Balder in the last issue with Thor swearing vengence like none other on Him for abducting Sif. Thor continues to bellow his threats of vengance upon Him. With awesome displays of his power, Thor reeks havok on the planet's surface. When Balder seeks to quiet his madness, Thor casts him aside and pummels the ground, breaking it open where lava and smoke spew out.

No longer content with threats, Thor calls Balder to his side and once again using the power of Mjolnir he creates a vortex in which to chase after Him. Upon arriving on the planet that Mjolnir takes them, Balder tries to reason with Thor's maddening desire for vengeance against Him. He warns him that he fears that the Warrior's Madness is upon him. At that moment roots from the ground reach up and bind Balder in his place.

Him then appears. It was Him that bound Balder with the roots. He tells Thor that he has no quarrel with Balder. It is Thor that he must fight, though he wishes that Thor had never found him as he wishes to not battle Thor for fear of hurting him.

Thor throws the first blow and though it does no harm to Him, he still does not strike back at Thor. Rather he informs Thor that high above them, as he shows Thor, that Sif is safely encased in aerospace. He tries to reason with Thor as to his intentions.

"Within my cocoon, I known great loneliness -- so I have taken a companion. Is that not what you would do?'

But Thor cannot hear. He is completely mad with vengeance for Sif. He calls out to Him to brace himself for power like he has never felt. That he shall show no mercy and not quarter for what he has done with his beloved. And so they battle most fiercely. At first it seems as though Him has the upper hand. Then it seems Thor prevails. With Him knocked off his feet, Thor leaps upon him striking him with blow after blow. Balder, through still trapped calls out to Thor with reason ...

"No, Thor ... No! He hath wronged as a child might do wrong! He acted not in malice!"

But Thor does not hear. He cannot cast off the Warrior's Madness as Balder has observed.

Meanwhile, the astrologer royal has stumbled across the planet that Him and Thor are doing battle on. (The astrologer royal has been searching for Galactus at Odin's bidding.) Both Odin and the astrologer royal observe in the battle that Thor has changed. They both recognize the Warrior's Madness.

Back on the planet the battle between Thor and Him has reached a stalemate. To protect himself, Him has once again encased himself in his cocoon. Not even Thor's power can halt this metamorphosis. The cocoon blasts off the planet's surface and into space.

With Him gone Sif is released and reunited with Thor. But it is not her safety and the sight of her so much as her words that bring realization to Thor of his actions under the Warrior's Madness.

"What monumental injustice hath thou unwittingly wrought? Him, who didst capture me, did but act in hapless innocence!"

Recognizing what he has done, that he has subcumb to the Warrior's Madness, he knows that he must pay the price for his deed. So he returns to Asgard with Sif and Balder and goes to face the punishment that Odin will give him for his injustice to another being.

A-

I thought that the flow of this story was really well done. In the previous issues I found the side stories of Balder and the Norn queen and Odin and Galactus to be more intrusive to Him and Thor's. However in this issue they seem to meld together well. We get a preview of what is to come in Balder's future in just two pages. While the side story of Odin's search for Galactus falls right into place with Thor's future and punishment for his Warrior's Madness.

Not much else for me to critique, which I happen to not be very good at, as you can tell from the length of the story being told as oppose to my reviews. I think once I get deeper into the life of Adam Warlock it will be easier.

Next: Marvel Premiere #1 "And Men Shall Call Him Warlock!"

[Eumenides]

I don't find his work distracting ... I find it brutish? Monsters, Mutates, gods, Eternals, and dragons, classic Mr Kirby work. But I find his humans, Reed, Sue, Johnny, to site recent examples ... well brutish. I don't know how else to describe it. Especially in the face. They almost look neanderthal like.

He he, I know what you mean. Kirby's humans are a bit short and stocky, rectangular almost. They're always crouching, as if ready to leap on a gazelle. A good thing he didn't draw humans often

[adam_warlock_2099]

He he, I know what you mean. Kirby's humans are a bit short and stocky, rectangular almost. They're always crouching, as if ready to leap on a gazelle. A good thing he didn't draw humans often

Romita Jr looks the same way to me many times to. His humans are just off once and a while. Too square and cut. Especially his women seem to not be soft and curvey to square just like the men and monsters.

Although just like Kirby there were times when I thought his people, like the queen of the Norns in the last issue, were alright. Just like Romita Jr's cover of Thor #2 (Vol.2)

[Eumenides]

I was a huge fan of Adam Warlock in my teens. When I was very young, many years before discovering comics in English, I read in Portuguese a five-volume collection of all the appearances of Warlock and Thanos, released prior to the release of Infinity Gauntlet. Looking back, it's amazing how Brazil was ahead of the USA in terms of paperbacks. They had an amazing marketing sense. What better way to capitalise on IG than a series of TPBs collecting all the stories of Thanos up until his reintroduction in Starlin's Silver Surfer? This incredible series was aptly called The Thanos Saga and covered just about every story from Warlock's intro in Fantastic Four to the issue where Thanos is turned into stone, including the Iron Man issues with the Blood Brothers, Daredevil's meeting with Moon Dragon, Captain Marvel's first conflict with Thanos, the Counter-Earth saga (which I never liked).

[Shellhead]

My first exposure to Adam Warlock was a one-panel cameo in Avengers #118 and then Incredible Hulk #178. Aside from his unusual appearance, I didn't see anything especially interesting, and the Christ symbolism in that Hulk issue annoyed me. It wasn't until Marvel Team-Up #55 that I realized that this Warlock guy might be worth looking into. The comic shop manager pointed me towards Strange Tales #178, and after that I was hooked. A couple of years later, Marvel published those excellent Baxter reprints and then I had the whole story.

I agree that Adam Warlock was never quite as good after he was brought back for the various Infinity stories. There were some good scenes here and there, but I couldn't even finish Infinity Crusade. There was something wrong with comics in general by that point in the '90s, and it even came to taint Starlin's work on Warlock. It was probably the editors at fault.

[benday-dot]

He he, I know what you mean. Kirby's humans are a bit short and stocky, rectangular almost. They're always crouching, as if ready to leap on a gazelle. A good thing he didn't draw humans often

But of course he did draw a legion of romance and crime/gangster comics which placed the good, bad, beautiful and ugly of humanity and centre.

Kirby would often emphasize the grotesque, but this expressive bent often cut to the quick of us more deeply than the slicker and more glamorous artists.

[adam_warlock_2099]

My first exposure to Adam Warlock was a one-panel cameo in Avengers #118 and then Incredible Hulk #178. Aside from his unusual appearance, I didn't see anything especially interesting, and the Christ symbolism in that Hulk issue annoyed me. It wasn't until Marvel Team-Up #55 that I realized that this Warlock guy might be worth looking into. The comic shop manager pointed me towards Strange Tales #178, and after that I was hooked. A couple of years later, Marvel published those excellent Baxter reprints and then I had the whole story.

I agree that Adam Warlock was never quite as good after he was brought back for the various Infinity stories. There were some good scenes here and there, but I couldn't even finish Infinity Crusade. There was something wrong with comics in general by that point in the '90s, and it even came to taint Starlin's work on Warlock. It was probably the editors at fault.

If I can remember back that far I believe my first exposure to Warlock was in Silver Surfer. I had got quite hooked on Silver Surfer when I started reading comics in the mid 90's. I discovered Thanos around the same time too, and the local shop owner pointed me to the start of Starlin's run on Silver Surfer. After gobbling that up I discovered through those issues the Infinity mini series, which read all of it. It wasn't until after the newer stuff that he finally pointed me to the Baxter reprints of Starlin's stuff from Warlock and Strange Tales. Like you, that stuff was some memorable. It sealed my love for Starlin's work and both Thanos and Warlock as characters.

While nothing can be as great as Starlin's take on Warlock, not even anything he himself as done with either character (of course besides Thanos' first appearance in Iron Man.), I still enjoy some of the 90's Warlock. I thought IG was quite solid, but agree that IC and IW were much weaker in comparison. I did like Marvel: The End, Infinity Abyss, and Greg Pak's Warlock mini series.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Marvel Premiere #1
April 1971

Writer -- Roy Thomas
Pencils -- Gil Kane
Inks -- Dan Adkins
Letters -- Sam Rosen

"And Men Shall Call Him Warlock!"

The story starts off with the High Evolutionary musing about his past attempts to create a race of human hybrids in hopes to be able create a race that doesn't have the negative attributes as Earth's humans. He recounts his creation of a wolf/human hybrid which came to be known as the Man-Beast. He recalls that he never considered the savagery of the wolf and how it would effect the evolution of the creature to a sentient being.

The Man-Beast was born of hatred and a desire for destruction and manipulation. Thor and the Hulk became involved in his battle against the Man-Beast. (Taken place in Thor #134-136.) The High Evolutionary has been gravely injured in battle against the Man-Beast and his minions. Partly due to the Hulk reverting to Bruce Banner. So the High Evolutionary becomes the subject of an experiment that he intended for Bruce Banner to turn him into what human evolution would peek at in a million centuries. But the spark of his humanity brought him maddening loneliness and so he returned to his "metal shell" as he called it.

At this point Sir Ram, the one faithful of his new men he created along with the Man-Beast, interrupts his musings with some surprising news. Just outside the great asteroid in which the High Evolutionary hides his vast catacombs of equipment, there is a strange sight. A cocoon!

The High Evolutionary decides to bring it aboard his craft. As his sensors probe the the cocoon they sense that there is a being inside of it. As the High Evolutionary thinks out loud about his findings, the face of the being inside the cocoon on his view screen begins to talk to him. Through his mind this being can project his voice so that the High Evolutionary can hear him.

Now Him recounts his story that we just read in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 and Thor #163-166.

Now the High Evolutionary tells Him of his plans to create another earth opposite of the original one on the far side of the sun. Wherein it's rotation neither will be exposed to each other. This earth, his counter-earth is where he will do again what he planned to do with the first of his new men before his plans were thwarted by the Man-Beast.

From a small chuck of rock retrieved from the earth by Sir Ram, the High Evolutionary accelerates the process of time and hyper accelerates the evolution of this small rock that he bombarded with special rays. He brings his counter-earth to the pinnacle of the evolution of man. With this new Adam he intends, with great effort, to absolve him of all the negative qualities that plague the original race of humans.

All the while the Man-Beast watches from his ship close by.

So exhausted from his work the High Evolutionary collapses in his chair. Man-Beast takes advantage of the situation and boards his craft. Easily dispatching Sir Ram, Man-Beast seeks to undo all that the High Evolutionary has done. Sowing the seed of hatred in the High Evolutionary's new breed of man on counter-earth, they once again follow the path that man always has of destruction and power.

Watching these events through the view screen, Him decides to take action against Man-Beast to halt all that he watch the High Evolutionary do to his counter-earth. Him breaks from his cocoon, donning new threads, that we have all come to associate with Warlock. Him tries to attack Man-Beast and his minions but they escape the High Evoluntary's craft to their own.

Saddened by the destruction of his work at the part of the Man-Beast, he decides that the best thing to do is lay his counter-earth to cosmic dust, destroying everything and everyone on it along with Man-Beast.

Him however pleads with the High Evolutionary that he can turn the tide of Man-Beast's work. That despite what he has done there is still the spark of pride within man that needs to be nurtured so that they can advance themselves for the better.

The High Evolutionary agrees and sends Him to counter-earth with this mission. Before he leaves for counter-earth, he gives him a "emerald blazing like a great, green star upon your brow", for which we know later in his life to be known as the Soul Gem.

High Evolutionary --

"You could have lived forever a creature apart, drifting silent thru the sea of space yet now, you'll walk the Earth, a target for the murderous Man-Beast perhaps for humankind as well for uncanny your sacred mission unearthly your powers and beholding them -- men shall call you Warlock!"

A-

I so fell in love with Gil Kane's art when I read this. This issue was the second of my introduction to the Roy Thomas' story of Warlock. I had gotten MP #2 first and couldn't resist the temptation to read it despite not having MP #1 at the time. This issue I got in a seedy, small time convention (more like a gathering of local shop owners in what I remember to be a gymnasium of some kind. I knew I was getting ripped off at the condition of this comic for $25 back in 1996-97 or so. It even came with it's own generic certificate of authenticity with Gil Kane's signature. (I would come to figure later on in life that it was no doubt signed at a convention, as I did with a book with Alex Ross, and then created this cut out certificate of authenticity.)

First time reading this, I was thankful for the background of the High Evolutionary. I don't think at that time that I had read anything of great amount and had no idea what his background was. (Though looking at prices now, I wished I had grabbed those Thor issues in my younger years when I had more disposable income.) The other third of the issue is Warlock's recounting of his life. I cannot be certain, now that I think if I had the Thor issues or not. I know I had the Thor issues before the FF issues, but not sure if I read them before MP.

I really enjoyed Roy Thomas' take on Warlock. And while I read 95% of it after reading Starlin's take on it the those Baxter reprints, I think that Starlin was influence a lot by Thomas' story. Both were heavily dipped in religious doctrine and stories. Even Gerry Conway did in Hulk #176-178. Perhaps this was an editorial edict that this be a heavily religious character. Especially with such a stark contrast the infantile actions of him in FF and Thor. Either way I think they all meld together fairly well, to get Warlock to where he is in IG. The story which I think is the whole journey to which he was intended to go. Especially with how the events of said story culminated. While most don't care for IC and IW, even then I think they played a part into peering into who Adam Warlock is. But we have a lot of time before we get to those stories.

Next: Marvel Premiere #2 "The Hounds of Helios!"

[adam_warlock_2099]

Marvel Premiere #2
May 1972

Writer- Roy Thomas
Penciller -- Gil Kane
Inker -- Dan Adkins
Letter -- Herb Cooper

"The Hounds of Helios!"

The story starts as a group of young kids find Adam as he had fallen from the High Evolutionarily's asteroid lab which circles the planet Earth. As the teens approach him the find him unconscious and the suspect dead. Each teen's reaction to Adam and what and/or who he is gives an incite into the teen themselves. Some are positive, looking at Adam as a chance to help a stranger no matter where he may have came from. Others, are reluctant and a bit mistrusting. Imagining that Adam may be a threat. Or just the fact that they do not know who he is makes them want to err on the side of caution.

David is the first to approach Adam. Finding him face down and unconscious he reaches to turn him over, only to find him too hot to touch. Like a meteor fallen from the sky, burning hot from breaking the Earth's atmosphere. Finally Adam awakes, though he does not know his name or his purpose, much less why he is there and how it is that he got there. The teens decide to stash Adam somewhere so that he can rest and not be conspicuous. Jason is reluctant to help and fears that Adam would not have their best intentions in mind. Edward and Ellie, twins, are eager to help Adam as well.

We flash back to and are recounted with what happened in the last issue, when Man Beast besieged the High Evolutionarily's home.

Back to the present we find ourselves in the Man-Beast's presence. Konbra, one of Man-Beast's lackeys, has discovered the location of the gold-skinned creature through his spies. He relays to Man-Beast that he has selected a most qualified assassin to send to Counter Earth to liquidate him. We now meet Rhodan, Master of the Hounds of Helios. Rhodan sets out to his task knowing that his success will favor him to Man-Beast.

Back on Counter Earth a car drives with four men inside. A cop, Barney Roberts, Senator Nathan Carter, and a black capitalist Josiah Grey . The fourth man? Marlowe. At this juncture we find that he is a private investigator hired by these three men to find their wayward children. And found them he has. And who do we see the car pull up to? None other than David, Jason, Edward and Ellie. These children that don't see things as their fathers do. Fathers, who are not bad persons, people with good intentions, that have brought sorrow and violence to their world. Who have fell prey to the money and power that their actions have given them.

Both children and fathers are set in their thoughts and cannot see the other's point of view. In fact, just them having to ask each other why they do what they do, is proof that they may not be able to see eye to eye. But Adam appears from the nearby building the teens were in earlier. He confronts the fathers on their actions and why it is that their children disagree with them. He tries to explain to them, but Marlowe, the PI seems to think Adam is mad and therefore has his henchman deal with Adam. But before the henchman can even act, from the sky a Hound of Helios attempts to attack the man. Adam responds with pure instinct, and lashes at the beast with a powerful punch. Adam topples the beast while it is still reeling. He tightens his hands around the beast's throat ... "a hold which steadily and relentlessly tightens ... tightens ... until there is a sudden SNAP! and a hound of Helios dies at last ..."

In Adam's sickening revulsion for what he has done suddenly realizes his purpose and his mission. With that he takes to the skies as fathers and children watch in amazement at his power and flight. Adam, now knowing his powers and abilities strikes at the second hound with the power of the gem embedded on his forehead. The power destroys the second hound reducing him to what he once was random solar impulses, sending Rhodan crashing toward the ground, slowed only by his grav belt.

Rhodan flees into a nearby warehouse where we see Adam follow him into. We can only see him from the back but you can tell him grim determination. We hear a ear piercing squeal in one panel, and Adam walking out the barn in another.

Upon seeing all of this the fathers again press their children to explain their actions. Adam intervenes again, but this time he is able to explain through the power of his gem, to the fathers what it is that their children object to what they do. Through Adam's gem they see the inadvertent suffering and destruction that their actions have caused. They see that they have cause misery to many.

The fathers leave in silence, heavy with the thoughts of what they have seen. Meanwhile the teens question Adam about what happened in the barn.

"Adam that thing that fled into the barn, did you ..?"

"I did not kill it Ellie. I but made him once again what he always he truly was."

In the last panel we see a large cat hissing at the viewer, a large rat dead within it's claws.

A-

Again, as with the previous issue, I love Gil Kane's work in this issue as well. Especially the cover. It just begs ou to open it and read at what strange story this issue holds, as beings of immense power blast at each other in a kinetic power that is one of Gil Kane's specialties, in m opinion. Gil Kane can show so much raw power in battle scenes. The reader is left with not much to the imagination in being pictured the level of power that Roy Thomas' word describe.

I thought that the story was a bit one sided for this to be the concluding of the two issues. Of course, Warlock's own ongoing ma have been decided at this point already, that I do not know. (My comic history isn't near the level of man of the posters here.) If so then I imagine the building up of the characters, the teens, their fathers, and Adam was justified for such a quick dispatch of the villain that graces the cover, indicating a great battle to be read.

Still, again if Warlock's ongoing was already committed and Roy knew what he was going to do to continue it on, then it builds itself up real nice for the continuation of Adam's saga.

I'd also like the note that Roy had not the religious influence and/or overtones that Starlin portrayed when he wrote the character. But his siding of the teens and their "free spirit" of peace and harmon idea was a immense contrast to Starlin. For Starlin, the religion, as an organized entity was the enemy, where with Roy's use of the character, he conveyed a achievement of goals with what religion intends to do, the principles of the Bible, not man's interpretation, but many times, and as conveyed by Starlin, falls extremely short.

Starlin's look at Warlock compared to Roy's is a lot of what appealed to me personally. I had the influence of religion young in my life. But the idea of it being within the power of each individual to better the human race, as Roy's story of Warlock unfolds, is what I try and believe in today despite the "evils" of Starlin's described organized religion.

Next -- The Power of Warlock #1 "Night of the Man-Beast"

[Roquefort Raider]

Marvel Premiere #1
April 1971

Writer -- Roy Thomas
Pencils -- Gil Kane
Inks -- Dan Adkins
Letters -- Sam Rosen

"And Men Shall Call Him Warlock!"

My first exposure to Warlock (albeit in translated form) and definitely one of my favorite comic-book issues ever. It fairly burst with story, both revealed and hinted at, and showed a ton of potential both as an action strip and as a semi-philosophical one. The Kane/adkins art is magnificent.

Those were days when a brand new start meant creating something new and exciting, not destroying something old and replacing it with a pale ersatz. Warlock managed to donit three times: with the still unrealized potential of Him, with the hippie Christ-like Adam Warlock of Counter-Earth, and with the Moorcokesque tormented soul-stealer who tried hard not to become a god.