Synopsis
Warlock (1998 series) #2 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
We're on the planet Ceti Alpha IV in the Vega galaxy (don't ask). Adam Warlock, Gamora and Pip The Troll have been following a trail of dead bodies from Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)'s grave Titan, all left with an image of Drax The Destroyer as a calling card. They found Drax but the murderer turned out to be the animated corpse of Mar-Vell carrying another sharpened staff with an incriminating Drax-head on top.
Warlock has confronted the corpse but is hesitant to fight it because he doesn't know how much of Mar-Vell remains within. And the corpse isn't telling. It moves to the body of Drax, who Warlock beat unconscious last issue. Adam warns Mar-Vell to leave Drax alone but it blasts him with the green energy that seems to animate it.
We left Gamora and Pip trying to explain to the local cops why they have nothing to do with the murders 'Drax' has been committing even though they're his friends. Now we see that they've explained with their fists. Gamora is perched on a pile of unconscious cops while Pip is kicking another 1. During the fight Gamora heard the cops' radio reporting someone fighting Drax, They figure that's Adam and they take the cops' cruiser to join him.
Warlock is holding Mar-Vell off but the corpse is trying to kill him. After a final green blast it flies off. Adam tries to clear his head before following. His Soul Gem is still rousing his emotions making it difficult to think clearly. But then he catches up to the flying corpse and grabs a foot, only to feel its bones separate from its leg inside its boot. He reflexively lets go and Mar-Vell turns round to blast him again. A battle of green blasts and Soul Gem blasts follows, interspersed with fists to the face.
Meanwhile on the ground someone stands next to Drax and points a gun at him meaning to kill the murderer of his mother Elysius. It's Genis-Vell and he hesitates. Then Gamora grabs the back of his jacket and the gunblast hits a nearby tower. Then it's GV vs G, and against Gamora and without his Nega Bands he needs guns and grenades. But Pip realises that the tower is going to fall on Drax and he has to struggle to pull the big guy out of the way. He makes it and the crashing tower stops the G's fighting. And they see another hand reaching out from the rubble wearing what Genis recognises as 1 of his Nega-Bands. And it's followed by the rest of the corpse of his father!
Warlock shows up to claim that the corpse committed the murders but Genis thinks that Drax must have been controlling the body. Adam points out that Drax is unconscious but the corpse is still going. He uses his Soul Gem to probe the body to see if Mar-Vell's soul is still in there, or find out who *is* controlling it.
Last issue we saw a villain behind all this with a cavalier attitude to his minions. Now we hear him addressed as Lord Syphonn when he asks how long until the Conqueror Wheel is completed. Unsatisfied with answer "2 dweezels" he kills the minion who gave it and orders another minion to do it in 1. But then he senses someone probing 1 of his power portals, which is Warlock confirming that Mar-Vell's soul isn't in his corpse and discovering that the body is controlled from the Negative Zone. Syphonn probes back and he and Adam discover each other's identities and are explosively and painfully ejected from their contact.
In the Neg Zone Syphonn swears personal vengeance on this Adam Warlock who has dared to cause him pain.
On Ceti Alpha IV Adam tries to warn his solicitous allies to keep the corpse away from Drax. It makes as if to stab Drax but only pins his cloak down. Then it starts to transfer the Nega Bands to Drax' arms. Somehow Warlock knows that if he succeeds the universe is doomed. He tells Genis to blast the corpse but he can't shoot his father, and won't let Gamora do it. By then it's too late. The corpse collapses and Drax is possessed and flies away.
Warlock is going to follow to stop Drax. Gamora and Pip agree to go with him. But Genis says he's taking his father's body back to Titan. However he promises to catch up with them after that.