Warlock and the Infinity Watch #17: Review

Jun 1993

Jim Starlin, Tom Grindberg

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Story Name:

Maxam

Review & Comments

Rating:

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #17 Review by Rob Johnson (March 4, 2022)

Gamora had her vision of Maxam in #12 and he dropped in at the end of last issue. He'll hang around as an extra member of the Infinity Watch until the end of the series, but will be up to another writer to explain his origins after Jim Starlin quits in #31 so who knows if it's what Starlin intended?

Warlock wondered if Maxam is 1 of the 5 beings that Eternity predicted (#15) he would soon meet. The 1st was last issue's Count Abyss, and Maxam is indeed the 2nd, the 1 entangled in a web of past and future woes.

Next:-
Adam Warlock and Moondragon cameo in a crowd scene of Quasar's friends and allies at the end of his #50.
Then our cast including Maxam will enter the Infinity Crusade via its #1 interlaced with our #18.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #17 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Last issue a mysterious stranger appeared on Monster Island unconscious. But Gamora recognised him as the man from a vision she had (courtesy she believes of her Time Gem) which showed him standing over Adam Warlock's dead body. Her 1st instinct was to kill him before he wakes.

But now Drax, Moondragon and Pip are watching over their still dozing visitor in sick bay. Gamora brings Adam the man's belt which has the word Maxam inscribed on it so she thinks it might be his name. She proffers her suggestion again but Warlock doesn't hold with killing sleeping enemies. And anyway just because she saw Maxam with his body doesn't mean *he* killed Adam. She leaves him to return to contemplating the infinite ...

... and joins the others in the med bay. Maxam is still asleep and Moondragon still can't detect any mental activity. Pip points out the the man's a wimp (at least for a guy in a superhero outfit), and Gamora admits that he was much more imposing in her vision. Then Drax puts a finger on the man's forehead and says "Hello? Anyone in there?" And Maxam stirs and immediately starts to bulk up.

He claims to have amnesia, but Pip and Gamora think it's a scam. Moondragon can now detect his brain working but finds him as difficult to mindread as the others of the Infinity Watch. He seems to have an artificial psychic defence. He accepts the name Maxam because he doesn't have any alternative. He knows he's on Earth and he obviously knows the language but not much else. Heather Douglas thinks he's sincere but Gamora says they should fetch Adam ...

... at that Maxam gasps "Adam Warlock?" but doesn't know why he knows the name. Gamora and Pip's suspicions are escalating. The Troll teleports off and brings back a club to hit him with but it's only effect is to make the foe grow even more massive. He grabs Pip by the throat and Gamora kicks them both through a wall. The battle continues outside. Maxam fights defensively but this reveals that he has martial arts training. Gamora learns his tells and appears to be winning but then she nearly breaks her hand with a karate chop, and Maxam lays her low.

Adam has been ignoring all the signs of the nearby chaos while thinking his deep thoughts. But now he figures he'd better lend a hand.

Pip does a patent teleport attack with a spiked mace. Moondragon holds Drax back while she telekinetically drops a mini-mountain of boulders on Maxam. The she ducks behind her big green teammate as the foe shrugs off the debris and emerges completely Hulked-out. She hurls a full-force mind-blast at him but his psychic screen holds. *Then* she unleashes Drax. The 2 behemoths trade blows until Maxam grabs Drax' cloak and hurls him into the ocean, Drax complains that it was an unfair trick but then he's distracted by dolphins and so is out of the fight.

Then Warlock calls down to the foe from his balcony. Maxam immediately becomes enraged and boot jets send him screaming (literally) towards his target. Adam responds with a karmic blast from his Soul Gem which does KO the guy out of the sky.

Adam sends Pip to go bring Drax back. Then he tries *talking* to the stranger, who responds calmly. He claims that he was filled with hatred as soon as he saw AW and doesn't know why, but he also claims that the feeling has passed. Another thing he doesn't know is where he got his superpowers from. Adam offers to help restore his memory with the Soul Gem and Moondragon's Mind Gem. Gamora thinks he's insane. Maxam accepts the offer but Gamora warns him she'll be watching. We end with a glimpse of the new guy's thoughts which reveal that he's as confused as he claims to be.

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