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Warlock and the Infinity Watch #2: Review

Mar 1992
Jim Starlin, Angel Medina

Story Name:

Gathering the Watch

Review & Comments

Rating:
4.5 stars

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #2 Review by (July 9, 2021)
Jim Starlin continues to play in his own sandbox. He invented Drax, Gamora and Pip (along with Eros and of course Thanos). But he also remade Adam Warlock and Moondragon into integral parts of his Thanos mythology, without which they would almost certainly not have been as successful as they have been. Anyway I think he plays very well here so I've given this issue a 4.5.

Last issue reviewed most of Adam Warlock's history but didn't go as far as mentioning his killing Thanos (Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2) and his return from inside the Soul Gem in response to Thanos' rebirth (all in Starlin's run on Silver Surfer (1987)).

Starlin invented Gamora and Pip in his Strange Tales/Warlock run as companions to Warlock. They were taken into the Soul World inside the Soul Gem along with Adam (Avengers Annual #7), and returned with him in the Silver Surfer series.

Before all that Starlin created Thanos and Drax in Iron Man #55 and then took them with him into the Thanos War in Captain Marvel. Non-Starlin Moondragon 1st appeared in IM#54 as Madame McEvil who then migrated into some Daredevil issues which got tied in to the War. Starlin inserted an origin for Moondragon within Daredevil #105 and the expanded Drax origin he wrote in CM#32 allowed us to work out the father-daughter connection, but they themselves wouldn't be aware of it until much later.

While the others were dead or in Soul World Moondragon spent time with the Avengers and the Defenders and then Quasar which is how she got dragged into the Infinity Gauntlet event in Q#26-27, but she never ran across the others there. She hung on for another 2 issues but then left in her spaceship, which brings us to the beginning of this issue.

Drax was in the whole of the IG mini-series and tie-ins, and has come straight here from there. Eros/Starfox was also in the whole mini-series (though not often sharing scenes with Drax) and has also come straight here.

Pip was also in a lot of the IG event. Gamora less so because she was part of the half of the population of the universe that got removed by Thanos. Since then they were in Dr Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #36 recruiting Strange to curb Adam's godly excesses before last issue's trial.

Starfox will next get involved in the Operation Galactic Storm crossover event from Q#32 to the epilogue in Captain America #401. Then after a backup tale in Silver Surfer Annual #5 he'll be in the Infinity War event in SS#67 and Infinity Crusade in our #19.

Everybody else will just continue in this series which will take them into the War and the Crusade (but not Galactic Storm).





 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #2 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
Last issue in the aftermath of the Infinity Gauntlet event Adam Warlock was put on trial by the Living Tribunal and other cosmic beings to see whether he was worthy to hold the Gauntlet. Eventually he agreed that he wasn't, but he was allowed to keep it as long as he distributed the 6 Infinity Gems between himself and 5 others of his choosing. Now we'll see who he chooses, or at least 4 of them.

Somewhere in space there's a ruined spaceship. Inside is Moondragon who is in this position apparently because she upset some Badoon. Now her air is almost gone. But at the last half minute Adam drops in to offer her a job. It entails shouldering great responsibility and earning his trust, things which Heather Douglas admits she's not good at. But in the circumstances she'll take it.

On Titan Drax The Destroyer is trying to watch the Alf TV Show but the reception isn't good. So he smashes Eros' TV. Then Adam arrives to offer him a purpose in life again, to replace wanting to kill Thanos. Drax isn't sure but Eros encourages him with a kick up the backside.

Warlock teleports himself and Drax to where Moondragon is waiting with Gamora and Pip The Troll. Heather immediately suspects a trap and brain-attacks Drax. Adam upbraids himself - no matter how many times he's foreseen this scene he never remembers to warn Moonie. He and Heather then run over the history of herself and Drax, ostensibly for the benefit of Gamora and Pip but really for us. Drax was previously Heather's father Art Douglas but he was killed (by Thanos) and was resurrected (by Thanos' grandfather Kronos) as the Destroyer (with a compulsion to kill Thanos). Later Moondragon conquered the Ba-Bani planet (for their own good). Drax and some Avengers tried to stop her and she killed him (she claims it was an accident). Drax was later recreated (to oppose the reborn Thanos) but is brain-damaged (due to the way he died) and doesn't remember Moondragon, so she needn't have worried.

Adam now announces that he's giving up the godly status the Infinity Gems gave him but he's going to share the power with them. Cue 4 astonished looks, and Gamora telling him he's lost his mind - not because of choosing her but the other 3. Adam assures her that while he's still got his omnipotence his decisions are obviously infallible. Moondragon offers to take all 6 Gems off him but it's not going to work that way.

He sticks the Space Gem to the brow of Pip who immediately test-drives it by teleporting into Gamora's arms - until she throws him away. Moondragon applauds the choice because Pip hasn't the intelligence to do much damage with the Gem, but he's wily enough to stop anyone taking it off him.

Warlock then puts the Mind Gem on Heather's brow to enhance her mental powers. She tests it by telekinetically raising a large chunk of ground, which Pip *happens* to be standing on. To reassure Gamora and warn Moondragon Adam says he's built safeguards into the Gem to ensure she only uses it for good. (But we have to remember that she believed she was doing the right thing when she mentally took over the Ba-Banis (to stop a civil war).) Heather admits that was a sensible move too.

Drax's brow gets the Power Gem because he is already incredibly powerful. Moondragon again thinks this is OK because he's too dumb to do more than subconsciously tap its power. Drax objects to everybody calling him dumb, but he also begins to remember Moonie so she hurriedly walks away. Then Drax finds the Gem on his head and swallows it thinking it's a jelly bean. Adam is OK with that because both the gem and Drax are indestructible so it will be safe there.

Gamora notices that Pip's Gem is no longer on his forehead. Warlock suggests she doesn't really want to know where he's hidden it (he only wears a loincloth). He gives the Time Gem to her. She protests that she doesn't know how to use it and doesn't want it. He replies that the Most Dangerous Woman In The Universe will keep it safe even if she never uses it.

Warlock puts the Soul Gem back on his own head where it has long resided. The Infinity Gauntlet falls limp to the floor and everyone now notices that the Reality Gem isn't there. Adam says he's entrusted it to someone who will remain anonymous, someone who will make sure no-one gathers all the Gems together again. Pip figures it's Dr Strange but Adam doesn't comment. Instead he expresses confidence that they will all do what it takes to keep the cosmos safe. And he names them the Infinity Watch.

Then Warlock takes leave of them saying he needs solitude to recover from losing his godhood. The others fall to arguing who should be boss. Drax says he won't take orders from a woman or a midget and flies away too. Pip teleports off to have fun. Moondragon says she's gong to use her upgraded mental powers to build a new spaceship, and offers to give Gamora a lift somewhere.



Angel Medina
Terry Austin
Ian Laughlin
Angel Medina (Cover Penciler)
Terry Austin (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: Jack Morelli.
Editor: Craig Anderson. Editor-in-chief: Tom DeFalco.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Drax
Drax

(Drax the Destroyer)

Plus: Eros, Infinity Watch.

> Warlock and the Infinity Watch: Book info and issue index

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