Warlock and the Infinity Watch #24: Review

Jan 1994

Jim Starlin, Tom Grindberg

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Story Name:

Trial

Review & Comments

Rating:

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #24 Review by Rob Johnson (June 10, 2023)

This is part 8 of the Blood & Thunder crossover.

Pip's connection to the Rock Trolls must be more mystical than physical because he's an alien from a planet far far away who turned into a Troll due to excessive degeneracy.

We've never seen a Troll Witch before, nor I think ever again. It's the only app of Borgeddon as well. And also of Olik, brother of Ulik.
But Geirrodur will be back in #504 of the revived Journey Into Mystery featuring the Lost Gods. Other Rock Trolls will precede him in Thor #480 and #500 (that last including the mentioned Ulik).

Our gang will reach Asgard and face Thor in his #470.

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Gwen Stacy, beauty queen of Standard High School, was Peter Parker's (alias Spider-Man) first great love.

Gwen Stacy: Classic Beauty

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #24 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Story continued from WARLOCK CHRONICLES #7.

In Warlock Chronicles #7 Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch along with Dr Strange and Silver Surfer were on their way to Asgard to tell Odin that his son has gone violently mad. Sif and Beta Ray Bill didn't want that to happen because they feared that the All-Father would diagnose Thor with Warrior Madness and have to banish him from Asgard forever. So they tricked a horde of Trolls into attacking them, and defeating and capturing them all.

Now they are chained up in Troll King Geirrodur's Castle Grimlock and kept asleep by Valkisack Vines provided by a Troll Witch, ready to be sacrificed to Borgeddon. However the witch detects Trollish blood in Pip of the Watch. He's not an Asgardian Rock Troll but he deserves the right to trial by combat before being killed. Geirrodur isn't happy but concedes that the witch has always steered him right before. So they remove Pip's garland of flowers and he wakes up.

They explain Pip's situation to him. He knows he could just use his Space Gem to teleport away but that would mean leaving his comrades behind so he decides to play along for a while. Geirrodur takes him to the Cathedral of Borgeddon who is the Troll's god. It's a huge deep hole in ground, and when the King drops a rock down it a very large 3-eyed reptilian monster slithers up. Then Pip is taken back to the combat area.

He's presented with 4 fearsome armoured Trolls to choose from as an opponent. He knows he has no chance against any of them so asks if he can nominate a stand-in to fight *for* him, and the witch admits that the rules allow it. But Geirrodur adds that in that situation *he* gets to choose the Troll champion.

Pip picks Gamora (the most dangerous woman in the Galaxy) but the Troll King says it would dishonourable to face a 'mere' female. Pip counters that Gamora isn't mere anything, but Geirrodur insists he must choose a male who won't be allowed to use any special talents or weapons. Pip rules out Moondragon (another female), Dr Strange (no use without his magic), Surfer (ditto without his Power Cosmic), Drax (in case the Troll opponent has any brains) and Maxam (too much of an unknown), so he picks Warlock.

When Adam awakes Pip explains the situation to *him*, while Geirrodur holds a sword to the still ensorcelled Moondragon's throat to assure Warlock's compliance. Pip has to admit that if Adam wins the fight then he and rest will still be killed. Only Pip stands to go free. And the King introduces his choice of fighter, even bigger than the other 4 Trolls. It is Olik the Widow Maker, older brother of the better-known Ulik. Warlock checks that the rules mean he can't use his Soul Gem or Karmic Staff. Geirrodur confirms that if he does Moondragon will die immediately and everyone else including Pip will be thrown to Borgeddon.

Adam kicks Olik in the teeth and discards his cloak. Then he dodges Olik's counterattack lunge, knees the Troll in the jaw and smashes down on his head - all the while taunting him. But Olik finally gets a blow in that floors our hero and he dives to flatten him. However Adam rolls out of the way and the Troll lands face-1st on the ground. Warlock kicks him again but Olik picks him up and throws him at a wall. The crowd goes wild, and no-one notices Pip slipping away.

The contest continues with Adam enraging his opponent so that he makes stupid mistakes, enabling Warlock to evade most blows and get his own in. But eventually the larger and stronger Troll gets ahold of him and seemingly pummels him to submission. However Adam then stops feigning defeat and claims he'd been rolling with the punches to give Pip time to deal with the dungeon guards. And then he downs Olik with a Karmic Blast.

Geirrodur calls foul and orders the Troll who is currently holding the sword to Moondragon's throat to kill her. But Pip teleports in above the guy and brains him with a mace. The Troll King grabs Pip and starts to throttle him but then the rest of our heroes burst in from the dungeon and lay about the audience. Drax grabs Pip and Maxam grabs the still-unconscious Moonie. Dr Strange is carrying Gamora (who also seems still asleep) and they all fly off to Asgard.

Story continued in THOR #470.

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