Synopsis
Warlock (1998 series) #1 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
The Titanian Eternal Elysius visits the grave of her lover Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) on the surface of Titan, moon of Saturn (the Titanians live inside it). She's unhappy that their son Genis-Vell has been deemed unworthy by the Titanian ruler Mentor of the name Captain Marvel because of his dissolute lifestyle. He's been stripped of his Nega-Bands which Elyysius now lays on Mar-Vell's tombstone and lies down beside it in her grief. But someone she fearfully recognises disturbs her and impales her with a staff topped by the image of Drax The Destroyer.
Meanwhile within Titan Mentor is trying to calm Adam Warlock down after the moon's controlling computer ISAAC has told him that it's impossible to remove the Soul Gem on his brow. Mentor wonders why Adam wants to get rid of it since he's been on a cosmic quest to find it (after he'd lost it). He replies that since he got it back he's been suffering uncontrollable emotional outbursts, like now when he's smashing the place up. He ends by bashing his way to the surface and flying away. His mood swings from boastful pride that he once wore the Infinity Gauntlet to realising that he's acting like a child. He heads for Mar-Vell's grave for quiet contemplation, and of course finds Elysius' dead body, the incriminating staff ... and MV's empty grave. He assumes that the staff incriminates his Infinity Watch comrade Drax and swears vengeance - but he's going to need some help.
We look in on that help Gamora and Pip The Troll in an alien bar. Gamora's trying to get drunk alone and fending off would-be 'suitors'. Pip is enjoying an ale at the bar and chatting to the barman. He tells him that Gamora is known as the deadliest woman in the Galaxy and she's pining for her lost love. He's not dead but Pip will relate the whole story about him (or Him) for the barkeep (and us).
On Earth an evil scientist group called the Enclave in their base called the Beehive created the superior being called Him to help them take over the world. But when he emerged from his cocoon he blew them up and flew off into space (Fantastic Four #66-67). Naive Him tried to take Thor's girlfriend Sif but when he lost the battle he reformed his cocoon (Thor #164-166). Then High Evolutionary found the cocoon and when Him re-emerged he renamed him Adam Warlock, gave him the Soul Gem on his forehead and sent him to save his creation Counter-Earth from the Man-Beast (Marvel Premiere #1-2, Warlock #1-8 and Hulk #176-178). Adam then fought his evil future self Magus and his Universal Church Of Truth with the help of Thanos (and Gamora and Pip) (Strange Tales #178-181 and Warlock #9-15). This phase led to Warlock vs Thanos in Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One An#2 which ended with Thanos dead and Adam (and Gamora and Pip) living in Soul World within the Soul Gem. But they were called back to reality by Silver Surfer (SS#46-48) after Thanos returned from the dead. This led to the Infinity Gauntlet event where Thanos combined the Soul Gem with 5 other powerful Infinity Gems, which ended with Adam taking the Gauntlet/Gems away from him. But such power is not meant for 1 man so he formed the Infinity Watch and entrusted the other 5 Gems to Gamora, Pip, Drax, Moondragon and strangely Thanos. The Watch had lots of adventures (Warlock & Infinity Watch #1-42 incorporating the Infinity War and Infinity Crusade events) until they all lost the Gems at the end and the Watch broke up. (Pip gives a confused account of the end, but then he doesn't know what *really* happened - see the Rune/Silver Surfer 1-shot and lots of stuff in the Ultraverse.) Adam left on a quest to find the Soul Gem and they haven't heard anything of him since then (partly because Warlock got stuck in the Ultraverse too).
It is at that exact moment that Adam Warlock makes his presence known to his old friend Pip. Sozzled Gamora notices him and thinks she's imagining it, but then he comes to her and she leaps on him and kisses him before decking him because she now thinks he's an imposter (possibly because the real Adam had never allowed her to kiss him before, never mind kissing back). So he explains off-panel the past and current situation and his 2 allies enthusiastically agree to help him solve the Drax mystery.
We see another body on an unnamed planet discovered stabbed with a Drax-headed staff. Then we join our 3 on a spaceship where they say there are now 4 such murders. They still haven't found any traces of Drax' cosmic energy to follow, and they got to the last body when it was still warm - which Pip points out means that they must be getting closer to him. Gamora wonders if something happened to Drax when he got his memories back (Cosmic Powers Unlimited #4). Pip opines that he's too stupid to evade them for long, but G reminds him that Drax got his intellect back with his memories. (Which is strange because Pip was there in CPU#4 and she wasn't.) Adam's mood swings to angry at all this unnecessary chatter.
We now have an interlude with an obviously evil villain with multiple tentacles with sharp ends. A minion reports that Drax is getting closer and everything is going according to his plan. The villain kills him for disturbing him with unnecessary details.
Back on Titan Elysius has been buried next to the now-empty grave of Mar-Vell, and Genis-Vell just missed the funeral. He blames himself for her death because she was only at the grave to leave the Nega-Bands there after Mentor took them off him. And now his father's body has gone too. (No-one seems to notice or comment that the Nega-Bands seem to not be there either.) He asks Mentor if it's true that Drax killed her. Mentor replies that it's not certain and Warlock's looking into it. But Genis loads up with weapons and ammo (but without Nega Bands) and heads out for revenge.
Next up is the planet Ceti Alpha IV in the Vega galaxy. An alien is walking his 'dog' when he's frightened by an unclear figure in tattered garments (capeless), and then impaled like the others (by a staff that the figure didn't *seem* to be carrying). Our heroes arrive and now-emotionless Adam says he can sense Drax nearby. Hearing them mention Drax' name the local police try to detain Gamora and Pip for questioning. G tries to use Warlock's fame to cow the cops but he's gone ...
... and tracked down caped Drax who's sitting in contemplation but has heard Pip and Gamora mentioning his name. Warlock accosts him and accuses him of 5 murders each killed by a staff with a likeness of his head on. Drax protests his innocence but Adam overrides him. Drax asks why he's treating him like he's still stupid, and why won't he believe his old friend. He claims to have been drawn here by an urge he can't explain. But Warlock's now in anger mode and blasts him with his Soul Gem. A fight commences, watched by the shadowed tattered figure. Warlock eventually prevails. But then he's confronted by the tattered corpse of Mar-Vell carrying a pointy-ended Drax staff, and seemingly wearing the Nega Bands.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Elysius, Mentor (
A'Lars).