Recent changes Random page
GAMING
Entertainment
 
Star Wars
Star Trek
Transformers
 Muppet Wiki
Digimon Wiki
Marvel Database
See more...

Adam Warlock (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Jump to: navigation, search

This page is similar in name or subject to other pages.

See also Adam Warlock, Him, Warlock for a complete list of references to distinguish between these closely named or closely related articles.

Character Template Help
Real Name
Aliases
Him, Warlock

Identity

Alignment

Affiliation

Relatives
The Enclave (Creators), Ayesha (Genetic Twin), Goddess (good self), Magus (evil self), Kismet (sisters), Starhawk (nephew)

Universe

Base Of Operations

Characteristics
Gender

Height


Eyes

Hair

Skin

Status
Marital Status

Occupation
Savior of Worlds

Origin
Origin
Warlock is an artificial being, created by researchers at a complex known as the "Beehive".

Place of Birth


First appearance

Contents

History


Warlock was created by "Beehive". The goal of the researchers there was to create the perfect human being, the pinnacle of future human evolution. Fortunately for the denizens of Earth, the new being was a creature beyond the control of his creators. The creature emerged, known only as "Him", and immediately sensed that his creators sought to use him for evil ends. He lashed out, damaging the complex and injuring his "fathers", and promptly escaped. Unfortunately, "Him" was a being with no life experience due to his unique conception. He promptly encountered Thor (Odinson), and attempted the abduction of the Lady Sif in order to mate with her (an act that would be repeated in a more benign but no less infuriating fashion by his gene-sister "Her", now known as Kismet.). Thor naturally took offense to this kidnapping, and promptly beat the young Godling near to death. Warlock promptly retreated to the safety of a regenerative cocoon and thus was later reborn.

Upon his rebirth, Him was renamed as Adam Warlock by the High Evolutionary, who became a guiding force in the life of the reborn Godling. The High Evolutionary gave Warlock purpose, direction, and the vampiric Soul Gem. Soon afterwards, Warlock journeyed to the planet called Counter-Earth, an experiment of the High-Evolutionary's that had recently gone awry. Counter-Earth had been an attempt to create a utopian society, and it had been so until its contamination by the evil Man-Beast. Warlock battled the cunning creature to no avail, until he formed a somewhat unusual and narcissistic plan. Warlock set out to become the one, true God of Counter Earth. To do this he crucified himself and died, only to rise from his resurrection cocoon 3 days later. His rash gamble worked, and Counter-Earth was saved (years later, the planet would fall to the influence of another.). Soon afterwards, Warlock would come into contact with a malicious being known as the Magus. Warlock soon found out to his horror that the Magus was in fact a twisted future incarnation of himself, totally insane and horribly powerful. As the head of the Universal Church of Truth, the Magus had ground billions of lifeforms across the cosmos under his heel. Warlock battled him, but could not succeed on his own for his future self possessed vast might. Eventually, with the help of Pip the Troll, Gamora, and the nefarious Thanos of Titan, Warlock succeeded in eliminating the Timeline from which the Magus sprang, thus canceling his existence retroactively throughout time. Then, in a brilliant, yet disturbing counter-move, Thanos projected Warlock two years into the future where he encountered his dying self, embittered, preparing to give birth anew to the Magus. Warlock then took the soul of his dying future self into the Soul Gem, thus ending the threat of his evil counterpart.

However, as foreseen, Warlock would meet his end two years later. Thanos planned to snuff out the stars themselves, and his ward, Gamora, found out about his plan. She attacked him and was struck down brutally. Warlock found her soon afterwards and took her soul into his Gem, learning the full extent of Thanos' plan in the process. Distraught and enraged, Warlock sought out allies to assist him in his gambit against the Mad Titan. He journeyed to Earth, and to the mansion HQ of the mighty Avengers. There he told them, and the recently arrived Captain Marvel and Moondragon of Thanos' plan to blow all the stars from the heavens. The Avengers then made immediate plans to attack Thanos' starship, the Sanctuary II. However, as he had in an earlier scheme to gain ultimate power, Thanos would sow the seeds of his own Destruction. Thanos purposely enraged Adam Warlock, by wiping the mind of Adam's companion Pip, and leaving him to be found. When Warlock found Pip's mindless form, he drew his friend's spirit into his Soul Gem. But before Thanos had attacked Pip, he told him of his plan. And when Warlock drew Pip's soul into the Gem, he learned of the plan. Warlock and Captain Marvel immediately attacked Thanos, destroying his projector. Mar-Vell was rendered unconscious, but Warlock savagely attacked Thanos, who promptly struck him down. Before Thanos could move his Star-Gem into another Projector, he was attacked by Thor and Iron Man, who followed behind Warlock and Mar-Vell. Thor attacked Thanos, while Iron Man shattered the Star-Gem. A few minutes later, Mar-Vell bore silent witness as the time-displaced past version of Warlock ended the suffering of his present self, drawing his restless spirit into the Soul gem where he at last found a measure of peace. Soon after, Thanos teleported away with Warlock's body, and led his crew to defeat the Avengers. With Warlock's gem he possessed enough Power to at least destroy the Earth's Sun. But before he could do so, a wild card was introduced in the form of Thing and Spider-Man, who was compelled to find the battleground by Lord Chaos and Master Order. Spider Man freed the Avengers and in the melee that followed shattered the sphere holding the Soul Gem. Inside the gem, Warlock sensed that he had one final task to perform. The gem hit the floor and in a flash of light the Soul of Adam Warlock appeared from within the gem. Now a being of pure energy, Warlock lunged for the panicked Thanos, and killed him, turning the Titan's body into solid Granite. Afterwards, the spirit of Warlock retreated back into the blissful world inside the gem itself.

Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock

Warlock lived peacefully for several years in Soul-World, with Pip and Gamora, until Thanos again became a threat to all who lived. Encountering Drax the Destroyer and the noble Silver Surfer after Thanos abducted their souls, Warlock made plans to thwart the Titan once more. Warlock projected the Souls of himself, Pip, and Gamora into three recently deceased humans. His powers reshaped their shattered bodies into new, more powerful versions of their old bodies. Then he went about gathering Earth's remaining Champions to attack Thanos on his space platform. However, the attack by Earth's heroes was a distraction designed to allow the Silver Surfer to snatch the almighty Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos' grasp. He failed. After ascending to the crux of all reality after defeating the Universe's mightiest cosmic beings, Thanos lost his divinity due to the machinations of his "granddaughter" Nebula. Thanos was then talked into assisting Warlock in Nebula's defeat, whereupon Warlock himself gained the Gauntlet and ascended to Godhood. Warlock was soon afterwards convinced by the Living Tribunal that he was unworthy to become supreme, and then divided the gems amongst Himself (Soul), Gamora (Time), Pip (Space), Drax (Power), Moondragon (Mind), and secretly Thanos (reality). The newly formed Infinity Watch defended the Gems against the machinations of those who would misuse them. This included the reborn threat of the Magus (this version however, was merely Warlock's expelled evil nature, and was thus just a shade of Warlock himself.), Warlock's "good" side, the Goddess, and the evil extradimensional Count Abyss.

However, a threat arrived from a different Universe. A threat called Rune, a vampiric Dark God who managed to steal all of the gems from their guardians. Before Rune could become fully acquainted with his newfound might, the heroic Silver Surfer attacked him, spurred on by the Living Tribunal. The Surfer shattered Rune's right hand, scattering all of the gems (save for the Soul Gem, which had alighted on Rune's forehead.) and causing them to be lost into the other Universe beyond. The Infinity Watch then fell apart, having no gems to protect. Afterwards Warlock promptly left, searching the Ultraverse for his Soul Gem, despite its betrayal. During his long search, Warlock was pulled into a gateway between our Universe, and the neighboring Ultraverse. He awoke, projected into the distant past, to discover a gathering of worshipers hailing him as their Messiah. In the weeks that followed he discovered that he was upon a vast construct called the Godwheel, and in the presence of Warrior Priests of the Dilhaabi race who needed a savior to help them defeat a Dark God. This Dark God turned out to be the evil Rune himself. Soon, the hordes of Rune attacked, killing scores of the Warrior Priests, and turning the battle into a massacre. Rune and Warlock met on the field of battle and fought long into the night. Finally, Warlock fatigued, and Rune plunged his blade through Warlock's chest, wounding him mortally. As Warlock lay dying, Rune attempted to drain his soul, but failed due to Warlock's supreme astral control. Rune howled his frustration into the night, as Warlock died, and was promptly surrounded by his regenerative cocoon. He awoke...centuries later into the present of the Ultraverse, with newfound abilities that made up for the loss of his Soul Gem. After a few adventures in the Ultraverse (including an encounter with the dual-natured being called Gemini), Warlock soon found a gateway back into his Universe.

Eventually he found Soul Gem once more, but its effects on his personality became unpredictable, possibly because of their long separation. A short time later, Drax the Destroyer was accused of the murder of Elysius and several other individuals. Warlock, along with Gamora, Pip, and Genis, tracked Drax down and subdued him in time to find that the real culprit was the re-animated corpse of the original Captain Marvel. Using his Soul Gem, Warlock traced the being controlling the corpse, a creature within the Negative Zone known as Syphon who was using the Nega-Bands as a conduit. Felled by a backlash of psychic energy, Warlock was unable to stop the transfer of the Nega-Bands to the unconscious Drax, who flew off into space. Warlock then gathered his allies and pursued Drax, finding that Syphon was using Drax and the bands to rip a portal into the Negative Zone, a portal which threatened the structure of our Universe. Summoning all of his strength, Warlock yanked Drax free and removed the Nega-Bands, causing the portal to shrink. But, before the portal could completely close, Syphon yanked Warlock into the negative zone, and in front of the audience of Blastaar and Annihilus, Syphon took Warlock's gem, and used it to re-open the portal. Warlock recovered, and fought back, but without his Soul Gem he had little chance of subduing both Blastarr and Annihilus before Syphon was successful. Fortunately, Drax arrived with Pip, Gamora, and Genis (who was once more possessor of the Nega-Bands) in tow. As his friends fought on, Warlock went on to damage Syphon's conqueror wheel, thus closing the portal once more. Syphon attempted to use the Soul Gem to kill Warlock, but found his attack turned upon his own soul. He fought back long enough to flee his own body. Warlock again claimed the Soul Gem, feeling that it was his burden and his alone. That done, Warlock and his companions left the Negative Zone and returned to their Universe where they evidently parted ways once more.

Some time later, Warlock's cosmic senses led him to believe that something was seriously amiss with the universe that was causing reality to collapse, and this belief compelled him to visit Eternity and Infinity in order to fully discern what was happening. Once there, he found them unable to answer his questions in a satisfactory manner, and he instead managed to convince them to open a portal beyond time and space, through which he traveled in search of answers. He found them in the form of Atlez, a being who was charged with the awesome responsibility of "anchoring" his reality. Atlez went on to tell Warlock that his time was coming to an end, and that his successor, a young child named Atleza Langunn, must be summoned to take his place. Warlock accepted this all-important mission, but was instead driven insane by the transfer of the information that Atleza would need to assume her duties. Lost to madness, Warlock drifted back to his actuality and finished up at the Corporation for Mental Stability on the planet Degaitor. His mind shattered, Warlock retreated into a protective cocoon, where he would remain for 2 more years.

Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock

With Warlock in need of time to recover, Atlez activated a backup plan that would take 2 years to unfold. First, he planted a single phrase inside the minds of Thanos' dormant Thanosi clones that read "Adam Warlock is the key to Oblivion". Then, he directed a meteorite strike on Thanos' stronghold, designed to awaken the clone called Armour. Unfortunately, this move activated 4 more members of the Thanosi, and the plan began to derail. Nonetheless, the implanted message proved convincing, and the clone called X assumed the guise of the true Thanos, sending Pip the Troll to collect Warlock's cocoon. X then summoned Moondragon, who managed to awaken the dormant Warlock, who quickly finds that he cannot remember the events that led to his insanity. Pip helped Warlock retrace his steps, and soon Warlock returned to the pavilion of Atlez where he found missing pieces of his memory. He again accepted his now-dire mission, and managed to retain his sanity. But before Warlock could depart, he was suddenly attacked by the Thanosi known as Warrior and Mystic. Warlock's cause seemed doomed until the intervention of Doctor Strange, who quickly dispatched Mystic before being knocked unconscious by Warrior. The battered Warlock was left with no choice but to use the full-power of the Soul Gem to drain Warrior's soul, a move that would taint Warlock's mindset for a time, and make his mission that much harder.

Despite this newfound difficulty, Warlock managed to return to Earth and deliver the knowledge Atleza would need in order to take over for her predecessor. He then went on to aid Thanos in the battle against Omega, the mightiest of the Thanosi. While Moondragon used her powers to keep Atlez alive a little longer, Warlock fought the Omega alongside Gamora, Pip, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Thanos himself, and the group eventually triumphed and ended the threat of the Thanosi. That done, Atleza assumed the mantle of the Reality Anchor, while Warlock and Gamora remained with her as protectors while she grew into the full measure of her abilities. Changed by his recent experiences, Warlock finally reciprocated the affection that Gamora had wished to show him for so long, and found that the keys to his happiness were not as complex and elusive as he once feared.

Some time later, Thanos used the power of the "Heart of the Universe" to once again become all-powerful. Unfortunately, the Titan was duped into destroying the entire cosmos after finding that there was something terribly wrong with the fabric of reality, and Warlock emerged from Atleza's pavilion in order to discover what had transpired. In the void beyond, Warlock found a morose and humbled Thanos. Warlock went on to convince Thanos that the Titan had a grand purpose and that he and only he could restore the cosmos and finally repair the imbalance that had threatened it, but that the cost would seemingly be Thanos' own life. Thanos accepted this, and mused briefly over the irony that in the end, what he had done best was be a healer. The universe was subsequently restored to its proper state, and Warlock soon sensed that Thanos was not gone after all.

Driven by an irresistible urge, Warlock traveled through space until he found Thanos locked in contemplation on the now-dead world called Rigel-3, and soon found that the Titan was feeling remorse over his part in what had happened to the planet, as well as many of his past misdeeds. Thanos went on to express a desire to start putting things right so that he could conquer his personal demons and find a measure of peace, and wished to start this journey with the Rigellians themselves. Warlock offered to accompany Thanos on his journey to New Rigel-3, and Thanos accepted, referring to Warlock as his "conscience". Once there, Warlock was soon shocked into near-disbelief when Thanos promptly surrendered to the Rigellian troops, and offered his services to their people. Warlock went on to become something of an advocate for Thanos, but nonetheless warned the Rigellian High-Commissioner of the Titan's unpredictable nature. Warlock and Thanos soon found themselves in the midst of some political intrigue as the General in command of the Rigellian forces attempted a military coup. Warlock and Thanos soon disabused the them of this notion, and Thanos went on to help the Rigellians by improving their security safeguards, their planetary defenses, and even the quality of their Beta-Soy crops. The Grand Commissioner went on to tell the pair of a far greater peril that now endangered Rigel-18, and Thanos soon found out that the planet was threatened by none other than Galactus. Thanos stood by his pledge to aid the Rigellians, and decided to find out what the world-devourer's motives were.

Thanos soon found that Galactus was gathering the all-powerful Infinity Gems in a plot to feed off their power and end his hunger, a move which made little sense considering that the assembled gems could be used to simply will his hunger away. This development made Thanos uneasy, and he feared that Galactus was actually being duped by some unknown agent. His findings were interrupted when his ship was invaded by Galactus' cyborg Punishers, who made off with Warlock's Soul Gem and destroyed Thanos' starship in the process. Undaunted, Thanos went on to directly confront the world-devourer himself, but was unsuccessful in stopping Galactus from activating the Focusing Crux containing the gems. With the Crux in operation the orchestrator of these events, an inter-dimensional parasite called Hunger, gained egress into our reality, which it intended to consume. With the aid of Galactus and Pip, Thanos managed to defeat Hunger, and recover Warlock's gem. Restored to health, Warlock bid the Titan farewell, and actually referred to him as a friend. That said, Warlock returned to Gamora and Atleza's side.

Eventually seeking solitude, he became psychically aware of a huge number of deaths and began writing down the names of the deceased. Driven mad by this task, he entered into a regenerative cocoon. Old ally Moondragon and her lover Phyla-Vell, the new Quasar, came seeking the Kree savior, eventually finding his cocoon. Accidentally reviving him too early, an amnesiac and angry Adam Warlock emerged, younger in appearance, with slightly altered powers. He then, reluctantly, took his allies with him as they evaded capture from a Phalanx attack force and sought aid from the High Evolutionary who had, for unknown reasons, set up a base orbiting the nearest star.


Powers and Abilities

Powers

Adam Warlock possesses a number of superhuman properties and powers derived from his artificially determined genetic structure.

Cosmic Tap: Among his body's special adaptations are an enclave of cells able to tap and transform cosmic energy for personal use.

  • Cosmic Augmentation: Warlock could use this energy to enhance his physical strength, endurance, and powers of recuperation.
  • Superhuman Strength: Warlock possesses superhuman strength, allowing him to lift 4 tons. He can use his cosmic powers to increase his strength, enabling him to lift a maximum of 40 tons for less than one hour.
  • Superhuman Speed: Warlock is capable of running and moving at speeds much greater than even the finest human athlete.
  • Superhuman Stamina: Warlock's musculature generates less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a human being. While not employing his cosmic powers to enhance his natural physical strength, Warlock can physically exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to impair him.
  • Superhuman Agility: Warlock's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.
  • Superhuman Reflexes: Warlock's reaction time is similarly enhanced, enabling him to react at a level that is beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.
  • Superhuman Durability: Warlock's bodily tissues are much harder and more resistant to injury than those of a human. He is capable of withstanding tremendous impact forces, falls from great heights, exposure to temperature and pressure extremes, the vaccuum of space, and powerful energy blasts without sustaining injury. His body is also specially adapted to withstand the physiologically debilitating effects of moving and running at high rates of speed without sustaining injury.
  • Flight: He can also employ cosmic energy to negate the force of gravity beneath him, enabling him to fly. In an Earth-like atmosphere, Warlock is easily capable of reaching the Speed of Sound, roughly 770 miles per hour. While in outer space, however, Warlock was capable of attaining faster than light velocities.
  • Space-warps Locater: He could use his cosmic energy to locate and enter natural space-warps, discontinuities in the fabric of space, in order to traverse interstellar space.
  • Cosmic Energy Blasts: He can also project cosmic energy from his hands as concussive force. Warlock's energy-manipulating powers waned at the time he was given the Soul Gem by the High Evolutionary. No longer could he direct concussive force from his hands or enhance his strength. Whether this power limitation was caused by his symbiotic relationship with the gem or some other factor is not yet known. When Warlock was summoned from the gem to defeat Thanos, he seemed to possess these cosmic powers once more.

Evolutionary Cocoon: Adam Warlock is able to spin a cocoon around him at will in a matter of seconds. He did so infrequently during his short life, usually to protect himself from mortal harm, and usually he would emerge from the cocoon at a further level of physical or mental maturity. It is not known where the substance of the cocoon came from, or where it went after he emerged from it.

Abilities

Warlock gained a great deal of first-hand experience at hand-to-hand combat over the course of his life, and eventually became quite formidable. Warlock also is an accomplished self-taught philosopher.

Strength level

Unknown.

Weaknesses

None known.


Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons:

Soul Gem
Warlock formerly possessed the Soul Gem, one of the legendary Infinity Gems. This Gem allowed Warlock to drain and control the life essences (Or Spirits) of living (or dead) organisms. This gem possessed a consciousness of its own, and displayed a vampiric hunger for the life-essences of living beings. Ironically, the gem is a gateway into a pocket-universe, containing an idyllic, pastoral world where the souls of the beings upon which the gem has fed live in peace. Warlock was so accomplished at the gem's use, that he could use its energies to project energy blasts, protective shields, and blasts of mystic energies capable of disrupting the karmic centers of living beings.
Karmic Staff
Warlock has also employed a "Karmic Staff" in the past. This staff was said to be an extension of Warlock's own life-essence, and its properties made it seemingly unbreakable. Warlock could also focus mystic energies through his staff with greater accuracy than he could by other means.


Notes

  • No special notes.


Trivia

  • Although the character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Jim Starlin is considered to be the definitive Adam Warlock writer, defining his personality and writing the acclaimed stories. The "Starlin Issues" have been reprinted several times by Marvel Comics, while other issues of the Warlock book (The Counter-Earth saga) have to this date not been reprinted.
  • Starlin's Warlock was one of the series that got Scott McCloud interested in comics during his high school years.
  • Having shared his soul with that of the Silver Surfer during the Infinity Gauntlet, Warlock gained the power to mentally control his board. He also shared a telepathic link with the Soul Gem so could tell if the Gauntlet had a new owner.
  • When he went from the Soul World to Earth during the Infinity Gauntlet with Pip and Gamora, he enhanced the bodies Pip and Gamora possessed. Pip's strength level was made equal to that of Spider-Man's while Gamora was in the same league as Iron Man.
  • When Warlock gained the full might of the Gauntlet, he was able to shut off Drax The Destroyer's hunger to kill Thanos.
  • Warlock's gem made him more powerful than Mephisto in the devil's own realm. It is assumed that Warlock grew in power from the damned souls surrounding him in the realm.
  • By now the Counter-Earth-Saga has been reprinted in the Marvel Masterworks Series



See Also


Discover and Discuss


Links and References


Retrieved from "http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Adam_Warlock_%28Earth-616%29"
Rate this article:
Share this article: