Adam Warlock

Following his debut as "Him" in Fantastic Four #66 (Sept. 1967), the character reappeared in Thor #165-166 (June-July 1969). Writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane significantly revamped Him three years later as the allegorical Messiah Adam Warlock in Marvel Premiere #1 (April 1972). This launched a feature, set on the genetically engineered planet Counter-Earth on the far side of the sun, that ran in the following issue before spinning off into its own title, Warlock. With the cover logo "The Power of Warlock", the series ran through issue #8 (Aug. 1972 - Oct. 1973).

Following a guest appearance in The Incredible Hulk #177-178 (July-Aug. 1974), Adam Warlock received a new series again as a feature under writer-artist Jim Starlin. In the critically acclaimed storyline "The Magus Saga",[1] begun in Strange Tales #178-181 (Feb.-Aug. 1975) and continuing into Warlock, revived for issues #9-15 (Oct. 1975 - Nov. 1976), Starlin wrote, penciled (eventually co-penciling with Steve Leialoha, and initially self-inked an epic arc involving Warlock in war with a corrupt, religious space empire, his demagogue future self, and the cosmic supervillain Thanos. Following an unrelated adventure with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #55 (March 1977), in a story by writer Bill Mantlo and penciler John Byrne, the Magus Saga and its repercussions culminated in a two-part Starlin story in The Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2 (both 1977), in which Adam Warlock, Thanos, and supporting characters Gamora and Pip the Troll died. Warlock had a very brief, quasi-resurrection as a soulless shell in the final issue of a three-part story in Marvel Two-in-One #61-63 (March-May 1980), by writer Mark Gruenwald and penciler Jerry Bingham, which introduced the character Her (later Kismet).

After Starlin resurrected Thanos in the miniseries The Thanos Quest #1-2 (both Sept. 1990), the writer, with successive pencilers George Pérez and Ron Lim, did likewise with Adam Warlock, Pip and Gamora in the six-issue miniseries The Infinity Gauntlet (July-Dec. 1991). Warlock experienced repercussions of that event in Silver Surfer, vol. 2, #60 and Doctor Strange vol. 3, #36 (both Dec. 1991).

Warlock again headline his own series with Warlock and the Infinity Watch, initially by writer Starlin and penciler Angel Medina. It ran 42 issues (Feb. 1992 - Aug. 1995), the first 31 written by Starlin and the following by Richard Ashford (one issue) and John Arcudi through the finale, with Pat Olliffe the primary penciler after Medina, and Mike Gustovich on the final two issues. During this time, Warlock was one of the primary protagonists in three miniseries: the Starlin written, six-issue The Infinity War (June-Nov. 1992), the Starlin written-and-drawn, four-issue Silver Surfer / Warlock: Resurrection (March-June 1993), and the Starlin-written, six-issue The Infinity Crusade (June-Nov. 1993).

During this time, Warlock also starred in a short-lived companion series, The Warlock Chronicles #1-8 (July 1993 - Feb. 1994), by Starlin and a variety of pencilers. He returned in two non-Starlin, four-issue miniseries: Warlock vol. 3 (Nov. 1998 - Feb. 1999), by writer-penciler Tom Lyle, followed the all-reprint Warlock vol. 2 (1992; see below). Then, Warlock vol. 5 (Nov. 2004 - Feb. 2005), by writer Greg Pak and artist Charles Adlard, following an unrelated '"Warlock vol. 4 (1999-2000) that starred an alien mutant from the X-Men-related series The New Mutants.

Warlock also appeared in four issues of intercompany crossovers between Marvel Comics and the Malibu Comics "Ultraverse": the one-shot Rune / Silver Surfer (April 1995 in indicia, June 1995 on cover); Rune vol. 2, #6-7 (1995); and Ultraverse Unlimited #1 (June 1996).