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The character of Adam Warlock has been a mainstay in the Marvel Comics Universe for over 35 years. Although today synonymous with cosmic adventure, Warlock is also a character with a history of transformation. Initially immaculately conceived as a perfect being in the tail end of the Lee/Kirby era, Warlock went on to become a messiah to a planet under Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, and ultimately a shattered, conflicted pariah in the hands of Jim Starlin. Warlock went through two distinctly different phases in the 1970s. Both of these were remarkably different from the typical superhero fare published at the time. Questions of belief, personal freedom, power, and corruption—all of these were explored through Warlock.
THE SAVIOR OF COUNTER-EARTH
In the early 1970s, it seemed like Jesus Christ was everywhere. The terms “Jesus freak” and “born-again Christian” entered the language, and two successful musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell, promoted the image of Christ in an entirely new and exciting way. Jesus had become a pop-culture icon. Roy Thomas, writer and editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics at the time, had been a fan of the Jesus Christ
Karen Walker
Seek and Ye Shall Find
Superstar soundtrack and envisioned bringing the story to comics, but in a superhero context. He did have some concerns: “Yes, I had some trepidation about the Christ parallels, but hoped there would be little outcry if I handled it tastefully, since I was not really making any serious statement on religion … at least not overtly.” However, he did decide that he should isolate this project from the mainstream Marvel Universe. At the same time, though, he wanted to use a pre-existing character, rather than create a brand-new one. Fortunately, there was a perfect character already available. In Fantastic Four #66–67 (Sept.–Oct. 1967), Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had woven a tale about an artificially created “perfect being.” He emerged as a golden-skinned man from a pulsating cocoon. His creators wanted to use him to rule the planet, but he rebelled against them and destroyed them. He disappeared, only to appear a short time later in Thor #165–166 (June–July 1969), where he made the mistake of kidnapping the Thunder God’s girlfriend, Sif. Now calling himself “Him,” the traditional Marvel hero battle ensued, with Him ultimately deciding no girl was worth taking a beating from Thor, and he made a quick exit. He wrapped himself in another protective cocoon and drifted off into outer space. N e w
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“The Seeker,” a Jim Starlin-illustrated Warlock print thought to be from the 1970s. #29/100. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). © 2009 Marvel Characters, Inc.
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