MagusAdam Warlock

Genetically engineered as the perfect being, the hero known as Adam Warlock uses his superhuman strength and cosmic powers to protect the universe from its darkest forces…including the one within himself.

Born and Reborn

Adam Warlock was created by a group of Earth scientists called the Enclave as part of their effort to develop an army of perfect, invincible humans. While still forming, Warlock became aware that his creators intended to use this army to conquer the world. Upon emerging from a large cocoon, Warlock—then known only as “Him”—possessed vast cosmic powers and immediately rebelled against the scientists, whom he considered evil. He determined that Earth was not ready for his presence and departed the planet—but not before wiping out the Enclave and their lab complex.

After a brutal encounter with Thor, Him encased himself in another cocoon and was eventually found by the human geneticist known as the High Evolutionary. At the time, the High Evolutionary was nearing completion of an artificial planet called Counter-Earth, located on the far side of the sun and intended to be an Earthlike world free from evil. But one of his creations, the renegade creature called the Man-Beast, intentionally introduced evil to Counter-Earth. The High Evolutionary decided that the planet had to be destroyed. But Him, who had emerged from his cocoon with a strong moral center, persuaded the High Evolutionary to send him to Counter-Earth to confront the Man-Beast and save the planet’s civilization. The High Evolutionary gave Him the new name Warlock and bestowed upon him the Soul Gem—one of the Infinity Gems—which he affixed to Warlock’s forehead. After arriving on Counter-Earth, Warlock soon befriended a group of young inhabitants, one of whom gave the hero the first name “Adam.”

Warlock then launched a long-running conflict with the Man-Beast, which resulted in Adam’s capture and crucifixion, after which he died. Adam Warlock’s body became encased in another cocoon, and he was reborn several days later even more powerful and cosmically aware than before. After defeating the Man-Beast, Warlock left Counter-Earth to become a force for good throughout the cosmos, experiencing numerous other deaths and resurrections along the way.

Cosmic Crusader

Adam Warlock’s artificial genetic structure has given him bone and muscle tissue that are denser than a normal human’s, along with superhuman strength, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. His multi-compartmental brain grants him cosmic awareness. Since his birth, Warlock has been able to create a cocoon around himself that protects and heals his body, even resurrecting him from apparent death.

In his original incarnation, when he was known as Him, Warlock could project blasts of cosmic energy from his hands as concussive forces, fly at vast speeds, travel to different dimensions, create a solar vortexes, molecular walls, and flame barriers. He could also neutralize machinery, blind others with radiant light, read minds, and communicate telepathically. He was even strong enough to withstand direct blows from Thor’s hammer.

As the bearer of the Soul Gem, Warlock can sense the souls of other beings, absorb them, and place them within Soulworld—a pocket dimension contained inside the gem, where the absorbed souls have a shared subjective experience of a peaceful, pastoral valley. Adam can also temporarily restore a soul to its body to communicate with it, devolve organisms into primitive states, and translate alien speech. The Soul Gem’s own vampiric consciousness sometimes exerts influence over Warlock, and when he uses the gem to absorb souls, its influence increases.

Warlock evolves through numerous rebirths. Due to these evolutions, he no longer needs the Soul Gem’s power, as he learns how to control metaphysical quantum energy, also known as magic, which gives him the ability to manipulate matter, energy, and souls, and to teleport.

At times, Warlock uses accessories such as the mystical Orb of Eternity, which enables him to view distant events across realms, and a Karmic Staff, through which he uses karmic blasts to overload opponents’ spiritual centers. He once briefly possessed the Infinity Gauntlet, which made him virtually omnipotent.

Evil Opponents

As a self-appointed savior of worlds, Adam Warlock has gained a wide array of formidable, fearsome, and resilient adversaries.

The Man-Beast, a wolf genetically altered into humanoid form by the High Evolutionary, has been among the most merciless, presiding over Warlock’s public execution on Counter-Earth. The resurrected Warlock uses the power of the Soul Gem to turn the Man-Beast back into a wolf, but the reversion proves only temporary. The creature has returned over the years to challenge Spider-Man, Thor, and, eventually, Warlock again.

During his cosmic travels, Adam comes into conflict with the oppressive Universal Church of Truth and their god, the Magus. Warlock is horrified to discover that the Magus was none other than himself—a twisted, corrupted version from the future. While Warlock managed to alter his own timeline to prevent himself from becoming the Magus, the evil persona has returned on numerous occasions, serving as a chilling harbinger of Adam’s possible destiny.

Probably none of Warlock’s foes causes as much terror—and as much trouble—as Thanos, a devoted worshipper of Death and former bearer of the Infinity Gauntlet. And yet, on numerous occasions, Thanos and Adam have found reason to work together—such as when the Magus proves to be a threat to both of them. But Thanos is also responsible for one of Warlock’s early deaths, one from which Adam did not return for several years.

The Goddess also ranks among Warlock’s major foes. She is the living embodiment of Adam’s good side, an extremist intent on eradicating all sin from the universe—by destroying anything capable of sinning. Like the Magus, the Goddess has proven to be such a grave threat that Adam and Thanos have joined forces to stop her.

Comrades in Arms

In between his many deaths and rebirths, Adam Warlock has worked with an impressive number of super-powered heroes from Earth and beyond. He allies himself with the Hulk, Spider-Man, Mar-Vell, Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer, and the Avengers, among others.

Warlock’s longest and closest associations are with Pip the Troll, Gamora, Moondragon, and Drax the Destroyer, with whom he formed the group known as the Infinity Watch, charged with the responsibility of protecting the Infinity Gems. Adam retained the Soul Gem and distributed the others to his teammates. He secretly gave the Reality Gem to Thanos, who knew not to risk using it without the other gems present to balance its power. And since Thanos is kept apart from the rest of the Infinity Watch, the gems remain separated from each other. The team uses Monster Island as a home base, in exchange for an alliance with the island’s ruler, Mole Man.

When Infinity Watch loses possession of the Infinity Gems and disbands, Warlock subsequently joins a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy—formed by Star-Lord (Peter Quill), which includes Drax, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Quasar (Phyla-Vell).

Circumstances drive Adam away from the team and back again, until he finally leaves for good.

The Warlock Chronicles

Adam Warlock’s adventures and achievements display his strength, nobility, and morality, but also show that even a figure with near-godlike abilities is not necessarily immune to human frailties.

As Him, in the early days of his existence, he felt great loneliness. After encountering the Asgardian warrior woman Sif, he desired her for his mate and kidnapped her, taking her to another dimension and earning the wrath of Thor. Later, on Counter-Earth, facing death by crucifixion and a bombardment of sub-sonic vibrations, Warlock revealed his sorrow and despair for all to see when called out to the High Evolutionary, begging to know why his benefactor had forsaken him.

Since discovering that he and the Magus are one and the same, many of Warlock’s actions and decisions have been driven by fear of what he may become, and a desperation to avoid that dark fate. Mortally wounded by Thanos, shortly after the mad Titan murdered Gamora and lobotomized Pip, Adam welcomed the end.

Just before slipping into what he believed would be his final death, he turned Thanos to stone. Warlock then joined his dear friends Gamora and Pip in the paradise of Soulworld, where they would remain for several years. Thanos’s return to life, and his acquisition of the Infinity Gauntlet, prompted Adam, Pip, and Gamora to be reincarnated on Earth and join in the fight against the newly all-powerful mad Titan.

Soon after, Warlock and the Infinity Watch joined forces with the Silver Surfer, Doctor Strange, and even Thanos to stop a temporarily maddened Thor and bring him to Asgard, where the Thunder God’s father, Odin, was able to cure him. Warlock and Thanos would continue to cross paths, as both adversaries and allies.

After another one of his rebirths, Adam possessed new metaphysical energy manipulation powers and became a quantum magician, after which he was recruited by Moondragon and Phyla-Vell to help free the alien Kree from the invading techno-organic species the Phalanx.

Most recently, in an unspecified future time period, a newly resurrected Adam Warlock forged an uneasy alliance with Kang the Conqueror to prevent a universal calamity from happening, brought on by the reuniting of all six Infinity Gems. As part of their agreement, Adam was sent thousands of years into the past on a quest for the Soul Gem and the Time Gem. Ever the hero, Warlock was determined to do everything he could to prevent the recreation of the Infinity Gauntlet—no matter the cost to himself.