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Write the text of your article here! ==

& Jim Steranko, 1968

"Shield Origin Issue"

Captain America #111

Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, 1968

The 2nd of 3 Steranko Cap comics

==Starlintriumvariteillo

3564205821 53dc309561 b

I also was drawn to the tragic figures in the work by Jim Starlin.[]

Adam Warlock

FF67 Him

Obviuosly the one day Adam Warlock could read minds

Warlock first appeared as "Him" in the FF #66-67 storyline. He emerged from his Beehive Cocoon as a scientific experiment and ended up destroying his creators. He scrapped with the Mighty Thor and eventually became a Demi-God on an alternate Earth. The Power of Warlock was revived in the late 70's by Starlin and he ended up being killed off and reanimated several times since. He has become close allies with the Silver Surfer in battling against and along side of Thanos, the mad Titan.[]

FF67 Cacoon

Origins[]

Adam Warlock is a god come to earth-in this Counter-Earth,with Doctor Moreau beast men running around.Warlock is Christ like,but so is Superman.This take on Warlock was probably inspired by then-popular Broadway shows like "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Godspell".Both Jesus Christ;Superstar and Godspell present Christ in a modern setting-as in the early 1970's.Victor Garber,here is wearing a blue Superman like t-shirt.But Adam Warlock can't a another major companies famous S diamond logo.But an Original Captain Marvel lightning bolt,if drawn diiferent,on say Kryton,from Elaan of Troyus's costume,with Warlock now resembling Tykree of another Star Trek episode Private Little War-which incidently mention serpents from the garden of eden,by the way-a biblical reference,is not so hard to figure out. Several non comic related characters must inspired Adam Warlocks look.Much of this speculative,but have look.Warlocks hair,looks alot Tyree from Classic Star Trek episode Private Little Wars.Ok,so Tyree is obviously wearing some blond wig,styled to fit head,but thats not the point.He looks alot like Adam Warlock and the early 1970's-a 1960;s series,still running in syndivcation,would the right place for the late Gil Kane to new hair and costume ideas. Kryton from the Star Trek Elaan of Troyius looks alot like Adam Warlocks original costume.Ok,Kryton's obviously pinned into some plastic foam stuff,but you got admit,it has general shape of Warlocks Counter Earth get up.Put a Captain Marvel lightning bolt on it and it all Tyree-then Adam WarlockTyree Adam Warlock Godspell FotoFlexer Photo.

Marvels of Gil Kane: Warlock Covers[]

By Richard Guion on: May 26, 2009 6:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) [1]Beginning...a look back at Marvel's Greatest Covers by Gil Kane! Let's start with my one of my favorite cosmic characters, Adam Warlock.

[2]

Marvel Premiere #1 (1972) was the first solo outing for Warlock--not only that, but it was the first time he had an actual name! Created by Kirby and Lee in Fantastic Four #66, Warlock was previous known as Him. Since The Power of HIM didn't seem like a good title for a comic, Roy Thomas re-christened the character as Adam Warlock. Tomorrow's Hero--Today!

[3]

The cover to Marvel Premiere #1 was irresistible, Warlock's new costume is really nifty and you get all tingly looking at the energy swarming around him. Plus, he's got a suntan that makes George Hamilton envious! Hulk and Thor on the cover made this a must have issue. Too bad they only appeared in flashbacks--and those were recaps of stories previously published!

I.m still convinced that Godspell and the Andrew Llyodd Webber musical about Jesus Christ,more the Bible,along Michael Valentine Smith inspired Adam Warlock.Superman,and The Original Captain Marvel -inspiring both Warlock and Captain Marvell(Marvel).Fans seem to allows this these assuptions and go for the obvious ones.

[4]

The cover to Marvel Premiere was pretty cool as well. I always admired how Kane depicted super-humans in flight. The character named "Rhodan" has to be a Thomas nod to the series of novels featuring Perry Rhodan.

[5]

Power of Warlock #2 was actually the first comic I bought featuring the character. The word balloons indicate Warlock has killed hordes of humans--how could any well adjusted kid resist that?

Thomas and Kane collaborated on Marvel Premiere #1-2, which led into the Power of Warlock series. Thomas left POW #3, but Kane continued on as artist for a few issues. Kane would produce most of the covers for the short life (eight issues) of this series. Nuff said. == =(Warlock has an erie and similar kinship to Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion characters Elric and Hawkmoon.) The Power Of Adam Warlock : The Soul World= ==

Captain Marvel (Mar-vell)[]

Mar-Vell[]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[]

Jump to: navigation, search{| cellspacing="5" style="font-size: 88%; width: 24em; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: left;" | colspan="2" style="background: rgb(105, 160, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; font-weight: bold; font-size: 125%; text-align: center;"|Captain Mar-Vell |- ! colspan="2" style="background: rgb(105, 160, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center;"|Publication information |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Publisher |Marvel Comics |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|First appearance |Marvel Super-Heroes

  1. 12 (Dec 1967)

|- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Created by |Stan Lee Gene Colan |- ! colspan="2" style="background: rgb(105, 160, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center;"|In story information |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Alter ego |Mar-Vell |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Species |Kree |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Place of origin |Hala |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Team affiliations |Avengers |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Notable aliases |Captain Marvel , Dr. Walter Lawson |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Abilities |Superhuman strength Flight Cosmic Awareness Solar energy absorption & projection Wields Nega-Bands |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: right;"|This box: viewtalkedit |} Mar-Vell, better known as Captain Marvel, is a fictional comic book alien, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Marvel's use of the trademark "Captain Marvel", previously that of the highly popular, 1940s Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel, came when the copyright on the original character was up for renewal.

Mar-Vell was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller Gene Colan and first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec. 1967).

Contents[]

[hide]*1 Publication history

[6]

[edit] Publication history[]

Following his debut as the lead feature of Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec. 1967) and a second showcase appearance the next issue, Mar-Vell, as Captain Marvel, acquired his own title. Sales proved mediocre, and the character was revamped by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in issue #17, by merging the hero with Rick Jones via the Kree nega-bands. Thomas has said that the intent of the change was to make the character over into a more science-fiction oriented version of Fawcett Comics' original Captain Marvel [1]. Both comics were now about a young man who became a super-hero after being guided to a hidden installation, and who could then in a flash of energy become, or change places with, an adult super-hero in a predominantly red costume.

The revamp did not save the series, and it was cancelled with issue #21. Thomas tied up loose plot-lines from the series in the pages of the Avengers comic book. When the book was revived in the early 1970s, plotter and artist Jim Starlin conceptually revamped the character, although Captain Marvel's appearance remained mostly unchanged. Mar-Vell became the "Protector of the Universe", appointed by the cosmic entity Eon.

However, his career was cut short when he died from cancer on Titan in the presence of the Marvel Universe's superhero community. This event is chronicled in Marvel's first large-format graphic novel, The Death of Captain Marvel.

[7]

[edit] Fictional character biography[]

[8]

[edit] Origin[]

Mar-Vell is a member of the Kree, a militaristic alien race that is humanoid in appearance. He was born in the city of Rad-Nam on the planet Kree-Lar, in the Kree galaxy (greater Magellanic Cloud). A captain in the Kree Imperial Militia, Mar-Vell is initially sent to Earth as a spy. After arriving, Mar-Vell takes the identity of the recently deceased Dr. Walter Lawson, a scientist starting a position at Cape Canaveral, Florida. [9] [10]Mar-Vell's original Kree uniform: Captain Marvel #1 (May 1968). Cover art by Gene Colan & Vince CollettaPosing as Lawson, Mar-Vell studies humanity's progress towards developing a means of space travel. After living among humans, however, Mar-Vell begins to empathize with them. He appears publicly in his Kree helmet and uniform to battle a Kree robot Sentry, ultimately defeating it. Onlookers, hearing the Sentry call him "Mar-Vell," believe him to be a new Earth-born superhuman adventurer named "Captain Marvel" and proclaim him a hero.[2]

[11]

[edit] Hero, Traitor[]

Captain Marvel was next seen battling Namor the Sub-Mariner.[3] He was found guilty of treason by the Kree Empire, and sentenced to death.[4] His lover Una was killed by fellow Kree Captain Yon-Rogg.[5] He was used as a pawn in Kree political power games.

The Kree Supreme Intelligence then gave Mar-Vell superhuman powers,[6] and a new uniform.[7]

[12]

[edit] Bonded[]

Mar-Vell eventually finds himself trapped in the Negative Zone. The Kree Supreme Intelligence secretly enables Mar-Vell to telepathically contact Rick Jones, a youth who had previously been a companion to the Hulk, Captain America, and the original Avengers. Jones is lured to a hidden and abandoned Kree base on Earth, where he puts a pair of "nega-bands" around his wrists. After slamming the bands together, Mar-Vell and Jones trade places: Mar-Vell arrives on Earth while Jones, surrounded by a protective aura, is transported to the Negative Zone.[8] As long as they wear the bands, Mar-Vell and Jones are in telepathic contact. Mar-Vell can only remain on Earth for brief periods of time; if he stays more than three hours, he and Jones switch places automatically.

Mar-Vell managed to escape the Negative Zone by using Mister Fantastic's Nega-Portal to draw Rick out of the Zone while he was on Earth, although it required the aid of the Vision, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch of the Avengers to stop Annihilus following Rick through and subsequently drain off excess radiation that Mar-Vell had absorbed during his time in the Zone before the radiation detonated.[9] However, his life force was submerged into the body of Rick Jones at the end of the Kree-Skrull War to save the young teen's life due to the drain on his body from channeling the Destiny Force.[10] Jones is later bombarded with a form of electromagnetic radiation by Professor Benjamin Savannah (whose name is an homage to the Fawcett Captain Marvel's principle antagonist, Thaddeus Bodog Sivana). This releases Mar-Vell from Jones' body and allows him to convert solar energy into increased strength and force bolts.

Mar-Vell later encounters Thanos for the first time.[11]

[13]

[edit] Protector of the Universe[]

While battling the Controller, Mar-Vell becomes buried under debris from Avengers Mansion. Before Mar-Vell can escape he is split from Rick Jones, who is left to slowly suffocate under the debris. Rick ultimately survives, but Mar-Vell is teleported to the extraterrestrial being known as Eon. Eon, who was created thousands of years ago to watch over the evolution of superhuman beings on Earth, shows Mar-Vell the true horrors of war. Mar-Vell recognizes that his battles have been in vain, and wishes to change his warrior nature. As a result, Eon bestows upon Mar-Vell great power. Mar-Vell's already formidable reflexes and skills are sharpened. Eon gives Mar-Vell both inner peace as well as a psionic ability called "cosmic awareness", and designates him as "Protector of the Universe."[12]

He later fights and defeats Thanos.[13]

[14]

[edit] Death and beyond[]

[15] [16]Marvel Graphic Novel #1: The Death of Captain Marvel (1982). Cover art by Jim Starlin.During a battle with the villain Nitro, Mar-Vell is exposed to a powerful nerve gas known as "Compound 13." The gas causes Mar-Vell to collapse, but he is given the antidote to the gas and seems to recover fully.[14] However, as would be revealed only years later, the gas is also carcinogenic and causes an incurable cancer to develop in Mar-Vell's system.

Mar-Vell later encountered an assemblage of Watchers,[15] and then battles the Stranger.[16] Ultimately, Mar-Vell is separated from Rick Jones.[17] He later joined the Avengers and Adam Warlock in battle against Thanos one final time.[18]

Although the nega-bands suppress Mar-Vell's cancer for some time, the disease eventually mutates beyond them. Although the bands' energy now interferes with treatment, removing them is out of the question since they are still necessary to slow the cancer. To make treating Mar-Vell's condition even more daunting, Mar-Vell's status as a traitor to the Kree empire makes asking its medical experts for the necessary knowledge of Kree physiology not an option. Regardless, medical and scientific professionals and superheroes research the problem, but no one can find a cure. Mar-Vell spends his last days on Titan in the presence of his friends, which even includes a decoration by the Skrulls for being a respected enemy. As he slips into a coma, he finds his consciousness in an ethereal realm between life and death.

There, he meets Thanos, who engages Mar-Vell in combat so that he can die in a manner befitting a great warrior. As the battle ends, Mar-Vell, Thanos, and Death walk off into a bright light, presumably into a realm of the afterlife. Back on Titan and surrounded by his lover Elysius of Titan, Rick Jones, the Avengers, and various other friends and heroes, Mar-Vell's heart finally gives out, and his physical body dies.[19]. His grave is marked by a monument on Titan. Mar-Vell is posthumously made an honorary Avenger.

Afterward, on rare occasions, Mar-Vell's spirit sometimes interacts with the living.[20] Mar-Vell supposedly returned during the Civil War[21], being plucked out of space/time after his battle with Nitro but before he starts to show signs of his illness. However, it was later revealed that this was infact a Skrull impostor named Khn'nr.

[17]

[edit] Children[]

Mar-Vell was the father of three children, only one of which was conceived during his lifetime. From an illicit relationship with the Skrull Princess Anelle, he fathered a son. As this union between the Skrull emperor's daughter and a Kree was considered deeply scandalous, it was hushed up, and the boy was brought up on Earth under the name Teddy Altman. He would later become the Young Avenger, Hulkling, and is claimed by both the Skrull and Kree empires.

After his death, Mar-Vell's former lover Elysius impregnates herself with his genetic information on two subsequent occasions. This led to the birth of a son, Genis-Vell, and a daughter Phyla-Vell, who at different points would both take on the name Captain Marvel.

[18]

[edit] Powers and abilities[]

Originally, Captain Mar-Vell had no superhuman powers, although he was somewhat stronger than a human due to his advanced Kree physiology. As a species, the Kree have developed greater strength in order to combat the heavier gravity of their home world. He was equipped with a jet belt that allowed him limited flight, and a Uni-beam weapon.

He temporarily gained the power of teleportation from an entity called Zo (actually Zarek, the Kree Imperial Minister, in disguise).

The Kree Nega-Bands converted Mar-Vell's psionic energy into strength, a high degree of imperviousness to harm, the ability to project force blasts, and the power to fly at faster-than-light speeds. They also allowed Mar-Vell to exist unprotected in outer space without having to breathe.

Dr. Benjamin Savannah's electromagnetic radiation bombardment treatment altered Mar-Vell's genetic structure so that he could absorb solar energy and convert it to various uses, including increasing his already superhuman strength and durability, and giving him the ability of flight. He then relied on the solar power rather than the bands for flight. His abilities would decrease at night or when otherwise shielded from a source of solar radiation. After becoming "cosmically aware", Mar-Vell would leave a glowing trail behind him while flying.

The exact nature and scope of the "cosmic awareness" granted to Mar-Vell have never been clearly defined. In later volumes of Captain Marvel involving Genis-Vell, the power of cosmic awareness is described as an almost immeasurable force that allows the user to know all that has occurred, all that will occur, and all that might occur anywhere in the universe. The sense could also be used for internal scans of Mar-Vell's body which detected the cancer, although he still sought expert confirmation. Without proper experience and a level of control, this sense of all-knowing can drive an individual insane (as it did with Genis-Vell).

Mar-Vell's Kree military training gives him mastery of all forms of Kree unarmed combat, as well as extensive knowledge of the technologically advanced vehicles and devices of the Kree Empire.

[19]

[edit] Other versions[]

[20]

[edit] Ultimate Captain Marvel[]

Main article: Mahr Vehl

The character called Mahr Vehl is intended to be the Ultimate imprint version of Mar-Vell. Mahr Vehl is introduced in the Ultimate Marvel limited series, Ultimate Secret, and is a main character in Ultimate Extinction.

[21]

[edit] Earth X[]

In Universe X, Mar-Vell is reincarnated as the child of the synthetic Him (Adam Warlock) and Her (Kismet) while his soul remains in the Realm of the Dead. Captain America becomes the Mar-Vell child's guardian and embarks on a worldwide quest with his new ward to obtain various items in order to deal with Earth's restless mutant population and prepare for an impending war in the Realm of the Dead. In the Realm of the Dead, Mar-Vell leads an army of deceased heroes and villains against Thanos and Death itself. Using the assembled artifacts finally in his possession, Mar-Vell shows Thanos how Death has manipulated him, convincing him to use the Ultimate Nullifier on the entity. With Death killed, Mar-Vell constructs a Paradise in the center of the Negative Zone for the dead to inhabit but those among the living find themselves unable to die. In Paradise X, Reed and a legion of heroes confront Mar-Vell. After Paradise is nearly conquered in the name of the Supreme Intelligence by the arriving souls of the Kree military, Mar-Vell explains to Reed that he is to become the new Eternity.

[22]

[edit] In other media[]

[23]

[edit] Video Games[]

[24]

[edit] Toys[]

In December 2006, Toy Biz produced its last wave of Marvel Legends action figures with Captain Mar-Vell being one of the final figures. A variant figure of his son, Genis-Vell, was also released in this line.

[25]

[edit] Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Roy Thomas interview in Daniel Herman, Gil Kane: Art and Interviews, 2002
  2. ^ Marvel Super-Heroes #13
  3. ^ Captain Marvel #4
  4. ^ Captain Marvel #7
  5. ^ Captain Marvel #8
  6. ^ Captain Marvel #15
  7. ^ Captain Marvel #16
  8. ^ Captain Marvel #17
  9. ^ Avengers #72
  10. ^ Avengers #89-99
  11. ^ Captain Marvel #27
  12. ^ Captain Marvel #29
  13. ^ Captain Marvel #33
  14. ^ Captain Marvel #34
  15. ^ Captain Marvel #39
  16. ^ Captain Marvel #42
  17. ^ Captain Marvel #50
  18. ^ Avengers Annual #7; Marvel-Two-in-One Annual #2
  19. ^ Marvel Graphic Novel #1: The Death of Captain Marvel (1982)
  20. ^ Issues of Silver Surfer (1987), Cosmic Powers Unlimited (1995), and Captain Marvel vol. 4
  21. ^ Civil War: The Return

[26]

[edit] External links[]

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar-Vell"Categories: Extraterrestrial superheroes | Marvel Comics aliens | Marvel Comics characters who can fly | Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength | Marvel Comics mutates | Marvel Comics superheroesHidden category: Comics infobox without imageNot to be confused The So called Original Captain Marvel,published by

The earlier Captain Marvel was drawn by Gil Kane, but Starlin further developed him in later issues. He was a Kree warrior from another galaxy who was created in the late 60s and fought the enemy Skrulls. He eventually died of cancer in Starlin's "The Death of Captain Marvel" in Marvel first Graphic Novel in 1982. Amazingly this "anti-hero" has actually stayed dead.

Marvel's Captain Marvel[]

Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics)[]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[]

Jump to: navigation, search{| cellspacing="5" style="font-size: 88%; width: 24em; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: left;" | colspan="2" style="background: rgb(105, 160, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; font-weight: bold; font-size: 125%; text-align: center;"|Captain Marvel |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Publisher |Marvel Comics |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|First appearance |Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (1967) |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Created by |Stan Lee Gene Colan |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Characters |Mar-Vell Monica Rambeau Genis-Vell Phyla-Vell Mahr Vehl Carol Danvers |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: right;"|This box: viewtalkedit |} Captain Marvel is the name of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Contents[]

[hide]*1 Fictional character history

[27]

[edit] Fictional character history[]

[28]

[edit] Mar-Vell[]

Main article: Mar-Vell

The first of these is an alien military officer, Captain Mar-Vell of the Kree Imperial Militia, who is sent to observe the planet Earth. Mar-Vell eventually wearies of his superiors' malign intent and allies himself with Earth as the Kree Empire brands him a traitor. From then on, Mar-Vell fights to protect Earth from all threats. Captain Mar-Vell was created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (Dec. 1967).

He would later be revamped by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane. Having been exiled to the Negative Zone by the Supreme Intelligence, the only way Mar-Vell can temporarily escape is to exchange atoms with Rick Jones by means of special wristbands called Nega-Bands. He is also given superpowers and his Kree military uniform is replaced with a form fitting costume.

With the title's sales still fledgling, Marvel allowed Jim Starlin to conceptually revamp the character, although his appearance was little changed. Mar-Vell is freed from the Negative Zone and becomes a cosmic champion, the "Protector of the Universe" appointed by the cosmic entity Eon. Together, Mar-Vell and Rick continue to battle against evil, most notably battling the Death-worshipping Thanos. Mar-Vell became a close ally of the Titans, and one of their number, Elysius, became his lover.

However, his career was cut short when he developed inoperable cancer, the result of an earlier exposure to toxic nerve gas during a battle with Nitro. He died from this cancer on Titan in the presence of the Marvel Universe's superhero community, as chronicled in Marvel's first large-format graphic novel, The Death of Captain Marvel.

[29]

[edit] Young Avengers Mar-Vell[]

In a flashback shown in the Young Avengers series, Captain Mar-Vell was captured together with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch by the Super-Skrull. However, the Skrull emperor's daughter, princess Anelle fell in love with him and together they conspired to overthrow the emperor and bring an end to the Kree-Skrull war.

They freed the Super-Skrull, whom the emperor had imprisoned for supposedly planning a coup. The Super-Skrull posed as Mar-Vell to allow him to escape. Princess Anelle was later killed when Galactus devoured her homeworld, but not before giving birth to the half-Kree/half-Skrull boy who would later be known as Teddy Altman, a.k.a. Hulkling.

[30]

[edit] Monica Rambeau[]

[31] [32]Art by Doc Bright.:Main article: Monica Rambeau The second Captain Marvel is Monica Rambeau, a Coast Guard lieutenant from New Orleans who possesses the power to transform herself into any form of energy. Her powers were briefly altered so that she can not transform to energy, but instead can generate a personal force field. Sometime later, the Stranger returned her energy transformation abilities. She is a member of the Avengers, at one point serves as their leader. She uses the name Photon for quite some time, until Genis-Vell adopts the same name. Genis-Vell and Monica discuss this and Monica decides on the name Pulsar.

Rambeau later joins H.A.T.E. (the Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort) in the new series titled NEXTWAVE. In this series created by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, H.A.T.E. (a subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation©) forms a team to fight the Bizarre Weapons of Mass Destruction. Members include Monica Rambeau, a man known only as "The Captain", Boom Boom, Aaron Stack, and Elsa Bloodstone.

Editors Notes;

A really bad idea for a character.Better to stick the Kree hero,who was dead,than this stoved down our throats tailet of a hero.Why do all female black heroes,except one like Storm suck ?Do the so called liberal creators save the quality powers and names the good,white males ?

Why not just create a hero called Smokemecrack Man and Robabank Girl and be honest as to how you really feel?

Doc Thompson

[33]

[edit] Genis-Vell[]

Main article: Genis-Vell

The third Captain Marvel is Genis-Vell, the genetically-engineered son of Mar-Vell and his lover Elysius, created from the late Mar-Vell's cell samples and artificially aged to physical, if not emotional, maturity. Genis, like his father, wears the Nega-Bands, possesses Cosmic Awareness and is, for a time, bonded with Rick Jones. Although the pair do not get along at first, they eventually become good friends. However, Genis goes insane and threatens to destroy the universe.

After dying and resurrecting himself - with the secret aid of Baron Helmut Zemo - Genis-Vell joins the Thunderbolts under the name Photon. However, in accelerating his resurrection, Zemo links Genis to the ends of time, causing a degenerative effect on the universe. To prevent the inevitable destruction of all existence, Zemo scatters pieces of Genis-Vell's body through time and the Darkforce Dimension.

Editors Note;

Was this the guy calling himself Captain Marvel ?Wouldn't he by Marvel's own concepts be not Captain Marvel,because his father actually Kree Captain Mar-Vell and that would make Captain Genis-Vell or Private Genis-Vell ?Does any of this make any logical sense or are forcing alot of stupid ideas upon the public,just because we need to hold onto a trademark because their that other Captain Marvel owned by DC Comics ?

[34]

[edit] Phyla-Vell[]

[35] [36]Art by Paul Azaceta.:Main article: Phyla-Vell The fourth Captain Marvel is Phyla-Vell, Genis-Vell's younger sister. Her name is a taxonomical pun on the part of Peter David, who created the character. Phyla is created when Genis, an only child, recreates the universe and, in doing so, creates various anomalies which result in his mother being restored to life and his sister coming into existence. She is last seen romancing Moondragon.

Phyla-Vell appears in the Annihilation event, fighting alongside Nova's United Front in an effort to stop the destructive armies of Annihilus. She becomes the new Quasar after the original one is killed by Annihilus.[1]

Phyla has superhuman strength. She can fire energy blasts, fly, and act like an "energy sponge", absorbing any energy attacks directed at her and returning them as energy blasts. Phyla also has cosmic awareness and is a proficient fighter.



Editors Note;

Well,bravo to that.Phyla-Vell ?Captain Phyla-Vell ?

What can I say,folk-Peter David,the writer of stuff strikes again.Ok,let me join the Kree military.If my fathers a great hero and dead,I get inhirit his name and rank without doing one day of service and training.What stupid shit,folks -come on.

Doc Thompson



Phyla-Vell.Perfecto-very good,very good.

[37]

[edit] Khn'nr[]

Main article: Khn'nr

The fifth Captain Marvel is Khn'nr, a Skrull sleeper agent who is binded with Mar-Vell's DNA to lock itself Mar-Vell's form and given technological replicas of the Kree Nega-Bands. However, his mental conditioning was botched, causing Khn'nr's personality to be erased leaving the Mar-Vell persona dominant. Though part of the Secret Invasion, this Marvel decides to fight against the invading Skrulls.

Editors Note;

Khn'nr ?Who writes this shit ?They get paid to write this stupid shit ?

Bravo.

Doc Thompson.

[38]

[edit] Other versions[]

==[]

The original Captain Marvel,was once the only Captain Marvel,until somebody,at Fawcett Comics forgot to file a trademark on the name.Duh.Thank You,very much.idiots.[]

Kamandi.[]

Seeing the name was mommentarilly up for grabs,Kamandi,the Last Boy of Earth,was breifly known as Captain Marvel,until the Original Captain Marvel found him and whipped his ass,black and blue.[]

Hank Pym,drunk at an Avengers party,dressed as Ant Man,was going around with lampshade on his head,calling himself Captain Marvel.[]

Captain Marvel,Junior,signing his name once on a check,forgot the Junior.The bank teller,mistook him for the Original Captain Marvel and cashed his check.[]

[39]

[edit] Ultimate Captain Marvel[]

Main article: Mahr Vehl

The Ultimate Marvel miniseries Ultimate Secret introduces a renegade Kree who has been surgically altered to look human and sent to earth by his people to observe its destruction by the entity Gah Lak Tus, but defects to help the humans. He wears a specially designed combat suit that is activated by his wristwatch. The Kree technology in the suit gives Mahr Vehl increased strength and allows him to fly, create energy shields, turn invisible, view different fields of the light spectrum, and fire energy blasts through the totalkannon located on his lower arm.

His real name is Pluskommander (literal translation of +Commander) Geheneris Halason Mahr Vehl; a reference to both Mar-Vell and Genis-Vell. As with the Marvel Universe character of Mar-Vell, he assumes the identity of Dr. Philip Lawson, a scientist working on the space program. He is currently dating the Ultimate version of Carol Danvers. The name 'Captain Marvel' arises as a mispronunciation by General Nick Fury and Carol Danvers. Only the Falcon and Thor have bothered to learn how to pronounce his name correctly.

[40]

[edit] Ruins[]

In the two issue Warren Ellis Limited series Ruins. Captain Marvel is one of the many Kree prisoners, in a Kree Reservation in Nevada. The reservation was placed deliberately on top of a former nuclear test site. As a result of this the majority of the Kree are suffering from various forms of cancers and tumours including Mar-Vell who is the Kree's spokesperson. Mar-vell gives an interview to Daily Bugle reporter Phil Sheldon regarding the failed Kree invasion of Earth. Mar-vel recounts how his ship was made vulnerable to a nuclear strike when their cloaking and sheilding was affected by cosmic radiation from a deceased Silver Surfer.

[41]

[edit] Fantastic Four: The End[]

In the limited series, Fantastic Four: The End, the superheroine formerly known as Kismet (now under the name of Ayesha) has apparently taken over the Captain Marvel mantle in the not-too-distant future.[2]

[42]

[edit] Bibliography of Captain Marvel titles (incomplete)[]

[43]

[edit] Mar-Vell[]

  • Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) #12-13
  • Captain Marvel (1968) #1-62
  • Giant-Size Captain Marvel (1975) #1 (reprint book)
  • Marvel Spotlight (1979) #1-4, #8
  • Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) #1 (later reprinted in standard comic book format as The Death of Captain Marvel)
  • The Life of Captain Marvel (1985) #1-5 (reprint series)
  • Untold Legend of Captain Marvel (1997) #1-3
  • Civil War: The Return (2007) #1
  • Captain Marvel (2008) #1-5

[44]

[edit] Monica Rambeau[]

  • Captain Marvel (1989) #1 (also referred to as Captain Marvel Special)
  • Captain Marvel: Speaking Without Concern (1994) #1
  • Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. (2006) #5 (appears as Captain Marvel in flashback)

[45]

[edit] Genis-Vell[]

  • Secret Defenders (April, 1994) #14
  • Cosmic Powers (1994) #3-6
  • Captain Marvel (1995) #1-6
  • Marvel - Shadows & Light (1997) #1-3
  • Captain Marvel (2000) #0-35
  • The Order (2002) #5-6
  • Captain Marvel (2002) #1-25
  • The New Thunderbolts (2004-2006) #1-18
  • Thunderbolts (2006) #100 (death confirmed)

[46]

[edit] Notes and references[]

[47] The references in this article would be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.

[48]

[edit] References[]

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Fantastic Four: The End #1 (Jan. 2007)

[49]

[edit] External links[]

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Marvel_%28Marvel_Comics%29"Categories: Extraterrestrial superheroes | Fictional captains | Marvel Comics aliens | Marvel Comics titles | Titan in fiction


Editors Note;

I always felt,that Marvel Comics kept on trying to repete similar aspects of other,previous superheroes that did work.Thor,despite what we are told by pupular Marvel creator mythology,was created to give the norse mythic heroes a book,as it grew into,but to simply use the Mighty Thor as vehicle to cash in on a hero similar to Superman.Why does Thor have a red cape,in the comics,when his mythological counterpart,wears a fur cape ?And why does he fly ?Superman answers both questions.The Doctor Don Blake,a name lifted from a 1950's movie Monster of the Campus,where a scientist turns into a savage caveman-sounds like the Incredible Hulk,was Stan Lee's way of having the Billy Batson transforms into the Original Captain Marvel,without being so obvious.

So with Marvels Captain Marvel,(Mar-Vell),Stan Lee and Marvel Comics can steal elements from Superman,the alien disguised as a human,give him a costume and powers like Tv's Space Ghost,those Uni Beams work like those power bands of the Hanna Barbara hero.Later,this Captain Marvel went into a similar hero switch from and to a kid concept like the Original Captain Marvel.So much for the much over hyped House of Ideas.Seems like they are everyone elses same old ideas to me. CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 ---- [50]From Marvel

Spinning straight out of his shocking return in Civil War, Captain Marvel’s new life begins in Captain Marvel #1 (of 5)! He’s been plucked out of time before his death, but can the Kree soldier known as Mar-Vell make a difference with the scant time he’s got left? Acclaimed writer Brian Reed (New Avengers: Illuminati, Ms. Marvel) and artist Lee Weeks (Daredevil, Spider-Man: Death And Destiny) bring you a gripping epic about one man’s quest to make the world right before his end.

“Captain Marvel is a story about a man out of time,” said Reed. “Imagine you've traveled forward in time a few years and learned that you have passed away from cancer. What would you do? How would you react? If you're a proud soldier like Captain Marvel, you get mighty angry about the cards fate has dealt you, and you decide to try and do something about it. The big problem is, that there's no undoing history. Captain Marvel still dies from cancer. But what he does with his life before that time is what matters.”

Offering a unique insight into the mind of the man known as Mar-Vell, along with intense action scenes and important consequences for the Marvel Universe, Captain Marvel #1 brings one of Marvel’s greatest heroes back where he belongs! And don’t miss Ed McGuinness’ stunning first issue cover brought to life as the can’t-miss Captain Marvel Ed McGuinness Poster!

CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 (of 5) (SEP072187) Written by BRIAN REED Penciled by LEE WEEKS Cover by ED MCGUINNESS Rated A …$2.99 FOC—10/25/07, On-Sale—11/14/07

CAPTAIN MARVEL ED MCGUINNESS POSTER (SEP072290) 24x36 Color Poster…$6.99 FOC—11/01/07, On-Sale—11/28/07

[51][52] [53][54]



Editors Note;

So after all placeholders Captain Marvel's we are back the dead Original Marvel Captain Marvel again.

bravo,Marvel.Bravo.I knew when Marvel brought Adam Warlock,it was only a matter of time before,they'd give up on all other,don't make Captain Marvel's and give the Kree hero a chance again.

Doc Thompson.

Him (Warlock's previous alias) first appeared in Fantastic 4 number 66. Adam Warlock was later created by Jim Starlin and first appeared as Warlock in.... {| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"

Adam Warlock[]

Original Medium: Comic books

Published by: Marvel Comics

First Appeared: 1966

Creators: Stan Lee (writer) and Jack Kirby (artist)

image: © Marvel Comics.

More Cartoons by Marvel Comics

The team of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby was responsible for some of the biggest names in 1960s comic books — names like The Avengers, The Hulk, Doctor Doom … Even their minor creations sometimes became big names in post-'60s comics, a prime example being X-Men. But one of their big names, Warlock, who held down a couple of critically acclaimed series in the 1970s and still looms large in Marvel Universe history, didn't even have a name when Lee and Kirby introduced him.

In Fantastic Four #66 (November, 1966), Lee and Kirby pitted their superheroes against a secret enclave of scientists (called The Enclave) engaged in military research — trying to produce artificial men who would be invincible in battle and unscrupulous in obeying their destructive orders, whom they could mass-produce. Their golden-skinned prototype, referred to only as "Him", proved much stronger than they'd expected, and broke out of the cocoon where he was gestating. In addition to wrecking the scientists' plans, the heroes had to deal with the immediate menace of a super-powerful being who hadn't the foggiest idea how people are supposed to behave.

The menace was neutralized when "Him" wound up drifting through outer space. But he returned to clash with Thor and make a couple of other appearances before acquiring enough knowledge of the world to interact peaceably with civilized people. He got his shot at a series of his own in Marvel Premiere #1 (April, 1972), a try-out book along the lines of DC's Showcase, which later introduced successful characters like Iron Fist and unsuccessful ones like The Liberty Legion. There, writer Roy Thomas (The Invaders, Arak Son of Thunder) and artist Gil Kane (Brain Boy, Man-Wolf) hooked him up with The High Evolutionary, a geneticist who had tampered with his own DNA to the point of assuming god-like powers, who was just then engaged in his most ambitious project — creating a new Earth, hidden from the old one by being located on the far side of the Sun (cf. Twin Earths), where there would be no evil. But one of his earlier super-evolved creations had gotten loose and introduced evil there, so Hubris Boy (who was also, by the way, involved in the origin of Spider-Woman) sent "Him" (now re-dubbed "Adam Warlock", and newly equipped with a power-enhancing "soul gem" grafted onto his forehead) there to snuff it out.

If this sounds like something you might have read in a religious book, that was nothing compared with what followed. Warlock's first major enemy was a guy named Thanos (derived from the Greek word for "death"), whose goal was to kill every living thing in the Universe. Later, he locked horns with a time-traveling, purple-skinned version of himself from a possible future, called The Magus, who headed up a galaxy-spanning cadre of true believers. The best of this was orchestrated by cartoonist Jim Starlin, who had co-created Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu and would later be responsible for a very well received run on Captain Marvel.

After a couple of Marvel Premiere issues, Warlock moved out into his own title, with a first issue cover date of August, 1972. It lasted only eight issues, but a couple of years later (February, 1975 to be exact) he got a new series in Strange Tales, where Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. had gotten their starts. Then he was back in his own comic, which ran until #15 (November, 1976). It was never a very big seller, but Starlin's artwork, combined with the weighty themes it tackled, ensured such favorable reviews, Warlock is still remembered as one of the milestones of 1970s Marvel comics. (It was during the Strange Tales run that a wag in the production department altered the Comics Code seal to read "Approved by the Cosmic Code Authority".)

Of course, a story of a god-like being sending a protegé down to redeem a world from evil can hardly be complete until the redeemer dies. The story reached this conclusion in a team-up with The Thing in Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2 (1977), ensuring his permanent status as one of the company's classic characters.

Since then, Marvel hasn't let Warlock be forgotten. They've reprinted the Starlin series, had him appear in other characters' dreams, revived him in altered form, named one of The New Mutants after him, and done whatever else they can to keep him current without quite negating the culmination his story required.

A new version of Warlock, but with ties to the old one, began starring in an ongoing series in 2004.


Other Marvel Comics articles in Don Markstein's ToonopediaTM[]

|}


The Power of Adam Species: Genetically Engineered HumanHeight: 6'2" Weight: 240 lbs Hair: Golden Blond Eyes: Varies, Skin: Golden colored

Other Aliases: Him, The Magus, Godslayer Occupation: World Savior Former Affiliations: The Infinity Watch Origin: The Beehive, Shard Island, Atlantic Ocean. Known Relatives: Her, genetically Warlock's twin sister (now known as Kismet) Base of Operations: Formerly Counter-Earth, Soul-World, Monster Island. Now the known Universe. History: Him: The Early Years Warlock is an artificial being, created by researchers at a complex known as the "Beehive". The goal of the researchers there was to create the perfect human being, the pinnacle of future human evolution.

Fortunately for the denziens 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, 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 to near-death. Warlock promptly retreated to the safety of a regenerative coccoon and thus was later reborn. To The StarsUpon 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 one more thing...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 it's recent 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 ressurrection coccoon 3 days later (sounds familiar eh?). His rash gamble worked, and Counter-Earth was saved (years later, the planet would fall to the influence of another.).
My Enemy...My Self

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 posessed 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 cancelling his existance retroactively throughout time. Then, in a brilliant, yet disturbing counter-move, Thanos projected Warlock 2 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.

My Ally...My Enemy? However, as forseen, 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, destoying his projector. Mar-Vell was rendered unconcious, 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. 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 desroy the Earth's Sun. But before he could do so, a wild card was introduced in the form of Ben Grimm (The 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. 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.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega" Warlock would live 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 allmighty 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 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.

Back from the Ultraverse However, a threat arrived from a different Universe. A threat called Rune, a vampiric Dark God whom succeeded in stealing all of the gems from their guardians. Before Rune could become aquainted 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 Universe 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 worshippers 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 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 coccoon. 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, Warlock found a gateway back into our Universe. His current activities are unknown, but Warlock expressed a desire to search out Kismet, and explore their sibling relationship.

Skills: Warlock is a natural martial artist having received no formal training. His style emphasizes his preternatural reflexes, high agility, intuitive fighting and knowledge of an opponent. He has a natural ability to analyze patterns and this is linked to a high order intelligence and extreme will power, making him a formidable opponent to all but the most powerful metahumans.

Talents: Warlock has a powerful intuitive sense and awareness of other realms of existance. This is due in part to having an existance outside the realm of the Universe due to an edict from Master Order and Lord Chaos. Because of this edict and from time spent as a near omnipotent being, Warlock is aware of the fundamental underpinnings of the Universe at a level far beyond the understandings of most mortal beings.

Strength level: Warlock possesses superhuman strength, allowing him to lift (press) 10 tons. When further enhanced by cosmic energy, Warlock's strength increases to a degree that allows him to lift (press) 50 tons. When Warlock recreated his new body for himself, Gamora and Pip, it is unknown whether he made any particular modifications for these bodies. It is possible that he may be stronger than this now and chooses not to reveal it to his opponents.

Known Superhuman Powers: Warlock possesses the ability to fly under his own power at supersonic speeds inside an atmosphere. He can achieve speeds of Mach 3 or better (2200+ mph). In space, Warlock can fly faster than the speed of light. He is also able to create space warps in an undisclosed manner, most likely through the manipulation of the Cosmic Energies he naturally absorbs from his surroundings. He possesses an enhanced metabolism and durability, and also reflexes enhanced over normal human levels. Warlock also possesses several psionic abilities such as telepathy and a sense of cosmic awareness. Lastly, Warlock possesses the ability to draw upon sources of cosmic energy for a variety of effects including the projection of concussive blasts. However, when Warlock was in possession of the Soul Gem, it drew upon his life force so heavily that it severly hindered his abilities to absorb and manipulate cosmic energy. Perhaps Warlock's most interesting ability is his power of regeneration. When injured sufficently (either mentally or physically.), Warlock can create a coccoon around his body. After which he enters a state of deep hibernation, and then in that state he regenerates his body completely. Sometimes, in the past Warlock has shown that such a state can make him more or less powerful, depending on how long he remains in hibernation.

Weapons: The Karma Staff: an expression of his will, the staff allowed Adam to project bolts of energy, perform minor telekinetic feats and deflect energies directed at him. It allowed him to focus mystical energies more effectively.

The Soul Gem: One of six, the Soul Gem is a segment of a superintelligent, omni-powerful, primal entity that split itself into six tiny but powerful objects known as the Infinity Gems. This entity whose name was unknown but whose effect on the local universe has been extraordinary. The Infinity Gems seem to have an intelligence of their own but only the Soul Gem has been studied with any detail. The Soul Gem seems to have a malevolent personality, bent on satisfying its own needs, in this case, a need for new souls to inhabit its internal pocket nexus. The Soul Gem creates a symbiotic relationship with its host organism, providing protection, sustenance, and power, in exchange for new souls. The High Evolutionary was evidently strong enough to resist its lure since he was already powerful enough, but the Gem convinced him to allow Adam Warlock to possess it even though the High Evolutionary knew how dangerous the Soul Gem was.

Strangely enough, the pocket reality of beings captured by the Soul Gem is a place of peace and calm, where all captured souls share a communal consciousness and well-being. To date only a few souls have ever left the Gem for any length of time, and until recently Adam Warlock, the Magus, Gamora, and Pip the Troll are the only beings to ever do so without returning. The Soul Gem possesses several powers of its own, and will when it feels willing, contribute them to the host organism that wears it. Among these powers are: the awareness of nearby souls and their emotional states, the disruption of Karmic energies within a soul, causing unconsciousness or mental instability or even death, the projection of energy in powerful concussive bursts, the physical augmentation of a host's natural abilities, and the collection of an unwilling being's soul essence and placing it within its nexus. The Gem does drain spiritual essence from its host if it is not satisfied. This transfer of essence does cause personality shifts in the host organism, but it is not permanent. Since the Soul Gem was part of an all powerful being, it is possible that it is capable of other as yet undocumented feats.

Allies: Thanos, The Silver Surfer, Captain Mar-vell, Captain Marvel (Legacy), Moondragon, Drax the Destroyer, The Avengers, Master Order and Lord Chaos

Enemies: The Magus, The Goddess, Thanos, Nebula, Annihilus, Blastaar, The Inbetweener


[55]

[56]Send your email comments about Adam Warlock to Marvel Comics at: mail@marvel.com. You can also link to their main site at http://www.marvel.com/. DISCLAIMER: The Marvel Universe and all related elements are the property of Marvel Entertainment Group.TM & �1996-98, All Rights Reserved. This site is in no way a challege to any copyrights owned by Marvel Comics or Marvel Entertainment.

[57]

[58] accesses since this database was opened. It was last updated December 12,1998. This website, its creation, maintenance and its content are copyrighted by Thaddeus Howze. hyperion@ncal.verio.com Copyright�1998, All Rights Reserved


[59][60]This site was created with BBEdit 4.02 and built on a Macintosh PowerPC.

Adam Warlock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[]

Jump to: navigation, searchThis article is about character known as Adam Warlock. For X-Men character also called Warlock, see Warlock (New Mutants).{| cellspacing="5" style="font-size: 88%; width: 24em; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: left;" | colspan="2" style="background: rgb(105, 160, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; font-weight: bold; font-size: 125%; text-align: center;"|Adam Warlock |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|[61] Warlock #9 (Oct. 1975).

Cover art by Jim Starlin. |- ! colspan="2" style="background: rgb(105, 160, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center;"|Publication information |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Publisher |Marvel Comics |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|First appearance |(as Him) Fantastic Four #66-67 (Sept.-Oct. 1967) (as Adam Warlock) Marvel Premiere #1 (April 1972) |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Created by |Stan Lee Jack Kirby |- ! colspan="2" style="background: rgb(105, 160, 243) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center;"|In story information |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Alter ego |Him |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Team affiliations |Infinity Watch |- ! style="background: rgb(176, 196, 222) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 40%;"|Abilities |Superhuman strength, stamina, agility, endurance, flight, Energy manipulation, Possessor of the Soul Gem. |} Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a superhero that appears in the fictional Marvel Universe created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 (Sept. 1967), in cocoon form, and #67 (Oct. 1967), in humanoid form.

Contents[]

[hide]*1 Publication history

|} [62]

[edit] Publication history[]

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).[2]

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[edit] Fictional character biography[]

[64]

[edit] Origin[]

"Him" is an artificially created human, "born" in a cocoon in a scientific complex called "The Beehive". The goal of his creators, the Enclave, is to create and subsequently exploit the perfect human for their own gain. The Fantastic Four investigate Him's creation, but escape when the complex begins to self-destruct. When Him is born he abandons his masters and departs for space.[3] Him, however, is caught in an asteroid shower and saved by the alien being the Watcher, who sends Him back to Earth. Him discovers the Asgardian goddess Sif and decides to take her as his mate, which incites the fury of the Thunder God Thor. Him subsequently escapes Thor by creating another cocoon around himself.[4] Warlock is later transported to Counter-Earth, a copy of the original Earth created by the being, the High Evolutionary. The High Evolutionary sends Warlock there to stop the Man-Beast, a wolf that he previously genetically modified into humanoid form. The High Evolutionary also gives Him his new name - Adam, for being the first of his kind; and Warlock, because men would fear his power - and the Soul Gem that would influence his life. Warlock fights several battles against the Man-Beast, and is eventually crucified and left to die by the Man-Beast. Warlock, however, once again enters a cocoon and re-emerges to defeat his foe with the aid of the Hulk.[5]

[65]

[edit] The Magus and Thanos[]

Several months later on a desolate planet, Warlock laments his failure to accomplish lasting good. He then learns of an intergalactic menace known as the Magus, a tyrant who rules a religious empire known as the Universal Church of Truth, which conquers worlds and offers a simple choice to humanoids - convert or die. Warlock battles the Church and meets two life-long companions: Pip the Troll and the assassin Gamora. Warlock eventually learns that the Magus is the evil, alternate future incarnation of himself. The Magus subtly guides Warlock through a series of actions that will eventually result in him becoming the Magus. This plan is thwarted, however, by the Titan Thanos who provides Warlock access to a dimension where he destroys all but the shortest of his future timelines. The Magus - unable to stop Warlock as locked in battle with Thanos — then ceases to exist. Warlock then goes on to battle a comatose human whose consciousness has evolved into a being known as the Star Thief, who threatens to undo reality.[6]

Thanos then reappears, and unknown to Warlock had secretly aligned himself with the hero so as to be able to discretely siphon the energies of the Soul Gem. Thanos then combines with the energies of the other Infinity Gems to power a weapon that is capable of destroying a star. Thanos then plans to painstakingly snuff out every star in the universe as a gift to Death. Gamora discovers Thanos' intentions and attempts to kill him, but is mortally wounded herself. An unsuspecting Pip the Troll is also killed when returning to Thanos' vessel.

Gamora lives long enough to warn Warlock, who travels to Earth and enlists the aid of the Avengers, Captain Marvel and Moondragon. After attacking and dealing with Thanos' mercenary fleet, most of the Avengers and Moondragon storm Sanctuary I, Thanos' vessel. Warlock and Captain Marvel confront Thanos directly and are closely followed by Thor and Iron Man. Captain Marvel destroys the weapon's launcher, but Thanos then kills an attacking Warlock. Thor holds off Thanos while Iron Man destroys the weapon itself, and an enraged Thanos then defeats the remaining heroes. The cosmic entities Lord Chaos and Master Order intervene, and via a subconscious message draw Spider-Man and the Thing into the battle. Spider-Man frees the fallen heroes, and then makes contact with the Soul Gem, releasing the spirit of Warlock, who then turns Thanos to stone.[7]

The Thing later encounters Her, who is created by the Enclave to be the female equivalent of Him. Wanting to find Him to mate, Her accompanies the Thing, and with the aid of the hero Starhawk, Moondragon, and the High Evolutionary, the pair find Warlock's grave. While Warlock's body is intact, his spirit is gone.[8]

[66]

[edit] Infinity[]

Years later, the Silver Surfer witnesses the resurrection of Thanos by Mistress Death, who feels that Death needs a champion once again. A revived Thanos decides to collect the Infinity Gems, which he takes from the In-Betweener and the Elders of the Universe. Thanos then combines the gems on his left glove to create the Infinity Gauntlet, which allows him to exceed the power he once possessed with the Cosmic Cube.[9]

Thanos' revival, however, forces Warlock - who brings Pip and Gamora - to return to the corporeal world. Thanos honors Death by erasing half the population of the universe, and then goes on to defeat the entire cosmic hierarchy (e.g., Galactus, the Celestials, Eternity) as Death watches. A group of Earth's superheroes - guided by Warlock - almost defeat an overconfident Thanos, who then loses the Gauntlet to the space pirate Nebula, who claims to be his granddaughter. Nebula then undoes all of Thanos' changes, only to then lose the Gauntlet shortly after to Warlock.[10] Although Warlock wields the Gauntlet, he is deemed by the entity the Living Tribunal as being unworthy to do so as he is an artificial being. Warlock then divides the gems between his companions, who are dubbed the Infinity Watch. The group includes Warlock, Pip and Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon, and a reformed Thanos.[11]

Warlock's temporary possession of the Gauntlet has unforeseen consequences, as in attempting to control his emotions, Warlock purges all good and evil from his being, leaving him entirely as a creature of logic. The "moral" aspects of his persona in turn took on physical forms - the evil half becomes a new incarnation of the Magus, while the good half became the self-styled Goddess. Each attempts to gain control over the universe, but are defeated by Warlock and an army of Earth's metahumans, and eventually absorbed into the Soul Gem.[12]

Curiously, Warlock next appeared in an intergalactic asylum, encased in a self-generated cocoon. Warlock is reincarnated with a slightly different appearance after a clone of Thanos asks Moondragon to revive him. Warlock then assists in stopping a crisis instigated by several warped Thanos clones.[13] Warlock also enters into a romantic relationship with Gamora. Warlock later assists Thanos[14] and has a brief encounter with the heroine She-Hulk.[15]

A new female version of Warlock was then created by the Enclave, and despite the group's machinations is guided by the original Warlock to achieve an understanding of the human condition.[16] Later, the Soul Gem was retrieved by the group the Illuminati, and placed in the safekeeping of sorcerer Doctor Strange.[17]

[67]

[edit] Annihilation Conquest[]

Incapacitated by the backlash of souls slain in the intergalactic conflict of Annhiliation, Warlock returns to his cocoon to heal. He is prematurely awakened months later by the heroines Quasar and Moondragon in concert with the alien Kree Supreme Intelligence,[18] and learns he is the prophesied "Savior of the Kree" who will deliver that race from the malevolent Phalanx. Warlock, however, has been awakened from his regeneration too early.

Traveling with the High Evolutionary, Phyla-Vell (now known as Quasar) and Moondragon, Adam stood against Ultron. High Evolutionary betrayed Adam Warlock to Ultron and the Phalanx, wishing to observe their technology and be left to his own devices. Ultron transferred his essence into Adam. Controlling Adam's abilities better then Adam could, Ultron gathered the Phalanx to end the resistance against him in the form of Star-Lord and his team. Adam/Ultron dealt a crippling blow to Mantis (leaving her in a coma), took on Nova and then finally was driven out of Adam Warlock by his namesake, Warlock, former-New Mutant and member of the Technarchy. This resulted in Ultron moving his essence to Praxagora (killing her as he left, destabilizing her fusion core) then finally into the 2,000 Kree Sentries Ronan brought to Hala to destroy all life on the planet.

Adam Warlock's soul though was stored in the gems on the Quantum Bands Phyla-Vell wore. She returned his soul to his body. Ultron took control of the Kree altered Sentries and formed one giant Ultron form. Adam and Phyla-Vell stood against him, and Adam transferred all the souls of the Kree lost in the Conquest to the Quantum Bands, hyper-energizing them and re-forging Phyla-Vell's sword. She dealt the death blow to Ultron, after Wraith had used his Exolon to weaken Ultron.

As Phyla-Vell mourned Moondragon's death, Adam came to her and expressed Star-Lord's plan to form the Guardians of the Galaxy. The team would stand against galactic threats.

[68]

[edit] Powers and abilities[]

As Him, Warlock possessed superhuman strength, stamina, agility and the ability to manipulate cosmic energy to enhance physical strength, endurance, and powers of recuperation. The energy could also be used for energy projection; flight and to detect natural space-warps in order to traverse interstellar space. Once Him became Warlock and acquired the Soul Gem, he no longer used many of his cosmic-based abilities and often relied on the Gem's power in combat.

While in possession of the Soul Gem, Adam would use it to make up for his lack of experience after his rebirth. The Soul Gem is host to the Paladin of the Soul Gem and has been known to act in it's own self-preservation. When Warlock encountered the mechanized beings of Counter-Earth, and was outnumbered, the Soul Gem acted on its' own and ripped the soul from one of Counter-Earth cyborgs. Adam Warlock later learned to control the gem's energy better and developed a Karma Blast to stun enemies.

After reemerging from the Soul Gem , Warlock appeared to have enhanced abilities in terms of both his physical capabilities and his cosmic awareness and capacity for metaphysical manipulations, such as his granting of enhanced strength to Gamora and Pip in their new bodies. Warlock is also able to create a cocoon around himself for self-preservation and regeneration.

Warlock's early awakening from his cocoon has meant a loss of control of his abilities, and he now appear to have spasms when concentrating on using them. Warlock can, however, now travel faster than light and detect wormholes and other irregularities in space.

[69]

[edit] In other media[]

[70]

[edit] Toys and collectibles[]

[71]

[edit] Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Silver Bullet Comics (Sept. 16, 2004): "Comic Effect" (column by Jim Kingman): "The Magus Saga"
  2. ^ Jeff Christiansen's The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Rune
  3. ^ Fantastic Four #66 - 67
  4. ^ Thor #165 - 166
  5. ^ Hulk #176- 178
  6. ^ Warlock #9-15 (Oct. 1975 - Nov. 1976)
  7. ^ Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 (1977)
  8. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #61-63 (March-May 1980)
  9. ^ The Thanos Quest #1-2 (1990)
  10. ^ The Infinity Gauntlet #1-6 (1990)
  11. ^ Warlock and the Infinity Watch 1992 (March)
  12. ^ The Infinity War #1-6 (1992) and The Infinity Crusade #1-6 (1993)
  13. ^ Infinity Abyss #1 - 6 (2002)
  14. ^ Thanos #1-6 (2004)
  15. ^ She-Hulk 2004 #7-8
  16. ^ Warlock vol. 5, #1-4 (Nov. 2004 - Feb. 2005). Note: It is unclear as to whether these events are set in mainstream Marvel continuity.
  17. ^ New Avengers: Illuminati #2 (2007)
  18. ^ Annihilation: Conquest - Quasar #4 (Dec. 2007)

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[edit] References[]

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[edit] External links[]

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[The Talent Pool hereby takes a side trip into the Bronze Age of comics by discussing one of the lights that appeared in the early seventies and became a well-known player through the whole of the seventies.] ===Jim Starlin: Midwife and Layer-Out===
When we speak of comics creator who works through the entirety of the process, from idea to completed page, we actually describe something incomplete. Jim Starlin could tell you this, since he has created characters, drawn them, written them, and buried them. If later work (sometimes his own) refutes his completion and termination of a concept, we may blame the medium, the market, editors, and we readers with our insatiable demands to repeal the Law of Death. Starlin does not fret, in his work, to play for keeps.

We have in this man a talent rather underrated in the industry where he achieved his central fame, partially due to a typecasting that inaccurately depicts him as a hired gun that comics companies contract to dispose of superheroes past their shelf lives. This reputation derives from three stories in which Starlin disposed of second-tier characters unable to float their own titles; but Starlin has written many more than these three tales, however Assembled Readership chooses to interpret their relevance in forming an overview of the man's comics career.



Starlin as Artist[]

At the height of his Marvel Comics work, Starlin's style incorporated conceptual elements from Steve Ditko's style (mostly his Dr. Strange work) and some composition and perspective techniques that strongly suggest Gil Kane's work. However, throughout a penciling career dating from the close of the Silver Age (using Kirby at Marvel as a yardstick), Starlin has retained a number of idioms, including the squat proportions of all figures, his distinctive framing of faces, a characteristic use of deepset eyes, and his own approach to body language.

For some, Starlin's style seems to overmuscle his characters. Whether one praises or criticizes Starlin for this only demonstrates the pet theory of comics art that the observer holds. Some comics readers like a wide range of anatomies, and can turn to artists like Frank Miller, who stretches anatomy across an improbable bell-curve. Some readers prefer art that does not load muscles on a superhero like food onto a buffet plate, and enjoy the slender and rubbery bodies typical of Steve Ditko's approach. Some readers prefer John Buscema's anatomy, or Gil Kane's, or Curt Swan's, or Don Newton's.

Starlin uses anatomy, motion, and body language that identify him, even if his style does not venture into extreme territory in the fashion of younger, sometimes disturbing, comics artists whose often-surrealistic approaches sometimes suggest mental disorder. Starlin's trademarks, however, tend to involve his writing and character design.

The Cosmic Heroes[]

Starlin's work on Marvel's Captain Marvel and various titles containing Warlock stories have done more than any other body of work to typecast the man. The accusation does little justice to the man; although he seems very at ease when working "cosmically," other work either steers clear of comic-book metaphysical realms ("Death in the Family") or uses them more as explanation than setting (The Weird).

Nor should we, in fairness, overlook the issue of tone. Starlin's Captain Marvel work did not fume with the despondency and nihilism that characterized his work with Adam Warlock. Again, with the Weird, Starlin dealt more with the burdens of heroic obligation than with big vast regions of Ditkoesque swirly-space.

That Starlin should return to concepts like the (unfortunately) revived Adam Warlock or to frequently overused cosmic properties like the Silver Surfer tends to reinforce an anecdotal misinterpretation of his career. Granted, the better known items on his resume do include work with the cosmic heroes; but this argument moves in a circle.

Starlin did years and years of Dreadstar, under more than one publishing banner, a piece that veered from space opera (a medium only tangent with cosmic superheroes) to tales of a cynical revolutionary to occasional superhero-style slugfests. Furthermore, when he can stand to work for major comics concerns, his work as either a writer and/or an artist may appear in properties like Batman or Green Lantern, or even the retro-derivative Supreme.

His tastes seem to favor various types of science fiction, with an approach that likes to mix space opera, picaresque melodrama, and small samples of cyberpunk material.

By all this digression I only intend to contradict the claim that Starlin has only done one thing over and over again, a claim one might support by selective sampling that did miss the variety of other pieces that would appear in a comprehensive Starlin bibliography.

Starlin the Undertaker[]

Starlin proved that he could tell a story way, way back in the 1970s with his work on a fairly immortal run of stories about the fairly immortal Adam Warlock. Warlock, in this sequence, managed to achieve and reject godhood; defeat himself, turned evil; turn his messianic pretentions completely on their head (he played the role of advocate and accuser in a complex game against his future self); bring down a galactic church; kill himself in the future to dispose of himself in the further future; and watch all of his principles and friends go down in flames, one at a time, in a convoluted running conflict with several key players. Starlin reached an intensity in these stories that would have left most writers unable to follow up with comparable work.



Starlin proved that he could tell a story way, way back in the 1970s with his work on a fairly immortal run of stories about the fairly immortal Adam Warlock. Warlock, in this sequence, managed to achieve and reject godhood; defeat himself, turned evil; turn his messianic pretentions completely on their head (he played the role of advocate and accuser in a complex game against his future self); bring down a galactic church; kill himself in the future to dispose of himself in the further future; and watch all of his principles and friends go down in flames, one at a time, in a convoluted running conflict with several key players. Starlin reached an intensity in these stories that would have left most writers unable to follow up with comparable work.


One death story, however, could not make Starlin's reputation as a comics hit-man out to dispose of unpopular or unmarketable characters. The Death of Captain Marvel followed "The Strange Death of Adam Warlock" by a few years and took an altogether different tack. The Kree soldier died of a common ailment that afflicts ordinary people: cancer. In fine unsuperheroic fashion, Mar-Vell passed on from the confines of a bedroom, not a battlefield, as a man would.


At this point, with two notches on his pen, Starlin had gained a reputation; and again, around 1989, he pulled the plug on a DC character, the second "Robin, the Boy Wonder." A combination of Robin's bad judgment and the results of a phone-in poll determined his demise, which represented a senseless murder by Batman's brutal adversary, the Joker; this event had personal, rather than cosmic, ramifications for the survivors, and didn't particularly echo earlier Starlin work.


Across twelve years, then, Jim Starlin killed off three superheroes, and the third involved a number of readers as accessories. I suspect other writers, such as Roy Thomas, managed to do in at least as many in some twelve-year span, but escaped the hype and stereotyping that frequently attach to Jim Starlin.

The Starlin Villains[]

A reader, if he make a judgment before reading enough of Starlin's work to form an accurate context, could develop an opinion about Starlin villains. If he anecdotally used Thanos, Mongul, and the Lord Papal, he might conclude that a Starlin villain must possess a fireplug body with an impossible musculature, a beetling brow, and a case of the uglies only matched by his megalomania. Newsgroups often ring with derisive comparisons of these three villains, and honesty forbids me to deny that a police lineup that included one of them might include all of them, perhaps with Jack Kirby's Darkseid also thrown in.

Where, however, does the Magus fit into this order? Or the villain from The Weird, a peculiar figure named "the Jason," who had a man's body coated, at various (sometimes strategically placed) points with green crystals? Furthermore, if we assume the truth of the unfair accusation this comparison points at Starlin's creativity, why do we not see more of a physical resemblance between other Starlin creations? His characteristic army-of-aliens art specializes in an approach with no two alike, as did the cast of creations like Dreadstar.
Readers may have right on their side when they grumble about some physical redundancy in these characters, but we need not carry this to the point of accusing Starlin of perpetually recycling the same villain. Someone might confuse Thanos and Darkseid in a lineup, and only become more perplexed trying to decide if the Lord Papal appeared on the other side of the glass. Then, should Mongul appear, the counsel for the defense would require little more to have the case thrown out.

To be fair, Starlin's evil overlords do seem fairly interchangeable. Some of this inheres in the evil overlord concept; for instance, George Lucas' Darth Vader bears much in common with Jack Kirby's Dr. Doom, though Doom, through years of development, has become a much more compelling character.

Starlin's recurrent themes of antiauthoritarianism, particularly as expressed through characters that wage war against giant organized churches (Dreadstar and Adam Warlock), may provide some insight into the lack of depth of these hyperthyroidic steroid overlords born of Starlin's pen. Starlin seems more confident acting out through his heroes rather than his villains as he forces them into corners where double binds make them pick the lesser of great evils (Dreadstar's destruction of the Milky Way Galaxy; Warlock's betrayal unto the death of all of his few friends).

Recurrent Themes[]

Starlin critics overrate the importance of the themes that recur in Starlin's work. Taken out of the greater context of the larger and more diverse body of his work in comics, some persistent elements might float an argument about redundancy and self-cannibalism; but these claims derive from the incompleteness of information rather than Starlin's work.

Starlin critics overrate the importance of the themes that recur in Starlin's work. Taken out of the greater context of the larger and more diverse body of his work in comics, some persistent elements might float an argument about redundancy and self-cannibalism; but these claims derive from the incompleteness of information rather than Starlin's work. Sometimes elements of a Starlin story do, indeed, recall earlier work, and this gives an excellent toehold to critics who fail to recognize the depth and scope of his better work. For instance, Starlin has dealt with the aforementioned death stories; mortality provides his work with a frequently-evocable theme which, in other forms of literature, invests artists with depth.

In some cases, criticism remains difficult to deflect. One does not need a great acuity to recognize the family resemblance of Starlin villains Thanos, Lord Papal, and Mongul, although these characters, stripped of their visual treatment and described by their deeds and passions would become recognizeable as different entities with different goals. Starlin probably designed these characters with his own pencilling style in mind; the accompanying Marvel Super-Heroes art demonstrates Starlin's strength in detailing thickset giants with beetle brows.

Return to the Quarter Bin. Email the author at ouzomandias@mailexcite.com. ---- Characters, products, and businesses listed on this page may be subject to copyrights and trademarks. Their mention here is not intended as a challenge to existing copyrights and trademarks. Editos Notes; more like Jim Starlin's stuck in the same old rutt over and over.



Doc Thompson.

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