Good idea: making a list of all the Earth X/Universe X/Paradise X books I've bought additional copies of, to see what I need to complete another run of that. Better idea: maybe putting that list somewhere I'd actually be able to read it while I'm looking, like in my phone or something? No, that makes too much sense. And I'm at least 40% sure I hadn't bought another of this one, anyway: from 2000, 4 (Universe X) #1, plot by Alex Ross, plot and script by Jim Krueger, art by Brent Anderson, additional inks by Will Blyberg. Cover by Alex Ross.

Unlike most characters in the Earth X setting, at the start Ben Grimm is happy and thriving, largely retired, and living with his wife Alicia and their two boys, Buzz and Chuck. (Alicia had gained some kind of sculpt-to-life powers in the Terrigen Mists, and maybe wasn't blind anymore, so she was doing way better than a lot of the people changed thusly.) Reed Richards, however, is a wreck; having not only lost Sue and Johnny, but also Franklin: as X-51 recaps at the start of this one, Franklin was Galactus now, but unaware of who he had been prior; Reed couldn't tell him without changing him back, and Galactus was needed to eat planets and keep the Celestials' numbers down. Still, Galactus had been summoned to earth previously, and defended it, when called as Franklin; now he asks X-51 to tell him of Franklin Richards, trying to determine why that name meant something to him.

Meanwhile, at Castle Doom, problems continued to pile up: Adam Warlock had returned, although Ben wonders why he wasn't trying harder to find Her. Even as Reed's "human torches" worked to burn away the Terrigen, Warlock and Her's son was the source of a lot of strife with mutated humanity, so Reed stashed the kid the last place anyone would expect: with Namor, who was still half on fire, since killing Johnny Storm. This triggers a sidebar about the nature of mutation, at least in the Earth X mythos, that might give 'Galactus' a clue as to what he had become. (Basically, if stage 1 mutation was random and stage 2 somewhat more of what the mutant wanted, stage 3 was like becoming what the universe needed you to be; which may have meant the end of what you had been.)

Reed send Ben to Namor, with one instruction: "Don't hit him." Yeah, you're sending the wrong guy then, Reed. In the underwater fight, Ben inadvertently frees Orca, Tiger Shark, and TS's sister Diane; the latter of whom had been mutated by the Terrigen as well. Ben's helmet is smashed, but he's saved by Namor giving him mouth-to-mouth, which is beyond mortifying for him. Namor then introduces him to Warlock's 'son,' the reborn Captain Mar-Vell, who Ben calls Marv; that name might stick. Marv explains, there was nothing for Ben to be mad at Namor about, it wasn't his fault. Then, the kicker: the afterlife, for super-heroes and villains, wasn't heaven but not quite hell: everyone that had died and gone there, thought they were still alive, and that those still alive were dead instead! So, grudge fights continued, as Sue and Johnny thought Reed and Ben were dead, and were still fighting Doctor Doom. Marv was in both universes now, appearing in the dead one as an adult with the Enigma Force, as he has a conversation with Stephen Strange and the Micronauts' Commander Rann, who had given Marv the Enigma Force. (The dead universe is also color-swapped: the Scarlet Witch was green there, Doom's usual green cape was red; Sue and Johnny's FF uniforms were now orange and the numbers were backwards!)

X-51 continues to explain-without-explaining why Reed had called 'Franklin' and 'Galactus' had come: after first meeting Uatu on the moon, Reed would have realized, the Watcher had always been watching, and maybe not as a friend. The FF had travelled back into the past (more than once! But FF #19 is referenced here) and Uatu would have seen that, before they actually met him. Uatu would've known of the Inhumans, the secret origins of vibranium, the creation of Adam Warlock: all of this might have inspired Reed to investigate the Microverse and the Negative Zone, perhaps looking for a place away from prying eyes...In the dead universe, Marv plans to reunite Reed and Sue: not by killing Reed, but by bringing Sue back, if they can convince her that she was really dead. Johnny had been convinced, but Sue tells him the only thing that would convince her would be to "get Victor Von Doom to come to me and apologize for his entire existence."

An aside: to keep the narration clear, X-51 is given caption boxes with like a circuitry underlay. They're really annoying to read at a glance, you have to focus there! But, pressed further, X-51 explains how Frankin's mutations had affected him: he'd been turned into an adult, back to a kid, a teenager for a bit, kid again, with the Celestials later keeping tabs on him after he had created the "Heroes Reborn" pocket universe. Galactus forces X-51 to admit, Franklin had been a threat to the Celestials; which doesn't add up for him, since 'Galactus' thought he was the only threat to the Celestials. Back in the dead universe, Johnny faces off with Doom: almost literally, as he unmasks him, to show him his scars were gone. Although, he does threaten, he wasn't quite sure how it worked there, but probably could scar him up again if needed.

Forced into a corner, X-51 shows 'Galactus' the final fate of Franklin Richards: killed by Sentinels in X-Men #141...huh? 'Galactus' accepts that explanation, and annoyed that he wasted time talking to a robot, leaves. X-51 is confused, since he knows it didn't go down like that, at least for his world, and is grudgingly forced to consult with Uatu. Namor takes Marv and Ben back to Castle Doom, but then leaves, saying he wanted it to happen but he couldn't be there for it. Marv asks Reed to tell him about Sue, and he breaks down, since he had never even really been able to mourn her. In the dead universe, Sue does get that apology from Doom, who explains everything, from how his hurt pride led to everything he had done, to how he had always been able to manipulate Namor by not letting him split his time in and out of water correctly, to trying to kill Reed with a 'suicide' bomb. It wouldn't really have been suicide, Doom had planned to teleport away; but he chose to kill Sue instead to hurt Reed more, then his teleport failed and he died as well. Looking back on it there, Doom is able to see...yeah.

Now that Sue accepted her death, Marv was able to bring her back: using Reed's right arm as the clay, Alicia sculpts Sue, then Warlock gives her the soul gem, returning her to the living universe. This isn't a sacrifice for Warlock: Ben had thought his soul had been in the gem as well, but Warlock says he was now free, and takes his leave to go find his wife, which should get an "atta boy" from Ben. And back on the moon, X-51 offers to plug Uatu back in, so he can at least hear the world; if he can explain why he was seeing different histories...to be continued, in Universe X #1? Good lord, I thought we were further in than that. But, along with being a satisfyingly dense read, this issue shows how they were able to take something editorially inconsistent like Franklin's multiple age changes, and make them make sense. Sure, you have to go around the long way, but it gets there!  

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Somehow, I'm used to these guys having a more antagonistic relationship than they do here: today, Lord Chaos and Master Order seem like Waldorf and Statler, settling in to watch another trainwreck of a show play out, maybe engage in a little light heckling. From 1993, the Warlock Chronicles #2, "Rescue" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Tom Raney, inks by Keith Williams.

I don't think I had this issue before, but we have blogged most of this limited already; and like most of the series, this was an Infinity Crusade crossover. The aforementioned Lord Chaos and Master Order (and I'm mildly dismayed I got that right first try and didn't use Lord Order/Master Chaos) are watching Adam Warlock, who is trying to ready himself to face his "good" feminine side, the Goddess. Warlock had also been ordered to divest himself of 5 of the 6 Infinity Gems, and gets a visit from Eternity, who isn't wild about his picks to get them. Gamora, sure, she's awesome; Drax and Pip and Moondragon, eh, they'd do, even Warlock keeping the Soul Gem was acceptable. But the protector of the Reality Gem...(No spoilers! It feels kind of obvious, but I don't think that cat would get out of the bag entirely for some time.)

Adam spends most of the rest of the issue tripping balls in a reality distortion; which c'mon, he oughta be used to, that's a Starlin fave! He crashes back into reality at Thanos's secret sanctuary; where the Mad Titan is like, geez, Adam, get off the floor, have some dignity...Thanos also recently had another visitor, the Goddess, who he pretty definitely already recognized; Adam confirms it without wasting time hemming or hawing or trying to cover his ass. Adam is teleported back to Monster Island, where the Infinity Watch...is not; while Thanos makes preparations, to get strapped for battle. (He was getting his Warhammer-esque battleship, Dreadnaught-666; and there's really the feeling that Thanos felt he had outgrown that sort of thing, like he thought it was cool when he was like 12 or something.) Read more!

Geez, Norrin, Homer Simpson has to go back to his old job less often than you.

Reading this one, I swear I could hear a cartoon bear mom imploring everyone to "roll it back!" But, some changes from this series maybe stuck? From 2018, Infinity Countdown #4, written by Gerry Duggan, pencils by Aaron Kuder and Mike Hawthorne, inks by Aaron Kuder, Terry Pallot, and Jose Marzan Jr.

After nearly being taken over by Ultron, the Silver Surfer seemingly ditched Adam Warlock mid-fight, as Ultron was about to launch rockets (which seems so old-school!) at the entire universe, spreading himself like an infection. The Surfer wasn't chickening out, though, as much as running to get his old boss to eat Ultron's planet: Galactus turns him down flat, since he was currently the fresh-maker er, "Life-bringer," and eating a planet...would be bad? Like him falling off the wagon?

Meanwhile, on Xandar, the Nova Corps is both surprised and mildly annoyed that Richard Rider and the Guardians of the Galaxy both survived the Chitauri and had the no-longer-planet-sized Power Stone. They may have lost Ant-Man, though...I'm pretty sure he turns up later, but couldn't tell you how: "But the important thing is, we're okay," says Rocket. Gamora wants to put together a new Infinity Watch, and Rich gives it a second, to see if maybe they did it and could go back in time and confirm...? No? All right. Rich has to take off, since his younger brother was now part of the Darkhawk-related Fraternity of Raptors. They briefly seem like they're going to pass the Power Stone like the Beastie Boys pass the mike: Gamora suggests maybe not taking it back into enemy territory, so Rich leaves the Stone with Star-Lord, although Gamora then firmly asks for it, followed by the Nova Corps claiming it was their property. With a saxophone blast, Drax takes the Stone, pissed at all of them. Then, Star-Lord is asked to consult for the Collector and Grandmaster, who have acquired the Reality Stone. Or rather, a Reality Stone: Phyla-Vell and Moondragon from a neighboring reality show up for it, explaining each universe's Reality Stone was hidden in the figurative next universe over. It didn't work here, so Star-Lord gives it to them; and they leave with a cryptic remark about "who Requiem is." (You'll be able to guess when they show; and it's not a secret for long.)

Warlock was unable to stop all of Ultron's rockets: he was rocking the half-Hank Pym face there; it's very Cyborg-Superman. I think elsewhere in the series Hank gets really got, like pretty definitively killed? His soul eaten, maybe? They briefly kind of tried to play up the metaphorical connection between Warlock and Ultron, as "sons of man." The Surfer arrives with Galactus, which Ultron laughs off; thinking it was a scam, since it was now well known that the Guardians had a fake-Galactus mech; but this was the real deal, who changes from gold to his traditional purple as he eats the planet. The rockets are destroyed, and Warlock shoots the Soul Gem out of Ultron's hand...by shooting his hand off; although the robot presumably still escapes. But while that disaster had been averted, was the price too high? Galactus now again hungered, and the Surfer was again forced into service as his herald. Which seems to happen a lot, when the Surfer doesn't have his own series? Well, like I keep saying, it's work, man. Gotta keep workin' it. Read more!

The first comic you read in 2024 will set the tone for your year...hmm.

From 2018, Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1, written by Gerry Duggan, art by Michael Allred.

I got a fistful of this crossover from the dollar bins a couple weeks back; or at least I got a bunch of comics with "Infinity" in the title, from recent years. Not the classic Gauntlet/War/Crusade trilogy, or the later Starlin works; but this one still features confused cosmic messiah Adam Warlock, this time seemingly removed from his cocoon by Kang the Conqueror. Kang claims to be a old friend, and after recapping a bit of Adam's history, takes him to the familiar current problem: Thanos had the Infinity stones again, and had already killed them like 113 times. Time for a different tack: Kang opts to send Adam back through time, to get the Soul and Time Stones first. Kang is then seemingly killed, but defiant, still proclaims he will win in the end.

Adam is sent back further than expected, back to ancient Egypt, and Rama-Tut, who is not overly surprised to see him. Here, Rama-Tut seems to know he would eventually become Kang, and the two communicated through "messages in bottles." He doesn't want to get into it with Adam, but knows where the Soul Gem will be in 2018. (Warlock still uses the term "Soul Gem," while I think "Stones" were more currently used; but of course Adam had a more intimate relationship with his.) Rama-Tut had prepared for Adam, and how to get him to the Soul Gem and a rematch with the Magus: the slow way. Saying other means were too risky with the Stones gathered, Rama-Tut stabs Adam, causing him to form another cocoon, and takes measures so his regeneration would be slow, and he would wake up in the future. The incapacitated Adam doesn't really get much of a say in that, but it doesn't seem like a fun trip... 

This would be continued in Infinity Countdown Prime, which I may have picked up as well; but the numbering scheme on this one is an infinite nightmare. Put some numbers on the damn things.

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That had to be tough to draw all issue.

Getting in touch with your feminine side is rarely so literal, as in today's book: from 1993, the Warlock Chronicles #5, "Perspective" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Kris Renkewitz, inks by Keith Williams.

Within the psyche of Adam Warlock's "good," feminine side, the Goddess, our hero has come to try and figure out her endgame. He was not expecting to appear literally split in half, though: his self-image was usually constant. Warlock meets the Wise Woman, an aspect of the Goddess, which would make her a splinter of a splinter of his own mind? She explains herself as the Goddess having used many aspects over the centuries, which also troubles Adam: in Marvel time, he was just barely older than Franklin Richards! But no time for that, since the Goddess may be near winning.

Adam has to take the traditional journey of enlightenment, seeing through the Goddess's eyes her childhood, stamped on by the masculine and evil Magus; than danger and salvation, again at the hands of the Magus. Then, why not experience the worst aspects of motherhood: pain, then abandonment. Can Adam choose a different, better path? By the time it's offered, it's too late to choose, welcome to "the inevitable darkness."

Finally, Adam gets to see the Goddess's ultimate goal, which is revenge on the universe and everything in it. The Wise Woman has a final piece of advice, "accept her."

I'm not sure if Adam was an "old soul," as it were; or if he had been repeating time loops or some such. Warlock's tombstone, prior to his resurrection in Infinity Gauntlet, had the dates 1967 to 1977, but with Marvel's sliding timeline I don't think he was even ten; which makes stifling the Goddess for centuries a mean feat... Read more!

If you only read one Count Abyss appreciation post today, read this one!

We first mentioned him almost eight years ago, as "he kind of looks like he should be giving He-Man or the Thundercats the hassle." And we still don't have his first appearance, but today we finally see the conclusion of the storyline of Count Abyss! From 1994, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #33, "Carnival of Souls" Written by John Arcudi, pencils by Pat Oliffe (I think it's supposed to be Olliffe!) and inks by Bob Almond.

The Count has clobbered the Infinity Watch, but only one of their Infinity Gems is important to him: Adam Warlock's Soul Gem. Abyss didn't have a soul himself, having sold it to the Zalkorr for infinite power in his dimension. Still, that state of soullessness had left him feeling a little empty inside, unable to feel as he used to; and the Soul Gem may fill that void. Abyss begins by "tasting" the souls that resided within the gem, in Soul World, and finds it "intoxicating."

Meanwhile, Warlock's ally Darklore's familiar, the pixie-like Meer'lyn; having survived seemingly being crushed by Abyss, returns to her master with a talisman that could stop Abyss. Adam retakes the gem, and sadly takes a gamble, giving Abyss a soul, that of Brother Kray-tor. You might not know his name, but he was a familiar face in Soul World; partially because he was largely face...With the soul comes conscience, which burns at Abyss's massive crimes. He runs to his patron Zalkorr for help, but Zalkorr doesn't recognize him with a soul! Adam punches it up with Abyss while Darklore uses the talisman to open a gateway to another reality where Abyss wouldn't have his omnipotence; and after Adam retakes Kray-tor's soul, Abyss is cast out. Darklore rejoices at success with "minimal sacrifice," but Adam knows how much this has hurt Kray-tor.

Moreover, while Darklore is able to use his magic to reverse many of Abyss's spells and free the locals; the potion that made Warlock and Lady Maya love each other is still in full force. Except while Maya will become queen, Darklore will become king! "A marriage of diplomatic convenience," he says; but it seems like another way for him to shaft Warlock. And in the basement of the palace, the Zalkorr remains, with his "skrimblatt" just out of his reach...

I may have harshed on his design at first, but Count Abyss's look really grew on me. And I would kill for an action figure of him with his bottle of wine. Ugh, I almost wish he had become one of Thanos's stupid Cull Obsidian or whatever, just for a figure! As is, he's one of those villains only I care about, like Equinox or Helleyes or Demogorge...
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It's only been like five months since the last chapter of this we looked at, but c'mon, we've been picking at this for like eight years now: from 1994, "Blood and Thunder" part seven, the Warlock Chronicles #7, "Guile" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Tom Raney, inks by Keith Williams and Al Milgrom. (I think I messed up the cover links on previous entries for Warlock Chronicles, and I don't think I've ever seen the limited's last issue.)

The titular "Guile" isn't the Street Fighter character, nor is it from a character you'd normally expect of it. Warlock and his Infinity Watch have joined up with Dr. Strange and the Silver Surfer to portal into a secluded forest in Asgard, since they need to see Odin about his kid: Thor was currently insane, his imaginary girlfriend Valkyrie had come to life, and he had stolen the Power Gem (now Infinity Stone) from Drax. But Sif is dead-set against the heroes tattling on Thor: if Thor was found to have come down with the "warrior's madness," Odin would have no choice but to banish him from Asgard forever. (We'll ignore the fact that Thor and/or Loki had doubtless both been banished from Asgard "forever" multiple times...) Beta Ray Bill wonders how he got talked into this, but still helps for Sif's sake, and throws himself into battle, starting with sucker-punching the Surfer. That's only a stall, though: Sif's main plan is to set the local trolls against the Watch, and she starts things up by slicing the nose off of the troll king Geirrodur!

The furious trolls chase after Sif, who has a magical Norn stone as a cheat for this level: she had previously, and unexpectedly, used it to eavesdrop on the Watch; then uses it to disappear around here. The Watch is caught by surprise, and with Strange and the Surfer already downed by Bill, they are brought down one by one until only Drax and Maxam remain. They probably still could've beat the trolls, if a little one hadn't got them with a sling and a gas bomb. The noseless Geirrodur orders the captives mystically bound...and prepared for ritual sacrifice!


Huh, I'm missing the next chapter as well, but with this post we're down to three left for this crossover! And we've narrowed it down to the issues we need:


Need: Thor #468

Silver Surfer #86

Warlock Chronicles #6

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #23

Thor #469

Silver Surfer #87

Warlock Chronicles #7

Need: Warlock and the Infinity Watch #24

Thor #470

Silver Surfer #88

Need: Warlock Chronicles #8

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25

Thor #471

Mind, I'm not exactly racing out the door for those.
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The real star is that epic codpiece-face.

How that never caught on, I don't know. From 1993, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #19, "True Believers" Created and written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Tom Grindberg, inks by Keith Williams.

This is somewhere in the middle of the Infinity Crusade crossover: I liked Infinity War better, but this is still pretty good. Pip the Troll is comic relief as usual, as he is chased down by earth's heroes...and forcibly bathed. The end of the issue implies Pip may hold a grudge, though. Elsewhere, the Celestials, Galactus, and Adam Warlock all seem uneasy: they know there's more to the Goddess and her plan than they can presently see. Thanos may be in that same boat, but more proactive, as he's doing the math and bringing in "storage unit #D-666." (The D is for Dreadnaught!) And in her realm, Death seems to be watching the Goddess as well and pieced together her endgame, and laughs...

On the Goddess's side, Sister Moondragon administers a little tough love on Gamora, for the crime of being a Doubting Thomas. The Silver Surfer visits Titan to convert them to the Goddess, but finds Eros, Mentor, and the other Eternals there seemingly entranced. Moondragon calls the Surfer back, for a mission, seemingly unconcerned to that mystery.

I don't know if I would have appreciated this issue's art at the time: Grindberg's Mike Mignola-style was far afield from Ron Lim's work on Infinity Crusade. I like it now, though!
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It's been eight years, but we're up to chapter 3!

Look, we'll finish "Blood and Thunder" sometime. Maybe. Today we're up to chapter 3, in 1993's The Warlock Chronicles #6, "Aftermath!" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Kris Renkewitz, inks by Pat Redding.

We open with Moondragon using the Mind Gem and her own telepathic powers, to try and unlock the memories of the amnesiac Maxam. It's less than successful, although she suspects his mental defenses and his powers were given to him. While Pip is willing to trust Maxam, since he helped out against the Goddess; Gamora is not. She had a vision from the Time Gem, of Maxam standing over Adam Warlock's body. She's willing to kill Maxam rather than take the chance, but Adam is willing to wait and see what happens; which she calls "a grotesque fascination with the man, almost like a death wish!" She may be not wrong...

Shortly thereafter, Maxam and Moondragon watch Drax the Destroyer...blow a mean sax. She recaps a bit of his history (which would be completely alien to his movie fans!) as he used to be her father...before she accidentally killed him, and he was resurrected with brain damage. Moondragon sounds like she's trying to rehearse a conversation she doesn't want to have, and knows isn't going to go well. After a slightly less uncomfortable conversation with Adam, Maxam talks to Pip, who decides to take him to a bar in New York City. A country bar.

Warlock checks out his Orb of Eternity, and sees Thor, and notices something wasn't right. (Namely, the imaginary Valkyrie with him.) Eternity appears to him, and Adam suspects Eternity wants something from him; but Adam wants something as well: he was trying to put superhumans in his debt, so he could call in the favor later. The usually emotionless, often dour Adam seems remarkably smirky about this.

On Monster Island, Gamora is increasingly fed up with everyone just doing whatever, but notices the depressed Drax, who wasn't invited to go with Pip and Maxam. At the country bar, the requisite fight breaks out, and Maxam is surprised at the locals' bigotry: either it wasn't a thing wherever or whenever he was from, or he just didn't remember. Although, it is hinted that he does remember anti-paranormal racism, and may be somewhat uncomfortable with the thought that he could be a mutant. No time for that now though: Adam calls Pip to transport him, into space, where Thor was about to kill the Silver Surfer! (EDIT: In 2010 when we looked at the next chapter, we wondered why Pip had a cowboy hat and western outfit!)

We'll get to the end of this crossover someday! "Blood and Thunder" is collected...but don't, like, go nuts or anything. It's not the worst Marvel crossover I've ever read, but keep in mind I've read some doozies...

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A fill-in wouldn't have been unexpected here, but the plot rolls on.

When we last saw Count Abyss, we saw his origin (and Jim Starlin's last issue on the book!) as Warlock and the Infinity Watch prepared to invade his dimension and rescue the kidnapped Lady Maya. This issue, they meet some new allies, then catch a ton of beatdown, in today's book: from 1994, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #32, "Heart and Soul" Written by Richard Ashford, pencils by Patrick Olliffe, inks by Keith Williams.

Warlock and the Watch run into Darklore and Meer'lyn, whom Warlock had met in Warlock Chronicles #1, where I believe Darklore had made an attempt to swipe the Soul Gem. Which, perhaps not coincidentally, was what Abyss wanted now: although virtually omnipotent from selling his soul to the Zalkor, years without it left him empty and craving one. In the best comic book or horror movie tradition, the Watch split into pairs to attack Abyss's castle and demons, and Abyss wipes the floor with each and every one of them. Warlock is the last to go, as the Soul Gem seemingly cuts the juice on Adam, all the better to jump ship to Abyss...but the issue ends with a quote from John Paul Jones: "I have not yet begun to fight."

I didn't recognize Ashford's name, but a quick search indicated he had been an assistant editor for Marvel: he may have been pulled in in a hurry to serve as interim writer, and does a good enough job keeping the plot going. We'll get to the next issue later, which featured new writer John Arcudi, who would stay on the book until it concluded with #42, with the exception of #36.
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This was Starlin's last issue, and he made it as Starlin as possible.

It also opens with a quote from Woody Allen, but don't hold that against it: from 1994, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #31, "Abyss" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Pat Olliffe, inks by Bob Almond and Nichols.

We looked at #29 some time back, and saw Warlock and Maya enthralled with each other after drinking from that cool-ass bottle of wine. Presumably Maya gets kidnapped the next issue, since she's missing here and Adam is consulting the "Orb of Eternity" to better know his enemy, Count Abyss. (I suspect Eternity gave him the Orb to keep Adam from barging in whenever.)

The Orb gets surprisingly chatty recapping the history of Milos Abyss, who had been an archaeologist and scientist, but merely one of many. Still, his field of expertise was Zalgodian history, and knew more about that ancient race than any of his people. When a derelict ship is discovered, Abyss could read their star charts, and knew he could use that knowledge to get to "Zalkor, the bestower of unlimited wishes." And all he had to do to start was kill his crewmates. The "murderous academic" made his way to an ancient space station, where he found the Zalkor!

By completing an ancient ritual (and sacrificing his soul) Abyss was able to bargain with the Zalkor for unlimited power, with which the now Count Abyss was able to conquer the universe! His universe, anyway. The Orb points out that the Zalkor's power fades further away from his own dimension. Abyss now wanted Warlock's Infinity Gem, since he now coveted the return of his soul...or maybe a new one. Warlock knows full well what the love potion had done to him, but also thinks Abyss has made a tactical error, since "Adam Warlock never does what is expected of him." Indeed, Adam gathers his Infinity Watch, to invade Abyss's realm: Pip claims he can't teleport somewhere he hasn't been, but Warlock says the Orb gave him "a taste of that reality." But they may be spotted upon arrival...

It's a shame that Starlin had to leave mid-storyline--offhand, I'm not sure if he would receive any credit or left any plot notes for the next writer--but he was busy with his new creator-owned book, 'Breed at Malibu. That would go on to have three mini-series, but I've never read it!
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There's a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode--I think it's Cry Wilderness, but don't hold me to that--no, it's Beast of Hollow Mountain!--where onscreen, a fleeing character trips and falls for the umpteenth time, and the guys complain that the movie's way over it's two-falls-per-character limit. I don't know if that's a hard-and-fast rule, or just a guideline, but it's handy. And for no reason, it reminded me of this comic, which uses the "Marvel misunderstanding" character brawl, to move the plot forward, about a dozen times. Let's watch, shall we? From 1980, Marvel Two-in-One #61, "The Coming of Her!" Writen by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Jerry Bingham, inks by Gene Day.

Off of Pier 17 in the East River, dockworkers pull ashore a mysterious pod. They have also seen enough movies to be terrified when something starts to emerge from it, and split; and the mysterious figure makes a beeline to a loft in Soho, home of Alicia Masters, who is on a late date with the Thing. Said mysterious figure is soon revealed to be Her, and Ben takes her sudden arrival as an attack...and is walloped out of the building.

Her didn't mean him any harm, though; she only wanted Alicia's help in finding her counterpart, Him...better known as Adam Warlock! Not really understanding yet, Alicia goes along with Her; leaving Ben to think she's been kidnapped. Her explains she was the second attempt at a perfect being by the scienists of the Enclave (not named here, I don't think) and she wanted to mate with Him to create a perfect race. Alicia had been among the last on earth to see Him...several years back, before he went to Counter-Earth.

Back at the Baxter Building, Ben uses one of Reed's inventions to try and track Her, but he instead gets some unexpected help: Starhawk, from the Guardians of the Galaxy! They had been preparing to return to their own time, when he sensed Her's power surge and went to investigate, but Ben's scan interfered with his. Her gets her own guest-star too, as Moondragon shows up to check her out. (Her attacks MD, but only with "a sphere of containment.") Moondragon has to break the bad news: Adam Warlock was dead, killed fighting Thanos. (And he would stay dead for a good ten years or so!) Her doesn't think death for someone like Warlock, would be the same; and wants to see the body. Alicia wants to go as well, if she can tell Ben she's all right first.

Still, when Ben and Starhawk come flying in, Her reacts first, and slaps both of them around a bit. Alicia tries to yell to Ben that she's okay as she's taken aboard Moondragon's spaceship; but of course she isn't heard, and Ben can't risk throwing a hunk of concrete at the ship. As the ship leaves, Ben has to jump in the river to rescue Starhawk, but is pretty steamed when he gets out...!

90% of the problems this issue could've been avoided by Her using a door, but she was new. Gruenwald would use Her again, years later, in Quasar...and then she'd be used as a villain about every appearance after that. Also, I had thought Ben and Starhawk had fought each other at least a little as well, but nope. So, one fight avoided!
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Ah, stupid completionist work ethic!

I think the word "completionist" has become more for videogamers, who might try to complete every side quest and goal of a game. It used to be for comic book readers that had to have every issue or appearance for their collections. Or blog every damn issue of a not-very-good crossover because they had already blogged most of it. Like today's book! From 1993, Thor #469, "Absolute Power" Written by Ron Marz, pencils by M.C. Wyman, inks by Mike DeCarlo.

Man, it's been seven years since I blogged the end of "Blood and Thunder," the nine-part crossover between Thor, Warlock and the Infinity Watch, and Silver Surfer. (EDIT: Ugh, I had it right in that Surfer link, but it was a thirteen-part crossover, not nine!) Thor may have gone insane: he's not only full of berzerker rage, but there's also an imaginary Valkyrie only he can see. Thor had just thrown down with the Surfer and Warlock; and Pip the Troll had hightailed it back to get the Infinity Watch, who are in no particular hurry to go just on Pip's say-so. At least, until Drax remembers his last meeting with Thor, a brutal fight at the tailend of Infinity Crusade. Drax wants a rematch.

The rest of the Watch doesn't leap straight into the fight, although maybe they should have: Moondragon scans Thor with the Mind Gem, and sees the Valkyrie goading him on. She tries to "exorcise" her from Thor's mind; and does, after a fashion: she now appears in the real world!

The Watch isn't done making things worse, either: Drax coughs up his Power Gem, which Thor takes! Onward to the destruction of Asgard! This isn't my favorite art of the crossover, and Thor looks a bit silly with the gem on his forehead at about the helmet line, but it's not awful. Of course, I picked up the other Thor chapter, so we'll get to that later.

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