His Coming Was Foretold….

The world of the internet is a strange place. A story goes live and seconds later, it’s in front of millions of eyeballs the world over. The internet is also a magical place. A seemingly invisible series of tubes and numbers that come together over vast distances to coalesce behind our computer and phone screens and give us words and pretty pictures;—the internet. The classic Marvel Comics character Adam Warlock is a little bit of magic and a little bit of science.

I bring up the internet; because that is how the world learned of the casting of our resident Warlock. While James Gunn’s final endeavor as a director for the Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel/Disney is still in pre-production; the news came out this week that Will Poulter (Midsummer, Maze Runner) will step into the billowing cape and golden curls of one of the most powerful beings to ever grace the pages of a Marvel comic book.

Teased in one of the many, many mid-credits stingers from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the film ended with Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), high Priestess of the Sovereign race, utterly defeated by the titular heroes and left no choice but to seek revenge. The haggard Priestess looks longing upon a strange pod covered in tubes and gives her revenge the name of “Adam”. Adam, as she states, will be the perfect being. For fans of the comics, this was a pretty big reveal. Especially since James Gunn had already confirmed that Adam Warlock was planned for the film. Eventually he had to be dropped to allow the other characters some time to develop and breath.

Now, audiences can finally put a face to the first-ever live action iteration of a character who has a long and interesting history on the page.

In the Beginning For Adam Warlock ….

Like many unique and alien characters, Adam Warlock first appeared in a Fantastic Four comic (1967’s issue #66 and #67). Given form from ink and paper at the hands of Jack Kirby and words breathed into him by Stan Lee; Warlock was a strikingly groovy character in a strikingly groovy time.

Fantastic Four issues 66 and 67

When first introduced, Adam was simply known as Him, a creation of the Enclave. Him was designed as the perfect being. When Him realized that he was meant to be used for not-so nice purposes by his creators; he proceeded to beat the ever-loving snot out of them before absconding to cosmic parts unknown. It was only after attempting to mate with a kidnapped Lady Sif (the less said about this the better), that Him found itself thoroughly pummeled by the God of Thunder himself and his rockin’ hammer. 

With no real life experience and no job prospects or degrees, and with Thor having caused Him to retreat and lick his wounds, the demigod did as he has been doing for so many years and retreated to his cocoon to revive, destined to return one day. Him was re-born into the cosmos and given the name of Warlock upon his emergence from his cocoon. Through various adventures in those early years, Warlock gained the name of Adam.

Thus, Adam Warlock was complete. A powerful practitioner of magic and capable of flight and matter manipulation, Warlock has been an on-again/off-again member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He is part of the Infinity Watch, a team tasked with guarding the Infinity Stones. He has been a good friend of Gamora’s and has had many run ins with various baddies and heroes of the Marvel pantheon—most notably, the Man Beast.

Two For One….

Adam Warlock has run afoul of an evil version of himself from the future on a few occasions. The head of a strange cosmic religion known as the Universal Church of Truth. The Magus has worked tirelessly to see to it that his younger, kinder self, eventually becomes that dark, brooding version he hopes to inevitably become. Basically, it all resulted from Adam trying to rid himself of both good and evil with the Infinity Gauntlet. Half of Warlock went off to become the evil, plotting Magus. While the other half went on to become the Goddess, a being composed of the goodness within the Adam himself.

In true comic book fashion, it’s all rather melodramatic and quite convoluted. I mean seriously, what if The Wizard of Id or Dilbert did something like this; sure would make those funnies a lot more interesting. Let’s just keep the Infinity Gauntlet away from Calvin and Hobbs for fear of what Spaceman Spiff might have to battle outside of his own imagination.

Soon fans of the comics will be able to see their big, golden god up on that silver screen, safe in the knowledge that many, many more will now get to know one of the most unique characters to step out of the panels and onto the big screen.

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