Warlock #9

History

After shepherding the Warlock feature through four issues of Strange Tales (#178–181) beginning in February 1975, Jim Starlin transitioned the story into Warlock's relaunched solo title, which picked up the series numbering where it had left off in 1973. The cover of issue #9 was penciled by Starlin and inked by Alan Weiss, while the 19-page interior story was inked by Steve Leialoha, colored by Starlin himself, and lettered by Tom Orzechowski, with Len Wein serving as editor under editor-in-chief Marv Wolfman. Marvel branded the issue a 'Premiere Issue' on its cover — a marketing claim that commentators have long noted was editorially misleading, since the Warlock feature's Starlin-era revival had actually begun in Strange Tales #178 more than six months earlier. Starlin has discussed in interviews how his Catholic upbringing and military service shaped the run's preoccupations with institutional religion, authority, and fate — all of which converge in this issue's confrontation between Warlock and his monstrous future self.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published October 1975 (on-sale July 22, 1975) by Marvel Comics; story titled 'The Infinity Effect,' written and penciled by Jim Starlin.
• Interior inks by Steve Leialoha; cover inks by Alan Weiss; colors by Jim Starlin; letters by Tom Orzechowski; editor Len Wein.
• First in-continuity meeting of Adam Warlock and Thanos — Thanos is revealed on the final page as the hidden master who sent Gamora to oppose the Magus.
• Full origin of the Magus revealed: he is an alternate-future version of Adam Warlock, driven mad by the In-Betweener and transformed across centuries before conquering Homeworld and founding the Universal Church of Truth.
• First appearance (in flashback/cameo) of the In-Betweener, the cosmic abstraction embodying duality and serving as agent of Master Order and Lord Chaos; his first full appearance follows in Warlock #10.
• Continues directly from Strange Tales #181, resuming the series numbering at #9 — the first Warlock issue under that title since October 1973.
• The issue's letters page includes a contribution from comics historian Peter Sanderson.
• Reprinted numerous times, including Fantasy Masterpieces #12 (1980), Warlock #2 (1982 and 1992 series), Marvel Masterworks: Warlock Vol. 2 (2009), Warlock by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection (2014, recolored), Guardians of the Galaxy Solo Classic Omnibus (2015), Avengers vs. Thanos (2013), and the Adam Warlock Omnibus (2022).

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Variants (1)