Marvel 1977.11 - Avengers Annual #7

Avengers Annual #7

Title: The Final Threat

Writer: Jim Starlin

Artist: Jim Starlin

Villain: Thanos

Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Beast, Moondragon, Thor, Vision

Guests: Captain Marvel, Warlock, Pip the Troll, Gamora, Kray-Tor

Flashbacks: Swordsman, Mantis, Rick Jones, Mentor, Eros, Death, Magus

This comic was published as an Avengers Annual, but it's actually a continuation of the Warlock series which was cancelled a year previously. Maybe this story would have been published in "Warlock" in a slightly different form if it hadn't been cancelled? I don't know. All I can say is that the format in which it was published, in two 1977 annuals (Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2), is perfect. This two-part story is one of the best stories of the 1970's.

The story begins with Warlock finding Gamora lying dying on a small planetoid. The last time we saw her was when she was being attacked by Drax the Destroyer in Warlock #15. She must have escaped from Drax, because her present condition is due to an attack by Thanos. She turned against him when she discovered he was planning genocide on a stellar scale. Warlock absorbs her with his soul gem, giving him all of her memories about Thanos.

Moondragon and Captain Marvel visit the Avengers, sensing that something big is about to happen. Captain Marvel's cosmic awareness must have alerted him. Warlock arrives, telling the Avengers he needs help against Thanos. Thanos read in an ancient scroll that there are six soul gems. He's collected five of them and transferred their power into a large synthetic gem. He was afraid to handle Warlock's gem, the most powerful of the six, but during the conflict with the Magus he syphoned some of its energy. The synthetic gem is a weapon which can destroy stars. He's already destroyed several stars. His next target is the Earth's Sun.

Thanos is entering the Solar System with a large armada of space ships. The Avengers leap into a quinjet to fly to him. Captain Marvel and Moondragon accompany them, but Warlock flies ahead. The quinjet is too slow for him.

I like the two pages in which the Avengers, each by himself, think about the upcoming battle.

Brilliant! Jim Starlin has captured the essence of the individual Avengers.

The space armada is little more than a distraction. Thor and Iron Man effortlessly destroy most of the spaceships, allowing the remaining Avengers to break into Sanctuary, Thanos' flagship.

What a battle! Six Avengers against hundreds of Starlin-esque monsters.

Captain Marvel opens a door and finds Warlock mourning over Pip, who's been left by Thanos in a near-dead state. Warlock absorbs him with his soul gem. Pip's memories tell him that Thanos is on the other side of the Sun in an identical replica of his flagship. 

Warlock and Captain Marvel break into Thanos' other ship. The impact knocks Captain Marvel unconscious, but Warlock does battle. He's no match for Thanos and falls at his feet.

Thor and Iron Man arrive. They followed Warlock and Captain Marvel, they just weren't as fast and needed time to catch up. While Thor is fighting with Thanos, Iron Man destroys the synthetic gem. Thanos departs in a fury.

Warlock arrives from the past and tells the present Warlock that it's his time to die. He absorbs him with his soul gem before returning to the past. This is the same scene that we saw in Warlock #11, told from the other side. 

Inside the soul gem, Warlock reunites with Gamora, Pip, Kray-Tor and all the enemies he's killed. There's no more enmity. There's only love.

Is that the end of the story? No. Thanos will be back before the Avengers have time to catch their breath.