Strange Tales #179
Title: Death Ship!
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Magus (flashback), Matriarch, Autolycus
Regulars: Pip the Troll
Before I say anything else about this comic, I'd like to point out a small
detail that I never noticed until today, 48 years after I bought the comic.
Look at the small stamp on the top right of the cover. Instead of "Approved by
the Comics Code Authority" it says "Approved by the Cosmic Code Authority". I
believe this is the first time in Marvel's history that this stamp was ever
mutilated.
Most readers (including myself) ignore the text at the top of the splash page
that summarises the series. After all, it's the same every month. Not this
time. There was no text in
the previous issue. The new text contains a spoiler.
"Born to be Earth's man of the future, then forced to abandon his native
planet because of his alien ways, he wanders the stars seeking LIFE. Gifted
with ultra-strength, paranormal reflexes and perceptions, the power of
levitation and the curse of a vampire soul-gem, he stands uniquely ALONE
among the heavens".
Why is the soul gem called a vampire? Read on.
After the disappearance of the Magus last issue, Warlock is flying through
space attempting to find him. Then he sees a giant spaceship above him and
realises that it's hunting him. The ship fires phasers at him which knock him
unconscious. He wakes up in chains in front of the ship's captain, Autolycus.
Warlock is thrown into prison quarters with many strange looking creatures.
Warlock can't understand them, so he shines the light of his soul gem on them,
which enables him to understand their languages. But that still doesn't make
the soul gem a vampire.
The creatures say that the Matriarch has sentenced them to be destroyed so that
the minerals in their bodies can be used. One of the prisoners is a troll
called Pip.
The Matriarch has been told to bring Warlock to the Universal Church of
Truth's headquarters alive, but she's ambitious. She knows that Magus and
Warlock are somehow the same, so she suspects that if Warlock dies the Magus
will also die. She gives Autolycus instructions to accidentally kill
Warlock shortly before the ship arrives at its destination.
The other prisoners ask Warlock to lead them, but he refuses. Acting alone, he
overcomes the whole crew until only Autolycus remains.
Don't you just love this page? So many artists think they have to show off
their craft by drawing large panels on every page. Jim Starlin is capable of
large drawings, as the covers and splash pages prove, but he's able to fill
pages with small panels.
Autolycus is an elite warrior, a Black Knight, more than a match for Warlock
in close combat. The only way Warlock can win is by using his soul gem against
Autolycus. He dies, and Warlock sees all his memories flash through his head.
This is the vampiric nature of the soul gem that was described in the text on
the splash page. Warlock finds the gem evil and has a suspicion that it might
be responsible for the Magus. At this point he's just guessing.
Warlock tells the former prisoners to go free. He takes a small shuttle craft
to fly to the Church's homeworld. Only Pip accompanies him.
The artwork in this comic is incredible. I feel tempted to reproduce all of
it, but I'll leave it at the few pages shown above. The story has been
reprinted a few times.
Here is an example.
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