Marvel 1976.11 - Warlock #15

Warlock #15

Title: Just a series of events!

Writer: Jim Starlin

Artist: Jim Starlin

Villain: Thanos

Regulars: Pip the Troll, Gamora, Drax

Flashbacks: High Evolutionary

Don't you think that the cover is ruined by the new bar code block, whether or not it's blacked out?

The comic's title, "Just a series of events", aptly sums up the contents. Several random things happen, and the story doesn't seem to be going anywhere. My guess is that Jim Starlin knew that "Warlock" would be cancelled after this issue, so he didn't want to start anything new.

Warlock is frustrated at being too large to return to Earth, so he flies back into the depths of space. He comes across an old man being attacked by large beasts. Warlock defends him, but he's told that the man had taken out a loan to pay for his space ship. He hasn't repaid the loan on time, so the space ship has to be repossessed. Warlock tells the old man to leave as quickly as he can, but he should find money to pay the loan sharks.

Thanos tells Gamora that he wants Warlock to remain alive for reasons of his own. He sends Gamora to act as Warlock's bodyguard, While she's flying through space searching for Warlock, her ship is destroyed by Drax, who hates her because she serves Thanos.

Pip steals cash and jewels on a small planet.

Warlock visits an unnamed planet where he finds a seer. The seer predicts that Warlock will die at the hands of Thanos, but not until he's seen Pip, Gamora, the High Evolitionary and everyone else he cares for die.

Warlock takes the soul gem from his head to speak to it. The soul gem draws him into itself. It tells him, "I am one of the six. My mother was a star. My father was destruction". It commands Warlock to obey him. He refuses, but the gem has to let him go, because it can't act without Warlock. Warlock puts the gem back on his forehead and flies into the stars.

So how does the story continue from here? Four months from now, in Marvel Team-Up #55, Warlock discovers that by remaining in the vicinity of Earth he's gradually shrinking back to normal size. That's all you need to know about that comic. The next time Warlock meets Thanos is in Avengers Annual #7.