Artifacts of Infinity

Episode 17 - They/HIM

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Episode 17: Episode Title

Today we’ll be covering an introduction to HIM/Adam Warlock. This won’t be in depth because although we think of Warlock being Cosmic, that aspect of his character doesn’t develop until later on. We’ll be covering Thor (1966) 165-166 and Marvel Premiere (1972) 1

Dramatis Personae:

PROTAGONISTS

  • HIM - Adam Warlock
  • The High Evolutionary
  • Sir Raam
  • Hulk - Bruce Banner
  • The Watcher - Uatu
  • Fantastic Four
  • -Mr. Fantastic - Reed Richards
  • -Thing - Ben Grimm
  • -Human Torch - Johnny Storm
  • Counter-Earth Disciples of Adam’s
  • -Jason Grey
  • -David Carter
  • -Ellie Roberts
  • Alicia Masters

    • ANTAGONISTS

    • Asgardians
    • -Thor
    • -Sif
    • -Balder
    • -Odin
    • -Karnilla
    • -Haag
    • Man-Beast
    • Kohbra

      • Preface:

      • HIM was created by scientists to be a “perfect being” in Fantastic Four (1961) 65-67
      • Pluto mentions that a powerful being is inside the Advance Science Research Center in Thor (1966) 163-164
      • Jack Kirby had intended HIM to be a perfect Objectivist. Roy Thomas was inspired by Jesus Christ Superstar to try and create a messiah figure. This likely explains some of the weird facets of the character in these early portrayals as well as possibly being one of the early dividing wedges between Kirby and Stan Lee.

        • Thor (1966) 165: “HIM!”

        • Thor, Sif, and Balder have defeated Pluto’s armies
        • Thor and company investigate the Atomic Research Center, Thor is concerned because of Pluto’s foreboding
        • Karnilla, still an absolute QUEEN, pines for Balder and is upset that Balder has spurned her love. She’s salty that Odin has protected Balder from her magic so she turns to Haag, the seeress
        • Haag is prepared to snatch Balder directly to Nornheim but Karnilla bids her wait
        • The Atomic Research Center begins quaking and all is engulfed in light. A figure emerges from a cocoon
        • It’s HIM
        • He recaps his origin and concludes with launching himself into space and cocooning himself.
        • Uatu sees the cocoon, bemoans his interference in human affairs, then interferes again, returning the cocoon to Earth
        • Thor criticizes HIM for despising mankind but HIM rebuts that he is a law and truth unto HIMself
        • Thor is ticked off because he and Sif are in a relationship. Unfortunately for everyone he’s angry enough that he isn’t listening to reason as Sif entreats him to de-escalate.
        • HIM runs off with Sif… not cool dude
        • HIM teleports away with Sif but Thor and Balder catch up with them quickly.
        • Haag takes this opportunity to strike, snatching Balder in her gigantic hand which Thor blasts out of existence.
        • As Thor returns his attention to HIM and Sif he finds them gone. Completely enraged, Thor swears Vengeance against HIM!

          • Thor (1966) 166: “A God Berserk!”

          • Thor opens the issue pitching a fit and shattering mountains in the process. He has given in to Warriors Madness, a High Crime in Asgard
          • Thor teleports himself and Balder to HIM again.
          • Karnilla snatches Balder again but this time Thor, lost to Warriors Madness, ignores his entangled half-brother
          • Thor and HIM begin brawling. Thor is so enraged that he sets down Mjolnir so he can beat HIM to death with his own bare hands
          • Belder begs Thor to relent but Thor ain’t having that
          • HIM is defeated and thus cocoons himself again, launching HIMself into space.
          • Thor sobers up now that the conflict is over and Sif is back in his arms and is overwhelmed with guilt at the shame he’s brought upon himself
          • Thor, Sif, and Balder return to Asgard and Thor prepares to face justice at the throne of Odin

            • Marvel Premiere (1972) 1: “And Men shall call HIM… Warlock!”

            • The opening page of this issue is an excruciatingly messianic image of HIM floating in space surrounded by roiling vapors of power with the High Evolutionary’s head in the bottom corner looking on
            • An asteroid floats past the Earth, then the Moon but it’s no mere asteroid, it’s the hidden base of the High Evolutionary
            • He recaps his prior adventures in Thor 134-135 and Tales to Astonish 94-96. He was a scientist named Herbert Wyndham who created a race of Nu-Men who were animals transformed into furries. Unfortunately his wolf furry was evil and became the dred Man-Beast, besmirching the good name of wolves the world over
            • Thor overcame the Man-Beast so High Evolutionary exiled himself and the New-Men off planet where they revolted against him
            • Facing his destruction he summoned the Hulk to defend him but High Evolutionary was ultimately forced to evolve into a form of pure energy which then merged with the eternal cosmos
            • Later, loneliness overwhelmed him and his energy possessed his signature armor which catches us up to the present
            • Sir Raam, one of the Nu-Men, informs H- E- that he’s found a strange thing floating through space. They bring the cocoon in and begin inspecting it enroute to the far side of the sun
            • They telepathically communicate the Thor issues we just covered and H- E- is about to return HIM to the void but HIM asks what H- E- is upto and so he explains that he’s going to use his incredible power to create a Counter-Earth on the other side of the sun and populate it with peaceful, loving people.
            • We then are treated to a dazzling fast-forward montage of the start of Counter-Earth
            • At the critical moment where H- E- is going to purge mankind’s killer instinct, he’s overcome with exhaustion and falls asleep
            • Man-Beast makes an appearance and corrupts the new mankind and then teleports to the planet below with some fellow evil Nu-Men
            • High Evolutionary decides to just obliterate the new planet when HIM chimes in and says that he needs a chance to save Counter-Earth from Man-Beast’s influence as well as from their corrupt selves
            • Before he departs, High Evolutionary grants HIM two gifts. The first is the glowing green gem which adorns his forehead and the second is a new name, Warlock! Warlock pops down to Counter-Earth ready to save them all

              • Creators of these issues:

              Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Vince Colletta, Dan Adkins, Artie Simek, Sam Rosen

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              Artifacts of InfinityBy Everett Christensen and Jonathan Hutson