Warlock Chronicles #8: Review

Feb 1994

Jim Starlin, Andy Smith

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Story Name:

Reunion

Review & Comments

Rating:

Warlock Chronicles #8 Review by Rob Johnson (June 17, 2023)

This is part 11 of the Blood & Thunder crossover. And is the last issue of this series which only consisted of the Infinity Crusade and this crossover.

Jim Starlin here tries to rationalise why the punishment for Warrior Madness is banishment from Asgard as (sort of) stated in Thor #166.

*We* already knew (since #2) that Thanos had the Reality Gem, but we haven't seen Warlock inform the rest of the Infinity Watch since then. But they don't seem surprised or angry here.

The story continues in part 12 in Warlock & Infinity Watch #25.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Warlock Chronicles #8 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Continued from SILVER SURFER #88.

Thor has gone mad (see Thor #460) and seeks to destroy Asgard and then the universe, and gained Drax The Destroyer's Power Gem to help him (in Th#469). In Th#470 Thanos managed to imprison him in 'block of concentrated pure force' but now he, Dr Strange, Silver Surfer and the Infinity Watch have to figure out how to cure him before the force block fails.

Adam Warlock informs the Titan that apparently Odin is the inadvertent cause of his son's madness, so Thanos inquires why they don't take the obvious step of asking Odin to cure him. Moondragon explains that Odin may not believe he's responsible because he may think Thor suffers from the incurable Warrior Madness which is believed to be so infectious (presumably only to Asgardians) that any sufferer must be killed or permanently exiled from Asgard. Warlock adds a 2nd reason, that if they cure Thor they will gain the gratitude of the All-Father.

Thanos accuses Adam of continuing to accumulate favours that he believes he needs to face some future mega-threat which he saw in the Orb Of Eternity. Warlock counters by accusing him of spying on the Watch's HQ. Thanos shrugs that off and they each accuse the other of involving them in their 'petty intrigues'. Adam reminds Thanos that he agreed to become part of the Infinity Watch and look after the Reality Gem. The Titan replies that he only did that to prevent anyone using it against *him*.

Thanos still maintains that he doesn't wish to be involved in Adam's 'Machiavellian excursions' but in this case he will because he finds curing the insane Asgardian an intriguing challenge. 1st of all he wants to know who Thor's female companion is. Dr Strange tells him she calls herself Valkyrie and they believe she's a creation of Thor's madness. (Moondragon doesn't mention that Val was merely a figment of Thor's imagination until she accidentally made her real in Th#469.) Thanos compares the Thunder God's brain waves with those of a normal Asgardian. (No-one wants to ask how he got such a thing.) He suggests that merging Valkyrie back into Thor's mind might effect a cure.

Val has regained consciousness since Th#470 and is being restrained by Maxam. She declares that Thor won't let that happen. Thanos checks his instrumentation and discovers that even while catatonic the Thunder God is using the Power Gem to exert pressure on the constraining force field, threatening to break free. He boosts the containment field but it's only a stop gap measure - the Asgardian will be free within 3 hours.

But the Titan has a plan which will involve Dr Strange, Moondragon, Silver Surfer and Warlock. It takes half an hour to set things up but then we see Valkyrie suspended in a mystic sphere courtesy of the Sorcerer Supreme. Cables link DrS, Moonie and Adam to it. Surfer's cable just connects him to Thanos' machinery, presumably to provide power. Drax, Gamora, Maxam and Pip The Troll just stand around and watch. DrS then takes control of Val's mystical nature while Warlock's Soul Gem latches on to her fragments of soul and Heather Douglas' Mind Gem controls her mind. Thanos controls her body via his machinery and transforms her into energy. Lastly strongmen Drax and Maxam pick up Thor's force box and carry it towards Val's sphere.

But we turn our attention briefly to Asgard where Sif has brought herself and Beta Ray Bill to check if Pip brought Thor et al here. They don't want to risk alerting Odin so they go ask Volstagg if he has any news about Thor. He says not and neither has Balder who he was just with. So the duo now know they still have a slim chance of curing Thor before Odin finds out about the Warrior Madness.

Back on Thanos' spaceship Drax and Maxam have Thor in close proximity to Valkyrie. Thanos say that if this doesn't go right it could be dangerous for everyone here, so Pip teleports away. Moondragon tries to take control of Thor's mind, but even catatonic he and the Power Gem resist. But after a long struggle she declares victory.

But then suddenly all those involved in the operation (but not Gamora) find themselves, with their equipment, on the psychic plane. Thanos isn't fazed because he half expected this. Drax and Maxam try to bring Thor's containment box closer to Val's containment sphere but something prevents them. Thanos doesn't believe Valkyrie has enough power to do this, and then he realises what's happened. Thor only pretended to succumb to Moondragon, and now on the mental plane he can act. A surge of psychic energy makes all the heroes experience an environment twisted by his insanity Thanos urges them all to combine their wills to strike back ...

... and they're back with Gamora in reality (and Pip's come back too). But before their eyes the Valkyrie evaporates from within the mystic sphere surrounding her. Thanos checks his insruments and says that Thor is still mad. But the strain on his machinery causes it to explode so they can't try again. And Thanos reminds them that the Thunder God will be free within 2 hours. So Warlock declares they've run out of options. They'll have to take Thor to Odin.

To be continued in WARLOCK & INFINITY WATCH #25.

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