Warlock and the Infinity Watch #29: Review

Jun 1994

Jim Starlin, Patrick Olliffe

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Story Name:

Poison

Review & Comments

Rating:

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #29 Review by Rob Johnson (September 2, 2023)

Darklore and Meer'lyn's only prior app was Warlock Chronicles #1 with an overlapping teaser in a few panels of Infinity Crusade #1. We won't find out what they have to do with Count Abyss until #32-34.

After *his* 1st serious app in #16, with a teaser in #14, Count Abyss has been scheming in the background of #23, #25-26 and #28. Now he takes centre stage for this issue and #29-30 and #32-33. He'll actually also be seen in #31 as Warlock learns his origin.

We've seen Maya Teraxtola with him in all but #16, and she'll outlast him into #34.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #29 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

The Infinity Watch (Adam Warlock, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Moondragon, Pip the Troll and their guest Maxam) are quizzing their other guest Maya. She materialised on Monster Island with a bottle of special wine in #26 but was immediately KOed by Hercules when the Avengers attacked the place. Last issue they found her unconscious and took her in, and at the end of the issue she awoke.

Gamora as usual is suspicious. Maya tells them that she came from a dimension called Egolix-7 which is ruled by an enemy of theirs named Count Abyss (from #16). This confirms Gamora's suspicions so she attacks. But Maya responds with the Dance Of Unreality which sends all the chars reeling except Warlock who explains that he has a very special sense of reality. Gamora is still angry but Adam sends the others out of the room so Maya can speak privately with him. They reluctantly leave, with Drax carrying Pip who he accidentally fell on.

Outside the room Pip accuses Gamora of being jealous, and then teleports away as the insulted green-skinned alien throws something at him. The others think she doth protest too much.

Inside the room Maya admits that she *is* an agent of Abyss. She further explains that her Teraxtola family ruled the place before the powerful Count came from elsewhere and violently ousted them. But then to legitimise his takeover he took her teenage self as his consort. Now a decade later he thinks her loyal and sends her to spy on Warlock to further his purpose of getting hold of Adam's Soul Gem. Warlock already knows that he wants it because he has no soul of his own.

But Maya claims that she actually uses her position to pass information to a resistance movement. And her real purpose in coming here is to forge an alliance to destroy Abyss.

We now look in on Egolix-7 where Darklore and Meer'lyn (who Warlock met in W Chronicles #1) have arrived on a quick mystic intelligence gathering mission. And Count Abyss is watching Maya and Adam and gloating that Warlock is falling for her story about the resistance movement which he eradicated years before.

Back on Earth-616 Maya says she'll return to Abyss to report that her mission failed because Moondragon psychically penetrated the mystic mind-shield he provided and learned the truth. Adam tells her Moondragon detected the shield and it was too strong for her. Sensing that Adam is about to agree to the alliance Maya drinks the antidote to the 'poison' in the wine. (But we see Abyss gloat that the antidote is a fake.)

Adam agrees to the alliance and Maya suggests that they seal the deal with the traditional Teraxtolan toast of the rare Ambdosian Elixir she brought with her. She pours 2 cups but Adam says he doesn't drink alcohol. However she persuades him to have a sip for tradition's sake. They drink together and both feel the effects. They drop the cups and we leave them with their lips about to meet.

Outside the room Pip has rejoined the others and has his ear pressed to the solid door trying to hear what's going on. It doesn't work but then he's reminded that the door on the far side of the room has a keyhole so he teleports there. Gamora races round to catch him ostensibly to stop him before Adam finds out and blames her.

When the others reach Pip he's already peeped through the keyhole and now he's shocked but tries to persuade Gamora simultaneously that there's nothing to see and that she really doesn't want to go in there. She pulls the door wide open and everybody is astounded to see Adam and Maya in a passionate embrace.

On the last page Abyss is gloating again. The wine was a love potion with no cure. Now the pair will be uncontrollably in lust.

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