Synopsis / Summary / Plot
1 day in the past Legacy (Genis-Vell son of the original Captain Marvel) came to Earth from space and flew down to Monster Isle. He's greeted by a smallish lizard. And then its huge fire-breathing and very protective parent. Luckily it walked away after 1 blast. And then he's picked up by a humanoid (and pants-wearing) monster who announces himself as Goom. Genis tries to warn it off by asking if it's looking for a fight. Goom say "Yes" and punches him through some trees and then stomps on him before also walking away.
He's found by Gamora and Pip the Troll of the Infinity Watch. They all introduce themselves and Genis tells them he's looking for Adam Warlock to learn about his father. (Although they only really met in Avengers Annual #7 to fight Thanos, and a little bit in Marvel Two-In-One An#2 where Thanos and Warlock both died.) He says that Silver Surfer advised him to come to Earth (but not actually to Monster Isle) where Mar-Vell made his home. They confirm that Adam's here although Drax and Moondragon are off somewhere and Gamora has only just got back from a space adventure.
Genis also thought a hero like Warlock could give him some advice on living up to his father's legacy. For some reason this prompts Gamora to relate a potted history of the guy. He's an artificial being created by some mad scientists to be the perfect human (in Fantastic Four #67 and we see Alicia Masters approaching the cocoon that birthed him). He escaped known only as Him and met High Evolutionary (Marvel Premiere #1) who gave him a costume and his Soul Gem and his current name. He was nearly a Messiah (to HE's Counter-Earth in Warlock's own series where we see him 'crucified'). He died at the hands of Thanos (in Av An#7, but technically was taken by his earlier self to Soul World inside the Soul Gem) but popped back (in part 2 of the story in MTIO An#2) to kill the Mad Titan. He was also once omnipotent, wielding the Infinity Gauntlet (at the end of the IG limited series), but he gave that up. And now his Infinity Watch guard the Infinity Gems.
They approach a massive door in a cliff leading to a huge cavern which Gamora says Adam uses to meditate in. But they meet him staggering towards them saying something is wrong. He leads them back to a room where there is a cocoon like the 1 he was born in (and like he sometimes creates to be reborn in). But this 1 isn't his, but he can feel it draining his power into itself. Then it emits energy and cracks open and out steps a female equivalent of his Him phase.
She names herself Eve Warlock and claims to be his replacement because he failed in his appointed task. She ignores all Adam's questions and touches his chest, and an explosion sends him flying. While Pip tends to the fallen hero Gamora and Legacy attack Eve but she easily fends off most of their blows and blasts and dismisses them both. Adam has recovered and attacks with the Soul Gem but she fights back and causes a feedback that fells him. Then she takes the Gem and teleports away leaving the others thinking Warlock's dead.