A Man-God Reborn!!!

Our second cosmic character this week is the strange hero, Adam Warlock.  A long time favorite of mine, I believe I have all of his early appearances, save those first couple of Fantastic Four's where he debuted as...dun-dun-dunnnnn...HIM!  The Warlock persona was later created by another favorite character, the insanely inconsistently written High Evolutionary, in a series which led to Adam become the messiah of counter-Earth (an Earth on the other side of the sun that is in many ways our opposite) in a controversial story-line.  However, it was Jim Starlin's run on Warlock that drew me in as it picked up, in many ways, where Starlin had left off with Captain Marvel.  One of the most unabashedly bizarre books of the 70's, it would lead to the second great takedown of the mad Titan, Thanos...a storyline that would again climax twenty years later with the Infinity Gauntlet series.

This rendition of Adam in gouache was adapted from one of the early tales by Jim Starlin.

The Entire Universe Stands in Grave Peril

Late once again. Well, this week, I decided to tap into some comic book simplicity.  First up is the Mighty, Mad Titan, Thanos!  I've always had a soft spot for the cosmic heroes and villains, and few did them better than Jim Starlin. First appearing in Iron Man #55, Thanos became one of the premier event characters in Marvel comics.  Though more than a little overused these days, when this villain used to show up, it essentially meant that everything positive in the Marvel Universe was soon gonna have join up to stop him.  The aspect I enjoy most about this gristle chinned monster is that more than once he's joined the side of good to further his own means...and too my surprise, does not always pull the sneaky double-cross...

This sketch was adapted from an early Captain Marvel appearance by Starlin which I modified here and there to look more like the modern incarnation.

The Adventures of Captain Marvel!!!

Another serial movie hero inked with a brush.  This time it's the great Captain Marvel (who for years, as a kid, I thought was known by his magic word, "Shazam!") from the 1941 serial, The Adventures of Captain Marvel.  It was the first film adaptation of a superhero, which just edged out The Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940), which began life as a Superman adaptation.  Marvel was played by Tom Tyler...who, though I think still looks heroic in my depiction, I must admit that I lost him a bit in the inking.  Tune in next time for what will be the final and one of the greats of serial stardom...here...at the B-List Super Hero Role Call!!!!