Marvel Comics, Jim Starlin Have Patched Things Up Re: Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock will appear in a trio of new stories from Thanos creator Jim Starlin, the creator has confirmed via his Facebook page.

Providing fans with a link on Facebook to a story speculating that Thanos will be the central antgonist of the upcoming Avengers 3, Starlin noted, "This article has some errors in it. Marvel and I have settled our differences on Adam Warlock and he will be appearing, along with Thanos and other characters, in all three of the graphic novels I am doing with Marvel."

The article in question posited that the coccoon seen in the possession of The Collector during the post-credits scene for Thor: The Dark World might be Adam Warlock's, and that as a result we may see the character onscreen sooner than later. It further assumed that Marvel's decision not to use Warlock in the comics at present (something that was called to the public attention by another of Starlin's Facebook posts) may have been a direct result of that.

"Okay, this time, after I brought Adam Warlock back from the dead in The Infinity Revelation, someone at Marvel anonymously put a corporation-wide-no-use restriction on the character, effectively putting the brakes on the ongoing plans I had for him and [Thanos]," Starlin wrote at the time. The disagreement generated some traffic on comics-news sites and social media.

He had actually announced that things were back on track about two weeks ago, but it had gone unnoticed (apparently bad news travels faster than good -- who'd have guessed?).

"I would like to let folks know that Marvel and I will be doing further work together," Starlin wrote back on May 20. "Details on future projects will have to wait until a more appropriate time. Just wanted everyone to know that all is good."

His threats to leave over the inability to use Adam Warlock was not the first time Starlin had found himself in an adversarial relationship with one of his publishers; back in 2012, he told an audience at a comic convention in Albany that if he did any mainstream work soon, it would likely be for DC, as he had difficulty picturing himself working with the current regime at Marvel given their history. He did, indeed, work for DC first (with a short stint on Stormwatch) but ultimately has been working consistently with Marvel, on Thanos and Savage Hulk.

During his regular column at Comic Book Resources this week, Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso addressed the Starlin controversy...although he said very, very little:

Also out this week was "Thanos Annual" #1, written by Jim Starlin. There's been a lot of talk in recent years -- including comments from him just about a month ago -- revolving around Jim Starlin's relationship with Marvel. But between this, "Savage Hulk" and the "Infinity Revelation" original graphic novel on the way, he's got quite a few current Marvel projects. Is it safe to say things are in a sound place right now between Starlin and Marvel?

Alonso: Yes. All's good in the hood.

On a related note, how significant is it to you to see Jim Starlin back writing Thanos, a character he created, for the first time in maybe a decade?

Alonso: I'm excited, as EIC and as a fan. Everyone knows Jim from his cosmic work -- "Captain Marvel," "Warlock," "Thanos, "Dreadstar" -- and I love that stuff a lot, but what really made me a fan was a Conan story he drew in "Savage Tales" #5 ("The Secret of Skull River"). That story stands out as one my all-time favorite Conan stories -- that and the one with the giant slug that Neal Adams drew ("Curse of the Golden Skull," "Conan the Barbarian" #37), and the one where Conan fights a killer Gorilla ("The Talons of Thak," "Conan the Barbarian" #11). Jim brought such a unique visual style to the character.

It's not clear yet whether Starlin consides The Thanos Annual #1 to be one of the graphic novels in question, or whether there are still three Thanos- and Warlock-centric stories left to be told. His phrasing also leaves open the possibility that one of the three graphic novels in question might be his already-completed The Infinity Revelation.