Adam Warlock Reading Order

Originally introduced in 1967 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as “Him” in Fantastic Four #66–67, he began appearing in a few issues in a minor role. It really was in Marvel Premiere #1 (1972), written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Gil Kane, that he became Adam Warlock.

Adam Warlock is a synthetic being, engineered to represent the ideal human form. Possessing superhuman strength, durability, and advanced regenerative abilities, he is also uniquely tied to cosmic and mystical forces. Central to his mythology is his conflict with the Magus, a tyrannical future incarnation of himself.

At the beginning, a coalition of scientists known as The Enclave incubated Warlock in an artificial cocoon. Once out, he rebelled against his creators after realizing they were nefarious. When he re-emerged, years later, he was named “Warlock” by the High Evolutionary and was gifted the Soul Gem. He didn’t become a hero on Earth, but on Counter-Earth, a new planet generated from a chunk of Earth and set in orbit on the opposite side of the sun.

A few years later, Jim Starlin revived the character and made him more of a cosmic hero, twice. The first time, it lasted only a few issues, but he brought Adam Warlock back eleven years later, during the 1990s. This is not the last time Adam Warlock disappeared before being brought back for a new cosmic crisis years later. To not get lost while navigating decades of cosmic shifts, alternate timelines, and cocoon-induced hiatuses, here is the complete Adam Warlock reading order.

Where to Start Reading Adam Warlock?

If you are a completionist, you probably want to start at the beginning with his “Him” phase (Fantastic Four #66–67) and his “Counter-Earth” phase (Marvel Premiere #1). But since Adam Warlock tends to die, get reborn, and spend decades in a cocoon, there are other, more recommended entry points in his story.

1. The “Essential” Start: The Jim Starlin Saga – If you only read one era, make it this one. This is where Warlock stops being a generic super-powered hero and becomes the “Space Jesus” we know today. It introduces his greatest enemies (The Magus, Thanos) and his best friends (Pip the Troll, Gamora).
2. The “Infinity” Start: The Infinity Gauntlet – For many, this is the definitive Adam Warlock. Jim Starlin brought him back to lead the Marvel heroes against Thanos in one of the most celebrated sagas from Marvel Comics.
3. The “Modern” Start: Annihilation: Conquest – This is the era that inspired the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Adam is reborn in a more magical, “techno-mage” form. It’s faster-paced and feels more like modern sci-fi.

Adam Warlock Complete Reading Order

Adam Warlock, The First Years (the 1960s-1970s)

The story of Adam Warlock’s inception was published in Fantastic Four #66-67 (collected in Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Mystery of the Black Panther). That’s when he emerged from the cocoon. After that, he only did a Thor storyline, again as “Him” (not yet Warlock), in Thor #163-166 (collected in Thor Epic Collection: To Wake the Mangog).

These early appearances are for the curious completist. The character’s defining era begins in the early 1970s, when he is renamed and recontextualized as a messianic, allegorical figure. This is when the philosophical and cosmic foundations that define Adam Warlock’s core story were established.

In 2023, Marvel Comics collected the “Him” issues with all of the 1970s comics in one big omnibus:

• Adam Warlock Omnibus
  Collects Fantastic Four (1961) #66-67, Thor (1966) #165-166, Marvel Premiere #1-2, Warlock (1972) #1-15, Incredible Hulk (1968) #176-178 And Annual #6, Strange Tales (1951) #178-181, Marvel Team-Up (1972) #55, Avengers Annual #7 And Marvel Two-In-One (1972) #61-63 And Annual #2.

Adam Warlock and the Infinity Saga (the 1980s-1990s)

Jim Starlin’s Infinity Saga stands as one of Marvel Comics’ most influential cosmic storylines, with Adam Warlock occupying a central and strategic role. For a more detailed breakdown, see the dedicated Infinity Saga reading order.

At the core of the saga is Thanos, the Mad Titan, whose pursuit of the Infinity Gauntlet represents an obsession with ultimate power. Once assembled, the Gauntlet grants him complete dominion over time, space, reality, power, mind, and soul—effectively elevating him to omnipotence. This transformation precipitates a universal crisis, as Thanos imposes his nihilistic will on existence itself.

In response, a coalition of Earth’s heroes and cosmic entities unites under the guidance of Adam Warlock, whose knowledge of the Infinity Gems and philosophical detachment position him as the key architect of resistance. As the conflict escalates toward cosmic annihilation, even abstract cosmic beings are drawn into the confrontation, underscoring the scale of the threat.

👉The Infinity Saga is primarily composed of The Infinity Gauntlet, The Infinity War, and The Infinity Crusade. It solidified Adam Warlock’s status as a pivotal figure in Marvel’s cosmic hierarchy. It’s also essential reading to follow Adam Warlock’s evolution.

• Infinity Gauntlet
  Collects Infinity Gauntlet (1991) #1-6. 
• Infinity Gauntlet Aftermath
  Collects Silver Surfer (1987) #60-66, Dr. Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #36, Warlock & the Infinity Watch #1-6, material from Silver Surfer Annual #5.
• Warlock: Rebirth – A 2023 flashback miniseries by Ron Marz and Ron Lim set shortly after the events of The Infinity Gauntlet, during the early days of the Warlock and the Infinity Watch series. At this time, Adam lived on Monster Island with Pip and Gamora.
  Collects Warlock: Rebirth (2023) #1-5.
• Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy – A sequel to Warlock: Rebirth, this miniseries follows Silver Surfer and Genis Vell, but Adam appears in the second and the last issues.
• Infinity War
  Collects Infinity War #1-6, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #7-10, and Marvel Comics Presents #108-111.
• Infinity War Aftermath
  Collects Warlock & The Infinity Watch #11-17, Silver Surfer/Warlock: Resurrection #1-4, Quasar #41-43; Material From Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #112, Marvel Holiday Special #2, Marvel Swimsuit Special #2.
• Infinity Crusade, Vol. 1
  Collects Infinity Crusade #1-3, Warlock Chronicles #1-3, and Warlock and the Infinity Watch #18-19. 
• Infinity Crusade, Vol. 2
  Collects Infinity Crusade #4-6, Warlock Chronicles #4-5 & Warlock and the Infinity Watch #20-22.
• Thor: Blood & Thunder
  Collects Thor (1966) #468-471, Silver Surfer (1987) #86-88, Warlock Chronicles #6-8, and Warlock And The Infinity Watch #23- 25.
• Infinity Watch Vol. 2
  Collects Warlock Chronicles #6, Warlock And The Infinity Watch #26-42.

Adam Warlock and the Annihilation Saga (the 2000s-2010s)

Before the Annihilation Saga, Adam Warlock returned in a short 1998 miniseries, marking his reintroduction after the events of the Infinity Saga. During this period, Jim Starlin revisited the character through a series of Thanos-centered stories, reestablishing their dynamic and setting the stage for Warlock’s continued involvement in Marvel’s evolving cosmic universe.

First, before The Annihilation Saga, Adam Warlock got a short miniseries (in 1998), and Jim Starlin brought him back with new Thanos tales.

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Road to Annihilation Vol. 1
  Collects Warlock (1998) 1-4; Captain Marvel (2000) #4-6, 15-16; Infinity Abyss #1-6; She-Hulk (2004) #7-8.
• Marvel Universe: The End
  Collects Marvel Universe: The End 1-6.
• Thanos: Redemption
  Collects Thanos 1-12.

In 2004, Greg Pak wrote a short Adam Warlock miniseries, illustrated by Charlie Adlard. Rather than focusing directly on Warlock himself, the story centers on artist Janie Chin, who believes she is designing a new version of the character for a film project, only to discover that her work is manifesting into reality. Those events have been ignored since.

• Warlock: Second Coming
  Collects Warlock #1-4.

Annihilation: Conquest and the Guardians of the Galaxy

Following the relaunch of Marvel’s cosmic series in the mid-2000s, the publisher relaunched its major cosmic-related characters, including Adam Warlock. Primarily overseen by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, this new era saw Warlock becoming part of a wider story. This is during this period that he became associated with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the return of the Magus reintroduced one of the character’s central existential threats.

For a full guide to the saga, check out the Marvel Cosmic Reading Order, but for what’s essential to Adam Warlock’s journey, here is the list:

• Adam Warlock reemerged at the end of Annihilation: Conquest-Quasar #4 (collected in Annihilation Modern Era Epic Collection: Conquest Prologue)
• Annihilation: Conquest: Book Two
  Collects Annihilation: Conquest #1-6, Nova #4-7 & Annihilation: Conquest – Wraith #1-4.
• Guardians of the Galaxy Modern Era Epic Collection: Somebody’s Got to Do It
  Collects Annihilation: Conquest – Starlord #1-4 and Guardians of the Galaxy (2008) #1-12.
• Guardians of the Galaxy Modern Era Epic Collection: War of Kings
  Collects Guardians of the Galaxy (2008) #13-25, Thanos Imperative: Ignition (2010) #1, and The Thanos Imperative (2010) 1-6.

Adam Warlock in the new Jim Starlin’s Infinity Saga (the 2010s)

In the mid-2010s, Jim Starlin returned to the Marvel Cosmic Universe with a new, more contained saga built around familiar characters, including Adam Warlock. This storyline is presented across three graphic novels and revisits the long-standing dynamic between Warlock and Thanos.

Thanos has returned, continuing his relentless pursuit of universal power and control, but an unforeseen transformation soon alters both his fate and that of Adam Warlock. When Annihilus launches an invasion of the universe, Thanos emerges as the only force capable of opposing him. Yet the question remains whether he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. As events escalate further, a future, omnipotent version of Thanos threatens the past itself, forcing Adam Warlock, Pip the Troll, and Thanos’ brother Starfox to intervene and restore order.

The trilogy is composed of Thanos: The Infinity Revelation (2014), Thanos: Infinity Relativity (2015), and Thanos: The Infinity Finale (2016). You can find them in the Thanos: The Infinity Saga Omnibus.

Adam Warlock in the Infinity Wars (the late 2010s)

The “Infinity” branding remains a cornerstone of Marvel Comics’ cosmic storytelling, continuing with Infinity Countdown and its sequel, Infinity Wars. As expected, Adam Warlock plays a part in these events, thanks to his enduring connection to the Infinity Stones and their far-reaching consequences. For a more detailed breakdown of these storylines, see the dedicated Infinity Wars Reading Order.

The Infinity Stones have returned. As their locations are revealed, competing forces converge, setting the scene for a battle that could plunge the universe into darkness. Those drawn into the struggle include the Chitauri, the Raptors, the Nova Corps, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as Adam Warlock and even more unexpected wielders of the Stones.

• Infinity Wars by Gerry Duggan: The Complete Collection
  Collects Infinity Countdown Prime #1, Infinity Countdown #1-5, Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1, Free Comic Book Day Amazing Spider-Man/Guardians of the Galaxy 2018 (Guardians of the Galaxy Saga), Infinity Wars Prime #1, Infinity Wars #1-6, Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian #1, Infinity Wars: Infinity #1, Thanos Legacy #1 (B story).

Where is Adam Warlock now?

In 2019, Adam Warlock was the main character of a short story by Tini Howard and Ibrahim Moustafa published in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 (collected in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Faithless).

In 2023, Adam Warlock appears in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, portrayed by Will Poulter. This prompted Marvel Comics to publish a digital one-shot, Who Is…? Adam Warlock Infinity Comic (2023) #1, a recapping of its origins. The miniseries Warlock: Rebirth by Ron Marz and Don Ho also came out (set after Infinity Gauntlet Aftermath, see the Adam Warlock and the Infinity Saga section).

For now, it seems Adam Warlock disappeared again. He may come back soon (or in a decade!).