A
superhero published by
Marvel Comics. Warlock first appeared in
New Mutants #18.
Warlock is from an extraterrestrial race known as the Phalanx. The creatures
belonging to the Phalanx are different from most creatures in that they are
techno-organic or living machines. They possess the ability to shift form and
to mimic the powers and abilities of other machines. The Phalanx gain energy
by transforming organic matter into techno-organic matter by means of a machine
based virus known as a transmode virus. Once transformed, the Phalanx drain
the life energy from the substance.
On the Phalanx homeworld, the leader is a Phalanx member known as Magus.
The societal norm is that Magus has many offspring who upon birth challange
him for leadership of the planet. The conflict is rather one sided as Magus has
been seen to tear apart a star, so his offspirng have little hope of success. In
Warlock's case, when the time came for him to challange his father, Warlock
fled, with Magus in pursuit. The fact that Warlock chose to flee rather than
fight denoted a mutation in him.
Warlock's flight from Magus, spanned many star systems, eventually ending
on Earth. He crash landed near the headquarters of the mutant hero team, the
X-Men, lead by Charles Xavier. Some of Xavier's younger students, known
as the New Mutants discovered Warlock and attempted to communicate with
him. With the help of Douglas Ramsey, a mutant with the ability to translate
all languages, Warlock was able to communicate with the youngsters. He
eventually became one of the New Mutants.
For many years, Warlock used his abilities to adventure with the New Mutants.
During that time, he confronted his father, Magus, and defeated him with the help
of his teammates. He also created a very strong bond with Doug Ramsey, the
two merging to work together. Unfortunately, young Ramsey was killed
protecting his teammate Wolfsbane from harm.
Not many years later, Warlock too lost his life, when captured by the forces
of the island nation of Genosha. His remains were taken and poured on the
grave of his friend Ramsey by his teammates.
If this was real life, the story would end there, but this is comics, so it doesn't.
A few years later, Genosha introduced a weapon in its efforts to control mutantkind.
The weapon was called the Phalanx and it soon became more than Genosha
could control. It absorbed normal humans in an attempt to create a world-wide
collective of techno-organic beings like itself. Think "Borg" and you will have
the idea. The Phalanx could not absorb those with mutant DNA and therefore
tried to destroy them, eventually capturing most of the mutant X-Men. The
Phalanx was said to have been created using the remains of Warlock.
During this time, a new creature appeared on the scene, calling itself Douglock.
Appearing to have a form similar to Doug Ramsey, but made of techno-organic
substance, Douglock helped battle the Phalanx. Eventually, it was discovered
that Douglock was a melding of Warlock and Doug Ramsey, with both of their
memories. Douglock became a part of the hero group Excalibur and eventually
broke out on his own, after having been used by the Red Skull to take
over a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. Douglock took the name Warlock and
adventured for a time.