Who the Clix? Warlock
Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
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Appearances in Heroclix: X of Swords OP, X of Swords, Wolverine and the X-Men, Fantastic Forces
First Appearance: The New Mutants #18 (August 1984)
Team Affiliations: X-Men, New Mutants, Excalibur, X-Factor, Phalanx
Powers/Abilities: Shapeshifting; Can turn organic objects and beings into techno-organic matter; Can drain the life energy from techno-organic matter
Created by: Chris Claremont - Bill Sienkiewicz
Character is copyright/trademark Marvel; used under Fair Use
Warlock is a member of the Technarchy, a race of mechanical organisms that infect biological creatures with a transmode virus before draining the infected being of its life energy (“life glow”). Warlock has empathy and compassion for the beings his race feeds on and is labeled a mutant by them. After the New Mutants and X-Men battle the Technarch race several times, Warlock leaves his race to travel to Earth and join the New Mutants. He forms a strong bond with his teammate Doug Ramsey.
While a New Mutant, Warlock needs help determining what beings are sentient and which ones aren't, so that he knows who not to feed on. Dani Moonstar tells him to just not drain any large creatures without permission. During his time with the New Mutants, Warlock gets into a shape-shifting contest with the Impossible Man. The two threaten all life on Earth as they try to out perform the other, with Warlock winning when he reveals he can change color.
Warlock enters into a long period of mourning after Doug's death at the hands of the Ani-Mator. Warlock struggles with his friend's death and even steals the young mutant's body for a time until his teammates help him process the event. Though Warlock returns Doug's body, he is forever changed by the loss.
Some time later, agents of Genosha kidnap Warlock, Rictor, Boom Boom and Wolfsbane from the Mansion. Cameron Hodge, ruler of Genosha, attempts to steal Warlock's powers and kills him in the process. The news of this murder is broadcast around the world and brings greater scrutiny to Genosha. Boom Boom places Warlock's remains on Doug's grave.
A group of humans manage to extract the transmode virus from Warlock's remains and infect themselves. These new beings call themselves the Phalanx and are accompanied by a being that looks like Doug Ramsey and calls himself Douglock. Douglock eventually breaks free from the Phalanx and joins Excalibur, gaining respect as his own entity. Douglock has several misadventures as he tries to acclimate himself to earth life until he is eventually revealed to be a resurrected Warlock with all of Doug's memories. Once he realizes this, he returns to the moniker of Warlock and begins adventuring on his own.
Warlock is joined by several friends, one of who is a girl named Hope that can infect others with the transmode virus without being infected herself. He teams up with Spider-Man, Shadowcat and even is controlled by the Red Skull before the aid of Shadowcat frees Warlock so he can help defeat the villain.
At some point Warlock returns to his home world, Kvch, and adopts a young charge Tyro. After being infected by the Phalanx virus, Nova travels to Kvch for a cure. There he finds that only Warlock and Tyro are alive. Warlock reveals that he gave Tyro a benign version of the transmode virus and is raising him in hopes of change Technarch society into a more peaceful one. He regretfully informs Nova that he cannot cure the hero as it would cost Warlock his life. Soon after, an infected Gamora and Drax arrive and are transformed into a Babel Spire which immediately summons an adult Technarch Siredam.
Desperate, Warlock sends Tyro away and cures Nova. As Warlock lays dying, he begs Nova to hold the Siredam back so that Tyro can escape. Tyro, stubborn like his surrogate father, returns and makes a desperate gamble that pays off: he “reprograms” the Siredam and has all the power and ability of this massive being. He channels a large amount of the life glow to resurrect Warlock. Warlock and Tyro join Nova in his battle against Ultron and the Phalanx. Warlock's transmode virus ends up being a key component as he is able to infect Ultron and purge him from Adam Warlock's body, leaving him vulnerable enough to be defeated by the heroes. Warlock and Tyro remain in the Phalanx decimated sectors to heal the infected civilians.
Warlock returns to Earth and is immediately attacked by HAMMER agents. He is able to take control of their missiles and flies to his old home to find that Doug's grave has been dug up and his friend's body is missing. He soon finds a resurrected Doug battling the New Mutants with transmode virus in his body. Warlock attempts to help cure his friend and is infected by the virus. Though Doug decapitates Warlock, their friendship is enough to start to break Selene's hold on Doug. Warlock is able to absorb enough life energy to regenerate his body and return to aid the New Mutants in saving Doug.
During the war for Hope Summers, Doug convinces Warlock to absorb the life force of Cameron Hodge and his men. The act of killing sentient beings scars Warlock and leads to him purging the energy from his body. Watching his friends eat food also becomes very uncomfortable, as he can only associate it with murder. Cyclops tries to help Warlock feel useful without having to fight by having him monitor police scanners for threats that the X-Men can respond to.
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