It's the... Soul Gem... it fights me... it's trying to... break free from my control... again! I can feel it... it wants to suck in... the Souls... of these fallen Knights... just like it did... to Autolycus... I can't allow this... to happen... not again! I did it! I've got it under control again! But it was so... so hard! I feared it might come to this! The Soul Gem is steadily growing stronger and shedding the Subconscious control I've had over it the last three Years! It seeks to be free to satisfy its unholy Hunger for fresh Souls to suck them out of living Beings! I wear a Fiend upon my Forehead... a Monster I now realize... I must destroy! 
Appearing in "The Judgment!"
Strange Tales #180
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Universal Church of Truth
- Matriarch
- unnamed Black Knights
- Autolycus (Only in flashback)
- Grand Inquisitors (Only in flashback)
- Kray-Tor (First appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Gamora (First appearance; unnamed)
- Magus (Adam Warlock) (Only in flashback)
- Yon-Lok (First appearance)
Races & Species:
- Laxidazians
- Sirusites
- Judans
- Zen-Whoberis (First appearance)
- Sarks (Only in flashback)
- Unidentified alien species
Locations:
- Homeworld (First appearance)
- Sacred Palace
Items:
Synopsis for "The Judgment!"
Strange Tales #180
While battling a couple of the Black Knights, the Soul Gem almost takes control again and Warlock decides that he must destroy it. However, as he takes it off, Warlock collapses and realizes that he can no longer exist without the Gem. It has been sucking out Warlock's Soul over the last three Years, thus becoming his life force.
The Matriarch wants to make a Slave out of Warlock now instead of killing him. After trying to remove the Gem, Warlock is invited by the Matriarch to the Sacred Palace. An obvious trap, but since she claims that the gem would become a danger even to Warlock himself, Warlock decides to accept the invitation and ditches Pip. The Matriarch reveals to Warlock that the Magus is his future self and not a conjuring of the Soul Gem as he believed.
Warlock falls through a trap door and lands in front of Kray-Tor for trial. Kray-Tor's statement makes it quite obvious that Warlock's trial is a sham. Warlock argues that he cannot be tried by this Court because it has its power from the Magus - thus from a part of Warlock himself gone mad. He insists that he be tried by the Magus himself - the motion is denied. The Prosecutor calls for a witness - a rebel and infidel. To Warlock's satisfaction, the witness Yon-Lok doesn't blame him to be guilty of High Church Crimes. For his testimony, the court orders Yon-Lok killed and the Jury is ordered to ignore his statement. All other witnesses point to Warlock as the perpetrator of a dozen false crimes. As Warlock strongly objects he is gagged and sentenced to a Church-House of Correction. Warlock, however, resists and Kray-Tor reverses his ruling and sentences Warlock to death.
Gamora finds Pip and tells him that she wants to find out if Warlock can indeed defeat the Magus. She joins him and if says if the Magus is not defeated by Warlock, she will kill him.
Warlock uses the Soul Gem to kill Kray-Tor, saying that he now knows the gem was sent to him by some power beyond his comprehension to destroy evil such as Kray-Tor. Afterward, Warlock learns Kray-Tor's thoughts and realizes that he truly believed that Warlock was threatening his beliefs. He realizes that by stealing Kray-Tor's Soul he truly became the villain.
Appearing in "1000 Clowns!"
Strange Tales #181
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gamora (Identity revealed)
- Pip the Troll
Antagonists:
- Magus
- Matriarch
- Universal Church of Truth
- Clowns
- Len Teans (First appearance) (Head Clown)
- Beautiful Jan Hatroomi
- Clowns
- Black Knights
- Rhaigor (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Kray-Tor (Only in flashback)
- Madness Monster
Locations:
- Homeworld
- Sacred Palace
Items:
- Soul Gem
- Sensory Input Helmet
Synopsis for "1000 Clowns!"
Strange Tales #181
Warlock finds himself in a strange place and considers, that this is just an illusion but decides, that he is in a Reality unlike any he has ever seen before, the Head Clown states, that Warlock has always been in this Reality, he has just never seen it in quite this manner before and calls it the "Land of the Way it was". A Technician states, that something is wrong with visual and audio programming. The Clowns are trying to reprogram Warlock and Beautiful Jan paints a Clown's Mask on Warlock's Face because all the dark aspects have to go. Gamora and Pip are on their way to rescue Warlock and interrogate one of the Black Knights and he is scared to death by Gamora. The Technicians realize, that Warlock is rebelling against the programming. Len takes Warlock to a Renegade Clown who is being punished, other Clowns are throwing cake at him and he is tied to a cross similar to that on which Warlock died on Counter-Earth. Warlock takes two cakes and punches them at two Clowns, one of the Technicians is outraged as Warlock has just knocked out two of his assistants, now Warlock is shown wearing a helmet so the Clowns are just a picture of his imagination, as Len Teans says because of his overly strong free will he sees them not as Heroes of the Church but as Clowns. The Matriarch wants the strategy changed, instead of threatening Warlock into seeing the Church's Way Teans should show him, that it would be harder to stand with the Church than against it because being a fool Warlock would easily be taken in by a challenge. Gamora and Pip are entering the Sacred Palace to free Warlock while Len Teans tell him, that there is only one way out - through the Door of Madness, after he crushes the door he is attacked by the Madness Monster. The Madness Monster is unaffected by the Soul Gem and Warlock realizes that the monster is part of his soul. By accepting that part of himself Warlock overcomes the input helmet and breaks free and, for the first time, sees himself face to face with the Magus.
Appearing in "The Infinity Effect"
Warlock #9
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Magus
- Black Knights
- Peter (First appearance)
- General Egeus (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Matriarch
- Thanos
- In-Betweener (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Kray-Tor (Only in flashback)
- Autolycus (Only in flashback)
Races & Species:
- Sarks (Main story and flashback)
- Zen-Whoberis
- Laxidazians
- Sirusites
- Mutant Titanians
- Abstract Entities
- Judans (Only in flashback)
Locations:
- Homeworld
- Sacred Palace
Items:
Synopsis for "The Infinity Effect"
Warlock #9
Warlock refuses to believe that he will become as evil as the Magus but the villain says every word Warlock utters at the same time. Gamora states that she can't interfere just now and that it might be time for someone else to get involved, Pip thinks she refers to him but she is actually communicating with her as of yet unnamed master. Magus can't detect Gamora and the voice of her master reveals that this is a defense the Magus' own nature has given to them. Magus tells Warlock what will happen next (as he remembers it), he will attack Warlock with the Soul Gem and saturate Adam's body with radiation to summon the In-Betweener, three hours after the In-Betweener will appear he will take Warlock to his realm where he will float four centuries, he then will enter his protective cocoon and become the Magus once he leaves it again, he will awake 5000 Years before the time of his meeting with the In-Betweener. He also tells how he conquered Homeworld and created the Universal Church of Truth. The voice of Gamora's master reveals, that the Magus can't see her, because she wasn't there before and thus can't remember her being there staying ignorant of her presence. Twelve seconds before the Magus summons the In-Betweener Gamora starts her attack but the Magus discovers her just in time telling her, that she can tell her master, whoever he is, that the Magus now knows that he is there and will deal with him in due time. After making clear that he can't trust the Matriarch anymore, he orders all the Black Knights to kill Warlock and his comrades, though he doubts that they can defeat Warlock he thinks it best to have Warlock occupied until the In-Betweener appears and 2500 Black Knights are just the means. Thanos is revealed as Gamora's master and he joins Warlock and the others to fight by their side (which is unknown to the Magus).
Notes
- Only reprints the 2nd half of Strange Tales #180.
- Basically a Reprint of Warlock (Vol. 2) #2