User:Ditch Fisher/sandbox/Soul World (comics)
Soul World is a fictional place portrayed in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first appearance of Soul World was in Strange Tales #179 (1975), written and illustrated by Jim Starlin. Soul World has appeared in subsequent story-lines written by Starlin, as well as other stories influenced by his cosmic-based tales. Soul World is illustrated as an idyllic alien landscape, and commonly serves the narrative as a place of exile, refuge, or purgatory.
Fictional Depiction[edit]
Soul World is featured most often in the Marvel Comics cosmic-based tales Jim Starlin helped revitalize in the 1970s with the re-purposing of the 1960s Stan Lee created character, Him, which Starlin re-named as Adam Warlock. [1] [2] Soul World is depicted as being housed entirely within the Soul Gem, an enchanted amulet possessed by Warlock, and later retconned as one of six magical gemstones that comprise the totemic Infinity Gauntlet.[3] The world contained within the gem is depicted as a pastoral alien landscape,Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). The inhabitants of Soul World are drawn as varying alien-type beings. These depictions have remained consistent throughout the years, with little variation.
Narrative Function[edit]
Starlin initially used Soul World in his stories to serve as a place of exile and purgatory for a supporting cast of characters most commonly affiliated with his protagonist, Adam Warlock. Warlock is portrayed as being the possessor of the Soul Gem, thereby the de facto god of Soul World. Starlin used Soul World as a place of self-exile for Warlock in that character's death and resurrection storyline.[4] In the 1990s Infinity Gauntlet trilogy- a Starlin created mini-series- the stories show Warlock using Soul World as a place of exile for the defeated antagonists. [5] Other characters, such as Judge Kray-Tor and Captain Autolycus, inhabit Soul World in a type of purgatory for souls that Warlock deems righteous.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean," by Douglas Wolk, De Capo Press, 2008, Chapter 18: "The Dark Mirrors of Jim Starlin's Warlock," pages 304-316
- ^ "Marvel Comics in the 1970s: An Issue-by-Issue Field Guide to a Pop Culture Phenomenon", by Pierre Comtois, TwoMorrows Publishing, 2011, page 180, -Strange Tales #178
- ^ "100 Things Avengers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die", by Dan Casey, Triumph Books, 2015, pages 88-90
- ^ "Marveleous Myths: Marvel Superheroes and Everyday Faith," by Russell W. Dalton, Chalice Press, 2011, page 188
- ^ "Marvel Graphic Novels and Related Publications: An Annotated Guide to Comics, Prose Novels, Children's Books, Articles, Criticism and Reference Works, 1965-2005," by Robert G. Weiner, McFarland, 2008, page 43
- ^ [1] Newsarama. Interview with Jim Starlin, 2014. "The Birth of Marvel Cosmic: Starlin on Warlock, Gamora, and More, part 2
External Links[edit]
Marvel Database: List of Appearances of Soul World in Marvel Comics
Publication History[edit]
| Date | Issue | Story Significance | Writer / Illustrator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983, May | Warlock Vol 2 #6 | First illustrated depiction of Soul World. | Jim Starlin |
| 1991, February | Silver Surfer Vol 3 #46 | Flashbacks from previous stories, but includes scenes of characters interacting in Soul World. | Jim Starlin / Ron Lim |
| 1991, March | Silver Surfer Vol 3 #47 | Cover art depicts Adam Warlock atop a mountain in Soul World. Characters interact in Soul World. | Jim Starlin / Ron Lim |
| 1991, April | Silver Surfer Vol 3 #48 | Characters interact in Soul World. | Jim Starlin / Ron Lim |
| 1991, July | Infinity Gauntlet #1 | Thanos, in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet, uses the power of the Soul Gem to banish Drax and the Silver Surfer to Soul World, where they encounter Adam Warlock and an entourage of other characters existing in the pocket dimension. Warlock uses his supremacy over Soul World to return the characters to reality in order to confront Thanos, specifically Gamora and Pip the Troll, though Judge Kray-tor and Captain Autolyclues appear in the back ground. | Jim Starlin / George Perez |
| 1991, November | Infinity Gauntlet #5 | Allusions to Soul World. | Jim Starlin / George Perez |
| 1991, December | Infinity Gauntlet #6 | Amidst a glactic conflic initiated following the obtainment of the Infinity Gauntlet by Nebula, Adam Warlock and the Silver Surfer are transported to Soul World, where it was recealed their displacement was "part of the plan' so that Warlock could use his omniprescient power while in Soul World to engage Nebula on a cosmic level. | Jim Starlin / George Perez |
| 1992, October | Warlock Vol 3 #6 | Allusions to Soul World. | Jim Starlin |
| 1992, November | Infinity War #6 | Upon defeat by Warlock, the Magus is shown to be exiled in Soul World as a partial soul, akin to a ghost, where he exists in the Soul World, though no other inhabitants can perceive his presence. | Jim Starlin / Ron Lim |
| 1992, December | Warlock and the Infinity Watch #11 | Flashbacks involving scenes while in Soul World. | Jim Starlin / Steve Carr & Deryl Skelton |
Additional gems have appeared in crossover media and alternate universes outside the Marvel Universe.