How Powerful Adam Warlock Is In The MCU vs. The Comics (2024)

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The MCU introduced Adam Warlock, a powerful new cosmic character, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Played by Will Poulter, Adam Warlock is one of the most important cosmic Marvel Comics characters, initially introduced as a messiah-like figure in 1967's Fantastic Four #66. Adam Warlock's MCU introduction in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 makes a lot of sense, considering how the character has been a regular ally for teams such as the Fantastic Four and the Guardians of the Galaxy during his Marvel Comics career.

Trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gave viewers their first look at Will Poulter's Adam Warlock, but his debut in the film provided more information about his incredible power set. Given the intense abilities of his comic book counterpart, it makes sense for Warlock to be one of the most powerful beings in the MCU, despite missing the fight with his Marvel Comics enemy Thanos in the Infinity Saga. With the ongoing rollout of the Multiverse Saga, which continues to either raise existing heroes' power levels or introduce cosmically powerful beings, Adam Warlock and his arsenal of abilities is right at home in MCU Phase 5.

Adam Warlock's Marvel Comics Powers & Origin Explained

Adam Warlock was originally introduced to Marvel Comics under the moniker "Him," a powerful being genetically engineered by a group called the Enclave. After escaping from them, however, Warlock forged his own path, encountering characters such as Lady Sif, Thor, and the High Evolutionary, with the latter eventually dubbing him Adam Warlock and granting him the Soul Stone to protect. Warlock's quest to learn about humanity and morality coincided with him learning how to control his new Infinity Stone and led him to eventually sacrifice his life during a team-up with the Avengers, causing him to reside in Soulworld, a pocket dimension inside the Soul Stone.

Warlock was resurrected to lead Marvel's heroes against Thanos in the Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Crusade, and Infinity War storylines, ultimately defeating his archenemy. Given his importance, his abilities are often compared to other heroes in Marvel's roster. For instance, while his physical strength isn't as powerful as the Hulk, he has a huge arsenal of cosmic abilities that make him one of Marvel's most powerful characters. This was shown in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where he initially made a formidable adversary to the MCU's Guardians team, equipped with powers such as flight, enhanced strength, energy projection, and regeneration.

Adam Warlock's MCU Powers & Comics Changes Explained

Marvel Studios has made two massive changes to Adam Warlock's character to better fit him into the MCU. First, his origins have been adapted for the MCU. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revealed that Ayesha, High Priestess of the Sovereign, created him to destroy the Guardians of the Galaxy following their betrayal, though, in a nod to the comics, this was under the command of the High Evolutionary. The second major change comes in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, during which Thanos destroyed the Soul Stone and the other Infinity Stones, meaning Warlock can't harness the power of the Soul Stone.

Since most of Adam Warlock's powers in Marvel Comics are due to his unique biology, this means that Will Poulter's live-action Warlock is still one of the MCU's most powerful characters. However, any powers concerning the Soul Stone have been omitted, even though Adam Warlock still has a mystery gem in his head in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Adam is shown to be able to fly, fire massive blasts of energy from his hands, and regenerate his body quickly. The Phase 5 film also showed Warlock's enhanced physical strength as he easily took down the likes of Drax, Groot and Nebula and seriously injured Rocket.

Is Adam Warlock The Most Powerful MCU Hero Ever?

Given Adam Warlock's powers in Marvel Comics, he is very likely to join the likes of Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Thor, and the Scarlet Witch, as one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU. That being said, similarities could be made between Adam Warlock and Captain Marvel's powers, which would at least put him on equal footing with Carol Danvers. Since he's featured as a minor antagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Adam Warlock is shown to still be a baby, taken from his cocoon too early, so he does not have complete control over his powers.

Adam Warlock's inclusion in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is only the start of his MCU journey, as there is a lot of potential for the character to have a very fruitful career in the franchise after he ends up joining the new Guardians of the Galaxy team in Vol. 3's mid-credits scene. The Guardians' MCU stories and Adam Warlock's comic backstory match up perfectly, as both were searching for people to value and love them as family does, which means Warlock was the perfect fit for James Gunn's final MCU project. The new Guardians team should be grateful to have Adam as an ally, rather than an enemy.

Adam Warlock Fills A Gap In The MCU Lineup

Adam Warlock's powers and sheer importance to Marvel Comics history allows him to fill a massive gap in the MCU's current roster of heroes - the glaring lack of cosmic-level heavy-hitters. Indeed, in the aftermath of the Infinity Saga, the MCU has already lost Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, while the respective futures of Thor and Wanda Maximoff remain uncertain. Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and Hulk are still active in the MCU, but Adam Warlock is an entirely different entity. As the next step in superhuman evolution, Warlock is ridiculously powerful, and Earth will need him on their side with Kang the Conqueror and Avengers: Secret Wars around the corner.

Adam Warlock's debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 creates the opportunity for Marvel Studios to adapt major comic storylines with more accuracy. This includes the rumored World War Hulk project, which could easily exchange the pivotal Sentry for Adam Warlock, though the former is rumored to appear in Phase 5's Thunderbolts. If Avengers: Secret Wars leads to the introduction of the Beyonder, Warlock might be the only hero strong enough to face him. In any case, Will Poulter's first adventure as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is bound to change the landscape of the MCU forever.