 |
| Adam Warlock, the golden god. |
Tell me if this premise sounds familiar: a government, gripped by fear, initiates a relentless crusade against mutants endowed with extraordinary powers. Driven by the dread of humanity's potential extinction at the hands of these superior beings, they've orchestrated a campaign of "euthanasia", leaving many mutants slain and the fortunate survivors are forced into hiding. Enter a determined government agent tasked with hunting down any remaining mutants in the country. Along the way, he encounters a remarkable young man, possessing a complexion akin to molten gold, blessed with supersonic speed and an intellect capable of navigating the intricacies of future events across its myriad possibilities. Does it ring a bell yet?
While reading this story, I couldn't help but make the parallels to the iconic X-Men series and the figure of Adam Warlock. Yet, here's a tantalizing thought: could it be that the visionary mind of Stan Lee found inspiration in Philip K. Dick's "The Golden Man"? It's merely conjecture, but the notion holds a compelling allure. Nor am I accusing Lee of plagiarism. I just find it interesting that this story was published in 1954 and Adam Warlock's first appearance in the Marvel comics was 1967.
Conjecture aside, the actual short-story is underwhelming, tedious and drawn-out. Not to mention, the blatant misogyny is off-putting and cringe-worthy. The narrative pacing is sluggish and mostly uneventful until the final act when the perspective shifts to the Golden Man, injecting a newfound intrigue into the tale. However, considering Dick's remuneration by word count for publication, one can hardly fault him for prolonging the narrative to earn his paycheck.
You can read this story HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment