Issue(s): Warlock and the Infinity Watch #20
Cover Date: Sep 93
Title: "Pip, king of the universe!"
Credits:
Jim Starlin - Writer
Angel Medina - Penciler
Bob Almond - Inker
Lynaire Brust - Assistant Editor
Craig Anderson - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue, continuing from the cliffhanger in Infinity Crusade #3, kind of undermines the whole story, in my opinion. It's a comedy issue, and it's fun in isolation (although it's all a sort of dream/imagination thing, so it's not that fun). But basically right here we should have had the end of the story. Pip teleports in and takes control of the Cosmic Egg from the Goddess.

Now, since it's Pip, the joke is how he squanders the opportunity...

...and eventually loses control of it.

But it just shows that it should have been relatively easy to deal with the Goddess. If Adam Warlock had just stuck around with Pip, he could have made Pip teleport him in and he could have taken control of the Egg. It also seems to show that Pip really wasn't a good choice to be part of Warlock's Watch. It's one thing to say that he's a louse and generally irresponsible, but you'd think the idea would be that he could be counted on when absolutely necessary. And yet that's clearly not the case here.

It's also just weird tonally, because you have this comedy issue in the middle of this end-of-the-universe event, and not on a side topic like the heroes forcing Pip to take a bath, but in a plot point central to the crossover. You can't help thinking, "It could have all ended right here!", and it makes all of the complex machinations that Warlock and Thanos and company are going through seem pointless.

Also in this issue, Warlock wakes up in the Soul World...

...and Thanos wonders about the fact that Warlock has chosen to trust him.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues from Warlock Chronicles #3 for Warlock and Thanos.

References: N/A

Crossover: Infinity Crusade

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

There was one touching bit that fnord didn't note- Pip realizes that what will really make him happy is not sex or power or revenge but a birthday party with his friends.

Ah yes. I do think this was a cute little story with that unexpected bit of pathos at the end. Honestly, I would have loved to have seen that party if Pip had made his wish in time.