WAR OF KINGS: WARRIORS was indeed released first as part of Marvel's half arsed digital wing before eventually being reprinted. To date virtually all of their online exclusive comics have eventually been printed and sold on the direct market, albeit 3-5 months later usually.
Gladiator needed the power boost; he was supposed to basically be akin to an evil version of Superman after all. I don't think he needed to hog the story, but it hasn't been as bad as some other stories were he was the star, like, say, GLADIATOR VS. SUPREME in the 90's.
As for his motivation, I saw his race's society as more akin to something out of Feudal Japan, which was why I was able to buy the origin story. In such societies, "honor" trumps everything; family, friends, even morality. If someone you are honor bound to obey orders you to rape and kill your entire family, you do it or you lose honor and are thus shamed or exiled by said society, which is all you know. It's something that for us opportunistic, individualistic Westerners, seems insane. But for more collective Eastern societies is accepted more. At least by prior generations. The Strontians were honor bound to the Shi'ar ruler out of paying a debt (the Shi'ar saved them from a plague), and that was that. Not all of them were as dedicated to the honor system, which is why Kallark is basically the only one left. And eventually he did turn against that honor-duty, at least to Lilandra, who he preferred to Vulcan. Now that she's dead and he's turned against Vulcan, it will be interesting to see how he goes. I do think it is a little more involved than, "he's an idiot", but then again I watch anime so I understand some of the "honor duty vs. morality/family/etc." thing that exists in some fiction. Such dilemmas have been fodder for many a samurai story. Does the samurai honor his station and emperor even when he/she orders something that is morally wrong, or does he shirk all that and become a "ronin", exiled from the only society he knows? Hell, it even comes up in American society in different ways, such as in the military or in some corporations.
Besides, it seems that the Strontian "will is power" system sometimes is mixed into that honor-duty; the trainees who doubted their mission soon lost their power.
That said, even by those standards, Kallark's cousin is a sadist like Vulcan, and needs a beat down the same. I am curious about whether Robbie is dead or not.
Dread I stopped picking up Herc at about the Secret Invasion tie in point but from your review it sounds like i have been missing out. I need to get the back trades soon.
Yes, yes you do.
