WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Army of Darkness: 1979 #1, available now from Dynamite Comics.
The Evil Dead series is known for many things, but at the forefront is its demonic Deadites. These vicious, villainous beings have been a staple of the franchise from its very first entry. While Evil Dead has expanded into sequel films and a television series in the years since then, the comics have just introduced an even greater threat. The Warlocks might not be the most intimidating gang in that New York City has ever seen, but they are by far the most horrifying, and they're poised to make Ash Williams' life a living hell in Army of Darkness: 1979 #1 (by Rodney Barnes, Tom Garcia, Dinei Ribero, and Troy Peteri).
While Ash Williams is busy finding a new, non-demon killing job in the present, the South Bronx of 1979 is preparing for the biggest gang summit of all time. In a moment ripped straight out of 1979's The Warriors, the cartoonish, colorful gangs of the city come together to discuss unifying against the police. The plan to take over the city is met with resounding applause from nearly everyone in attendance, with the only opposition coming from the latest arrivals on the scene - The Warlocks. On the surface this group of polished goths doesn't appear to be very threatening, but they are carrying the powerful Necronomicon, the Book of the Dead. Once they prove capable of using the book, it becomes clear that they should not be underestimated.
While the Deadites of the Evil Dead franchise have always been something between flesh hungry zombies and sadistic serial killer ghouls, the Warlock gang is a threat unlike anything that universe has ever seen. The new villains are awkward in their interactions with the other gangs, and even amongst themselves, but that doesn't stop them from using the power of the Necronomicon to rend the flesh from their victims almost instantaneously.
With seemingly no effort whatsoever, the Warlocks cut a bloody swathe through the gang summit, causing the entire affair to break out into chaos. It's this show of strength that the Warlocks are hoping will solidify them as the top of the food chain in New York City, although it is also what has most likely caused Ash Williams to be ripped through a portal into the past. Throughout the years Ash has faced off against all manner of supernatural horrors, and he's sure to put up a fight against the Warlocks.
Apart from their incredible power, the Warlocks don't seem to be excessively formidable. If that is indeed the case, then stripping them of the Necronomicon is surely the best way to defeat them.
However, the fact that they have acquired and mastered the dark tome in the first place implies that the Warlocks may have a few more tricks up their sleeves. Whatever the case may be, these striking new villains are sure to give Ash Williams a run for his money, if they don't end his ghoul fighting career altogether.
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