Warlock's arrival gives Doug a job nobody else can do nearly as well.

Warlock's arrival gives Doug a job nobody else can do nearly as well. In New Mutants #21, the team is dealing with an alien they can't properly communicate with. Doug helps them understand him, and the situation changes once they're able to figure out what Warlock needs and why he's there. Doug finds out he's a mutant and joins the team along with Warlock. Their friendship becomes one of the best reasons to keep following him. They're both new to this, but in very different ways. Doug has an ordinary human life. Warlock doesn't even have the same assumptions about being alive. Doug's power gives them a way to meet each other halfway. Warlock also gives Doug protection in situations where a regular human body would be hopelessly outmatched. That partnership makes practical sense, but it isn't just equipment. Warlock is his friend, with fears and choices of his own. Doug doesn't treat him like something the school found and learned how to operate.