After fighting through one of the slowest starts to an innings in his career, Warner went to tea at 65 not out and Australia 1-129.
Marnus Labuschagne also batted his way to 53, as part of an unbeaten 125-run second-wicket stand after Marcus Harris went early.
It came on a day overshadowed by captain Pat Cummins' withdrawal after becoming a close COVID contact, Steve Smith's return to captaincy and and Michael Neser's subsequent debut,
But on the field it was Warner who did the talking after a horror Ashes campaign in 2019 when he was dismantled Stuart Broad in England.
His innings also came after there were genuine fears over his availability in the lead-up, after being hurt in Australia's series-opening win at the Gabba.
He didn't field or bat in the second innings in Brisbane, and went without a nets session between Tests as he managed his discomfort.
Jimmy Anderson and Broad threatened to cause him more grief in the opening hour on Thursday, as they made their impacts felt immediately on return.
Australia survived three reviews before first drinks, while there were only four scoring shots in the first nine overs from the pair as six balls thudded into pads and seven beat the edge.
Harris went in that period, gloving a short Broad ball down leg for Jos Buttler to take a diving one-handed catch and continue his run of 13 dismissals below 50.
But any fears over Warner were soon allayed.
After taking 20 balls to get off the mark, his first boundary came with a powerful cut off Chris Woakes that would've tested his movement.
Six overs later he crunched a pull shot from Broad when only days earlier he had made audible cries of pain in the nets when he made the same movement.
England have also been willing to test both he and Labuschagne with short balls, almost willing them to hook to fielders in the deep.
Ben Stokes bowled without a mid-on and mid-off to the pair, with a fly slip and the fine leg, backward square and forward square all on the boundary.
On the rare occasion Warner took him on, he hooked between the two men behind square to bring up his 50.
It marked Warner's sixth score above 50 at the ground, having hit an unbeaten 335 against Pakistan in his last visit for a Test match in 2019.
Labuschagne had men under his grill from Stokes, and almost fell to the trap when he tried to hook on 21.
It was was put down by Buttler who went at it one-handed, before the Queenslander also survived a near thing off Joe Root.
But he was otherwise patient, happy to fend his way through in his 160-ball knock that has included only three boundaries.
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