====== Guardians of the Galaxy ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity:** **The Guardians of the Galaxy are a found-family of interstellar misfits, outlaws, and warriors who have taken it upon themselves to protect the cosmos from threats too vast or bizarre for any single world to handle.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  * **Role in the Universe:** They serve as Marvel's premier cosmic defense force, operating far from Earth and confronting galactic empires, cosmic deities, and extra-dimensional invaders. They are the scrappy, proactive answer to universe-ending catastrophes. [[annihilation]].
  * **Primary Impact:** The modern incarnation of the team, created in 2008, revitalized Marvel's entire cosmic line of comics and, through their wildly successful film adaptations, transformed a C-list group of characters into a multi-billion dollar cultural phenomenon and household name. [[marvel_cinematic_universe]].
  * **Key Incarnations:** It is critical to distinguish between the two primary comic teams and their film counterparts. The **original comic team (Earth-691)** are freedom fighters from the 31st century. The **modern comic team (Earth-616)** are a proactive squad formed by [[star-lord|Star-Lord]] to prevent galactic wars. The **MCU team** is a band of outlaws who accidentally become heroes while being hunted by [[thanos|Thanos]] and the [[kree_empire|Kree]].
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" name belongs to two vastly different teams in Marvel's history. The original team was conceived during the late Silver Age, a period of burgeoning cosmic storytelling at Marvel. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Gene Colan, they first appeared in **//Marvel Super-Heroes// #18** (January 1969). This team, composed of characters like Vance Astro, Martinex, Charlie-27, and Yondu Udonta, were freedom fighters from an alternate 31st-century future (designated Earth-691) where humanity had been subjugated by the reptilian Badoon empire. Despite their unique premise, the team failed to gain significant traction, making only sporadic guest appearances throughout the 1970s in titles like //Marvel Two-in-One// and //The Defenders// before finally receiving their own short-lived series in the early 1990s.
For decades, the concept lay mostly dormant. This changed dramatically in the mid-2000s when Marvel's cosmic landscape was redefined by the epic //Annihilation// (2006) and //Annihilation: Conquest// (2007) crossover events. Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (often referred to as "DnA"), alongside artist Paul Pelletier, were tasked with creating a new cosmic team. In the pages of **//Annihilation: Conquest - Starlord// #1** and the main //Annihilation: Conquest// series, a new team was forged in the crucible of a galaxy-spanning war. This team, led by a re-imagined [[star-lord|Peter Quill (Star-Lord)]], brought together a motley crew of pre-existing but underutilized cosmic characters: [[gamora|Gamora]], [[drax_the_destroyer|Drax the Destroyer]], [[rocket_raccoon|Rocket Raccoon]], and [[groot|Groot]]. They officially took the name "Guardians of the Galaxy" in their own series in 2008, a name suggested to them by Major Victory (Vance Astro of the original team), who was found displaced in time. This modern incarnation, with its blend of high-stakes action, dark humor, and dysfunctional family dynamics, became a critical success and served as the direct inspiration for the Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptation that would launch them into global superstardom.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
The origins of the Guardians of the Galaxy are fundamentally different across the comic book multiverses and the cinematic universe, reflecting distinct narrative goals and tones.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
In the primary Marvel continuity, the name "Guardians of the Galaxy" has been held by two distinct teams separated by a millennium.
**The Original Guardians of the 31st Century (Earth-691)**\
The first team to bear the name operated in the 31st century of an alternate timeline, Earth-691. Their reality diverged from the main timeline around the 20th century. In their future, humanity had colonized the solar system but was nearly wiped out by an invasion from the militaristic, reptilian Badoon. The founding members were the last of their respective kinds, united by their shared tragedy and a burning desire for freedom.
  * **Vance Astro (Major Victory):** A 20th-century astronaut who undertook a thousand-year cryo-sleep journey to Alpha Centauri. Upon arrival, he discovered humanity had already developed faster-than-light travel and colonized the system centuries earlier, rendering his mission and sacrifice obsolete. His unique psychokinetic powers and adamantium-laced containment suit made him the team's field leader.
  * **Martinex T'Naga:** A crystalline being from Pluto, whose Pluvian ancestors were genetically engineered by humans to withstand the planet's cold. He could generate intense heat and cold.
  * **Charlie-27:** A genetically engineered human soldier from Jupiter, possessing 11 times the muscle mass of a normal human to survive Jupiter's immense gravity. He served as the team's muscle.
  * **Yondu Udonta:** A blue-skinned, red-finned primitive from Centauri-IV, whose people were the first to be exterminated by the Badoon. A mystic and master archer, he could control his yaka arrows through whistling. ((This version of Yondu is vastly different from his MCU counterpart, being a noble spiritual warrior rather than a space pirate.)).
These four survivors formed a resistance cell, calling themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy, and waged a guerrilla war against the Badoon Empire. They would eventually travel back in time and encounter the heroes of the 20th century, most notably the [[avengers|Avengers]] and the [[defenders|Defenders]].
**The Modern Guardians of the 21st Century (Earth-616)**\
The formation of the modern team was a direct consequence of two back-to-back galactic wars: the Annihilation Wave and the Phalanx Conquest. After seeing the universe nearly destroyed twice, Peter Quill, the Star-Lord, concluded that the galaxy needed a proactive force—a team that would "guard the galaxy" by addressing threats //before// they escalated into full-blown catastrophes.
During the Phalanx invasion of the Kree Empire (the //Annihilation: Conquest// storyline), [[ultron|Ultron]] was revealed as the leader of the techno-organic collective. To combat him, Quill was tasked with leading a suicide squad of cosmic prisoners on a covert mission. This team included Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Bug, and Mantis. Their success, though costly, laid the groundwork for Quill's larger idea.
Following Ultron's defeat, Quill formally assembled his team at the celestial head known as [[knowhere|Knowhere]]. His initial recruits were:
  * **Adam Warlock:** A cosmic messiah figure, possessing immense power and a deep understanding of cosmic balance.
  * **Gamora:** The "Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe," adopted daughter of Thanos, seeking redemption.
  * **Drax the Destroyer:** A being created with the sole purpose of killing Thanos, now directionless after his target's temporary death.
  * **Phyla-Vell (the new Quasar):** Daughter of the original Captain Mar-Vell, wielding the powerful Quantum Bands.
  * **Rocket Raccoon:** A cybernetically enhanced raccoon from the planet Halfworld, a master tactician and weapons expert.
  * **Groot:** A Flora Colossus from Planet X, the last of his kind, and Rocket's loyal companion.
Using telepathic persuasion from Mantis to ensure the volatile members would agree to join, Star-Lord established the Guardians of the Galaxy as the universe's first line of defense. Their mandate was simple and controversial: identify and neutralize cosmic threats before they could grow, using any means necessary.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy (designated Earth-199999) have a much more chaotic and accidental origin story, rooted in the criminal underworld rather than a military response to war. Their formation, as depicted in //Guardians of the Galaxy// (2014), was a matter of pure circumstance.
Peter Quill was a "Ravager," a space pirate who was abducted from Earth as a child in 1988 by Yondu Udonta's clan. He styled himself as the legendary "Star-Lord." The story kicks off when Quill steals a mysterious orb on the planet Morag, unaware that it contains one of the six [[infinity_stones|Infinity Stones]]—the Power Stone. This act makes him the target of Ronan the Accuser, a fanatical Kree warrior working for Thanos.
The future members of the team converge on the planet Xandar, all attempting to get their hands on Quill and the orb:
  * **Gamora:** Sent by Thanos to retrieve the orb from Ronan after his betrayal. She intercepts Quill to take it for herself, planning to sell it to prevent it from falling into either Ronan's or Thanos's hands.
  * **Rocket and Groot:** A pair of bounty hunters who attempt to capture Quill for the price on his head.
Their ensuing brawl results in all four being arrested by the Nova Corps and imprisoned in a high-security prison called the Kyln. It is here they meet their final member:
  * **Drax the Destroyer:** A powerful alien warrior consumed by vengeance. His wife and daughter were murdered by Ronan, under the orders of Thanos. He initially tries to kill Gamora due to her association with them.
Facing a common threat in Ronan and realizing the orb's catastrophic power, this disparate group of criminals is forced to engineer a prison break together. They escape and form a very fragile, money-motivated alliance to sell the orb to the Collector on Knowhere. When Ronan obtains the Power Stone and threatens to destroy all of Xandar, the group must make a choice: run and save themselves or stand and fight. In a defining moment, Quill rallies them with the line, "I have a plan... I have part of a plan!" They choose to become heroes, dubbing themselves the "Guardians of the Galaxy" almost as a joke. They successfully defeat Ronan by sharing the immense power of the stone, solidifying their bond and earning a full pardon from the Nova Corps. Their origin is not one of military precision or proactive philosophy, but of a broken, selfish group of individuals who find a family and a higher purpose in each other.
===== Part 3: Mandate, Structure & Key Members =====
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
**Mandate:** The modern Guardians' mission, as envisioned by Star-Lord, is proactive intervention. They were founded on the principle of "cutting the wire," not waiting for the bomb to go off. They actively seek out cosmic imbalances, nascent threats, and fissures in the fabric of reality, such as the "Fault" created during the //War of Kings//, and attempt to contain them. This often puts them at odds with galactic empires like the Kree and Shi'ar, who view their actions as unsanctioned and disruptive.
**Structure:** The team's structure is highly informal and often chaotic, reflecting the personalities of its members. It operates less like a military unit and more like a dysfunctional but fiercely loyal family. Leadership typically falls to Peter Quill due to his strategic mind, but Rocket Raccoon has frequently stepped up to lead, especially when Quill is absent. Their primary base of operations for a long period was [[knowhere|Knowhere]], a severed Celestial head that functions as a pan-galactic scientific observatory and port, with [[cosmo_the_spacedog|Cosmo the Spacedog]] serving as its chief of security and a key ally. They have utilized various starships, most notably the //Bowie//.
**Key Members (Modern Incarnation):** The roster has been fluid, but several members are considered core to the team's identity.
^ **Character** ^ **Role / Description** ^
| [[star-lord|Peter Quill]] | Founder and frequent leader. A half-human, half-Spartoi (later revealed to be half-Celestial in some retcons) tactician and expert marksman. |
| [[gamora|Gamora]] | The "Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe." A master assassin and fighter seeking to atone for her past as Thanos's adopted daughter. |
| [[drax_the_destroyer|Drax]] | A resurrected human soul in a bio-engineered body, created solely to kill Thanos. Possesses super strength, durability, and a literal mindset. |
| [[rocket_raccoon|Rocket]] | A genetically and cybernetically enhanced raccoon. The team's weapons expert, pilot, and tactical genius, with a cynical and abrasive personality. |
| [[groot|Groot]] | A Flora Colossus from Planet X. Possesses immense strength, durability, and the ability to regenerate from a mere twig. Rocket's best friend and bodyguard. |
| [[mantis|Mantis]] | A powerful telepath, empath, and precog who often serves as the team's counselor and moral compass. Instrumental in the team's initial formation. |
| [[adam_warlock|Adam Warlock]] | An artificially created perfect being, wielding cosmic "Quantum Magic." He is the avatar of Life and the nemesis of Thanos. |
| **Phyla-Vell** | Daughter of Mar-Vell. Has served as both [[quasar|Quasar]] and the grim avatar of Death known as **Martyr**. A powerful and dedicated warrior. |
| [[moondragon|Moondragon]] | A powerful human telepath raised by Thanos's father's monks. Phyla-Vell's lover and a formidable psychic presence. |
| [[nova|Richard Rider]] | While never an official member for long, the last Centurion of the Nova Corps is one of the team's most crucial allies, fighting alongside them in every major conflict. |
| [[venom|Flash Thompson]] | As Agent Venom, the former bully bonded with the Venom symbiote served a tenure with the Guardians, acting as their liaison to the Avengers. |
| [[thing|The Thing]] | Ben Grimm of the [[fantastic_four|Fantastic Four]] joined the team for a time after the events of //Secret Wars//. |
| [[kitty_pryde|Kitty Pryde]] | The [[x-men|X-Men]]'s phasing mutant took over the mantle of Star-Lord and led the team for a period while Peter Quill was serving as emperor of Spartax. |
**Key Members (Original 31st Century Incarnation):**
^ **Character** ^ **Role / Description** ^
| **Vance Astro (Major Victory)** | 20th-century astronaut with psychokinesis. The team's reluctant but effective leader. |
| **Martinex T'Naga** | Crystalline Pluvian with thermokinetic abilities. The team's scientist and strategist. |
| **Charlie-27** | Jovian soldier with superhuman strength and density. The team's powerhouse. |
| **Yondu Udonta** | Centaurian mystic and archer. The team's spiritual guide and scout. |
| **Starhawk (Stakar Ogord)** | A powerful cosmic being known as "The One Who Knows," who exists in a constant state of reliving his life. |
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
**Mandate:** The MCU Guardians' mandate is far less defined. They begin as "thieves for hire" who stumble into heroism. After saving Xandar, they embrace their reputation and begin taking on jobs to protect people, as seen at the start of //Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2//, where they are hired by the Sovereign to protect their batteries. Their mission is more reactive and often financially motivated, though they consistently rise to the occasion when true evil threatens the innocent. They are, as Rocket puts it, "the Guardians of the Galaxy," but what that entails is often decided on the fly.
**Structure:** Like their comic counterparts, their structure is that of a found family. Peter Quill is the de facto leader, but his authority is constantly challenged, particularly by Rocket. The dynamic is one of constant bickering and one-upmanship, masking a deep-seated affection and loyalty. Decisions are made through chaotic group arguments rather than a clear chain of command. Their main ship is the //Benatar//, which replaced their original ship, the //Milano//. They eventually purchase and operate from Knowhere.
**Key Members:** The MCU team's core roster is smaller and more consistent than in the comics.
^ **Character** ^ **Role / Description** ^
| [[star-lord|Peter Quill]] | Leader. Abducted from Earth as a child, he is a charming rogue with a deep love for 70s and 80s music. Revealed to be the son of the Celestial, [[ego|Ego]]. |
| [[gamora|Gamora]] | An assassin trained by Thanos who rebels against him. The team's most skilled fighter and moral center, often serving as the "straight man" to the others' antics. |
| [[drax_the_destroyer|Drax]] | A literal-minded warrior seeking revenge on those who killed his family. Provides brute force and unexpected, deadpan comedy. |
| [[rocket_raccoon|Rocket]] | A cybernetically and genetically engineered raccoon-like creature. The team's pilot, engineer, and weapons specialist. His gruff exterior hides deep emotional trauma. |
| [[groot|Groot]] | A tree-like humanoid who sacrifices himself to save the team, later regenerating from a twig into a juvenile and then adolescent form before maturing again. |
| [[mantis|Mantis]] | An empathic alien raised in isolation by Ego. She can sense and manipulate the emotions of others. Joins the team in //Vol. 2//. |
| [[nebula|Nebula]] | Gamora's cybernetically-enhanced "sister" and fellow child of Thanos. She begins as a bitter antagonist but undergoes a profound redemption arc, eventually becoming a core Guardian. |
| **Kraglin Obfonteri** | Yondu's loyal Ravager first mate who inherits his yaka arrow and control fin, eventually becoming an official member of the Guardians. |
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
==== Core Allies ====
  *   **The [[nova_corps|Nova Corps]]:** In both continuities, the Guardians have a close, if sometimes strained, relationship with the galactic police force. In the comics, Richard Rider (Nova) is a key brother-in-arms. In the MCU, the Guardians save the Nova Corps' capital world of Xandar, earning their respect and a clean slate.
  *   **The [[avengers|Avengers]]:** The Guardians first met the Avengers in the comics during the //Avengers Assemble// storyline and have teamed up with them on numerous occasions, most notably during the //Infinity// event. In the MCU, their first encounter is with [[thor|Thor]], whom they rescue in space, leading to their pivotal alliance against Thanos in //Avengers: Infinity War// and //Avengers: Endgame//.
  *   **[[captain_marvel|Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)]]:** In the comics, Carol Danvers has a long history in space and has fought alongside the Guardians numerous times. She even officially joined the team for a brief period. Their relationship in the MCU is more of a professional respect between two of the universe's most powerful heroic factions.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
  *   **[[thanos|Thanos]]:** The Mad Titan is the ultimate nemesis for the Guardians, both in print and on screen. His actions are the direct or indirect cause of the team's formation. In the comics, his complex relationships with his "daughter" Gamora and his designated destroyer, Drax, are central themes. In the MCU, he is the overarching villain of the Infinity Saga, and the Guardians play a crucial role in his eventual defeat, though it costs them Gamora's life.
  *   **The Universal Church of Truth:** A sinister, faith-based galactic empire from the comics, led by the corrupt Magus. In a horrifying twist, the Guardians discover that the Magus is actually a future, evil version of their teammate Adam Warlock, corrupted by a lust for power. The Church was a primary antagonist during the Abnett and Lanning run.
  *   **[[ronan_the_accuser|Ronan the Accuser]]:** A high-ranking Kree radical. In the comics, he is a complex antagonist and sometimes anti-hero who plays a major role in the //Annihilation// event. In the MCU, he is a religious fanatic and the team's first major villain, a pawn of Thanos who seeks the Power Stone to annihilate his enemies.
  *   **The Badoon:** For the original 31st-century team, the Brotherhood of the Badoon was their primary antagonist. This reptilian race had conquered most of the Milky Way in their timeline, and the Guardians were formed as a direct response to their tyranny.
==== Affiliations ====
The Guardians of the Galaxy are fiercely independent, but they operate within a network of galactic powers. Their most significant affiliation is with **[[knowhere|Knowhere]]**, the severed head of a Celestial that serves as a neutral port and scientific hub. For a long time, it was their primary base of operations, and its security chief, the telepathic Soviet dog **[[cosmo_the_spacedog|Cosmo]]**, is a steadfast ally. They have had tense alliances with the **Kree Empire** and the **Shi'ar Empire**, often finding themselves caught in the middle of their interstellar conflicts.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
==== Annihilation: Conquest (2007-2008) ====
This is the crucible in which the modern Guardians were forged. Following the devastating Annihilation Wave, the Kree Empire is left vulnerable. A techno-organic virus, controlled by the Phalanx, swiftly infects and conquers their entire territory, led by a resurrected and vengeful Ultron. Peter Quill, a disgraced advisor to the Kree, is conscripted to lead a small, deniable team of cosmic prisoners on a mission to destroy the Phalanx's central processing spire. This team—including Rocket, Groot, Mantis, and Bug—is the direct precursor to the Guardians. Their story is one of desperation, sacrifice (Groot dies for the first of many times), and impossible odds. The event established the grim, high-stakes tone of Marvel's new cosmic era and proved that a team of misfits could save the galaxy.
==== The Thanos Imperative (2010) ====
The grand finale of the Abnett and Lanning cosmic saga. A massive tear in spacetime called the "Fault" opens into a horrifying parallel reality known as the "Cancerverse," where Life has conquered Death and everything is a corrupt, immortal cancer. This universe's twisted version of the [[avengers|Avengers]] serves its master, Lord Mar-Vell, and seeks to "cure" the 616-universe by converting it. The Guardians ally with Thanos, the avatar of Death, as the only being who can bring mortality back to the Cancerverse. The story culminates in a desperate battle where Star-Lord and Nova sacrifice themselves to trap Thanos in the collapsing Cancerverse, saving their reality. It was a defining moment of heroism and loss that cemented the team's legend.
==== Secret Wars (2015) ====
When the multiverse collapsed during the "Final Incursion," the Guardians were on the front lines trying to stop it. Their ship was destroyed, and the team was scattered and killed. However, a select few were saved by Doctor Doom, who created a patchwork planet called Battleworld. On this world, Peter Quill was one of the few who remembered the universe-before. He operated as a singer in a club called "The Quiet Room" until the heroes' rebellion against Doom began. Following the restoration of the multiverse, Star-Lord found himself back in the new prime reality, where he would eventually reform the Guardians with a new lineup including Kitty Pryde and The Thing, showing the team's resilience and its growing connection to the wider Marvel Universe.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
  *   **Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610):** In this alternate reality, a version of the Guardians of the Galaxy appears during a storyline involving Gah Lak Tus (their version of Galactus). This team was notably different and included characters like Mahr Vehl and a version of Nova.
  *   **Animated Series (//Guardians of the Galaxy//, 2015-2019):** This Disney XD series serves as a spiritual successor to the first MCU film. It uses the character designs and general tone of the movies but adapts a wide variety of comic book storylines, including the search for the "Cosmic Seed," battles with Thanos, and crossovers with the Avengers. It represents a popular hybrid of the two main continuities.
  *   **Video Game (//Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy//, 2021):** The critically acclaimed single-player game by Eidos-Montréal presents a fresh, self-contained take on the team. Set years after a galactic war against the "Chitauri," this version of the Guardians is a relatively new, for-hire team. The game's origin for the team is a unique blend of comic and MCU elements, and its narrative focuses heavily on the theme of found family while facing off against the Universal Church of Truth and the Magus, bringing a classic comic storyline to a modern audience.
===== See Also =====
  * [[star-lord]]
  * [[gamora]]
  * [[rocket_raccoon]]
  * [[groot]]
  * [[drax_the_destroyer]]
  * [[thanos]]
  * [[annihilation]]
  * [[nova_corps]]
  * [[kree_empire]]
  * [[knowhere]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((The original 1969 team was retroactively designated as being from Earth-691 to differentiate their timeline from the main Earth-616 continuity.))
((Rocket Raccoon was co-created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen, first appearing in //Marvel Preview// #7 (1976). He was partially inspired by the Beatles song "Rocky Raccoon."))
((The MCU version of Yondu Udonta, played by Michael Rooker, bears almost no resemblance to his comic book counterpart. The original Yondu is a noble mystic and archer, not a space pirate. The only similarities are his blue skin and his name.))
((Groot's iconic line, "I am Groot," was a creation for the modern comic series. In his first appearance in //Tales to Astonish// #13 (1960), he was a verbose, megalomaniacal alien invader who could speak perfect English.))
((Before the 2014 film, the Guardians of the Galaxy were considered a very obscure, D-list property by the general public. The film's director, James Gunn, was instrumental in shaping their modern identity, with his emphasis on comedic tone and a curated soundtrack becoming defining features of the franchise across all media.))
((In the comics, Peter Quill's father was originally J'son, Emperor of the Spartoi Empire. This was retconned in the MCU to be Ego the Living Planet, a Celestial. Following the MCU's success, the comics briefly retconned Quill's parentage to be more mysterious before eventually returning to the Spartoi origin.))