Star-Lord and his comrades are going up against a classic Fantastic Four foe in Guardians of the Galaxy: Bane of Blastaar, a one-shot hitting comic store shelves in April.
Revealed in Marvel's solicitations for April 2023, Guardians of the Galaxy: Bane of Blastaar comes from Ralph Macchio and Davide Tinto. The synopsis for the special reads, "Blastaar is back and has launched a new inquisition to take over the galaxy! The Guardians must act fast if they hope to stop him! But it looks like this found family is having problems of their own. Can the Guardians get it together before it’s too late? Don't miss out on this classic Guardians of the Galaxy tale!"
Guardians of the Galaxy: Bane of Blastaar is set in prior continuity and unconnected with a new relaunch of Guardians of the Galaxy, also kicking off in April. The one-shot features a classic lineup of Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Mantis, Drax, Groot and Nova, all wearing their traditional outfits. The new series, in contrast, introduces dramatic redesigns for each character and swaps Groot and Rocket Raccoon out for Nebula as "Grootfall," an event centered around the supposed death of the Guardians' most tree-like member, looms in the distance.
A Brief History of Fantastic Four's Blastaar
Blastaar -- also known as the Living Bomb-Burst -- originally appeared in the story "...And One Shall Save Him!," printed in Fantastic Four #62, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. A member of the Baluurian alien race, Blastaar ruled over his people as a despot until a rebellion overthrew him and cast him into the Negative Zone. Blastaar first encountered Reed Richards while the Fantastic Four patriarch was floating in the Negative Zone. When Reed's allies opened up a portal to rescue him, Blastaar seized the opportunity to escape to Earth.
Over the next several years, Blastaar would become a long-time thorn in the side of the Fantastic Four as he repeatedly tried to conquer Earth, only to always be sent back to Negative Zone imprisonment. Blastaar has also battled the likes of the Avengers, the Eternals, Thor and Annihilis -- another Negative Zone conqueror who he briefly allied with.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Bane of Blastaar is written by Macchio, illustrated by Tinto and features a main cover by Todd Nauck. A variant cover by Mateus Manhanini is also available. The one-shot goes on sale April 26 from Marvel.
Source: Marvel