When dealing with the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, Eidos-Montréal had no shortage of characters to pick and choose from to feature in their upcoming title, Guardians of the Galaxy. Fans eager for more details had some of their thirst satiated this week as a brand new trailer was released, focusing on a deadly antagonist -- Lady Hellbender. But, who is this warrior, and why is she such a threat to the Guardians?
After Square Enix's Avengers has had a tumultuous timeline since its release last fall, but maintaining a dedicated fanbase nonetheless, fans of the wide world of Marvel have been eager to see what the publisher's next superhero title would be. Guardians of the Galaxy was revealed during this summer's E3, a single-player experience where players take on the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord. Currently slated for an October 26 release, more details are sure to be coming soon, with the first being the reveal of Lady Hellbender.
Lady Hellbender is a fairly recent addition to the Marvel Universe, having first appeared in Greg Pak and Frank Cho's Totally Awesome Hulk #1 in 2015, and making an origin-revealing appearance in Venom Annual Vol.2 #1 in 2019. Born Marguerite Hellbender, the mysterious woman has always had an affinity for monsters and a determination to protect them. At a young age, Hellbender's father entered her beloved pet Beez into a monster-fighting arena where she witnessed his brutal death. Hellbender trained to become a fearsome warrior from there, later becoming the appointed regent of Seknarf Nine, the planet seen in the Guardians of the Galaxy reveal trailer. There, Hellbender has created a sanctuary for monsters, scouring the cosmos for rare monsters and bringing them to her castle for safekeeping.
A search for another monster brought Lady Hellbender to Earth in Totally Awesome Hulk #1, where she was looking for one of the Marvel Universe's oldest beasts, Fin Fang Foom. Upon seeing the Hulk dispatch of the mighty dragon, Hellbender deemed the Hulk as the planet's most valuable monster. Although she was unsuccessful in bringing the Hulk back to Seknarf Nine, she later targeted Venom, intrigued by the connection between symbiote and host.
On top of being a skilled and talented combatant, Hellbender has shown well versed in alternative methods to impose her will. Seen in her printed appearances, as well as shown in the newest Guardians trailer, Hellbender has a reputation as a bit of a seductress, using her charm to build her power as the galaxy's finest monster collector. Having used her allure on the Hulk and Venom in the past, it appears that Drax the Destroyer might be the newest apple of her eye.
There are still a lot of questions about Lady Hellbender's role in Guardians of the Galaxy, not to mention the game's plot in general. However, the game's reveal trailer shows Star-Lord and the gang plotting to sell either Groot or Rocket to Hellbender, only to break them out and run away with the cash. Though Hellbender isn't necessarily a truly evil villain, it appears that the Guardians are sure to be getting on her bad side. Not only is Hellbender an intimidating enemy in her own right, but the reveal trailer also shows that the player will definitely need to fend off some of her fiercest monsters as well.
As the calendar edges closer to October, gamers are sure to get more details about what Lady Hellbender has in store for the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as who else might be popping up in the space-faring adventure. With Quill and the gang known for drawing the ire of many of the cosmos' biggest and baddest forces, it wouldn't be surprising to see even more of Marvel's cosmic characters coming for their heads.