The debut of their own live-action franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe stoked the popularity of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy, but there have been many different versions of the cosmic Marvel team in the comics over the years. Each version of the team has found their calling as cosmic heroes, though it's the modern iteration with now iconic heroes like Star-Lord and Gamora that have really impressed fans.

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The original Guardians team members and the modern iteration alike have made live-action appearances in the MCU. Director James Gunn's final entry in the franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, promises to explore these characters in exciting new ways while bringing an emotional end to the fan-favorite film series. Thankfully, the comic future for the Guardians continues to be bright as they remain the Marvel universe's greatest spacefaring protectors.

Comic Timeline & Team History

Original Guardians of the Galaxy

The first group of heroes who called themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy appeared in one of Marvel's many dark futures. The alien conquering race known as the Badoon took over Earth's solar system in the future, and heroes from each planet gathered together to lead the resistance.

Major Vance Astro was an astronaut from the 20th century who traveled for 1,000 years in suspended animation to a distant star. His mutant telekinetic abilities, coupled with the powerful energies of his biosuit, helped him become Major Victory in the future. Fans have also seen another version of the character in the present-day as Vance Astrovik, the New Warriors leader known as Justice. Major Victory arrived on Centauri-IV, the first planet colonized by Earth outside of the Milky Way star system.

Astro met and allied with skilled hunter and archer Yondu Udonta as the Badoon attacked the planet. They then joined Captain Charlie-27, a pilot and soldier whose bio-engineered strength and durability allowed him to survive in the deadly pressures of Jupiter before the Badoon invasion. Martinex T'Naga had been similarly modified to survive the harsh climate of Pluto, taking on a crystalline aspect before the Badoon arrived. Together they decided to fight back against the Badoon, becoming the first official Guardians of the Galaxy.

Members like Stakar Ogord/Starhawk, his partner Aleta, and Mercury's fiery Nikki Gold also joined the team to fight the Badoon's invasion. The original Guardians became a spacefaring team of heroes after the Defenders helped them repel the Badoon invasion in a time-traveling event. The team continued to grow with new members as they extended their reach across time and space. The ongoing status of the future Guardians is in a constant state of flux in the comics. However, the MCU reimaged the original Guardians, most notably Yondu, as the leaders of the galactic pirates known as the Ravagers.

Modern Guardians of the Galaxy

The origins of the modern iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy formed during two epic events that set the course for Marvel's cosmic characters for years. During the Annihilation event, characters like Peter Quill/Star-Lord and Gamora fought together with a new take on Drax the Destroyer as warriors in the United Front against Annihilus' forces from the Negative Zone. Ultron and the Phalanx took advantage of the chaos caused during Annihilation to launch an attack on the weakened Kree Empire during the Annihilation: Conquest event.

Peter Quill was ultimately held responsible for the Phalanx's attack on the Kree and was conscripted to help fight back. His United Front allies like Drax and Gamora fell to the Phalanx and attacked Richard Rider/Nova while Star-Lord received a stealth mission to help free the Kree from the Phalanx invasion. His Kree handlers assigned Star-Lord a special team of expendable prisoners for a suicide mission into heavily infested Kree/Phalanx territories. His team included former Avengers like Mantis and Deathcry, an exiled Micronaut named Bug, the short-lived Captain Universe Gabriel Vargas, and reimagined versions of classic Marvel characters like Groot and Rocket Raccoon.

Following the Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest events, Star-Lord asked a few of his powerful new allies to join him and help prevent future cosmic wars that could threaten the whole universe. His first team featured himself, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Drax, Mantis, Phyla-Vell/Quasar, and the recently reborn Adam Warlock, who returned in Annihilation: Conquest. The team discussed their potential name during the first couple of missions, though it wasn't until they encountered a time-displaced Major Victory that they decided on the Guardians of the Galaxy. Major Victory and Starhawk both arrived in the modern era hoping to stop a disaster in their own future. Rocket Raccoon took a liking to the future team's name and started using it in the modern day, further extending the Guardian's legacy.

The Guardians struggled to find their footing as a team after Richard Rider/Nova set them up with a new headquarters on the floating Celestial head called Knowhere. Star-Lord used Mantis' telepathic empathy to nudge some of the members into joining the team, which caused some initial distrust. The Guardians faced the Universal Church of Truth and dealt with a rival heroic team stationed on Knowhere called the Luminous. They played a huge role in events like the War of Kings and the Realm of Kings, as Adam Warlock correctly predicted they could harm the weakened fabric of the universe.

Some of the modern Guardians teamed up with their future counterparts after a rift between universes formed known as The Fault. They dedicated their energies to stopping the expansion of the Fault, but tragedy decimated much of the team and led to the returned threat of Adam Warlock's darker half, Magus. The discovery of the dark Cancerverse behind the Fault led to the tragic Realm of Kings event. The Guardians of the Galaxy then lost their leader during The Thanos Imperative and disbanded, with the short-lived Annihilators team stepping in to take their place.

After Star-Lord returned, he reestablished his connection with Earth when it became a target for the galactic council. The Guardians of the Galaxy were recognized as another of Earth's many protectors, though they became wanted fugitives by the rest of the galaxy. The Guardians also welcomed a few Earth heroes like Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Thing, and Agent Venom onto the team on a rotating basis. They teamed up with the X-Men during a battle for the transformative Black Vortex, which granted incredible but temporary cosmic power to a few members of the team.

Star-Lord's father J'Son and the Spartax Empire became the Guardians' greatest enemies during this time, which almost broke up the team. They were each possessed by the Venom symbiote before he left the Guardians, and Kitty Pryde took his spot on the team after dating Quill long distance. When Peter Quill became the Emperor of Spartax, Pryde became the new Star-Lord and Rocket led the team on a few adventures. The Spartax Empire voted Quill out of power after a combined attack by Annihilus and the Brood on the Spartax Empire, and he returned to lead the Guardians as they became fugitives once again.

The Guardians sided with their ally Captain Marvel during Civil War II on Earth after helping to erase the threat of the Badoon. The Guardians lost their ship during Civil War II, and secrets continued to drive the team apart while on Earth. The Infinity Quest storyline followed the Guardians as they investigated a new set of Infinity Stones before deciding to follow their own paths across the galaxy. The Guardians clashed with the reformed Nova Corps and the corrupted Fraternity of Raptors while they sought out the new Stones. Gamora surprisingly turned on her friends and became Requiem during the Infinity Wars storyline.

Gamora used the Infinity Stones to merge together the population in a new Warp World. Members of the Guardians formed a new Infinity Watch with other Marvel characters and helped to restore reality and save their lost teammate Gamora. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of Drax, who remained in the Warp World to save everyone. While the Guardians didn't officially regroup after the event, it wasn't long until the universe needed them again.

Starfox gathered some of the universe's most powerful beings to discuss the potential rebirth of Thanos. An attack during the meeting sent a number of powerful characters into a black hole where they were lost or transported elsewhere. Star-Lord and Groot picked up a few survivors of the attack and formed a new crew that included Beta Ray Bill, Moondragon, Phyla-Vell, and the deadly Cosmic Ghost Rider.

The Rider eventually left the team and sided with Starfox, who formed his own team of Dark Guardians. They planned to take out Gamora in case she was the host for the rebirth of Thanos. Groot took over the Guardians and reconnected with Rocket and Gamora on Halfworld so they could take on the Dark Guardians. However, Hela and her Black Order tried to use Starfox to bring about the return of Thanos instead. Gamora killed Starfox and the combined Guardians stopped the Black Order and Hela.

The reunited Guardians defended Earth once again from the Universal Church of Truth and their new leader, J'Son of Spartax. Rocket rejoined the team after some time away, and the Universal Church unleashed an army of Drax clones. The Guardians were able to restore the original Drax's memories into one of the clones. They regained their lost ally and defeated the Universal Church in the process before retiring to Halfworld for a much-deserved break. Unfortunately, the rise of the new cosmic-conquering Olympians led Nova to assemble a new roster that divided the modern Guardians.

Gamora, Drax, and Groot feared for the safety of the Guardians in an encounter with cosmic gods, so they voted to not join Nova. However, Star-Lord, Rocket, Phyla-Vell, Moondragon, and Noh-Varr/Marvel Boy joined Nova on the mission behind their allies' backs. They led an assault on New Olympus that successfully stranded the Olympians outside of reality, though Star-Lord was also lost. A new team formed in grief over the loss of Star-Lord called the West Spiral Arm Guardians. Gamora, Drax, and Groot joined Moondragon, the Prince of Power, and Blackjack O'Hare as galactic mercenaries, though they soon came into conflict with Nova's surviving team.

Events like Empyre and King in Black changed the scope and dynamics of the entire Marvel universe, the Guardians included. The Kree/Skrull galactic alliance welcomed Hulkling as the new emperor, and he started working with the Guardians of the Galaxy alongside his husband Wiccan. Hercules and Marvel Boy also started working with the team during this period, though the eventual return of Star-Lord with his new Master of the Sun abilities reunited the original modern roster of the team. They welcomed new members and grew to become a powerful peacekeeping force for the galaxy once more.

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Star-Lord History, Powers & Abilities, Costumes, Variants

When Peter Quill first gained the title of Star-Lord, the Master of the Sun chose him to protect the universe. His time as Star-Lord ended in tragedy, and he escaped his role for years until the Annihilation event pushed him back to the forefront. He's often struggled with his role as the leader of the Guardians due to his penchant for bad decisions, but he's also turned up for his friends on countless occasions. Star-Lord's recent power upgrade after a hundred years spent in a timeless world gave him a newfound control of his abilities and an understanding of his role with the Guardians that have set him up for a bright new future.

Who is Star-Lord's father?

The original Star-Lord's father was Emperor Jason of Spartax, though the character was later reimagined as J'Son. He crashed on Earth and fell in love with Meredith Quill, but had to leave Earth and return to Spartax. However, he didn't realize that Meredith was pregnant with young Peter.

J'Son eventually claimed the throne of Spartax and met his son, though they quickly became enemies. Quill's father lost the throne, though he assumed a masked alter ego as Mr. Knife and continued to pursue his vendetta against his son.

Who plays Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Chris Pratt joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Peter Quill Star-Lord in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. However, voice actors like Chris Cox and Will Friedle have also voiced the character in different animated series over the years.

Alternate Costumes & Variants

The original version of Star-Lord has actually become a variant over the years. His reimagined origins have led to a few contradictions about his past and parentage. The original version of Star-Lord's stories now exists on Earth-791, though some of his adventures are still shared with the modern character. Peter Quill originally wore a blue and white costume with a domed helmet that featured his Master of the Sun symbol.

After Star-Lord's return in Annihilation: Conquest, his helmet featured a new mask that became popular on the big screen. He wore a militarized uniform that would later serve as the inspiration for the Guardians of the Galaxy's first uniforms. Star-Lord briefly adopted a blue and yellow armored space suit, though he took on a more casual trenchcoat and uniform that resembled his MCU look. Star-Lord eventually merged his Guardians uniform with his Master of the Sun suit before adopting the new blue and red Guardians outfits. After his powers increased, he wore a black leather jacket with a modified Master of the Sun symbol.

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Gamora History, Powers & Abilities, Costumes, Variants

Gamora is widely known as the most dangerous woman in the galaxy due to her years working as a highly-trained mercenary and assassin. Thanos raised her in the past after saving her from the genocide of her people. She worked with the Infinity Watch before she helped Nova and Star-Lord fight the Annihilation Wave during the Annihilation event. Nova later recommended her to Peter Quill for the first roster of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy, a team that soon became her new family.

Who plays Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Zoe Saldaña played Gamora in the live-action Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. However, fans have seen Ariana Greenblatt in a younger version of the role as well, while Cynthia McWilliams voiced an alternate-reality version of Gamora. She is just one of a few talented actors who lent their voice to the character of Gamora over the years.

Alternate Costumes & Variants

Gamora's first comic costume was quite a bit different than her modern look or her MCU suit. Gamora initially wore a full-body fishnet bodysuit and a long flowing cape. She eventually switched to a more tactical black and white suit of armor that could sustain her in space as well.

The Black Vortex increased Gamora's cosmic power, and she started wearing a starfield cloak. Gamora briefly adopted a new suit of armor and mask as Requiem after an elderly piece of her soul trapped in the Soul Stone started mentally tormenting her. Gamora's outfits have remained tactical over the years, though she has changed her color options to better reflect her MCU look as well.

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Drax History, Powers & Abilities, Costumes, Variants

Thanos brutally murdered Arthur Douglas and his family while planning a secret attack on Earth. Thanos' father Mentor and his cosmic father Kronos saved Douglas' spirit and created a new powerful body. However, Mentor wiped his memories, reduced his intellect, and implanted an intense hatred for Thanos that drove Douglas in his new form as Drax the Destroyer. His form changed over the years and he lost some of his power, but he regained his memories and intellect. While Drax chose to remain in Warp World during the Infinity Wars, his memories found a new home in a clone of his original body.

Who plays Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Dave Bautista made fans fall in love with his unique take on Drax the Destroyer in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. While the character was quite a bit different from his comic counterpart, the MCU's Drax touched the hearts of fans who also enjoyed watching his unbridled joy during battle. Bautista is undoubtedly the most memorable Drax, though a few other actors have also voiced the character over the years as well.

Alternate Costumes & Variants

Like most of the modern roster of the Guardians, the original version of Drax became something of a forgotten variant in the wake of the Drax's sleek new form that appeared in the MCU. He was originally bright green and wore a dark purple costume with a long cape. That version of Drax wasn't much for words, but he could still take on some of Marvel's strongest heroes.

Drax wasn't too interested in costumes in his new form and usually opted for dark leather pants to hold his knives. He sometimes wore the official Guardians costume, though it rarely survived the extremes of battle. Drax's final costume in his modified form was the peaceful robes he wore on his new path away from violence. When he returned in a cloned body, Drax chose to again wear the costume of the Guardians alongside the rest of his team.

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Rocket Raccoon History, Powers & Abilities, Costumes, Variants

Rocket Raccoon is one of the most loveable but also dangerous members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. While he's only slightly larger than an average Earth raccoon, Rocket has incredible strength and engineering skills that make him a considerable threat. His love for heavy artillery matches his extreme marksmanship to make him one of the team's pillars of support in heavy combat.

Rocket Raccoon's close partnership with Groot serves them both equally well, as Rocket can protect Groot from smaller threats while Groot can help transport some of Rocket's larger pieces of artillery. Rocket has also become one of the most reliable leaders of the Guardians thanks to his skilled tactics and love for his teammates.

Who voices Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy?

While Kraglin actor Sean Gunn stood in on set for Rocket Raccoon during filming, it was Bradley Cooper that gave the character his voice. Other actors have put their own spin on the character over the years as well, though most have tried to imitate Cooper's celebrated portrayal of Rocket in their own way.

Alternate Costumes & Variants

The very first appearance of Rocket Raccoon in the comics isn't always considered his debut, even though the character's creator confirmed it. "Rocky" has become an early variant of Rocket that often goes forgotten.

Modern versions of Rocket Raccoon debuted in the early Guardians uniform, though he later adopted an orange suit with tactical accessories for his weaponry. Rocket also had an armored spacesuit like the rest of the Guardians, though he could class it up in a tuxedo when needed as well.

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Groot History, Powers & Abilities, Costumes, Variants

Groot first appeared in one of Marvel's earliest monster stories, though that version was later revealed to actually be King Groot from Planet X. The modern Groot was a cutaway who posed as King Groot during his adventures across the galaxy.

Groot developed a close friendship with Rocket Raccoon after they worked together during the Annihilation: Conquest event. Groot has died and been reborn as a sapling more than once over the years, but he remains a loyal and powerful member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Who plays Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Vin Diesel is the most well-known voice of Groot, and he's voiced the character in all of his MCU portrayals. Of course, there are a few other memorable actors who have also voiced Groot in a few animated series over the years as well, each putting their own spin on the iconic line "I am Groot."

Alternate Costumes & Variants

The original King Groot is officially known as Groot XXCVII, though when he first appeared he was the "Monster from Planet X." The modern version of Groot had a few different looks following his debut as a member of Star-Lord's strikeforce in Annihilation: Conquest.

Groot incorporated glowing discs of energy into his wooden body for a short period of time, though his look has largely remained the same over the years. He spent some time in his younger Baby Groot form and also bulked up his regular-sized body over the years as well.

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Mantis History, Powers & Abilities, Costumes, Variants

While Mantis didn't join the MCU Guardians until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, she was integral to the formation of the original comics team. Mantis was part of Star-Lord's Kree strikeforce in the Annihilation: Conquest event, and she helped push the other members of the team into joining at Quill's request.

Mantis initially served as telepathic and precognitive support but later joined the team in a more active role. Mantis' larger role as the Celestial Madonna has factored into events like Empyre and kept her at the forefront of Marvel's cosmic storylines.

Who plays Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Mantis has been both an Avenger and a founding member of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics. However, she hasn't appeared in as much media outside of the comics as her teammates. Only two actors have portrayed the character, and each put their own unique spin on the role.

Alternate Costumes & Variants

When Mantis first appeared, she wore a bright yellow and green costume, though she later adopted the Guardians of the Galaxy's first uniform. She later wore a more tactical version of the suit before returning to Guardians gear. Mantis has a couple of interesting variants that actually exist outside of the Marvel universe. Co-creator Steve Englehart brought the character with him to other companies after Mantis left the Marvel universe to keep her son Sequoia safe.

Englehart introduced a character known as Willow in the DC universe who shared a similar look and spoke in the same unique manner as Mantis. She encountered the Justice League of America and helped guide them with her knowledge of other realities. Mantis then appeared again in Englehart's Eclipse Comics series Scorpio Rose, where she used the alias Lorelei. She eventually returned to the Marvel universe with her son Sequoia.

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Nebula History, Powers & Abilities, Costumes, Variants

While Nebula wasn't a member of the comic team initially, her popularity in the MCU led to her eventually joining the heroic roster despite her usually villainous intentions.

As one of Thanos' adopted daughters, Nebula made the universe fear her name just as much as her father's. However, she eventually turned from his dark path and opted to follow her adopted sister Gamora instead, leading her to a place with the Guardians.

Who plays Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Much like Mantis, Nebula has only had a few appearances outside of the comic medium. Karen Gillan gave Nebula a unique and loveable personality that separated the character from other versions, though each actor added their own menace to the usually villainous role.

Alternate Costumes & Variants

Nebula's original comic appearance was quite a bit different from her eventual MCU look. While she retained her blue skin, the original Nebula had long black hair, no visible cybernetic components, and wore a pink and blue costume that didn't seem intimidating at first.

Following her encounter with the Infinity Gauntlet, Nebula was rebuilt with cybernetic prosthetics and debuted her new cyborg look. However, Kang's time-displaced lover Ravonna Renslayer briefly assumed her identity and masqueraded as Nebula before she became the Terminatrix. The real Nebula has yet to receive her own uniform upon joining the ranks of the Guardians of the Galaxy, though she wore a new armor alongside the team during the Grootfall event.

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Movie/TV Appearances

The Guardians of the Galaxy have been around since 1969, though they didn't appear together in animated form until 2010. They then shocked audiences by becoming an MCU hit when the modern roster of the team debuted in the live-action 2014 film. Both the animated and live-action debuts of the team kicked off a number of appearances in their own franchises and other popular shows and movies over the years.

Where to watch Guardians of the Galaxy?

Like most films or series set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans can stream Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 along with the Holiday Special and related Avengers and Thor films on the Disney+ streaming service. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 hit theaters on May 5, 2023.

What songs are in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Who is Star-Lord's father in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2?

The Guardians of the Galaxy cinematic franchise went in a different direction with Star-Lord's parentage than the comics. He discovered his father was actually an ancient celestial being. In the MCU, Ego the Living Planet is Star-Lord's real father.

Ego mated with a few different races hoping to pass on his power, but only Peter Quill could access the world-shaping energy. Ego tried to use Star-Lord to spread his essence across the universe to other planets, but Star-Lord turned on his father using their shared power and stopped his expansion.

What songs are in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2?

Who is the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3?

Fans are finally getting the chance to see the powerful Adam Warlock in action on the big screen, though he isn't the only threat in the trilogy's finale. The main villain of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is the High Evolutionary, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. The High Evolutionary is a brilliant geneticist with a long comic history. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 reimagined the villain as the Rocket Raccoon's creator, creating a personal tie to the Guardians. His ultimate goal to create a perfect society led him to experiment on "lower life forms" in order to create what he assumed would be an ideal world.

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Video Game Appearances

Members of the Guardians of the Galaxy have appeared in video games before, though the team has only starred in a couple of games of their own. 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Game was an episodic story-based game that let players dive into the layered relationships between team members. 2021's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy from Eidos-Montreal and Square Enix let players take control of Star-Lord and lead his Guardians on a cosmic mission that featured fan-favorite characters outside of the comic and movie continuity.

How many chapters are in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy?

There are 16 chapters in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy video game, though players will also move through an introductory chapter to start the game.

How long to beat Guardians of the Galaxy?

Players moving through the main objectives of the game can expect to complete Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy within around 17-18 hours. However, dedicated players working through all of the side objectives will spend a bit more time finishing the game.

How many endings does Guardians of the Galaxy have?

While the game features a number of different dialogue options and player choices that move the game forward, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy has only one ending. The dialogue options and choices serve to open up new story and communication options but don't ultimately affect the ending of the game.

How long is Guardians of the Galaxy game?

While players can complete the main storyline of the game in about 17-18 hours, there is a lot to explore in the unique sci-fi game world. Players can spend around 25-27 hours playing through Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy video game if they want to experience every aspect and take their time with the missions.

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Team Rosters

The Guardians of the Galaxy have had quite a few different rosters over the years that ranged across time and space. New members came and went while different factions of the team formed and even competed with each other at times.

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Closest Allies & Teams

While the Guardians of the Galaxy are usually widely respected in the Marvel universe, they are also frequently hunted down as fugitives due to misconceptions about their actions in saving the galaxy. That makes it even more important for the team to have dedicated allies and affiliations with other Marvel teams. One of the Guardians' closest allies and occasional members of the team is Richard Rider/Nova, though they don't always have the best relationship with the larger Nova Corps.

There are a few members of the Avengers and Fantastic Four who became close Guardians allies as well. Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Thing all joined the team and remained close friends with the Guardians. Other cosmic heroes like Quasar and Silver Surfer also count the Guardians as trustworthy allies they can always call on when needed. Star-Lord and other members of the United Front that later founded the Guardians all have close, though sometimes strained, relationships with Kree like Ronan the Accuser and Skrulls like Kl'rt the Super-Skrull.

The Guardians of the Galaxy have also worked with other teams to save the universe when needed. The Guardians and the Avengers have teamed up a few times over the years, and they have developed a relationship with various rosters of the X-Men as well. They've worked closely with cosmic groups like the Starjammers and the Imperial Guard, though have just as often faced them in battle.

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Villains

The Guardians of the Galaxy have faced several powerful cosmic threats that threatened the whole universe. However, they have also dealt with more personal enemies tied to the various members who continue to endanger the team as well as larger alien races with goals of conquering the universe.

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