Marvel Comics has been redesigning their comic book characters to appear more in line with their MCU counterparts. This is a good way for the company to cash in on their movies' popularity, while offering new comic readers something familiar. Sometimes these redesigns are minor, like making a character look more like the actor who plays them. When a comic character has been more obscure, however, the redesign can be a little more drastic.

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The Guardians weren't household names before the 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy adaptation, directed by James Gunn, saw its huge success. After the film brought the Guardians newfound popularity, Marvel adapted their looks to resemble their live-action counterparts.

As they've done before, Marvel's likely to tweak some characters' stories and appearances for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Looking at the main characters' original comic designs, it will be interesting to see how much they change.

10 Star-Lord's Original Costume Was Classic Superhero Fair

star-lord original appearance in comics

In Peter Quill's first appearance as Star-Lord, his costume was far from the rugged space outlaw look he sports now. Debuting in 1975, Star-Lord looked every bit the classic comic book superhero: tight form-fitting clothes, a giant utility belt, and a cowl reminiscent of Batman's.

Through the years, Star-Lord's comic evolved along with his character. It became a little more space-soldier than superhero, complemented by a new character design featuring a full face mask and helmet. It wasn't until around the time of the movie's release that comic book Star-Lord sported his red Ravagers coat and his newly designed mask.

9 Gamora Was Less Robotic

Gamora's original appearance in the Marvel Comics.

There are two key differences between Zoe Saldana's portrayal of Gamora in the Guardians films and the comic book Gamora. In the films, Gamora has visible cybernetics on her face. Comic book Gamora alternatively has smooth green skin with yellow tattoos surrounding her eyes.

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The second major difference is how Gamora dresses in the comics. Originally, Gamora wore a form-fitting suit a similar color to her skin with an impractically deep V. Many of her earlier costumes exposed more of her body as well. It isn't hard to see why film Gamora receives more practical clothes. They are less objectifying and make far more sense for a no-nonsense assassin.

8 Drax The Destroyer Lacks Detail

Drax readies for battle in comics

Drax's main look, buff bald alien with tattoos, has been largely preserved for the film version. However, the major difference is in the details of his depiction. Drax has green skin in the comics, but more of a lighter blue skin tone in the films. Marvel possibly made this choice to make Drax more visually distinct from Gamora.

The other difference regards Drax's tattoos. In the comics, solid red lines cover his body. The film version of Drax has a series of intricate designs that appear to be raised off his skin like brands. Sometimes comic book designs are so simple they look goofy translated to the big screen. Drax is definitely a character who benefits from his new look.

7 Nebula Was Unrecognizable In Her Original Form

Nebula wields the Infinity Gauntlet in Marvel comics

Nebula's backstory saw significant change in Guardians of the Galaxy, and along with this came a big change to her visual design. Fans of the film might actually be underwhelmed to see the incredibly simple version of Nebula who first appeared in Marvel Comics.

Originally, Nebula had light blue skin, long black hair, and a purple and blue jumpsuit. In fact, her original design almost evoked the image of a Jazzercise leotard from the 80s. While the Guardians movies didn't take themselves too seriously, it was better for them to alter Nebula's design when adapting the comics.

6 Rocket Raccoon Is Cartoonish In The Best Way

Rocket Raccoon Flying Backwards in Guardian's of the Galaxy in Marvel Comics

The gimmick of Rocket's character has always been that he's a raccoon who acts human. Given this, his film version doesn't look all that different from original his comic book counterpart, since they are both raccoons who walk upright and wear clothes. However, more recent comics have taken Rocket's look in an interesting direction.

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2014's Rocket Raccoon solo comic gave readers a stylized cartoonish version of Rocket. This version helped Rocket visibly show a wider range of emotions, and it perfectly captured his wild personality. This version also gave Rocket all red eyes, a trend that continued for less exaggerated versions of the character.

5 Mantis Keeps Changing Her Look

Mantis Marvel Comics

In Mantis' first appearance, she wore a grass-like skirt and massive shoulder pads that mirrored her antennae. Unlike the film version's flesh-colored antennae, Mantis' comic book ones were black like those of an insect. However, older depictions of Mantis in comics weren't the only ones to differ from the film.

More recently, Mantis has been depicted with green skin, an interesting trend among the comic book Guardians. When adapting Mantis, it seems Marvel Studios picked the elements of her character design they liked, while adding a few new ones of their own, like her enlarged pupils.

4 Groot Is Much Weirder Than His MCU Counterpart

Groot from Marvel Comics

Groot's film version drew viewers in with his simple and empathetic design. He was a big tree man with kind eyes. The same can't be said for every version of Groot in the comics. In fact, Groot frequently struggles with serious over-design issues.

Comics have depicted Groot as everything from a standard-looking tree to an intricate amalgamation of twisting branches with glowing red orbs of bioluminescence inside of him. It's easy to understand why the films stayed away from overly complicated designs, instead choosing a simpler look that would help him evoke empathy from viewers.

3 Adam Warlock Is A Golden God

Adam Warlock wearing the Infinity Gauntlet in a scene within Marvel Comics.

After being teased at the end of Guardians 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will introduce Adam Warlock to the MCU. Unlike the more futuristic aesthetic many Guardians have, Adam dresses more like a wizard. He often sports a long red cape, occasionally with a high collar reminiscent of Doctor Strange's design.

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Adam usually has golden skin, a trend moviegoers can probably expect given his ties to the Sovereign. Interestingly enough, there's a time in the comics when Adam Warlock has the Soul Stone embedded on his forehead. It will be interesting to see if this aspect of his design makes it into the film, given Gamora's tie to the Soul Stone in the MCU.

2 Kraglin Is A Whole New Character

Kraglin's new design in Marvel Comics

With Guardians 3 possibly being the character's last appearance, it would be nice to see Kraglin play a larger role, especially since the end of Guardians 2 teased he would replace Yondu. In the films, Kraglin looked like a simple guy with a mohawk, but his visual design from the comics was drastically different.

In the comics, Kraglin is depicted as a furry blue alien with sharp teeth. He also has massive red compound eyes, like those of a dragonfly. These allow Kraglin to see in multiple directions at once and give him an otherworldly visual design.

1 The High Evolutionary Is Scary Iron Man

The High Evolutionary surrounded by onlookers

As a Marvel villain with a ton of history, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may present the first of several appearances for The High Evolutionary in the MCU. This scientist turned supervillain has had a few different visual designs over the years, but there are consistent elements that seem to stick around.

Usually, The High Evolutionary sports a metal suit that's somewhere between red and hot pink with accents of silver. He hides his true face behind a full mask with glowing slits for eyes, not unlike Iron Man's mask. It will be interesting to see if viewers get a fully realized version of this costume on the big screen, or if they'll receive a unique version.

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