| Gamora | |
|---|---|
 Textless variant cover ofGuardians of the Galaxy vol. 6 #1 (January 2020). Art by Shannon Maer. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Strange Tales #180 (June 1975) |
| Created by | Jim Starlin |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Gamora Zen Whoberi Ben Titan |
| Species | Zen-Whoberian mutate |
| Team affiliations | Guardians of the Galaxy Infinity Watch Phalanx Graces United Front Nova Corps |
| Partnerships | Peter Quill (Star-Lord) |
| Notable aliases | Requiem Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe The Deadliest Woman In The Universe Bambi Long |
| Abilities |
|
Gamora[a] is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writer/artistJim Starlin, the character first appeared inStrange Tales #180 (June 1975). Gamora is the adopted daughter ofThanos and thelast of her species. Her powers include superhuman strength and agility and an accelerated healing factor. She also is an elite combatant, being able to beat most of the opponents in the galaxy. She is a member of thesuperhero group known as theInfinity Watch. The character played a role in the 2007crossover storyline "Annihilation: Conquest", becoming a member of the titular team in its spin-off comic,Guardians of the Galaxy, before becoming thesupervillainRequiem in the 2018 crossover storylines "Infinity Countdown" and "Infinity Wars".
Gamora has been featured in a variety of associated Marvel merchandise.Zoe Saldaña playedthe character in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmsGuardians of the Galaxy (2014),Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), andAvengers: Infinity War (2018), additionally portraying a version of the character from an alternate timeline inAvengers: Endgame (2019) andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).Ariana Greenblatt portrayed a young Gamora inAvengers: Infinity War.
Starlin commented on the character's creation stating, "She's the straight man for thePips and theDraxes and the what have you, which doesn't make her the most interesting character, but makes her essential to get the rest of the story moving. So I always treated her as such. I had one story in particular, one Infinity Watch story, where she tries to show everyone how much of an adult she is by dealing with these U.N. soldiers who eventually piss her off, and she wrecks everything, disproving her point entirely. But most of the time she's the solid one, the one that brings everyone back to the reality they should be at. I've always used her as a supporting character. She was created as a supporting character. I have a limit on how much work I can do, so I never shot off on thinking about solo adventures with her. Even when she wasn't in a group, she was always a supporting character forAdam Warlock. I'm sure I could find those hooks that would make a solo story, I've just never done it. She probably works either way, but I've only ever used her one way."[2]
The character debuted inStrange Tales #180 (1975), and was created byJim Starlin. She returned in issue #181,Warlock #9, 10, 11 and 15 (1975-1976), and in the 1977 annuals forThe Avengers andMarvel Two-in-One. In 1990, she returned inSilver Surfer vol. 3 #46-47. She had a minor role inThe Infinity Gauntlet #1-6 (1991) and co-starred inWarlock and the Infinity Watch #1-42 (1992-1995). She was also featured in theInfinity War (1992) andInfinity Crusade (1993) crossovers. After appearing inInfinity Abyss #1-6 (2002),Annihilation:Ronan #1-4 (2006),Annihilation #1-6 (2006), Annihilation: Conquest #6 (2008) andNova vol. 4 #4-12 (2007-2008), Gamora costarred inGuardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 #1-25 (2008-2010). She played a minor role inThe Thanos Imperative #1-6 (2010).
The character, along with the other Guardians, appears inAvengers Assemble issues #4-8 (2012). She stars inGuardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, a part of theMarvel NOW! relaunch,[3] and inGuardians of the Galaxy vol. 4.[citation needed] Parts of her origin story were told in a 2017 series titledGamora that lasted five issues and were collected into the graphic novelGamora: Memento Mori (2017). While being set onEarth-616,[4] itretcons some elements of the established continuity to match the film version.[citation needed]
Gamora is thelast of her species, the Zen-Whoberis, who were exterminated by theBadoon (in her original timeline, her species was exterminated by theUniversal Church of Truth).Thanos found her as a child and decided to use her as a weapon. Gamora was raised and trained by Thanos to assassinate the Magus, the evil, future version ofAdam Warlock. Thanos showed her little kindness during her childhood, but Gamora was very loyal to the man who promised her the opportunity to avenge the death of her family. Gamora became very proficient inmartial arts, earning the nickname"The deadliest woman in the whole galaxy". When she was a teenager, Thanos took her on a trip to Tartoonla #7. Gamora disobeyed Thanos's orders, and due to this, came into conflict with a group of thugs. She was greatly outnumbered, and despite her skills, she was defeated and then raped by the assailants. Thanos found her half dead, and in turn, murdered all of her assailants and restored her to health, cybernetically enhancing her to superhuman levels.
As an adult, Gamora was sent as an assassin against the Universal Church of Truth, quickly becoming feared by its agents, the Black Knights. She exacted revenge for the genocide of her race by killing every member of the church involved before the event occurred. Gamora met and teamed up with Adam Warlock, who wanted to stop his future, evil self.[5][6] She even managed to get close to the Magus but failed her assassination in the last second. Together with Warlock,Pip the Troll and Thanos, Gamora fought to escape the Black Knights of the Universal Church of Truth and Magus's Death Squad.[7][8][9] She was then assigned by Thanos to protect Warlock, but she became suspicious of Thanos's plans, and was then attacked byDrax the Destroyer.[10]
Eventually the Magus was defeated, but Thanos revealed himself as a greater threat. Gamora aidedMar-Vell, Drax, and theAvengers against Thanos. Gamora and Pip tried to prevent Thanos from destroying half of all the life in the universe. Gamora attempted to slay Thanos, but he mortally wounded her, and destroyed Pip's mind.[11] Adam Warlock found them, and Gamora warned Adam of Thanos's plans, and Adam absorbed their souls into hisSoul Gem. When Warlock died as well, his spirit reunited with his friends in the world within the Soul Gem.[12]
Inside the Soul Gem wasSoul World, a place where Gamora, Pip and eventually Adam Warlock himself lived at peace. Other beings who had been absorbed by the Soul Gem, such asKray-Tor and Autolycus, also lived in peace with former enemies.
Gamora met theSilver Surfer when he traveled to Soul World, and also battled Drax the Destroyer.[13][14]
When Thanos managed to obtain all theInfinity Gems, forming theInfinity Gauntlet, Adam Warlock decided that he must be stopped. Warlock led Gamora and Pip the Troll out of Soul World into the real world. Their souls took over the bodies of three humans, who had recently died in a car crash. Gamora thus returned to the corporeal world by taking possession of the body of Bambi Long, whose body then began transforming into a duplicate of Gamora's original body. However, Gamora was soon erased from existence by Thanos when he erased half the population in the universe.[15] WhenNebula claimed the Gauntlet from Thanos, Gamora returned to existence.[16]
Warlock now had the Infinity Gauntlet, giving him nearomnipotence. Gamora and Pip persuadedDoctor Strange to help them find and stop Warlock, who was going mad with power.[17] TheLiving Tribunal intervened and Warlock divided the Infinity Gems among several guardians, known as the Infinity Watch. Gamora received theTime Gem, but was incapable of consciously using it, though it did give her sporadicprecognitive dreams and visions.[18] Gamora had become romantically interested in Adam, but Adam did not respond to her. In an argument over the Infinity Watch memberMaxam, Gamora left the Infinity Watch and the Time Gem behind. She returned to work as amercenary until Adam Warlock approached her again. They continued to travel together and eventually Adam reciprocated her love. Adam and Gamora remained in a pocket dimension to raise the cosmic being known as Atleza.[19]
Gamora later reappears in the pages ofRonan, having left the company of Adam Warlock and settled on the world Godthab Omega as leader of a group of female warriors called The Graces, where her mind has been altered byGlorian. She is intent on re-establishing her reputation as the deadliest woman in the universe and now wields theGodslayer sword.[20][21] At one point, she is seen reclining on a 'throne' made of corpses. She joins the United Front, using her skills to launch quick counterattacks against theAnnihilation Wave. She engages in a sexual relationship with the United Front's leader,Nova.[22]
During thePhalanx's invasion of theKree home-world following the Annihilation War, Gamora is assimilated as a "select" of the hive mind. They dispatch her to apprehend Nova after he flees the planet.[23] She is later freed by Nova and theTechnarch Tyro, but left in severe distress, longing again for the sense of companionship brought by the Phalanx, and continuing to adopt her Phalanx mannerisms.[24]
She joins the newGuardians of the Galaxy.[25]
Gamora was taken prisoner byMagus when he faked the death of himself and several other Guardians.[26] She was rescued byStar-Lord[27][28] and played a minor role in the war with the "Cancerverse".[29][30]
She later appears on Earth to aid the Avengers against Thanos.[31]
During theOriginal Sin storyline, Gamora was seen withMoon Knight andWinter Soldier's group, investigating the murder ofUatu theWatcher.[32]
Later, Gamora was confronted in her dreams by an elderly version of herself who turned out to be a part of her which had remained trapped in the Soul Stone after she left its internal paradise.[33] This gave Gamora a motivation to recover the Soul Stone at whatever cost.[34] When the Guardians of the Galaxy find the Power Stone, Gamora pleads with Star-Lord to let her use the Stone so she could get the Soul Stone and recover the piece of her soul trapped within it. Quill refuses and Gamora leaves him with a parting kiss.[35]
After experiencing reoccurring dreams concerning encounters with an older version of herself, Gamora realizes that a portion of her soul is trapped inside the Soul World. After obtaining the Infinity Gems, Gamora takes the name "Requiem" and kills Thanos before using the Gems to fuse every being in the universe with one another to appease Devondra, a spider-like entity who lives in Soul World. Ultimately, Gamora is defeated and sent to another planet alongside a resurrected Magus, while the merged universe is preserved as a pocket dimension inside the Soul Gem.[36][37][38][39]
Gamora received treatments from Thanos that enhanced her speed, strength, agility, and durability to rival Adam Warlock's (to better slay the Magus, his evil, future self).[40] Thanos also helped her become a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, trained in the martial-arts techniques from various planets, in the uses of the known weaponry of theMilky Way galaxy, and stealth techniques. She is also a highly skilled gymnast and assassin, and formerly possessed a telepathic link to Thanos. She uses a wide variety of weaponry, most notably a dagger whose unknown properties made it capable of slaying even beings of such immense power as Thanos and the Magus.
In the pages ofInfinity Watch, it is revealed that Gamora had been cybernetically enhanced to have superhuman strength, speed, and a rapid-healing ability.[41] Gamora's strength and speed were further enhanced by Adam Warlock when they returned from Soulworld.[42]
Gamora possesses a regenerative healing factor, allowing her to recover more quickly.[43]
Gamora is one of the most skilled martial artists in the Marvel Universe. She is capable of defeating opponents who possess superhuman strength and durability that far surpass her own, and she has defeated a military platoon containing dozens of combat-trained men in only a few minutes. She has learned to paralyze or kill opponents using vital-point strikes directed at certain nerve clusters. Although skilled in the use of most conventional weapons, she prefers to use knives and swords.
While Gamora was with the Infinity Watch, she possessed theInfinity Gem called the "Time Gem". The gem was mentally linked to her, giving her the potential power to control time. She said that she did not know how to employ its powers and preferred not to use it. While she possessed the Time Gem, Gamora was prone toprecognitive dreams and visions, though she had no conscious control over them.[volume & issue needed] Later, despite no longer possessing the gem, she was claimed to retain some measure of this capability at the time of the Phalanx conquest.[44]
Zoe Saldaña portrays Gamora in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe. She first appears in the live-action filmGuardians of the Galaxy (2014),[58][59][60] before making subsequent appearances in the live-action filmsGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)[61] andAvengers: Infinity War (2018). Furthermore, Saldaña also portrays an alternate timeline version of Gamora in the live-action filmAvengers: Endgame (2019)[62] and reprised the role in the 2023 filmGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.[63][64][65] Additionally,Ariana Greenblatt portrays a young Gamora inInfinity War[66] whileCynthia McWilliams voices an alternate timeline variant in theDisney+ animated seriesWhat If...?.[67][68][55]
| Title | Material Collected | Publication Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamora: Guardian of the Galaxy | Strange Tales (vol. 1) #180-181;Warlock (vol. 1) #9-11, #15;Avengers Annual (vol. 1) #7 andMarvel Two-In-One Annual #2 | September 21, 2016 | 978-1302902179 |
| Gamora: Memento Mori | Gamora #1-5 | July 5, 2017 | 978-0785197829 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)Nika Futterman plays Sticks the Badger in the Sonic games and has featured in Call of Duty games and as Gamora in Disney Infinity 3.0. She plays Runa in For Honor.