| Bug | |
|---|---|
 Cover ofBug #1 (March 1997), art by Derec Aucoin and John Dell. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Micronauts #1 (January 1979) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo (writer) Michael Golden (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Place of origin | Microverse |
| Team affiliations | Guardians of the Galaxy Micronauts |
| Notable aliases | Galactic Warrior, Lover Bug |
| Abilities | Ability to cling to walls Exceptional agility Extraordinary sight Enhanced peripheral vision via helmet Antennae enable: Communication with others bearing antennae Heightened sensory awareness with a limited degree of danger sense |
Bug is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Bug was originally a member of theMicronauts and later joined the second incarnation of theGuardians of the Galaxy.
When he first appeared inMicronauts #1 (dated January 1979), Bug was also known asGalactic Warrior, taking this name from a figure from theMicronauts toy line on which the comic book series was based. The toy based characters were all owned byTakara Co., Ltd., with any original characters owned by Marvel. Starting with the fourth issue, the Galactic Warrior's title was dropped. This was done after Marvel realized that since the character's design looked nothing like the toy, they could assume ownership if they used a different name.[1]
Bug appeared as a featured character throughoutMicronauts original run, starting from the first issue until issue #59 (dated August 1984), the series' final issue.[2] Months later Marvel restarted the series withMicronauts: The New Voyages #1 (dated October 1984) with Bug once again appearing as a featured character. This second series lasted until issue #20 (dated May 1986).[3]
In the 1990s, Marvel began plans to launch a new series starring the Micronauts, despite the fact that they no longer held the publishing rights to the toy based characters. Assuming thatAbrams Gentile Entertainment (the company that, at the time, owned the American rights to the Micronaut toy line) would agree to this new series, Marvel hired Shon C. Bury to write the series andCary Nord to draw it.[4][5] In preparation Bug and the other Micronauts that Marvel owned guest starred inCable #39 (dated January 1997)[4] and Bug was featured in a soloone-shot (dated March 1997).[6] The negotiations with AGE eventually fell apart, the series was shelved and the three issues already produced were never published.[5]
Bug would later appear with the other Marvel owned Micronauts (now named the Microns) in issues ofCaptain Marvel in 2000 and 2001.
Bug did not make any further appearances until 2007. At this point he appeared alone, without any of the other Microns, as a prisoner of the alienKree. He was then recruited into a hastily assembled covert team led byStar-Lord. His activities at this point were depicted in thelimited seriesAnnihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord andAnnihilation: Conquest. He was then a recurring character in the second volume ofGuardians of the Galaxy, which spun out of the events ofAnnihilation: Conquest.
Although Bug was not a founding member of the "modern" Guardians team,Rocket Raccoon asked him to join when the original group disbanded after some internal misunderstandings. Bug agreed, and fought alongside the Guardians as they attempted to stop theShi'ar-Kree interstellar conflict known as theWar of Kings. Although they failed, Bug stayed with the Guardians as they dealt with the war's aftermath in the "Realm of Kings" storyline through the series' end with issue #25 in 2010. Bug appeared as a member of the Guardians inAvengers Assemble issues #4-8 in 2012. Bug appeared in flashback to talk toMoondragon in a bar inGuardians of the Galaxy (2020) issue #5.
Bug can cling to walls and has exceptional agility. He has extraordinary sight, with enhanced peripheral vision gained by wearing his helmet. His antennae enable communication with others bearing antennae, and provide heightened sensory awareness with a limited degree of danger sense.[7]
In an interview forGuardians of the Galaxy, director and screenwriterJames Gunn revealed that Bug was in a previous script for the film as a part of the team.[8] He later revealed that he was unlikely to appear in any futureMarvel Cinematic Universe project as Marvel does not own the rights to the character, further clarifying thatHasbro still owns the rights to Bug.[9][10] InAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a character namedVeb, voiced byDavid Dastmalchian, appears and shares some similarities, implying that he is intended to be a stand-in for the character.[11]