| Guardians of the Galaxy | |
|---|---|
 Promotional image for Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #1 (May 2008) Art byClint Langley depictingStar-Lord,Rocket Raccoon,Drax the Destroyer,Gamora,Adam Warlock andPhyla-Vell. | |
| Group publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Annihilation: Conquest #6 (April2008) |
| Created by | Dan Abnett Andy Lanning |
| In-story information | |
| Type of organization | Superhero team |
| Base(s) | Knowhere |
| Leader(s) | Star-Lord |
| Agent(s) | Groot Rocket Raccoon Phyla-Vell Gamora Drax the Destroyer Moondragon Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr) Nova (Richard Rider) |
| Roster | |
| See:List of Guardians of the Galaxy members | |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | |
| Series publication information | |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | (Volume 2) July2008 – June2010 (Volume 3) May2013 – July2015 (Volume 4) December2015 – June2017 (All-New Guardians of the Galaxy) July – December2017 (Volume 1 resumed) January – March2018 (Volume 5) March2019 – February2020 (Volume 6) March2020 – November2021 |
| Number of issues | (Volume 2) 25 (Volume 3) 28 (Volume 4) 20 (All-New Guardians of the Galaxy) 12 (Volume 1 resumed) 5 (Volume 5) 12 (Volume 6) 18 |
| Creator(s) | Dan Abnett Andy Lanning |
TheGuardians of the Galaxy are afictionalsuperhero team appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics.Dan Abnett andAndy Lanning formed the team from existing and previously unrelated characters created by a variety of writers and artists, with an initial roster ofStar-Lord,Rocket Raccoon,Groot,Phyla-Vell,Gamora,Drax the Destroyer, andAdam Warlock. They first appeared inAnnihilation: Conquest #6 (April 2008).
Afeature film set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe based on this team was released in 2014. A sequel, titledGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, was released in 2017, and the team has also been featured in thecrossover filmsAvengers: Infinity War (2018),Avengers: Endgame (2019) andThor: Love and Thunder, as well as theDisney+The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (both 2022) andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).
This Guardians team is the second to operate under the name, following theoriginal team created byArnold Drake,Roy Thomas andStan Lee in 1969.
The second volume of the title was published in May 2008, written byDan Abnett andAndy Lanning and featured a new team of characters from theAnnihilation: Conquest storyline.[1][2]
Abnett and Lanning's work on theAnnihilation: Conquest story laid the foundation for the newGuardians of the Galaxy book that they had been wanting to launch for some time.[3] Editor Bill Rosemann, who had also editedAnnihilation: Conquest, provided more background: "As the planning of 'Annihilation: Conquest' came together, it occurred to us that, if things went well, there would be a group of characters left standing who would make for a very interesting and fun team." It also provided the motivation the team would need, as "on the heels of two back-to-back wars, they're out to prevent any new Annihilation-size disasters from erupting."[4]
The title ran parallel withNova vol. 4, which was also written by Abnett and Lanning. The two crossed over in the storylines "War of Kings"[5][6] and "Realm of Kings".[7][8][9]Paul Pelletier pencilled the first seven issues. Brad Walker and Wes Craig alternated pencilling tasks from #8 to #25.[10]
The book was canceled in April 2010 with issue 25. Some plot threads were concluded inThe Thanos Imperative 1–6 and its two one-shots (May 2010 – Jan 2011).[11]
The team appeared reassembled inAvengers Assemble #4–8 (June–October 2012).[12]
The Guardians of the Galaxy appeared in a series for the 2012Marvel NOW! branding, starting with issue 0.1 written byBrian Michael Bendis and drawn bySteve McNiven, which sawIron Man join the team.[13] Later issues of the series sawAngela,[14]Agent Venom,[15] andCaptain Marvel join.[16]
In 2014, to tie into the feature film, Marvel debutedLegendary Star-Lord, a solo series written by Sam Humphries,[17] and aRocket Raccoon solo series.[18] The following year saw a soloGroot miniseries written by Jeff Loveness.[19]
Guardians of the Galaxy was relaunched as part of the 2015All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative with Brian Michael Bendis and Valerio Schiti returning as writer and artist respectively.[20] The series sees Peter Quill and Gamora leaving the team, and Rocket becoming the new team's self-appointed leader, also two new characters were added to the team.Kitty Pryde (taking up the mantle of Star-Lord) andthe Thing.[21] As part of the same initiative, Star-Lord starred in a 2015 solo series again written by Humphries,[22] while Drax and Gamora starred in their own individual solo series written byCM Punk[23] and Nicole Perlman, respectively.[24]
In the aftermath of thePhalanx invasion of the Kree,Star-Lord[25] decides to form a team of interstellar heroes that will be proactive in protecting the galaxy, rather than reacting to crises as they happen. To this end, he recruitsAdam Warlock,[26]Drax the Destroyer,[27]Gamora,[27]Phyla-Vell (the newQuasar),[28]Rocket Raccoon,[29] andGroot,[29] withMantis as support staff.[30] On the recommendation of their ally,Nova, the group establishes a base of operations on the space stationKnowhere, which possesses a teleportation system with near-universal range.[31] An intelligent, telepathic dog namedCosmo the Spacedog is Knowhere's chief of security and works closely with the new team. After a confrontation with theUniversal Church of Truth,[1] the team meets a semi-amnesiac man who identifies himself asVance Astro – Major Victory of the originalGuardians of the Galaxy.[32] Astro's declaration inspires the as-yet-unnamed team to adopt the "Guardians of the Galaxy" name for their own.[33] When the team learns Star-Lord directed Mantis to telepathically coerce the heroes into joining the team, they disband.[34]
Rocket Raccoon decides to continue Star-Lord's mission and starts a search for the missing members. His new team includesBug, Mantis, Major Victory, and Groot, who is fully regrown. Meanwhile, Star-Lord was banished to theNegative Zone byRonan the Accuser for his actions during thePhalanx's attempted conquest of theKree Empire. There, he finds himself in the middle of KingBlastaar's fight to break into 42 and use its portal to invade Earth. Star-Lord allies withJack Flag to defend the prison and contact the other Guardians for rescue. Rocket's new team successfully brings both of them back, and Flag becomes a Guardian. Elsewhere, Drax and Phyla begin looking for Cammi, but on their search they talk to a seer who tells them about anoncoming war. Phyla is able to wake Moondragon from the dead, but loses her Quantum Bands in the process. The consequence for Phyla is that she is now the new avatar of death. They go back to Knowhere and do not follow up on the search for Cammi.[citation needed]
Warlock and Gamora return and inform the team of theWar of Kings. They split into three teams, one each to the Kree andShi'ar, and one staying on Knowhere to coordinate. The Kree team is heard byBlack Bolt and the Inhumans, but their request for peace is denied. The Shi'ar team is attacked by Vulcan and the Imperial Guard, leading them to ally with theStarjammers.
Star-Lord, Mantis, Bug, Jack Flag, and Cosmo are taken to the 31st Century by that era's Guardians, who warn them of the creation of an all-destroying energy rift called The Fault at the war's conclusion. Trapped in the future, Star-Lord's team is able to get a message to Warlock in the 21st Century. Warlock is unable to stop The Fault's creation, but is able to contain it with a spell that requires a stable, unused timeline. Warlock chooses the one he previously erased,[35] causing him to become theMagus. Star-Lord's team, with the help ofKang the Conqueror, are returned to this point in the timestream. To escape, Magus fakes the death of himself, Mantis, Cosmo, Major Victory, Martyr, and Gamora.[36]
Martyr frees herself with the help ofMaelstrom, and enables Mantis to call the other Guardians for help telepathically. When they come to the rescue, Phyla-Vell is misled by Maelstrom into freeingThanos. Thanos kills Martyr, but is captured by the Guardians and taken back to Knowhere as a prisoner.[37]
In the 2010 miniseriesThe Thanos Imperative, the universe is invaded by theCancerverse, a universe that lies on the opposite side of the Fault, a rift in space-time formed at the end of "War of Kings". The Guardians take Thanos to the Cancerverse in an attempt to end the war early.[38] Along the way, Drax attacks Thanos and is killed.[39] They are ultimately successful at ending the war, but Thanos is left enraged and promising to kill everyone. Along withNova, Star-Lord remains in the collapsing Cancerverse as the other Guardians escape.[40]
After the death of Star-Lord, the Guardians disband. Still believing in their cause, Cosmo recruits another team under the name "Annihilators".[41] Rocket Raccoon and Groot later reunite and decide to continue the Guardians' legacy after the duo prevent an incident on Rocket's home world, Halfworld.[42]
The new team appears on Earth to aid the Avengers against Thanos.[43]
The Marvel NOW! iteration of the team includes Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, andIron Man. After Star-Lord's father visits him in a bar to tell him that it is forbidden for any alien species to visit Earth, Iron Man is attacked by an army of Badoon invading Earth. The Guardians and their newest member Iron Man defeat the ship; however,London is still invaded.[44] The Guardians defend London and finish off the horde of Badoon but learn that, for violating the "Earth-is-off-limits" rule (the Spartax Earth Directive), they are to be placed under arrest by the King of Spartax. The Guardians manage to escape with the help of Groot, who had recently regrown after being destroyed by a Badoon ship's explosion. In April 2013, it was announced that Image Comics'Angela (Spawn) would join the Marvel Universe as the result of a legal battle betweenNeil Gaiman andTodd McFarlane. After appearing in the "Age of Ultron", she joins the Guardians.Captain Marvel andAgent Venom later have stints as team members as well.[45]
During the "Secret Wars" storyline, the Guardians of the Galaxy take part in the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. During the incursion, Rocket Raccoon and Groot are killed by the Children of Tomorrow, Star-Lord is teleported away trying to come up with a back-up plan, and Gamora and Drax the Destroyer are surrounded and confused by the corpses of their comrades.[46] During the subsequent conflict with the Beyonder-empowered Doom, Star-Lord is one of the survivors of the previous universe, piloting the 616 and Ultimate versions of Mister Fantastic in to mount a final assault on Doom's castle, and revealing that he kept a twig from Groot in his pocket until the right moment.
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, the Guardians of the Galaxy assist Captain Marvel, theUltimates, theAlpha Flight Space Program,Hyperion, andQuasar in fighting theChitauri wave. Captain America, who was brainwashed into being aHydra sleeper agent, activates the Planetary Defense Shield, trapping them outside of Earth.[47]
In 2020, Marvel announced a reboot of the series, written byAl Ewing and drawn by Juann Cabal. This new series depicts the titular team, led byStar-Lord andRocket Raccoon and includingMarvel Boy,Nova,Phyla-Vell,Moondragon andHercules, fighting against theGods of Olympus, with Gamora, Groot, and Drax also appear as prominent supporting characters.[48]Wiccan andHulkling later join as members.[49]
The 2008 series holds a 7.5 out of 10 critic rating on the review aggregator website Comic Book Round Up.[50][51][52][53][54][55]
The May 2008 sales estimate for the first issue was 39,854 copies, making it the 61st top-selling comic title that month.[56] The first and second issues sold out,[57] and were later published as part of a collected edition.[58]
Al Ewing's run ofGuardians of the Galaxy received a nomination for theGLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book at the32nd GLAAD Media Awards in 2021.[59]
During the "Secret Wars" storyline in the domain of King James' England (which is based on theMarvel 1602 reality), the Guardians of the Galaxy have a counterpart here named the Gardiner's Men. They are a troupe of performers consisting ofMadam Gomorrah,Peadar O'Cuill,Arthur Dubhghlas,Goodman Root, andAroughcun the Raccoon.Angela later befriended them when she helped to fight off attacking beasts.[60]
In another story, "Baby Thanos", other team members appeared withCable instead of Star-Lord from the resurrected and remade universe where they became "Punisher Universe". But there were other team members as well, where there werePeni Parker,Wolverine,Kamala Khan (Captain Marvel),Juggernaut (Juggerduck),Cloak and Dagger,IronGroot, and others heroes. All were killed by Frank Castle in order to protect the infantThanos.[61]
The Guardians of the Galaxy appear in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,[64] initially consisting ofStar-Lord,Gamora,Drax,Rocket,Groot,Mantis, andNebula.[65] After the original group eventually disbands, a new iteration is formed, consisting of Rocket, Groot,Cosmo,Kraglin,Adam Warlock,Phyla, and Blurp. Following their first appearance in theirself-titled film, the Guardians make subsequent appearances in the filmsGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,Avengers: Infinity War,Avengers: Endgame,Thor: Love and Thunder, andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as well asThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #1–6 | January 2009 | 0-7851-3338-0 |
| War of Kings: Book 1 | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #7–12 | June 2009 | 0-7851-3339-9 |
| War of Kings: Book 2 | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #13–19,Marvel Spotlight: War of Kings | November 2009 | 978-0785140481 |
| Realm of Kings | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #20–25 | July 2010 | 0-7851-4049-2 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett & Lanning: The Complete Collection Volume 1 | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #1–12 | August 2014 | 978-0785190646 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett & Lanning: The Complete Collection Volume 2 | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #13–25 | December 2014 | 978-0785190639 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett & Lanning Omnibus | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #1–25,The Thanos Imperative: Ignition,The Thanos Imperative #1–6,The Thanos Imperative: Devastation, material fromAnnihilators #1–4,Annihilators: Earthfall #1–4 | May 2016 | 978-0785198345 |
| Guardians Of The Galaxy Modern Era Epic Collection Vol 1 Somebody's Got To Do It | Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord #1-4,Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #1-12 | September 2023 | 978-1302953751 |
| Guardians Of The Galaxy Modern Era Epic Collection Vol 2 War of Kings | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #13-25,The Thanos Imperative: Ignition,The Thanos Imperative #1–6 | January 2025 | 978-1302959968 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #0.1,1–3,Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers #1 | September 2013 | 978-0785166078 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Angela | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #4–10 | February 2014 | 978-0785166085 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy/All-New X-Men: The Trial of Jean Grey | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #11–13,All-New X-Men (vol. 1) #22–24 | June 2014 | 978-0785166092 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Guardians Disassembled | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #14–17,Captain Marvel (vol. 7) #1, material fromAmazing Spider-Man #654,Free Comic Book Day 2014: Guardians of the Galaxy | November 2014 | 978-0785154792 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4: Original Sin | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #18–23 | December 2014 | 978-0785192459 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 5: Through the Looking Glass | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #24–27,Annual #1 | April 2015 | 978-0785197386 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex | Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1,Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #24–25,Legendary Star-Lord #9–11,All-New X-Men (vol. 1) #38–39,Guardians Team-Up #2,Nova (vol. 5) #28;Cyclops (vol. 3) #12;Captain Marvel (vol. 8) #14;Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega #1 | July 2015 | 978-0785197706 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1 (HC) | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #0.1, 1–10,Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow 's Avengers #1 | May 2015 | 978-0785194002 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 (HC) | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #11–17,All-New X-Men (vol. 1) #22–24,Free Comic Book Day 2014: Guardians of the Galaxy | January 2016 | 978-0785198246 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (HC) | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #18–27,Annual #1 | September 2016 | 978-1302900083 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus | Avengers Assemble #1–8,Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 3) #0.1, 1–27,Annual #1;Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers #1,All-New X-Men (vol. 1) #22–24,Free Comic Book Day 2014: Guardians of the Galaxy,Guardians of Knowhere #1–4 | December 2016 | 978-1302900274 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians Team-Up Vol. 1: Guardians Assemble | Guardians Team-Up #1–5,Tails of Pet-Avengers #1 | November 2015 | 978-0785197140 |
| Guardians Team-Up Vol. 2: Unlikely Story | Guardians Team-Up #6–10,Deadpool Team-Up #883 | February 2016 | 978-0785199113 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of Knowhere | Guardians of Knowhere #1–4,New Avengers: Illuminati #3 | December 2015 | 978-0785198444 |
| Star-Lord & Kitty Pryde | Star-Lord & Kitty Pryde #1–3,Generation Next #1,Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega | December 2015 | 978-0785198437 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 1: Emperor Quill | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 4) #1–5 | May 2016 | 978-0785195184 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 2: Wanted | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 4) #6–10 | November 2016 | 978-0785195191 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 3: Civil War II | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 4) #11–14 | February 2017 | 978-1302903015 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 4: Grounded | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 4) #15–19 | October 2017 | 978-1302906702 |
| Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 4 (HC) | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 4) #1–10 | November 2017 | 978-1302904371 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 5 (HC) | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 4) #11–19, material fromFree Comic Book Day 2016 Civil War II | August 2018 | 978-1302908966 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Guardians of Infinity | Guardians of Infinity #1–8 (A stories) | August 2016 | 978-0785195870 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Tales of the Cosmos | Guardians of Infinity #1–8 (B stories) | August 2016 | 978-0785195887 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| All New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Communication Breakdown | All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1–2, 4, 6, 8, 10, Free Comic Book Day 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy | December 2017 | 978-1302905446 |
| All New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Riders in the Sky | All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #3, 5, 7, 9, 11–12 | February 2018 | 978-1302905453 |
| All New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Infinity Quest | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 1) #146–150 | March 2018 | 978-1302905460 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy by Gerry Duggan Omnibus | All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy #1–12, Guardians Of The Galaxy (vol. 1) #146–150, material fromFree Comic Book Day 2017 Guardians Of The Galaxy | October 2018 | 978-1302913151 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: The Final Gauntlet | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 5) #1–6 | August 2019 | 978-1302915889 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Faithless | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 5) #7–12, Annual #1 | March 2020 | 978-1302915896 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy by Donny Cates | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 5) #1–12, Annual #1 | February 2021 | 978-1302926731 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Then It's Us | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 6) #1–5 | October 2020 | 978-1302920753 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Here We Make Our Stand | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 6) #6–12 | May 2021 | 978-1302920760 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: We're Super Heroes | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 6) #13–18 | November 2021 | 978-1302928766 |
| Last Annihilation | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 6) #16–18,Cable Reloaded #1,The Last Annihilation: Wiccan & Hulking #1,The Last Annihilation: Wakanda #1,S.W.O.R.D. (vol. 2) #7 | August 2022 | 978-1302933111 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy by Al Ewing | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 6) #1-18,Rocket #1-6 and material fromGuardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 | April 2023 | 978-1302949907 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Grootfall | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 7) #1–5 | November 2023 | 978-1302951191 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Grootrise | Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 7) #6–10,Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 | April 2024 | 978-1302951207 |
| Title | Material collected | Publication Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Mother Entropy | Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mother Entropy #1–5 | August 2017 | 978-1846538322 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games | Guardians of the Galaxy: Telltale Games #1–5 | June 2018 | 978-1302909390 |
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