| Yondu | |
|---|---|
 The two versions of Yondu on the variant cover forYondu #2 Art by Alex Garner | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Yondu Udonta |
| Species | Centaurian |
| Team affiliations | Guardians of the Galaxy Avengers Ravagers |
| Abilities | Expert archer Empathic relationship with all life forms |
Yondu Udonta, or simplyYondu (/ˈjɒnduː/), is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The original version of the character is depicted as the last survivor of his species in the 31st century, and is a founding member of theoriginal Guardians of the Galaxy team from the MarvelMultiverse alternate reality known asEarth-691. Yondu in Earth-691 is depicted as a spiritual warrior who can control his killing arrows via sound waves, most commonly by whistling. Yondu joinedVance Astro and other survivors of theBadoon attack on the solar system in the 31st century who became known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. As part of the Guardians, Yondu traveled to present-day Earth and became an honorary member of theAvengers.
In other media, Yondu has appeared in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed byMichael Rooker, and theGuardians of the Galaxy animated series, voiced byJames Arnold Taylor. The former version is a cyborg and member of theRavagers and was later incorporated into the comics continuity, depicted as the first Yondu's ancestor.
TheEarth-691 version of Yondu first appeared inMarvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969), written byArnold Drake andpenciled byGene Colan. According toRoy Thomas, all of the original Guardians of the Galaxy were created in a conference between Drake andStan Lee, but it remains uncertain whether each individual character was created by Drake, Lee, or both.[1] WriterSteve Gerber included the character when he revived the team in several Marvel titles:Marvel Two-In-One #4–5 (July–Sept. 1974),Giant Size Defenders #5, andDefenders #26–29 (July-Nov. 1975), andMarvel Presents #3–12 (Feb. 1976 – Aug. 1977).[1]
Yondu appeared along with the rest of the original Guardians of the Galaxy team in the 2014 seriesGuardians 3000. WriterDan Abnett described him as "the instinct" of the team.[2]
TheEarth-616 version of Yondu first appeared inStar-Lord #2 and was created bySam Humphries and Javier Garron.
Yondu Udonta is a member of the Zatoan tribe and aCentaurian from Centauri IV. In 3006 A.D.,Vance Astro, an astronaut from Earth, lands on Yondu's planet with an antiquated propulsion ship. Vance encounters Yondu during the latter's trial of manhood. Yondu attacks him, but is repelled by Vance's powers. Vance keeps this secret as Yondu's action was illegal. Yondu works with Vance when theBadoon, an alien race, overtakes the planet later that year. All the other Centaurians are believed to have been slaughtered. Vance and Yondu escape in his ship to fetch help but the Badoon capture them easily. The duo are taken to Earth which, by 3007 A.D., has also been conquered. When questioned, Vance pretends to be unfriendly with Yondu. They later escape and team up withCharlie-27 of theJupiter colony andMartinex of thePluto colony, forming theGuardians of the Galaxy to fight the Badoon.[3]
For the next seven years, the four survivors attack the Badoon's outposts in theSolar System. In 3014 A.D., the Guardians team up with the time-travelingThing,Captain America, andSharon Carter to retake New York City from the Badoon forces.[4] In 3015 A.D., the Guardians time-travel to the 20th century.[5] They later return to 3015 A.D. with theDefenders and meetStarhawk.[6] After humanity defeats the Brotherhood of Badoon occupiers, the Sisterhood of Badoon arrive and remove the males from Earth.[7]
Yondu and the Guardians team up with the time-travelingThor, and battle Korvac and his Minions of Menace.[8] Yondu travels to the present alongside his fellow Guardians, and assists the Avengers againstKorvac.[9] In 3017 A.D., Yondu and the Guardians go on a quest to find the lostshield of Captain America. They battleTaserface and the Stark, and defeat the Stark.[10] Yondu's right hand is later destroyed by Interface, and replaced by Martinex with a bionic appendage.[11] Yondu later leaves the team when it is revealed that a small enclave of his people have survived on Centauri IV.[12] These Kikaahe ("cave dwellers") escaped death at the hands of the Badoon because the walls of the cavern where they lived contained the mineral trillite ("yaka") which blocks radio waves, thereby shielding them from sensors. Since his newfound people will not accept his bionic hand, Yondu allows the Guardians to restore his hand with their technology. During their farewells, Vance apologizes for what he had thought was unacceptable treatment of Yondu during their earlier adventurers.[13]
The Earth-616 version of Yondu has been identified by writerSam Humphries as "the great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather of the Yondu in the original Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians 3000."[14] In this reality, Yondu is the leader of theRavagers, a group ofspace pirates. Yondu findsPeter Quill when his ship malfunctions and strands him in space.[15] After the Ravagers save Peter, he tries to steal their ship, managing to outsmart every member of the crew and capturing Yondu. After Yondu frees himself from his restraints and attacks Peter, he gives him a choice between letting himself be released into space without more trouble or execution. Peter instead asks to join his crew. Yondu is initially skeptical of this idea, but after he learns Peter, like him, is a homeless orphan, Yondu allows him to stay on the ship with the Ravagers as their cleaning boy. Peter uses the opportunity to learn everything he can from space.[16] Later, Yondu makes him an official Ravager.[17]
Yondu is a Centaurian, a humanoid alien with physiology akin to Earthmarsupials.[18] He possesses a degree of enhanced strength and durability as well as an intuitive mystical "sixth sense" perception that permits him limited empathic relationships with other lifeforms. The higher the lifeform, the more limited is his empathic potential. Additionally, Yondu possesses an intuitive rapport with nature, particularly that of Centauri. With this rapport, he can sense incongruous elements (foreign bodies or substances) or focus on specific elements within the whole (such as the location of a plant). He is also sensitive to mystical beings and forces and is able to detect their presence and activities without effort. Yondu is able to replenish his own inner strength by going into a trance and communing with natural forces.
As a hunter, Yondu is an expert in the use of bow and arrow. His ability to whistle with a range of four octaves aids his archery. He is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, and a highly skilled hunter and tracker.
Yondu uses a 5-foot (1.5 m) single curve bow and a quiver of arrows composed ofyaka, a metal found only on Centauri IV. His yaka arrows are able to change their trajectory in response to certain high-octave whistles produced by him.
Yondu's right hand is replaced for a time by a bionic device called a weapons concealment appendage, a metal cup replacing his right hand.[11] Thus, he could no longer practice archery nor perform functions requiring him to grasp with his right hand. The device can release a number of weapons, including a mace, a hatchet, a scythe, a barbed spear, and others; when not in use the weapons are concealed within the appendage at a reduced size, until enlarged by Pym particles. Yondu's bionic weapon-hand is later replaced with a duplicate of his original hand.[13]
Yondu Udonta appears in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed byMichael Rooker. This version is a cyborg space pirate whose Yaka arrow is controlled by a head-mounted fin in addition to whistling. Additionally, he is the leader of one of severalRavager factions.
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yondu: My Two Yondus | Yondu #1-5 | July 2020 | 978-1302921095 |