Super-Heroes
on Film

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy - was based upon the cult-favorite comic book's superhero team, first appearing in Marvel Super-Heroes # 18 (January 1969). The comic-book was written by Arnold Drake and penciled by Gene Colan. The Guardians existed in an alternative time-line in the 31st century, in a place known as Earth-691. Their main enemy was the Badoon, an alien race. The main Guardians of the Galaxy in the first comic-book issue included "four lone survivors of four lost worlds":

• Major Vance Astro (Major Victory), an astronaut and last survivor of the 20th century, the first Earthman to the stars, a master of psychokinesis
• Captain Charlie-27, a human space-militia soldier with super-human strength, the last survivor of Earth's Jupiter colony
• Martinex, a genetically-engineered Iceman or crystalline alien being, the last survivor of Earth's colony on Pluto, with a body that could convert light waves into extreme bursts of heat and cold
• Yondu, a blue-skinned "noble savage" alien and archer from the Earth-colonized planet of Centauri-IV, last of a race of barbarians, master of weaponry

The first official Guardians of the Galaxy comic wasn't published until 1990. None of the Guardians in the 2014 movie, including Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora, or Drax the Destroyer were on the original team.

Marvel Super-Heroes # 18 January 1969

(l to r): Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Martinex, Yondu

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) was directed by James Gunn.

It was the 10th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The main character was Peter Quill/Star-Lord (portrayed by Chris Pratt), who was abducted from Earth (the state of Missouri) at the age of 8, and raised by a group of thieves and smugglers known as Ravagers.

He became the self-proclaimed half-alien leader of the Guardians (a law-and-order team), including other oddball, misfit intergalactic members:

• a genetically-engineered gunslinging varmint named Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper)
• a giant fighting tree creature named Groot (Vin Diesel)
• a knife-wielding gray-green skinned warrior-muscleman named Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista)
• a green-skinned humanoid assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana) - the last survivor of an extinct alien race

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)

A sequel to the 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy film, again directed by James Gunn.

It was the 15th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Another sequel to the series, reprised by director James Gunn.

It was the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).